Over the past month of bill filing, lawmakers have introduced measures to conserve Oklahoma’s groundwater, prevent forever chemical contamination and fund water infrastructure.
Here are some bills to watch in the upcoming session as lawmakers address water issues.
Protecting water resources
Much of Oklahoma has dipped in and out of severe drought over the past several years, and the driest conditions are in the western half of the state. To address water scarcity, the legislature will revisit a measure that almost became law last year and consider expanding an existing conservation program.
Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, introduced Senate Bill 259, requiring commercial entities (including farmers and ranchers) to measure how much water they pull from Oklahoma’s aquifers. Last year, a similar bill passed both houses but was vetoed by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
In another measure aimed at understanding groundwater use, Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard, proposes a pause on new permits to use groundwater for agricultural or commercial purposes. Under Senate Bill 133, new permits could be issued for a groundwater basin after the Oklahoma Water Resources Board completes a hydrogeological study of the aquifer to determine how much water use it can sustain.
It’s not just people who use water. The Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Act, passed in 2022, created and funded an Oklahoma Conservation Commission program to remove eastern redcedars and other plants designated “harmful woody species” in parts of Northwest Oklahoma. The hardy, drought-resistant trees have been spreading beyond their historical range and slurping up water in drier areas.
After widespread enthusiasm for the pilot program, a new bill proposes to take redcedar removal statewide. Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, who authored the original measure, has proposed amending and expanding the program’s reach. Under Senate Bill 263, the law would be rechristened the Terry Peach Water Restoration Act and would allow for the Conservation Commission to work with landowners to remove harmful woody species statewide. It would also add three species of juniper trees to the ranks of unwanted plants.
Addressing forever chemicals
Oklahoma lawmakers have introduced several measures to address growing concerns about the health risks of PFAS — often called “forever chemicals.”
These man-made substances are widely used to make goods waterproof and fire-resistant. However, they contain a super-strong chemical bond that allows them to linger in the environment for incredibly long periods of time. People who are exposed repeatedly to very high levels of these chemicals have increased risks of certain cancers.
Senate Bill 271 aims to regulate the possession, storage and disposal of firefighting foam that contains PFAS. The bill, authored by Sen. David Rader, R-Tulsa, also provides penalty protections for facilities like wastewater treatment plants, which aren’t in control of how many PFAS come their way.
Another bill aims to limit PFAS contamination in Oklahoma by pausing the use of treated wastewater sludge as fertilizer.
Rebranded as “biosolids,” the solid material leftover after wastewater treatment contains lots of nutrients plants enjoy, but it also has some of the less natural chemicals poured down drains, including PFAS. If PFAS-tainted biosolids are spread on land, those forever chemicals can end up in the food chain.
Sen. Grant Green, R-Wellston, wants Oklahomans to take a few years off from using biosolids as fertilizer. He filed Senate Bill 003, which would revoke permits to use biosolids until 2028 and prohibit any new permits from being issued until then.
However, as long as people take showers, flush toilets, and put liquids down drains, sludge containing biosolids will continue to accumulate. Green’s bill doesn’t say how wastewater treatment plants would need to dispose of all their extra sludge.
Funding water infrastructure
At least two bills would create a new pool of money for water infrastructure loans. Senate Bill 92 by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, and Senate Bill 265, by Murdock, would create programs through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to provide competitive loans for municipalities needing water and wastewater infrastructure repair.
It’s unclear from the bill text how these programs would differ from the OWRB’s existing water and wastewater infrastructure loan programs.
Sen. Grant Green, R-Wellston, introduced Senate Bill 196, which would set aside $1.2 million for the OWRB to award as infrastructure grants to rural water districts. Both Green’s and Murdock’s bills have already received a first reading ahead of the start of session.
Enjoying the lake
A few bills would make changes to recreational water use. Senate Bill 42 aims to protect people swimming near watercraft. It would require boats to fly a certain flag when its passengers enter the water. Other boats would need to maintain a no-wake speed near any craft flying that flag.
Senate Bill 121 could give Oklahomans one more state park to visit. It would place Hugo Lake, a former state park now maintained by the city of Hugo, back under state control. A similar bill last year did not make it through both chambers.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
