Committee hears SB 4 to regulate large water transfers, long‑haul pipelines; stakeholders urge clarifications

Senate Bill 4, introduced in the Senate by Senator Cook, would create new state oversight for large water withdrawals and long‑haul water pipelines, requiring a Department of Natural Resources permit for interbasin transfers and a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for certain long‑haul pipelines.

The bill’s author, Senator Cook, told the committee the measure "deals with the issue of competing uses of surface water" and is intended to bring "oversight and transparency to large transfers of water in our state." Her presentation described two thresholds in the draft: an interbasin transfer permit for movements of about 30,000,000 gallons per day and an IURC CPCN process for long‑haul pipelines meeting the bill’s long‑haul definition (discussed in the committee as involving pipelines of 10,000,000 gallons per day or more and extended distances in some contexts).

Why it matters: Committee members and witnesses said the bill responds to recent controversy over proposed transfers tied to the LEAP district and to broader planning concerns as industrial and large commercial users place new demands on regional water systems.

What the bill would do

- Define large interbasin transfers and require a DNR permit for transfers set at roughly 30,000,000 gallons per day (as described by the bill author).

- Require a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) from the IURC for certain long‑haul pipelines (the bill text discussed a 10,000,000 gallons‑per‑day threshold and committee discussion referenced a long‑haul pipeline definition tied to distance and capacity).

- Cr…