IndianaSB 28First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025)Senate

Ground water emergencies.

Sponsored By: Susan Glick (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Summary

Allows the owner or operator of a significant ground water withdrawal facility to file a complaint with the director of the department of natural resources (director) that a water well on the property of the owner of the significant ground water withdrawal facility failed to furnish the well's normal supply of water or failed to furnish potable water. Requires the director to launch an investigation into a complaint of a well failure from a significant ground water withdrawal facility within three business days of the director receiving the complaint. Provides that the owner of a significant ground water withdrawal facility responsible for the failure or substantial impairment of a well shall provide timely and reasonable compensation to the owner of an impacted significant ground water withdrawal facility or nonsignificant ground water withdrawal facility.

utilitiesappropriationsthe housenatural resources

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Deadlines for investigating well owners’ complaints

Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources must arrange onsite investigations after written complaints about failed wells. The well must be on property in the complainant’s possession and fail to supply its normal water amount or potable water. The deadline is 24 hours for complaints from owners of facilities classified as nonsignificant. For owners or operators of significant facilities, the deadline is three business days.

Construction rules and notices for well owners

Beginning July 1, 2025, owners seeking the law’s protections must build new groundwater facilities to meet state construction rules. New nonsignificant facilities must meet department rules, while new significant facilities must meet rules addressing significant groundwater withdrawals. Before drilling and equipping a facility, licensed well-drilling or plumbing contractors must explain the groundwater law’s provisions to the customer.

Well owners get compensation with limits

Beginning July 1, 2025, a significant groundwater facility’s owner must provide timely, reasonable compensation when its withdrawals cause another facility’s water supply to fail or become substantially impaired, subject to a state order. Affected nonsignificant facilities qualify if they existed before January 1, 1986; those built later must meet department rules, with wells built before those rules required to meet Information Bulletin No. 3. Compensation includes immediate temporary potable water at the prior point of use and reimbursement of reasonable expenses for obtaining that water and delivering compensation. It also requires restoring either type of affected facility’s former capacity, permanently supplying an equal amount of potable water at the point of use, or limiting withdrawals so the affected well maintains its normal supply, including potable water when normally provided. Refusing timely, reasonable compensation gives the department grounds to end its order against the responsible facility, but affected owners can request a hearing over late or unreasonable compensation.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Susan Glick

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Blake Doriot

    Republican • Senate

  • Daryl Schmitt

    Republican • Senate

  • David Abbott

    Republican • House

  • Eric Bassler

    Republican • Senate

  • Eric Koch

    Republican • Senate

  • Gary Byrne

    Republican • Senate

  • Jean Leising

    Republican • Senate

  • Mark Genda

    Republican • House

  • Matt Commons

    Republican • House

  • Shane Lindauer

    Republican • House

  • Spencer Deery

    Republican • Senate

  • Stacey Donato

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 185 • No: 1

Senate vote • 4/3/2025

Senate concurred with House amendments

Yes: 46 • No: 1

House vote • 4/1/2025

Third reading: passed

Yes: 93 • No: 0

Senate vote • 2/13/2025

Third reading: passed

Yes: 46 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor

    4/16/2025Senate
  2. Public Law 71

    4/16/2025Senate
  3. Signed by the President of the Senate

    4/9/2025Senate
  4. Signed by the President Pro Tempore

    4/8/2025Senate
  5. Signed by the Speaker

    4/8/2025House
  6. Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 339: yeas 46, nays 1

    4/3/2025Senate
  7. Motion to concur filed

    4/2/2025Senate
  8. Returned to the Senate with amendments

    4/2/2025House
  9. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 341: yeas 93, nays 0

    4/1/2025House
  10. Second reading: ordered engrossed

    3/31/2025House
  11. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

    3/27/2025House
  12. Representative Abbott added as cosponsor

    3/17/2025House
  13. Representatives Commons and Genda added as cosponsors

    3/17/2025House
  14. Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3

    3/13/2025House
  15. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

    3/13/2025House
  16. First reading: referred to Committee on Natural Resources

    3/3/2025House
  17. Referred to the House

    2/14/2025Senate
  18. Senator Schmitt added as coauthor

    2/13/2025Senate
  19. House sponsor: Representative Lindauer

    2/13/2025Senate
  20. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 123: yeas 46, nays 0

    2/13/2025Senate
  21. Senator Deery added as coauthor

    2/13/2025Senate
  22. Second reading: ordered engrossed

    2/11/2025Senate
  23. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

    2/6/2025Senate
  24. Senators Leising, Doriot, Donato added as coauthors

    2/6/2025Senate
  25. Senator Bassler added as coauthor

    2/6/2025Senate

Bill Text

  • Enrolled Senate Bill (S)

  • Introduced Senate Bill (S)

  • Senate Bill (H)

  • Senate Bill (S)

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