BILL NUMBER: SB 1538	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Simitian

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2012

   An act to amend Section 116355 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to drinking water.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1538, as introduced, Simitian. Drinking water: Safe Drinking
Water Plan for California.
   The Calderon-Sher Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996 requires the
State Department of Public Health to, among other things, adopt
regulations relating to primary and secondary drinking water
standards for contaminants in drinking water. Under this law the
department is required every 5 years to submit to the Legislature a
comprehensive Safe Drinking Water Plan for California, including
specific components.
   This bill would require the department to include in the plan a
discussion of current and post bond moneys available and spent to
improve California's water quality and an accounting of which water
systems received bond moneys and the types of projects that were
funded.
   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 116355 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
   116355.  (a) Once every five years the department shall submit to
the Legislature a comprehensive Safe Drinking Water Plan for
California.
   (b) The Safe Drinking Water Plan shall include, but not be limited
to, the following information:
   (1) An analysis of the overall quality of California's drinking
water and the identification of specific water quality problems.
   (2) Types and levels of contaminants found in public drinking
water systems that have less than 10,000 service connections. The
discussion of these water systems shall include the following:
   (A) Estimated costs of requiring these systems to meet primary
drinking water standards and public health goals.
   (B) Recommendations for actions that could be taken by the
Legislature, the department, and these systems to improve water
quality.
   (3) A discussion and analysis of the known and potential health
risks that may be associated with drinking water contamination in
California.
   (4) An evaluation of how existing water quality information
systems currently maintained by local or state agencies can be more
effectively used to protect drinking water.
   (5) An evaluation of the research needed to develop inexpensive
methods and instruments to ensure better screening and detection of
waterborne chemicals, and inexpensive detection methods that could be
used by small utilities and consumers to detect harmful microbial
agents in drinking water.
   (6) An analysis of the technical and economic viability and the
health benefits of various treatment techniques that can be used to
reduce levels of trihalomethanes, lead, nitrates, synthetic organic
chemicals, micro-organisms, and other contaminants in drinking water.

   (7) A discussion of alternative methods of financing the
construction, installation, and operation of new treatment
technologies, including, but not limited to user charges, state or
local taxes, state planning and construction grants, loans, and loan
guarantees.
   (8) A discussion of sources of revenue presently available, and
projected to be available, to public water systems to meet current
and future expenses. 
   (9) A discussion of current and post bond moneys available and
spent to improve California's water quality and an accounting of
which water systems received bond moneys and the types of projects
that were funded.  
   (9) 
    (10)  An analysis of the current cost of drinking water
paid by residential, business, and industrial consumers based on a
statewide survey of large, medium, and small public water systems.

   (10) 
    (11)  Specific recommendations, including
recommendations developed pursuant to paragraph (6), to improve the
quality of drinking water in California and a detailed five-year
implementation program.