(a) Sport fishing from designated locations on shoreline or from boats propelled by oars or by electric motors with sealed storage batteries on public water supply storage and distribution reservoirs, as defined in subsection (a) of § 25-43, or aquifer protection areas as mapped pursuant to § 22a-354c, and additional recreational activities subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, within designated areas of the watersheds of such reservoirs or aquifer protection areas may be permitted by a water company, as defined in § 25-32a, in accordance with rules made by such water company after consultation with the Commissioner of Public Health and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

(b) The Commissioner of Public Health, upon application by a water company, may issue to such company a permit authorizing recreational activities on storage and distribution reservoirs or aquifer protection areas. Any person who engages in any recreational activity which involves the use of a boat on reservoirs which are wholly owned by a water company shall use boats owned by said water company. If, in the opinion of the commissioner, the proposed recreational activities may have a significant adverse impact upon the applicant’s water supply, said commissioner may, within thirty days of receipt of a complete permit application, refer such application for detailed review to a consultant, chosen by the commissioner, with skills in the fields of water supply, hydrology, aquatic biology, forestry, geology, planning or other related fields, whose fee shall be paid by the applicant. The commissioner shall notify the applicant of such referral. The permit shall be issued subject to any terms or conditions the commissioner deems necessary to maintain the purity of the water in such storage and distribution reservoirs or aquifer protection areas. The commissioner may approve the use of electric motors with sealed storage batteries in a storage or distribution reservoir with an existing approved fishing program, provided such reservoir has conventional filtration treatment and is adequately supervised at all times when electric motors are in use, subject to monitoring, inspection and reporting by the water company satisfactory to the commissioner. The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 establishing criteria for such recreational activities on storage and distribution reservoirs or aquifer protection areas and for monitoring the water quality thereof. The Commissioner of Public Health shall prohibit fishing and recreational activities in those cases where treatment facilities are deemed inadequate by the commissioner to properly safeguard the health of persons drinking the water.

(c) Water companies are empowered, after consultation with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, to issue permits and to charge fees for the issuance of such permits in order to reimburse such companies for the cost to them of such fishing and other recreational activities in public water supply storage and distribution reservoirs and on the watersheds of such public water supply storage and distribution reservoirs or within aquifer protection areas.

(d) All public water supply reservoirs constructed on or after January 1, 1975, except for such reservoirs as may be under construction before January 1, 1975, shall have such water treatment or purification facilities as the Commissioner of Public Health determines are necessary to assure the purity of the water supplies from sources in such reservoirs in which sport fishing is permitted or in watersheds of such reservoirs in which such recreational activities are permitted as provided in this section, provided nothing in this section shall be deemed to permit any recreational use of an existing reservoir or of the watershed land of such reservoir which use would require the installation of new water treatment or purification facilities.

(e) No water company shall be liable in damages except with respect to wilful or wanton conduct for injury or property damage to any person who enters upon its lands or waters under the provisions of this section.