By Mr. Brewer, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate,
No. 1853) of Stephen M. Brewer and Christine E. Canavan
for legislation relative to landscape sprinkler systems.
State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
|
By Mr. Brewer, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate,
No. 1853) of Stephen M. Brewer and Christine E. Canavan
for legislation relative to landscape sprinkler systems.
State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
|
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 142 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 20 the following section:-
Section 20A. Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, rain sensor devices and back flow preventers shall be required for newly installed or renovated residential outdoor landscape sprinkler systems. The examiners shall adopt regulations for the installation of the sprinkler systems, back flow preventers and the rain sensor device to override and suspend the operation of the system during periods of rainfall. The regulations shall specify the amount of rainfall required to activate a rain sensor.
SECTION 2. The Department of Revenue shall, in consultation with the Department of Agricultural Resources, create a 50% personal income tax credit on the purchase and installation of up to $500 worth of Water Wise plants and landscaping items.
SECTION 3. The Commissioner of the Department of Agricultural Resources in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection shall develop a list of Water Wise plants and landscaping items intended to reduce water usage, including but not limited to:
-Drought resistant plants that last for more than one year
-Kits or devices specifically designed for generating compost
-Grey-water recovery systems where the effluent is used for watering plants
-Rainwater recovery and storage devices where they are used for watering plants
-Rain sensors for irrigation systems
-Underground drip irrigation systems
