Lawmakers are taking another stab at metering groundwater use for commercial well users. Under current statute, commercial groundwater use is capped, but well owners are only required to submit an estimate of how much they use. Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed an identical bill last year after it passed both chambers. A renewed legislative effort (House Bill 1807 by Carl Newton, R-Cherokee) passed the House Energy Committee this week and now moves on to an oversight committee.

Senate Bill 167 by Aaron Reinhardt, R-Jenks, would require the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management to implement a stormwater detection system to provide more notice when rising water levels could cause flooding. Last year, the bill passed both houses but got held up in the appropriations step — putting the system in place would cost around $6.4 million. The measure eked its way out of the Senate Energy Committee this year in a 5-4 vote.

Another bill, Senate Bill 92 by David Bullard, R-Durant, that fell through in budget negotiations last year asks for the state to put a large chunk of money (this year’s bill originally said $500 million, but Bullard struck title to determine how much) in a revolving fund for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board would provide low-interest loans to public water and wastewater utilities. As those loans are paid back, the money would be recycled into more water and wastewater loans. The measure passed unanimously out of the Senate Energy Committee.

Senate Bill 91 by Tom Woods, R-Westville, is another repeat bill from last year. It would create the Spring Creek Watershed Advisory Group to bring lawmakers and community members together to address concerns about water quality in northeast Oklahoma’s Spring Creek. It passed out of the Senate Energy Committee.

The Senate measures that passed the committee can now be heard by the full Senate.