Tennessee Senate Bill SB1962

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/22/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 221, Part 7, relative to hardwater standards.

Summary

SB1962 creates a new section of Tennessee law establishing a maximum allowable hardwater level for water distributed by public water systems: 180 milligrams per liter, measured as calcium carbonate equivalents. The bill defines key terms such as “hardwater,” “seasonal runoff,” “state funds,” and “system upgrade,” and sets out when systems must comply with the new standard. The compliance framework is tied to state funding. Public water systems that receive state funds for a qualifying system upgrade on or after July 1, 2026, must meet the hardwater standard when the upgrade is completed. Systems that do not receive such state-funded upgrades are grandfathered and are not required to comply unless they later receive state funds for a system upgrade. Routine maintenance, smaller repairs under $25,000, administrative expenses, and operating costs do not trigger the compliance requirement. The bill also creates a temporary exemption for elevated hardwater levels caused directly by seasonal runoff. To use the exemption, a system must notify the department within 10 business days, document the cause, and submit a remediation plan if requested. After the runoff period ends, the system must return to compliance within 90 days, and the exemption is limited to 120 cumulative days in a 12-month period unless the commissioner approves a longer period. In addition, the bill requires affected public water systems to monitor hardwater levels under department protocols and include the results in annual water quality reports. The Department of Environment and Conservation would enforce the new section under existing enforcement provisions in Title 68, Chapter 221. The act takes effect July 1, 2026. The available voting history suggests the bill was received favorably in committee, with the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee recommending passage with amendments by a 7-0 vote. No committee transcript is available, so the broader discussion record is limited, but the vote indicates little overt opposition at that stage.

Impact

SB1962 would add a new regulatory standard to Tennessee’s public water system laws by setting a statewide maximum hardwater level and linking compliance to state-funded system upgrades. It would affect public water systems, the Department of Environment and Conservation, and any utilities seeking state financial assistance for infrastructure improvements. The bill would also create reporting, monitoring, exemption, and enforcement requirements within Title 68, Chapter 221, Part 7.

Sentiment

The available legislative history indicates generally positive sentiment toward the bill. The Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee advanced it unanimously, suggesting broad support or at least no recorded opposition in that committee. Because there are no committee transcripts, there is no detailed record of debate, but the vote pattern points to a relatively noncontroversial measure at the committee stage.

Contention

The main policy tension in SB1962 appears to be between water quality standards and the practical burdens on public water systems. Potential points of contention include the 180 mg/L threshold, whether tying compliance to receipt of state funds creates uneven treatment among systems, and how strictly the seasonal runoff exemption should be applied and documented. Systems facing elevated hardness from natural conditions may favor the exemption, while regulators or consumer advocates may be concerned about grandfathering systems that do not receive state-funded upgrades and about ensuring consistent water quality statewide.