BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 14
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Date of Hearing: July 3, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 14 (Gaines) - As Amended: June 10, 2013
Policy Committee: Environmental
Safety and Toxic Materials Vote: 7-0
Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill allows the recreational use of the Bear Lake Reservoir
to include bodily contact if certain treatment, monitoring and
reporting requirements are met. Specifically, this bill:
1)Provides an exemption from the recreational bodily contact
prohibition for no more than four months per year until
January 1, 2017.
2)Requires the Lake Alpine Water Company to provide water
treatment in compliance with Department of Public Health (DPH)
regulations including oxidation, filtration and disinfection
and all other state and federal laws and regulations.
Requires the disinfection to include the use of advanced
technology capable of inactivating organisms, including
viruses, cryptosporidium and giardia.
3)Requires the Lake Alpine Water Company to provide a monitoring
program for cryptosporidium, giardia, and coliform bacteria at
the reservoir intake and post-treatment at least three times
during the period when recreational bodily contact is allowed.
Requires specified reports to DPH on recreational uses and
water treatment.
4)Provides the bodily contact exemption will cease if DPH
determines a failure to comply with the requirements of this
bill. Noncompliance is subject to fines, penalties and other
enforcement actions specified by law.
FISCAL EFFECT
SB 14
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1)Minor costs of less than $30,000 to the Safe Drinking Water
Account for DPH to review and approve the bacteriological
monitoring plan, to provide required reports, and to ensure
compliance with the provisions of the bill.
2)One-time, minor absorbable costs to the Safe Drinking Water
Account for DPH to update the domestic water supply permit
associated with the Bear Lake Reservoir supply.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose. According to the Lake Alpine Water Company, a
previous statutory exemption that allowed recreational bodily
contact in the Bear Lake Reservoir sunset in 2007 and was not
discovered by DPH, Alpine County, or the Lake Alpine Water
Company until years later.
This bill will re-authorize the exemption and allow the
reservoir to be used for recreational swimming and as a source
of safe drinking water.
2)Pathogens of Particular Concern. Microorganisms such as
viruses, giardia and cryptosporidium are of special concern
when there is bodily contact with drinking water supplies
because traditional disinfection methods are not as effective
at treating or inactivating organisms. This bill requires the
use of advanced technologies capable of treating these
organisms.
3)Prior Legislation. AB 1934 (Leslie) established the bodily
contact exemption for the Bear Lake Reservoir (Chapter 374,
Statutes of 2004). This law sunset on January 1, 2007.
SB 1063 (Gaines) of the 2011-12 Session was passed by the
Legislature but vetoed by the Governor. This bill is intended
to address the Governor's concerns with the safety and
feasibility of the water treatment requirements in SB 1963.
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
SB 14
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