A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to authorize the legislative research commission to study methods of disposing of wastewater at municipal wastewater treatment systems.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Legislative Research Commission may study current methods of disposing of wastewater at municipal wastewater treatment facilities, as defined in G.S. 143‑215.6D, and may study the feasibility and desirability of municipal wastewater treatment facilities employing other methods of disposing of wastewater. In its study, the Commission may consider all of the following:
(1)	Whether the current practice of land application of wastewater at any municipal wastewater treatment facilities requires too much land to be practicable in the long term.
(2)	Whether the current practice of land application of wastewater at municipal wastewater treatment facilities is better suited to certain parts of the State or to areas of certain geological or topographical conditions.
(3)	Whether there are any alternative methods of disposing of wastewater at municipal wastewater treatment systems and the costs and benefits of employing any such alternative methods either on a statewide basis or in any specific area of the State.
(4)	Subject to Section 2 of this act, any other issues the Commission considers relevant to this topic.
SECTION 2.  The study authorized by this act shall not address any issues regarding animal waste management systems, as defined in G.S. 143‑215.10B, at swine farms, as defined in G.S. 106‑802, or the land application of wastewater associated with animal waste, as defined in G.S. 143‑215.10B.
SECTION 3.  The Legislative Research Commission may make an interim report to the 2007 General Assembly, Regular Session 2008, and shall make its final report to the 2009 General Assembly.
SECTION 4.  The Legislative Services Officer shall allocate funds appropriated to the General Assembly for the expenditures of the Legislative Services Commission in conducting this study.
SECTION 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2007.