Pennsylvania Statutes Title 32 P.S. Forests, Waters and State Parks § 634. Determination of validity of claims; water acquisition record; evidence; confirmation

It shall be the duty of the board to consider and to pass upon the validity of the claims of public water supply agencies making claim to prior acquisitions of water rights under the provisions of section three of this act,  1 and to notify the claimant of its findings.

It shall also be the duty of the board to prepare and keep up to date a public record of all confirmed water right acquisitions, and of all permits for the acquisition of water rights, classified and indexed as the board may direct, and containing such detailed information as may be available to the board and which it shall determine should be recorded, which said public record shall be known as “Water Acquisition Record.”

An actual taking of water from any source and the use thereof to serve the public shall be construed as prima facie evidence of the validity of the claim of any public water supply agency claiming an acquisition thereof; and the confirmation by the board of any acquisition claimed by any public water supply agency shall constitute a validation of the right of the public water supply agency to such water rights in the source as shall be reasonably necessary for its present purposes and future needs, subject to modification of said rights at a later date or later dates, only under the terms of this act.