Environment (Drinking Water)

This resolution asks the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy and the Department of Environmental Quality to assess the safety of drinking water in Shreveport. The request is driven by the city's recent failing water quality grades and concerns about aging infrastructure and past environmental violations. State agencies are asked to review the water system's condition and submit written recommendations to the House Committee by November 1, 2026, with a follow-up report due before the 2027 legislative session.

This bill directs the city of Shreveport to provide quarterly reports to the House Committee on Health and Welfare regarding its efforts to improve its failing drinking water grade. The legislation also requires the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health to submit these updates alongside the city's reports. By mandating regular communication, the bill aims to increase transparency about the steps being taken to address water quality issues in Shreveport.

This resolution establishes a Clean Water Task Force to investigate the public water system in Shreveport, Louisiana, which has recently faced issues like aging infrastructure, chemical contamination, and boil advisories. The task force will include representatives from state health and environmental agencies, local city officials, and local universities to assess the condition of water pipes, treatment facilities, and management practices. Members must complete their evaluations and submit a written report with recommendations for improving water quality and infrastructure reliability by November 18, 2026. The group is required to hold public hearings in Shreveport throughout the summer to gather community input before finalizing their findings.

This bill establishes a new regulatory framework in Louisiana to oversee water usage at large data centers, specifically those with a capacity of one hundred megawatts or more. It grants the Department of Energy and Conservation the authority to issue water use permits for these facilities and requires them to develop specific rules by August 2027. The legislation also mandates that permits include a unique identifier for each project to improve transparency and ensures that agricultural water users remain exempt from these new requirements. Additionally, the Department of Environmental Quality must hold public hearings for data center permits and implement a system to assign unique identifiers to projects within one year of the law taking effect.

HB 706 sets rules for commercial oil and gas saltwater disposal wells in Louisiana. It establishes a default maximum injection pressure limit (based on fracture gradient data) and creates a process for operators to apply for higher limits by proving they won’t cause fractures through geological barriers, meeting casing standards, and monitoring drinking water sources. Operators must submit verified field data, engineer attestations, and seismic monitoring plans to the department, which must respond within 60 days. Violating the pressure limits or conditions incurs penalties under existing law. The bill directly affects oil and gas companies operating these wells, focusing on safety and regulatory clarity for wastewater disposal.