BILL ANALYSIS
AB 224
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 9, 2007
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mark Leno, Chair
AB 224 (Wolk) - As Amended: April 25, 2007
Policy Committee: Natural
ResourcesVote:6-1
Water, Parks & Wildlife 7-5
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill requires an analysis of the potential water-related
impacts of climate change (CC) to be integrated into state and
local water management plans.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Moderate costs, in the range of $500,000 primarily in 2007-08
and 2008-09, to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to
develop CC information and analyze CC impacts on various
aspects of state and regional water supply delivery systems.
To the extent the DWR is already developing this information
and performing these analyses, these costs will be reduced.
(GF or available bond proceeds)
2)Moderate costs, about $300,000 primarily in 2008-09, to the
State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to analyze energy
savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions related to
various water supply enhancement options, including greater
use of recycled water. (GF or available bond proceeds)
3)Moderate statewide costs, in the range of $350,000 starting in
2008-09, to urban water suppliers and agricultural water
suppliers to integrate CC information into their water
management plan updates. These costs are covered by revenue
generated by user fees.
SUMMARY CONTINUED
Specifically, this bill:
AB 224
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1)Requires the DWR to include a CC analysis in its biennial
report regarding State Water Project delivery capability, the
quintennially produced California Water Plan (Bulletin 160),
all Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta reports, the State Plan of
Flood Control, and California Groundwater (Bulletin 118).
2)Requires the DWR, by July 1, 2008, to review or develop CC
information for the state and each hydrologic basin for use by
state and local agencies and to make this information
available on the DWR website.
3)Prohibits the DWR, for plans submitted after January 1, 2009,
from providing grant funds to an applicant unless that
applicant's integrated regional water management plan
considers related CC impacts.
4)Requires the SWRCB, by January 1, 2009, to report on statewide
and regional energy savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission
reductions associated with water supply development, including
expanded use of recycled water.
5)Requires the SWRCB and regional water boards, when updating
their water quality control plans, to consider related CC
impacts.
6)Requires urban water suppliers and agricultural water
suppliers, when updating their water management plans, to
include information on potential CC impacts to their water
supply.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author believes that climate change will have
major impacts on the state's overall efforts to manage water
supply and water quality, and that these impacts will vary
significantly from region to region and basin to basin. The
combined effect of changes to annual snow pack, the levels,
forms and timing of precipitation, the ability of current
water storage and flood control facilities to protect property
and public safety, and the options available to enhance water
supply and reduce water demand will require the state and each
local water supplier to integrate these potential impacts into
their water management plans.
AB 224
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2)Focus on Water Conservation and Recycling . This bill's
requirement to integrate CC impact information into water
management plans is coupled with requirements that would
result in a greater focus on using water conservation and
water recycling as preferred options for dealing with
long-term water supply and demand issues. According to the
California Energy Commission, greater use of water
conservation and water recycling would extend water supply
with relatively less GHG emissions than other forms of
expanding water supply, particularly with regard to urban and
rural areas that depend largely on water imported from other
regions.
3)SWRCB and Recycled Water . The state's expertise on recycled
water lies within the DWR, not the SWRCB. Since recycled
water is not intended for human consumption but rather for
non-potable uses such as landscaping and parallel plumbing
systems for toilets, expanding use of recycled water is more a
water supply issue than a water quality issue. It is not
clear why this bill puts the SWRCB, and not the DWR, in charge
of analyzing statewide and regional energy savings and GHG
emission reductions associated with water recycling and other
forms of water supply development.
Analysis Prepared by : Steve Archibald / APPR. / (916)
319-2081