AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO BUILDING AND PLUMBING.

This Act protects Delaware’s fresh water supply while also reducing costs for small businesses and single-family residential homeowners by eliminating the requirements for installation and yearly inspections of backflow preventors on low-hazard water users. However, an otherwise low hazard property that has fire sprinkler systems, in-ground lawn sprinklers, swimming pools, hot tubs, or similar systems connected to its fresh water supply will be required to install a backflow preventor. Under § 1 of Article IX of the Delaware Constitution, this Act requires a two-thirds majority vote because it constitutes an implicit charter change, as the ordinances it seeks to override derive their authority from municipal charters. This Act also makes a technical correction on line 16. The word “shall” is changed to “must” to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.