BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 918
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          SENATE THIRD READING
          SB 918 (Pavley)
          As Amended  August 16, 2010
          Majority vote 

           SENATE VOTE  :24-12  
           
           ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY         7-0WATER, PARKS & WILDLIFE           
          10-2                
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Nava, Blakeslee, Chesbro, |Ayes:|Huffman, Anderson,        |
          |     |Davis, Feuer, Monning,    |     |Arambula, Blumenfield,    |
          |     |Ruskin                    |     |Caballero, De La Torre,   |
          |     |                          |     |Gatto, Bonnie Lowenthal,  |
          |     |                          |     |Salas, Yamada             |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |Nays:|Miller, Smyth             |Nays:|Fuller, Tom Berryhill     |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 

           APPROPRIATIONS      12-5                                        
           
           -------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Fuentes, Bradford,        |
          |     |Huffman, Coto, Davis, De  |
          |     |Leon, Gatto, Hall,        |
          |     |Skinner, Solorio,         |
          |     |Torlakson, Torrico        |
          |     |                          |
          |     |                          |
          |-----+--------------------------|
          |Nays:|Conway, Harkey, Miller,   |
          |     |Nielsen, Norby            |
          |     |                          |
           -------------------------------- 
           
          SUMMARY  :  Requires the State Department of Public Health (DPH)  
          to establish standards for various types of water recycling.   
          Specifically,  this bill  :

          1)Requires the DPH to adopt uniform water recycling criteria for  
            indirect potable use for groundwater recharge, by December 31,  
            2013.








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          2)Requires the DPH to adopt uniform water recycling criteria for  
            surface water augmentation by December 31, 2016.  The criteria  
            for surface water augmentation would be subject to review and  
            approval by an expert panel on uniform water recycling  
            criteria for indirect potable reuse through surface water  
            augmentation convened by the DPH. 

               i)     The expert panel made up of members with specified  
                 expertise; include at least six members with following  
                 experts:
                    (a)         Toxicologist 
                    (b)         Engineer with at least three years of  
                      experience in wastewater treatment
                    (c)         Engineer with at least three years  
                      experience in treatment of drinking water supplies  
                      and knowledge of drinking water standards;
                    (d)         Epidemiologist
                    (e)         Microbiologist; and 
                    (f)         Chemist


               ii)    Authorizes the DPH to convene an advisory group or  
                 task force on the development of uniform water recycling  
                 criteria for indirect potable reuse through surface water  
                 augmentation that must include at least nine  
                 representatives of water agencies, local governments,  
                 environmental, public health, environmental justice and  
                 business.  Environmental, environmental justice and  
                 non-governmental public health member may be compensated  
                 for travel expenses. 

               iii)   Requires that the criteria for indirect potable  
                 reuse through surface water augmentation developed by DHS  
                 shall consider 10 specified sources of information on  
                 water reuse.

          3)Requires the DPH to investigate and then report to the  
            Legislature on the feasibility of developing uniform water  
            recycling criteria for direct potable reuse, by December 31,  
            2016.  The investigation and report to the Legislature shall  
            include a consideration of a 10 specific factors related to  
            direct potable reuse.









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          4)Requires the DPH, in consultation with the State Water  
            Resources Control Board, to annual report in the budget on  
            progress being made toward adoption of water recycling  
            criteria.

          5)Authorizes the expenditure from July 1, 2011, until June 30,  
            2017, for the implementation of the bill from the Waste  
            Discharge Permit Fund currently allocated for use by the State  
            Water Resources Control Board.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee, this bill would result in a cost of approximately  
          $500,000 to $700,000 for DPH planning to be paid from the State  
          Water Resources Control Board Waste Discharge Permit Fund.

           COMMENTS: 
           
           1)Need for the bill  .  According to the author, this bill  
            addresses the need for the increased use of recycled water.   
            Specifically, the author points out that "California  
            discharges nearly 4 million acre feet of wastewater into the  
            ocean - more than the State Water Project delivers to the Bay  
            Area, the Central Valley, and Southern California.  Much of  
            that water could be recycled.  However, because the state has  
            not adopted uniform safety standards, the permitting and  
            design processes for building and operating water recycling  
            facilities are unpredictable, discouraging local communities  
            from tapping into this major water source."

           2)Recycled water  .  Recycled water, sometimes called reclaimed  
            water, is former wastewater (sewage) that has been treated to  
            remove solids and certain impurities, and then allowed to  
            recharge the aquifer rather than being discharged to surface  
            water.  This recharging is often done by using the treated  
            wastewater for irrigation.  Recycled water is used for many  
            purposes including agricultural irrigation, landscape  
            irrigation, groundwater recharge, and seawater intrusion  
            barriers.  Before recycled water can be used for these  
            beneficial uses, the Regional Water Quality Control Boards and  
            DPH require treatment to remove pollutants that could be  
            harmful to the beneficial use.

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Bob Fredenburg / E.S. & T.M. / (916)  








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          319-3965 
                                                                FN: 0005937