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Committee approves substitute letting homeowners drill irrigation wells; Piedmont Water opposes original bill
Summary
After testimony from Piedmont Water’s CEO and many homeowners, the Senate committee approved a substitute to House Bill 449 allowing property owners to install on‑site irrigation wells without creating competing private utilities; the committee’s substitute was approved with one senator recorded opposed.
The Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee approved a committee substitute to House Bill 449 that would allow property owners served by a private surface‑water system to drill on‑site wells for irrigation use, subject to health‑department and local rules. The substitute was offered after several hours of testimony from residents and from Piedmont Water Company, which opposed the original bill as unnecessary and potentially harmful to private investment.
Adam Schafer, chief executive officer of Piedmont Water Company, told the committee the company has used private capital to build and expand water and wastewater…
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