BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2071|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2071
Author: Levine (D), et al.
Amended: 8/19/14 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE : 6-0, 6/25/14
AYES: Hill, Gaines, Hancock, Jackson, Leno, Pavley
NO VOTE RECORDED: Fuller
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-0, 8/14/14
AYES: De León, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
NO VOTE RECORDED: Walters, Gaines
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 5/28/14 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Recycled water: animals
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the State Water Resources Control
Board (Board) to determine whether the use of disinfected
tertiary treated recycled water for the purpose of providing
water to animals would not pose a significant risk to public
health or animal health, excluding certain dairy animals, and to
establish uniform statewide recycling criteria for this use to
mitigate any safety concerns.
Senate Floor Amendments of clarify the definition of "animal"
and clarify that the treated water does not pose a significant
risk to public and animal health.
CONTINUED
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ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1.Establishes criteria for the drinking water supply for
livestock, and requires that the water supply for dairy areas
must meet the drinking water standards.
2.Defines "disinfected tertiary treated recycled water" based on
how the wastewater is disinfected and the residual amount of
coliform bacteria.
3.Requires the Department of Public Health (DPH) to establish
uniform statewide recycling criteria for each type of use of
recycled water where the use involves the protection of public
health. Transfers these duties to the Board.
This bill:
1.Requires, by December 31, 2016, the Board, in consultation
with impacted state agencies, to determine whether the use of
disinfected tertiary treated recycled water for the purpose of
providing water to animals, as defined, will not pose a
significant risk to public and animal health. In making this
determination, the Board will be required to consider
recommendations from the existing Advisory Panel on
Constituents of Emerging Concerns in Recycled Water,
state-funded research on water-recycling, and research by the
Board relating to unregulated pollutants.
2.Requires the Board to establish uniform statewide recycling
criteria for the use of recycled water for the purpose of
providing water to animals if the Board determines that the
use of disinfected tertiary treated recycled water for this
purpose will pose a significant risk to public or animal
health.
3.Authorizes the Board to approve the use of disinfected
tertiary treated recycled water if the Board determines that
its use will not pose a significant risk to public or animal
health but prohibits the use of disinfected tertiary treated
recycled water in the water supply for dairy animals that are
currently producing dairy products for human consumption.
4.Includes any domesticated bird, bovine animal, horse, mule,
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burro, sheep, goat, or swine in the definition of "animal" for
purposes of this bill.
Background
Recycled water . In the context of California's historic
drought, the safe use of recycled water is an important
consideration for augmenting the state's general water supply.
Recycled water generally refers to tertiary treated waste water
that is filtered and chemically processed to disinfect the water
and remove bacteria. As of 2010, California recycled
approximately 650,000 acre-feet of water per year. The Board
has found that recycled water is safe for approved uses and
"strongly supports recycled water as a safe alternative to
potable water for such approved uses."
In 2010, California passed legislation (SB 918, Pavley, Chapter
700) requiring DPH to adopt uniform water recycling criteria for
groundwater recharge by December 31, 2013, and for surface water
augmentation by December 31, 2016, if the criteria adequately
protect public health.
Currently, most of California's recycled water is used for
landscaping and irrigation, and replenishing groundwater
aquifers. In Orange County, recycled water has been
incorporating tertiary treated recycled water into its drinking
supply since 2008.
Livestock use of recycled water . Recycled water has been used
for livestock in arid regions, including Arizona and Australia,
for up to a decade in order to provide or supplement other
drinking water supplies.
In February 2014, a panel of experts was convened by the
WateReuse Association to evaluate the use of recycled water for
livestock from an animal and human health standpoint. Their
findings were summarized in the report "Risks and Benefits of
Tertiary Sewage Effluent as Drinking Water for Livestock in
California." One of the key concerns identified by the panel
was the presence of various pathogens and contaminants following
the treatment procedure. Although the panel found that some
contaminants would likely be present, "in this emergency
situation [of finding safe drinking water], the overall benefits
of feeding tertiary drinking water to livestock outweigh the
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risks." The panel suggested that monitoring would be an
important factor in implementing a recycled water program, and
that additional ongoing research and study is necessary.
Chemicals of emerging concern . One challenge in developing
recycled water policy is how to address new classes of
chemicals, known as chemicals of emerging concern (CECs), that
may enter the environment and appear in recycled water. The
Board has established a Science Advisory Panel to provide
guidance for developing monitoring programs for CECs. The panel
has already identified priority CECs for recycled water used to
recharge groundwater aquifers and is continuing to evaluate and
monitor new CECs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
One-time costs of up to $300,000 from the General Fund for an
expert panel.
Ongoing costs of $260,000 to the General Fund to the Board to
either establish uniform state wide recycling criteria or to
develop then administer a permit to approve the use of
recycled water for animals.
Unknown potential research costs from the General Fund if the
Board has insufficient existing information to make the
determination on whether the use of recycled water for animals
is safe or not.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/20/14)
Association of California Water Agencies
California Association of Sanitation Agencies
California Farm Bureau Federation
Marin County Farm Bureau
Sonoma County Farm Bureau
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, this bill
seeks "to determine under what conditions recycled water can
safely be used by livestock and to create a clear process by
which that water can be used for livestock. The problem is that
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existing law is silent on the ability to use recycled water for
direct livestock use. While this technically means that it
could be used, it is not clear how that could occur. The bill
would make clear that use of the highest purity recycled water
can be used for livestock drinking as long as it is safe for the
public."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 5/28/14
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian
Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley,
Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox,
Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell,
Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Holden,
Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal,
Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi,
Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, John A.
Pérez, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon,
Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner,
Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, Yamada, Atkins
NO VOTE RECORDED: Frazier, Vacancy
RM:nl 8/20/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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