This bill appropriates $28,870,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Environmental Services for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. The funds are designated for regional drinking water infrastructure as part of Phase 2 of the Southern New Hampshire Regional Water Project, which aims to enhance water supply by over 2 million gallons per day to various towns affected by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination and increasing water demands. The infrastructure improvements will encompass necessary ancillary projects, including booster pumping stations, pressure reducing stations, water storage tanks, and water mains, along with associated design, land acquisition, and construction permits. The bill ensures that no current public utility ratepayer will be adversely impacted by costs related to the provision of drinking water to communities benefiting from the funded projects.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that the appropriated funds shall be nonlapsing, meaning they will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The effective date for this act is set for July 1, 2025. The fiscal note indicates that there will be no revenue generated from this bill, but it will result in expenditures of $28,870,000 in FY 2026. Local revenues and expenditures are expected to increase by an indeterminable amount, depending on the timing of fund disbursement and project expenses.