Warrant Authority Bill Signed into Law

On April 17, Governor Polis signed House Bill 24-1062, Concerning Administrative Inspection Warrants for a Metropolitan Sewage Disposal Districts. This final act caps off nearly 18 months of work by Metro Water Recovery and our partners. The bill will allow Metro, if needed, to directly seek a warrant to fulfill its obligations under the federal Clean Water Act’s National Pretreatment Program.

How it Started

Metro began to discuss this bill idea with our connectors and other partners in January 2023. Helping our partners understand the necessity and technical aspects of the law change was just the beginning. Once Metro had the buy in of our partners, we sought a legislator who would understand both the need for this bill and the complexity of the industrial pretreatment program.

State Representative Gabe Evans was a great fit for this. Rep. Evans spent 10 years as a law enforcement officer in the City of Arvada and has extensive experience with administrative warrants and local codes. Metro also worked to identify additional legislative sponsors; Rep. Brianna Titone, Sen. Kevin Priola, and Sen. Bob Gardner joined as prime sponsors (legislators introducing legislation into the Senate or House of Representatives) to support Metro’s efforts.

Public Hearings and Votes

With Rep. Evans’ support, Metro drafted legislative language that would provide us with the necessary statutory changes related to administrative warrant authority. There were two public hearings regarding House Bill 24-1062. Metro employees Emily Jackson, Jennifer Robinett, and Erin Bertoli, as well as Metro Board member Sarah Niyork, testified before the House Energy and Environment Committee and the Senate Local Government and Housing Committee. The bill passed, with bipartisan votes, the entirety of the State House of Representatives and the State Senate. The bill will take effect on August 7, 2024.

A Great Success

Metro currently does have clear legal authority to implement its Industrial Pretreatment Program in accordance with the Clean Water Act. However, this current legal authority to obtain administrative inspection warrants exists indirectly in a combination of legal agreements and municipal ordinances, which has proven to be challenging at times. House Bill 24-1062 gives Metro direct legal authority to obtain administrative inspection warrants, streamlining the process and enabling health and safety concerns associated with industrial wastewater to be addressed uniformly and more effectively. You can read the signed act at https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1062.

This effort is a testament to great teamwork. Our connectors, partners, board members, and employees all worked together successfully to advance Metro’s mission.