(a) Each water company, as defined in § 25-32a, serving one thousand or more persons or two hundred fifty or more consumers, as defined in § 25-32a, shall annually provide to residential customers, without charge, educational materials or information on (1) water conservation, (2) water supply source protection methods, including methods to reduce contamination, and (3) on or before July 1, 2002, and annually thereafter, information developed by the Commissioner of Public Health, pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, on the health effects and sources of lead and copper. Every year each public water company shall provide a copy of these educational materials to the Commissioner of Public Health.

(b) The Commissioner of Public Health shall, within available resources, develop, in consultation with public water suppliers, public education materials on health effects and sources of lead and copper, which shall be distributed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

(c) The Commissioner of Public Health may impose a civil penalty on any water company that violates the provisions of this section. In imposing such civil penalty, the commissioner shall comply with the procedures set forth in § 25-32e, except that the amount shall not exceed five thousand dollars per violation. Each year the company fails to offer educational materials or information on water conservation shall be deemed to be a separate violation.