BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 322
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Date of Hearing: August 21, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 322 (Hueso) - As Amended: July 3, 2013
Policy Committee: Environmental
Safety Vote: 6-0
Water, Parks and Wildlife 15-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill modifies the duties of the Department of Public Health
(DPH) regarding the development of uniform water recycling
criteria for indirect and direct potable reuse. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Requires DPH to consult with the State Water Resources Control
Board (SWRCB) on recycling criteria for direct potable reuse
and allows DPH two additional months (until September 1, 2016)
to issue a draft feasibility report on direct potable reuse.
2)Requires DPH, in developing uniform water recycling criteria
for surface water augmentation, to consult with the SWRCB and
consider specified reports and studies.
3)Requires DPH, by February 15, 2014, to convene an expert panel
and prepare a draft report summarizing the recommendations of
the expert panel by June 30, 2016.
4)Mandates, instead of permits, DPH to convene, an advisory
group no later than January 15, 2015, to advise the expert
panel and DPH. The advisory group is subject to state open
meeting law requirements.
5)Allows DPH to accept funds from non-state sources, expend the
funds, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purposes
of the bill.
FISCAL EFFECT
SB 322
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Unknown increased costs of less than $50,000 from the Waste
Discharge Permit Fund or other non-state donations to develop
uniform recycling criteria.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose. In 2010, SB 918 (Pavley, Chapter 700) was enacted
to require DPH to adopt uniform water recycling criteria for
groundwater recharge and surface water augmentation.
This bill strengthens current recycled water requirements to
assist in the development of uniform criteria to help the
state achieve its goals regarding the use of recycled water.
2)Background. In 2009, the SWRCB adopted Resolution No.
2009-0011 to update the state's water recycling policy. This
state policy includes the goal of increasing the use of
recycled water in the state over 2002 levels by at least 1
million acre feet per year by 2020 and by at least 2 million
acre feet per year by 2030. The use of recycled water for
indirect potable reuse is critical to achieving the SWRCB
goals depends upon the timely development of inform statewide
recycling criteria.
In November 2011, the DPH released revised draft regulations
addressing groundwater replenishment using recycled water from
domestic wastewater sources, as a source of drinking water.
The proposed regulations are designed to replace the existing
regulations, adopted in 1978. According to DPH, although SB
918 requires the DPH to adopt revised groundwater
replenishment regulations by December 31, 2013, it is unlikely
to the department will meet this deadline
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081