Committee backs S.212 to create general permits for water and septic connections, repeal neighborhood fee cap

The Vermont House Ways & Means Committee voted S.212 favorable as amended on May 7 after hearing presentations on a bill that would streamline permitting for potable water and wastewater service connections, revise related fees and effective dates, and allow limited municipal and pretreatment delegation.

Michael Grady of Legislative Council told the committee S.212 defines ‘‘service connections’’ as the pipe from a structure to the public main (excluding internal plumbing) and would require those connections to receive the same permit now required for wells and septic systems. Grady said the bill’s central tool is a mandated general permit that applies to a class of similar connections rather than individualized, site-specific permits: “Instead of issuing 500 individual permits, the agency issues one permit,” he said, explaining that the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) would publish a pictorial manual and may give deference to licensed designers when they certify compliance.

The bill would require ANR to issue the required general permit by Dec. 1, 2027, and to begin accepting licensed-engineer certifications on Jan. 1, 2028, Grady said. He also described criteria for partial municipal delegation: a municipality must own the public water or wastewater system (not, for…