The bill amends Chapter 46-15.3 of the General Laws regarding "Public Drinking Water Supply System Protection" by introducing a new section, 46-15.3-5.2, which mandates that all entities involved in the supply, transmission, and distribution of drinking water prepare, maintain, and implement a water supply resilience plan by January 1, 2026. The purpose of the resilience plan is to identify risks and provide assessments and emergency response strategies to enhance the resilience of water supply systems against natural hazards and environmental impacts. This requirement applies to water suppliers that handle more than 50 million gallons of water annually, including municipalities, municipal departments, agencies, districts, authorities, and other entities engaged in the supply, treatment, transmission, or distribution of drinking water.

The initial risk assessment required by this section must be completed by July 1, 2026, and the results must be provided to the governor, speaker of the house, president of the senate, the director of the department of health, and the director of the department of environmental management. The assessment will evaluate risks from natural hazards, the resilience of infrastructure, financial stability, vulnerabilities related to chemical handling, and operational practices.

Additionally, the resilience plans must document coordination with other nearby water suppliers and operators of wastewater treatment and disposal facilities, align with applicable local comprehensive plans, and be integrated into the water supply plans of the municipalities in which the service area is located. The plans must designate responsible parties for necessary actions and the timeline for implementation. Water suppliers are required to utilize methods to achieve the objectives of this section and document the effectiveness of any measures included in their plans.

Within six months of the assessment, every water supplier must provide a response plan to address the issues raised in the assessment to the directors of the department of health and the department of environmental management. The assessment and response plan must be updated every three years from the initial assessment, with a report on the updated assessment delivered to the governor, speaker of the house, senate president, and director of the department of health.