BILL ANALYSIS AB 1834 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 13, 2010 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE Jared William Huffman, Chair AB 1834 (Solorio) - As Introduced: March 25, 2010 SUBJECT : Rainwater capture SUMMARY : Allows a landowner to install a rainwater recapture system to irrigate landscaping or recharge groundwater. Specifically, this bill : 1)Establishes the Rainwater Capture Act of 2010 recognizing rainwater captured from impervious surfaces could contribute to local water supplies. 2)Allows landowners to install, maintain, and operate systems to capture rainwater from impervious surfaces on their own property. 3)Requires landowners to comply with a local agency's program to promote rainwater or stormwater capture, if such a program exists. 4)Allows property owners to finance a rainwater recapture system through a voluntary contractual assessment on their own property. 5)Initiates a stakeholder process, led by the State Water Resources Control Board, to develop guidelines to address legal and policy issues arising out of stormwater and rainwater recapture. EXISTING LAW : 1)Allows property owners to enter into contractual agreements to pay an assessment on their property in order to finance permanently affixed energy and water efficiency improvements. 2)Requires the state to achieve a 20% reduction in per capita water use by 2020. FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. COMMENTS : By some estimates, one inch of rain on a 2,000 AB 1834 Page 2 square foot roof generates more than 1,000 gallons of water. Since outdoor water use can account for up to 50 to 70% of a household's total usage, rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation could help alleviate some of the pressure on California's limited potable water supplies. In addition, rainwater running off of impervious surfaces such as parking lots, streets, and sidewalks picks up oil, chemicals, sediment, bacteria and other pollutants in its journey to the local waterway. Capturing and saving rainwater or directing it to groundwater recharge could help bolster local water supplies and circumvent some of the problems associated with stormwater runoff. In Australia, which is undergoing one of the worst droughts in 1,000 years of its history, rebates are offered to homeowners who choose to install water tanks. Likewise, the Water Conservation Division of Austin, Texas, offers a rainwater harvesting incentive program that encourages the use of rainwater as a supplement to municipal water for irrigation use. Some stakeholders have raised concerns over allowing homeowners to install rainwater recapture systems in advance of SWRCB-led guidelines being developed. In particular, there is a concern that rainwater recapture systems should be consistent with building codes, including plumbing codes. The author's office has convened a stakeholder group with the goal of addressing those concerns through further amendments. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION : Support American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees California Landscape Contractors Association TreePeople Opposition California State Pipe Trades Council (Unless Amended) Analysis Prepared by : Tina Leahy / W., P. & W. / (916) 319-2096