The Oregon Water Resources Department can now sue Oregonians who illegally misuse or waste water.
HB 2929 will allow the water resources department to take water misusers to court.
Lawmakers say the bill addressed the previous process where action against water misusers were not taken fast enough.
People could be sued in civil court for illegally irrigating from sources that are not their own like illegal marijuana growers or other farmers and ranchers.
It can even be people who waste water.
Oregon State Representative, Pam Marsh said “it is reasonable to think that we are going to have a shortage of water in the foreseeable future, so when we have this resource. That we all depend upon, that our farmers depend upon, that we depend upon for drinking, that our communities depend upon. We have to be more and more careful about how we use that product.”
HB 2929 was passed in this legislative session.
It hopes to conserve water while regulating water use.
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