WATER USE-HIGH CAPACITY WELLS

Amends the Water Use Act of 1983. Provides that a high-capacity well is a well located on a parcel of property where the rate or capacity of water withdrawals of all wells on the property is in excess of 70 gallons per minute or 100,000 gallons during any 24-hour period. Provides that a high-capacity surface water intake is a surface water intake located on a parcel of property where the rate or capacity of water withdrawals is the same as that of a high-capacity well. Requires persons who are interested in developing a high-capacity well to notify the District before constructing the well (now, only when "the withdrawals from the new point can reasonably be expected to" exceed 100,000 gallons on any day). Requires existing and proposed high-capacity wells to register with the District. Provides that the District may recommend that the Department of Agriculture restrict the quantity of water that a person may extract from high-capacity wells (now, under certain circumstances, from other wells). Requires a person or land occupier who is responsible for a high-capacity well, high-capacity intake, or public water supply to participate in the Illinois Water Inventory Program, but exempts high-capacity intakes used for agricultural irrigation and high-capacity wells used for agricultural irrigation from this requirement for 5 years. Effective January 1, 2010.