An Act relative to maintaining adequate water supplies through effective drought management

This bill creates a new drought management task force within the state office to coordinate responses to water shortages. The task force will include representatives from various state agencies, professional organizations, and public health experts who will meet regularly to assess conditions and recommend drought levels. Based on the severity of the drought, the secretary of environmental protection can order uniform water conservation measures, such as limiting nonessential outdoor water use, which local cities and towns must enforce.