Capacity development strategy; department; solicit public comment.

The department shall develop a capacity development strategy to assist public water systems in acquiring and maintaining technical, managerial, and financial capacity pursuant to section 71-5305.01. The department shall consider and solicit public comment on: (1) The methods or criteria the department will use to identify and prioritize the public water systems most in need of improving technical, managerial, and financial capacity; (2) A description of the institutional, regulatory, financial, tax, or legal factors at the federal, state, or local level that encourage or impair capacity development; (3) A description of how the department will: (a) Assist public water systems in complying with the Nebraska Safe Drinking Water Act; (b) Encourage the development of partnerships between public water systems to enhance the technical, managerial, and financial capacity of the systems; and (c) Assist public water systems in the training and licensure of operators; and (4) A description of how the department will establish a baseline and measure improvements in capacity with respect to the act.