A. The “wastewater technical advisory committee” is created. The committee shall consist of five members to be appointed by and to serve at the pleasure of the secretary of environment. The members shall include:

(1)     a wastewater treatment system engineer with at least ten years of experience in wastewater system design and construction;

(2)     a faculty member from a university or college located within New Mexico with a minimum of a master’s degree in biological science, microbiology, soil science or engineering, and with a minimum of ten years of work or academic experience with wastewater treatment or wastewater treatment facility management;

(3)     a representative from the New Mexico state university water utilities technical assistance program;

(4)     a class IV certified wastewater operator with at least ten years of experience; and

(5)     a representative from the New Mexico home builders association.

B. The term of appointed members shall be three years. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed. Vacancies occurring in the membership of an appointed member shall be filled by the secretary for the remainder of the unexpired term.

C. The committee shall conduct open meetings as needed, but not less than quarterly.

D. The department of environment shall provide technical and legal assistance to the committee as needed.

E. The committee shall:

(1)     establish procedures, practices and policies governing the committee’s activities;

(2)     provide standardized objective evaluation of wastewater treatment and disposal technologies for both large- and small-flow domestic, commercial and agricultural wastewater systems and submit its findings to the secretary for final approval by the secretary, who shall add the wastewater treatment and disposal technologies to the list of approved technologies maintained by the department, including the ground water quality bureau and the liquid waste program of the field operations division of the department of environment and their constituent agencies; and

(3)     maintain a current list of approved wastewater technologies accessible by the public on the department’s internet site.

F. Members of the committee shall receive reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to the Per Diem and Mileage Act [10-8-1 to 10- 8-8 NMSA 1978] and shall receive no other compensation, perquisite or allowance. Expenditures for this purpose shall be made from the budgeted funds of the department.