AB 434, Eduardo Garcia. Drinking water: point-of-entry and point-of-use treatment.
Existing law, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, imposes on the State Water Resources Control Board various responsibilities and duties relating to providing a dependable, safe supply of drinking water. The act prohibits the state board from issuing a permit to a public water system or amending a valid existing permit to allow the use of point-of-use treatment unless the state board determines that there is no community opposition to the installation of the treatment device.
This bill would require the state board to adopt regulations, similar to those previously authorized for adoption by the State Department of Public Health, governing the use of point-of-entry and point-of-use treatment by a public water system in lieu of centralized treatment where it can be demonstrated that centralized treatment is not immediately economically feasible, with specified limitations. The bill would also require the state board to adopt emergency regulations governing the permitted use of point-of-use and point-of-entry treatment by public water systems in lieu of centralized treatment, as specified, and would require that these emergency regulations remain in effect until the earlier of January 1, 2018, or the effective date of the required nonemergency regulations. This bill would also prohibit the use of point-of-entry treatment absent a state board determination of no community opposition.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 116380 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
(a) The State Water Resources Control Board shall adopt regulations governing the use of point-of-entry and point-of-use treatment by public water systems in lieu of centralized treatment where it can be demonstrated that centralized treatment is not immediately economically feasible, limited to the following:
(1) Water systems with less than 200 service connections.
(2) Usage not prohibited by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and its implementing regulations and guidance.
(3) Water systems that have submitted applications for funding to correct the violations for which the point-of-entry and point-of-use treatment is provided.
(b) The State Water Resources Control Board shall adopt emergency regulations governing the permitted use of point-of-entry and point-of-use treatment by public water systems in lieu of centralized treatment.
(1) The emergency regulations shall comply with Section 116552, and shall comply with all of the requirements set forth in subdivision (a) applicable to nonemergency regulations, but shall not be subject to the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). The emergency regulations shall take effect when filed with the Secretary of State, and shall be published in the California Code of Regulations.
(2) The emergency regulations adopted pursuant to this subdivision shall remain in effect until the earlier of January 1, 2018, or the effective date of regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (a).
Section 116552 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
The State Water Resources Control Board shall not issue a permit to a public water system or amend a valid existing permit to allow the use of point-of-use or point-of-entry treatment unless the State Water Resources Control Board determines, after conducting a public hearing in the community served by the public water system, that there is no substantial community opposition to the installation of the treatment devices. The issuance of a permit pursuant to this section shall be limited to not more than three years or until funding for centralized treatment is available, whichever occurs first.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
In order to ensure the quality of drinking water relating to point-of-entry and point-of-use treatment, at the earliest possible time, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.
94