BILL NUMBER: SB 607	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 24, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Walters
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member Harkey)

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to  add and repeal Section 189 of  
add Section 13148.5 to  the Water Code, relating to water.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 607, as amended, Walters. State Water Resources Control Board:
 report:  water quality:  brackish
groundwater  sources.   treatment.  
   Under the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, the State
Water Resources Control Board and the 9 California regional water
quality control boards are the principal state agencies with
responsibility for the coordination and control of water quality in
the state. The act requires the state board to formulate and adopt
state policies for water quality control, and requires the regional
boards to adopt regional water quality control plans in compliance
with the state policies.  
   This bill would require the state board, on or before December 1,
2012, to adopt a statewide policy establishing water quality
standards applicable to the discharge of wastewater resulting from
the treatment of brackish groundwater for potable use. The bill would
require the state board, in establishing those standards, to comply
with various requirements related to brackish groundwater treatment,
including a requirement to establish waste discharge permit
requirements applicable to brackish groundwater treatment projects,
as specified.  
   Existing law requires the State Water Resources Control Board to
perform various functions relating to water quality in the state.
Under existing law, the board is required to create an interagency
task force to, among other things, identify actions necessary to
establish a groundwater quality monitoring program and measures to
increase coordination among agencies that collect information
regarding groundwater contamination.  
   This bill would require the board, on or before July 1, 2012,
after consultation and collaboration with the Department of Water
Resources, to submit a report to the Legislature on impediments to
the development of potable water from local brackish groundwater
sources. The bill would repeal the reporting requirement on January
1, 2016, pursuant to a specified provision of existing law. 

   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 13148.5 is added to the 
 Water Code   , to read:  
   13148.5.  (a) On or before December 1, 2012, the state board,
after consultation and collaboration with the department, shall adopt
a statewide policy establishing statewide water quality standards
applicable to the discharge of wastewater resulting from the
treatment of brackish groundwater for potable use. In establishing
those standards, the state board shall do all of the following:
   (1) Consider statewide goals of improving water supplies from
local sources.
   (2) Eliminate impediments to ocean disposal of brine discharges
from brackish groundwater treatment systems.
   (3) Establish waste discharge permit requirements applicable to
brackish groundwater treatment projects that recognize site-specific
conditions and unique project needs to minimize unduly burdensome
costs of the development and use of local water sources.
   (4) Require that the regional boards act consistently in
establishing the technical basis for, and the water quality benefit
to be achieved from, water quality requirements applicable to
brackish groundwater treatment systems, and to establish that there
is a direct connection between the requirement and the benefit.
   (5) Establish a procedure to allow operators of brackish
groundwater treatment facilities to appeal a waste discharge permit
determination that is inconsistent with statewide water quality
standards adopted pursuant to this section, to the state board within
one year after the appeal is filed.
   (b) The policy and standards established pursuant to this section
shall be consistent with the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec.
1251 et seq.).  
  SECTION 1.    Section 189 is added to the Water
Code, to read:
   189.  (a) On or before July 1, 2012, the board, after consultation
and collaboration with the department, shall submit a report to the
Legislature on impediments to the development of potable water from
local brackish groundwater sources, including existing trends that
restrict the ocean disposal of brine from water treatment systems.
The report shall include both of the following:
   (1) A proposal of effective means to eliminate impediments to the
use of local water from brackish groundwater sources by January 1,
2013, including guidance as to overcoming impediments to ocean
disposal of brine from brackish groundwater treatment systems.
   (2) Recommended solutions that recognize site-specific conditions
and unique project needs that burden the costs of development and the
use of local sources of water.
   (b) In developing the report pursuant to subdivision (a), the
board shall consider state policies, as set forth in statutes and
regulatory policy statements, supporting the development of local
water supplies throughout the state.
   (c) (1) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall
be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

   (2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this
section is repealed on January 1, 2016.