BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 518
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   June 30, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                   SB 518 (Lowenthal) - As Amended:  June 21, 2010 

          Policy Committee:                             Environmental  
          Safety and Toxic Materials                    Vote: 9-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No


           SUMMARY  

          1)This bill requires the California Building Standards  
            Commission (CBSC), at its next triennial building standards  
            rule-making cycle commencing on or after January 1, 2011, to  
            adopt nonresidential building standards for the construction,  
            installation, and alteration of graywater systems.  The bill  
            provides that CBSC's adoption of graywater nonresidential  
            building standards relieves the Department of Water Resources  
            (DWR) of its existing responsibility to adopt such standards.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Minor GF costs, likely less than $50,000 in 2011-12, to CBSC  
            to develop and adopt graywater system building standards for  
            nonresidential buildings.

          2)Minor GF savings, if any, to the Department of Water Resources  
            (DWR) in a future fiscal year resulting from the elimination  
            of DWR's responsibility to update graywater system standards.   


           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .  The author claims graywater systems allow the  
            state to make the most of its increasingly scarce water  
            resources.  The author contends that development and adoption  
            of graywater standards for nonresidential buildings is the  
            logical and appropriate follow up to the state's graywater  
            standards for residential buildings.









                                                                  SB 518
                                                                  Page  2

           2)Background  .  Wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom wash  
            basins, washing machines, and laundry tubs is considered to be  
            "graywater."  Graywater generally comprises between 50% and  
            80% of a home's wastewater from indoor sources and makes up a  
            significant portion of the water used in nonresidential  
            buildings.  Graywater primarily is used in place of treated  
            water for landscape irrigation and other nonpotable uses.  In  
            this way, graywater can reduce the demand on water supplies  
            and the energy and cost associated with water treatment.

            Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community  
            Development (HCD) to adopt and submit to the CBSC for approval  
            building standards for the construction, installation, and  
            alteration of graywater systems for indoor and outdoor use in  
            residential buildings.  In 2009, CBSC adopted such standards  
            for residential buildings. 

            Existing law also directs DWR to adopt standards for the  
            installation of graywater systems.  Upon CBSC's approval of  
            standards for the installation of graywater systems in  
            residential buildings, the law relieves DWR of its  
            responsibility for installation of such systems in residential  
            buildings.  DWR retains, however, responsibility to develop  
            standards for the installation of graywater systems in  
            nonresidential buildings.

           3)Related Legislation.  SB 1258 (Lowenthal), Chapter 172,  
            Statutes of 2008, required HCD to submit, for approval by the  
            CBSC, building standards for the construction, installation,  
            and alteration of graywater systems for indoor and outdoor use  
            at residential buildings.

           4)Support.   This bill is supported by a variety of conservation  
            and industry groups.  

          5)There is no registered opposition to this bill.
           
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081