Subdivision 1.

Permit.

(a) Notwithstanding any department or agency rule to the contrary,
the commissioner shall issue, on request by the owner of the property and payment of the
permit fee, permits for the reinjection of water by a properly constructed well into the same
aquifer from which the water was drawn for the operation of a groundwater thermal exchange
device.

(b) As a condition of the permit, an applicant must agree to allow inspection by the
commissioner during regular working hours for department inspectors.

(c) Not more than 200 permits may be issued for small systems having maximum
capacities of 20 gallons per minute or lessnew text begin and that are compliant with the natural resource
water-use requirements under subdivision 2new text end . deleted text begin The small systems are subject to inspection
twice a year.
deleted text end

(d) Not more than deleted text begin tendeleted text end new text begin 100new text end permits may be issued for larger systems having maximum
capacities deleted text begin fromdeleted text end new text begin overnew text end 20 deleted text begin to 50deleted text end gallons per minutenew text begin and are compliant with the natural resource
water-use requirements under subdivision 2new text end . deleted text begin The larger systems are subject to inspection
four times a year.
deleted text end

(e) A person issued a permit must comply with this section new text begin and any permit conditions
deemed necessary to protect public health and safety of groundwater new text end for the permit to be
valid.

new text begin (f) The property owner or the property owner's agent must submit to the commissioner
a permit application on a form provided by the commissioner, or in a format approved by
the commissioner, that provides any information necessary to protect public health and
safety of groundwater.
new text end

new text begin (g) A permit granted under this section is not valid if a water-use permit is required for
the project and is not approved by the commissioner of natural resources.
new text end

Subd. 2.

Water-use requirements apply.

Water-use permit requirements and penalties
under chapter deleted text begin 103Fdeleted text end new text begin 103Gnew text end and related rules adopted and enforced by the commissioner of
natural resources apply to groundwater thermal exchange permit recipients. A person who
violates a provision of this section is subject to enforcement or penalties for the noncomplying
activity that are available to the commissioner and the Pollution Control Agency.