BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 606 (Levine) - Water conservation
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|Version: August 17, 2015 |Policy Vote: G.O. 12 - 0 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: August 17, 2015 |Consultant: Mark McKenzie |
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This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: AB 606 would require state agencies to reduce water
consumption and increase water efficiencies on state property
when building on state-owned property, purchasing property, or
replacing landscaping or irrigation, as specified. This
requirement would only apply when feasible and cost effective,
as determined by the state agency.
Fiscal
Impact:
State agencies are not likely to incur significant costs to
incorporate water-saving measures in the course of
construction on state property or replacing landscaping or
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irrigation. The bill provides sufficient flexibility to state
departments to make efficiency improvements only when feasible
and cost-effective.
Unknown future savings related to reduced water consumption on
state properties.
Background: Existing law requires DGS to provide planning, acquisition,
construction, and maintenance of state buildings and property.
Existing law requires DGS to identify each public building in
the DGS's state property inventory where it is feasible for that
building to reduce energy consumption and achieve energy
efficiencies, as specified, and to retrofit those buildings.
Governor Brown issued two proclamations of a State of Emergency
in early 2014 due to severe and ongoing drought conditions, and
asked all Californians to reduce water consumption by 20
percent. In light of the impacts of the drought on water
supply, the Governor issued Executive Order B-29-15 on April 1,
2015, which includes orders to save water, increase enforcement
against water waste, invest in new technologies, and streamline
government response, as specified. Among its provisions, the
Executive Order requires the State Water Resources Control Board
to impose restrictions to achieve a statewide 25 percent
reduction in potable urban water usage through February 28,
2016, and requires DWR to lead a statewide initiative, in
partnership with local agencies, to replace 50 million square
feet of lawns and ornamental turf with drought tolerant
landscapes.
Proposed Law:
AB 606 would require state agencies to reduce water
consumption and increase water efficiencies when building on
state-owned real property, purchasing real property, or
replacing landscaping or irrigation, where feasible, through any
of the following measures:
Replacement of landscaping with drought-tolerant plants, with
an emphasis on native plant species.
Replacement of irrigation timers to permit efficient watering
schedules.
Replacement of existing irrigation with drip irrigation,
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bubblers, or low precipitation spray nozzles, or a combination
of these methods.
Implementation of recycled water irrigation or rainwater
capture irrigation, or both.
Installation of irrigation submeters.
The feasibility of implementing water efficiency measures would
be determined by the state agency as improvements that can be
accomplished in a cost effective manner and within a reasonable
period of time, accounting for the life-cycle costs and
technological factors.
The bill provides an exemption for state property that is leased
to a private party for agricultural purposes.
Staff
Comments: Both DGS and Caltrans, the primary entities
responsible for state-owned property, have indicated that this
bill is not likely to impose significant costs beyond those
currently incurred for compliance with the Governor's Executive
Order. The bill provides adequate flexibility for state
agencies to determine whether a water efficiency measure is
feasible and cost-effective before implementing improvements
that would save water. The bill would also only apply when an
agency is making construction, landscaping, or irrigation
improvements to current state-owned property, or purchasing new
property.
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