By Joshua Robinson

KU Statehouse Wire Service

 

TOPEKA – If you’re a water rights owner, get ready to pay higher fines if you don’t report your water usage on time.

The House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resource on Monday discussed Senate Bill 337, which will place tougher penalties on water right owners who do not report usage to Kansas Department of Water Resources.

Currently, the state can impose a $250 fine. SB 337 proposes to implement a $250 fine if water usage is not reported once but increases the fine to $1,000 if water usage is not reported two consecutive times.

Supporters say the bill is needed because some water rights owners are ignoring reporting requirements. The bill applies to people and establishments that use water for agricultural, industrial or municipal purposes. It includes farmers, city governments, businesses and irrigators, said committee chair Rep. Sharon Schwartz, R-Washington.

“This bill is for people to comply (with) current law. Sometimes, we have to find ways to make them fall in line just like a lot of other issues that are out there,” said Schwartz.
Kent Askren, director of public policy for the Kansas Farm Bureau, spoke in favor of Senate Bill 337. Askren believes the greatest tool for getting people to report water use is to increase the penalties for those who fail to do so.

“This bill is important because it will help encourage uniform water usage reporting all across our state,” Askren said. “It has reasonable guidelines for penalties, and . . . the main stimulus for the bill would be the … threat for possible suspension of water rights if water usage is not submitted.”

Askren said, however, that only a small percentage of water owners do not report on time.

Edited by Maddy Mikinski