Rhode Island H7872 establishes civil penalties for water suppliers that fail to restore service within four hours of an outage.

Rhode Island H7872 amends the General Laws to establish civil penalties for water suppliers that do not restore continuous service to at least 90% of affected customers within four hours after an unplanned outage. The penalty is $250 per customer for each additional hour of delay, up to $5,000 per customer per day. The director of health may adjust or waive the penalty based on hardship or noncompliance beyond the supplier's control. These fines are in addition to other available remedies and damages and will be deposited into the general fund. The act takes effect upon passage.

Rhode Island H7872 establishes civil penalties for water suppliers that fail to restore service within four hours of an outage.

Rhode Island H7872 amends the General Laws to establish civil penalties for water suppliers that do not restore continuous service to at least 90% of affected customers within four hours after an unplanned outage. The penalty is $250 per customer for each additional hour of delay, up to $5,000 per customer per day. The director of health may adjust or waive the penalty based on hardship or noncompliance beyond the supplier's control. These fines are in addition to other available remedies and damages and will be deposited into the general fund. The act takes effect upon passage.