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Rules

Underground Storage Tank Rules

May 25, 2021
These rules are intended to protect public health and the environment by establishing
standards for the design, installation, operation, maintenance, monitoring and closure of
underground storage tanks. These rules apply to persons who own or operate, install,
remove, repair, or test underground storage tank systems.

Aboveground Storage Tank Rules

February 10, 2014
These rules are intended to protect public health and the environment by:
(1) Establishing standards for the design and installation of new aboveground
storage tank systems and substantial alteration to existing aboveground
storage tank systems; and
(2) Establishing standards for the design, installation, and operation of new bulk
tank systems and substantial alteration of existing bulk tank systems.

Underground Injection Control Rules

October 29, 2014
(a) These Rules apply to discharges to injection wells.
(b) These Rules are not intended to affect other existing regulations including, but not limited to, the
Vermont Groundwater Protection Rule and Strategy and rules adopted by the Vermont Department of
Health.
(c) These Rules do not limit the powers of federal, state or local authorities to control existing or potential
threats to human health or the environment.

Deposit for Beverage Containers Rule

September 14, 2010
(a) These rules are adopted under the Secretary's authority pursuant to 3 V.S.A.
Chapter 25 and 10 V.S.A. Chapter 53.
(b) These rules apply to:
(1) A person manufacturing or distributing a container;
(2) A person selling a container at the retail level or operating a business for
the purpose of redeeming a container; and
(3) A person returning a beverage container to collect the deposit on a
container.
(c) These rules do not apply to beer or other malt beverages contained in kegs, halfkegs,
quarter-kegs, or pony-kegs provided that a deposit on the keg is charged to
the consumer for the use of the keg and refunded to the consumer upon return of
the keg to the retailer.

Indirect Discharge Rules

April 30, 2003
(a) These rules establish standards and procedures that the Secretary uses in reviewing
permit applications for indirect discharges and in the issuance and administration of
indirect discharge permits under the authority referenced in §14-101 above. These
rules further implement the policies established in the Water Pollution Control Act (10
V.S.A. Chapter 47) and in the Groundwater Protection Act (10 V.S.A., Chapter 48). It
is the purpose of these rules to insure that:
(1) Indirect discharges comply with the provisions of the Vermont Water Quality
Standards.
Indirect Discharge Rules Page 2
(2) Indirect discharges and associated treatment and disposal systems are designed and
constructed in a manner that will provide reliable protection of the public health,
groundwater, and surface water during operation and maintenance.
(3) New indirect discharges of sewage from systems with a design capacity of 6,500 gpd
or more:
(A) will not significantly alter the aquatic biota in the receiving waters,
(B) will not pose more than a negligible risk to the public health, and
(C) will be consistent with existing and potential beneficial uses of the waters.

Well Driller Licensing Rule

August 29, 2002
The purpose of this rule is to protect public health and the environment by providing for the licensing of water and monitoring well drillers, the recording and reporting of each well drilled, and the closure of abandoned wells. The Water Well Advisory Committee is established as a forum for the well driller industry and other interested parties to advise and assist agency staff on well drilling and groundwater issues.

Vermont Water Supply Rule

February 24, 2024
This rule is intended to serve a number of purposes.
First, and most important, the rule's primary purpose is to regulate water systems in the state so
that they provide clean and safe drinking water to Vermont's citizens. This is true for the
smallest, single house source to the state's largest system. The rule also establishes well
construction standards (contained in Part 12 of Appendix A) which apply to every constructed
well in Vermont regardless of the type of facility it serves.
Second, by implementing this rule, Vermont qualifies to retain "primacy" for the Safe Drinking
Water Act from the federal US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Primacy means that
the state will administer the federal regulations that apply to all public water systems in the
country, instead of EPA. Without state regulations that are at least as strict as the federal ones,
Vermont may not administer the federal regulations.
We think having primacy represents an advantage to Vermont's water systems. The federal
regulations contain some optional provisions that permit exceptions to the regulations when
mitigating factors make it difficult or impossible to follow the regulation. Also, there are
situations where interpretations of the federal regulations can be made by states with primacy
that provide some benefit to the public water systems. EPA has stated that, in the event that they
have to administer their own rules in a state without primacy, they will not have the resources to
provide most of these permitted exceptions to the regulations.
Third, this document contains all of the state's major regulations concerning water systems in a
single document, which, in spite of its size, makes it easier for both the regulators and the
regulated community to carry out their respective roles. The Agency will bind the various parts
of the rule (discussed below) into smaller packages that make sense for the intended recipient.
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