New rules kick in when the new year begins, including a rule about surface water

New rules kick in when the new year begins, including a rule about surface water in Vermont. Starting Jan. 1, there are new requirements for registering and reporting surface water withdrawals or removals. The reports are filed with the Department of Environmental Conservation or DEC. That’s in accordance with Act 135. The goal is to collect baseline information about surface water usage in Vermont. Anyone withdrawing 10,000 gallons or more of surface water within 24 hours, or 150,000 gallons or more over 30 days must register with DEC. The DEC commissioner says we rely on surface water for drinking water, recreation, industrial uses and wildlife habitat.