1. Every municipal corporation, private corporation, company, partnership, federal establishment, state establishment or individual supplying or authorized to supply drinking water to the public within the state shall file with the department of natural resources a certified copy of the plans and surveys of the waterworks with a description of the methods of purification, treatment technology and source from which the supply of water is derived, and no source of supply shall be used without a written permit of approval issued to the continuing operating authority by the department of natural resources, or water dispensed to the public without first obtaining such written permit of approval. Prior to a change of permittee, the current permittee shall notify the department of the proposed change and the department shall perform a permit review.

2. Construction, extension or alteration of a public water system shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the safe drinking water commission.

3. Permit applicants shall show, as part of their application, that a permanent organization exists which will serve as the continuing operating authority for the management, operation, replacement, maintenance and modernization of the facility. Such continuing operating authority for all community water systems and nontransient, noncommunity water systems commencing operation after October 1, 1999, shall be required to have and maintain the managerial, technical and financial capacity, as determined by the department, to comply with sections 640.100 to 640.140.

4. Any community water system or nontransient, noncommunity water system against which an administrative order has been issued for significant noncompliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, sections 640.100 to 640.140 or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder shall be required to show that a permanent organization exists that serves as the continuing operating authority for the facility and that such continuing operating authority has the managerial, technical and financial capacity to comply with sections 640.100 to 640.140 and regulations promulgated thereunder. If the water system cannot show to the department’s satisfaction that such continuing operating authority exists, or if the water system is not making substantial progress toward compliance, the water system’s permit may be revoked. The continuing operating authority may appeal such decision to the administrative hearing commission as provided by sections 621.250 and 640.013.

5. Whenever a permit is issued, denied, suspended, or revoked by the department, any aggrieved person, by petition filed with the administrative hearing commission within thirty days of the decision, may appeal such decision as provided by sections 621.250 and 640.013. Once the administrative hearing commission has reviewed the appeal, the administrative hearing commission shall issue a recommended decision to the commission on permit issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation. The commission shall issue its own decision, based on the appeal, for permit issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation. If the commission changes a finding of fact or conclusion of law made by the administrative hearing commission, or modifies or vacates the decision recommended by the administrative hearing commission, it shall issue its own decision, which shall include findings of fact and conclusions of law. The commission shall mail copies of its final decision to the parties to the appeal or their counsel of record. The commission’s decision shall be subject to judicial review pursuant to chapter 536, except that the court of appeals district with territorial jurisdiction coextensive with the county where the waterworks is located, or is to be located, shall have original jurisdiction. No judicial review shall be available until and unless all administrative remedies are exhausted.