BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 2515 (Weber) - Water Conservation in Landscaping Act: model water-efficient landscaping ordinance ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: May 27, 2016 |Policy Vote: N.R. & W. 8 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 1, 2016 |Consultant: Narisha Bonakdar | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: AB 2515 requires the Department of Water Resources (DWR), by January 1, 2020, and at least every three years thereafter, to update the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Ordinance) or make a finding that an update to the ordinance at that time is not a useful. The bill also requires DWR, upon updating the ordinance, to submit the update to the California Building Standards Commission (Commission) for consideration during the triennial revision process of the CalGreen Code. Fiscal Impact: Approximately $500,000 for DWR to revise the Ordinance (General Fund) and between $15,000 and $25,000 every three years thereafter for coordination. Background:1) 1.The California Building Standards Law: AB 2515 (Weber) Page 1 of ? Establishes the Commission and the process for adopting, and updating every three years, the California Building Code. Authorizes the Commission to adopt green building standards. These standards are maintained in a separate chapter of the California Building Code, known as the CalGreen Code. 1.The Water Conservation in Landscaping Act: Required the DWR to prepare the ordinance. The Act required all local agencies to adopt a landscape ordinance by 1993 or the model ordinance would automatically take effect. A local agency could make findings that an ordinance was unnecessary if certain conditions existed. AB 1881 (Laird, Chapter 559, Statutes of 2006), revised the act significantly. Among other things, it required DWR to revise the model ordinance by January 2009. DWR adopted the revised the Ordinance on September 10, 2010. 1.On April 1, 2015, the Governor issued an executive order regarding the ongoing drought. Among its provisions was direction to DWR to update the model ordinance through expedited regulation. This update was to increase water efficiency standards for new and existing landscapes through more efficient irrigation systems, greywater usage, onsite stormwater capture, and by limiting the portion of landscapes that can be covered in turf. On July 15, 2015, the California Water Commission approved DWR's revision to the model ordinance. Proposed Law: This bill: 1)Requires DWR, by January 1, 2020, and at least every three years thereafter, to either (1) update the Ordinance or (2) make a finding that an update to the Ordinance at that time is AB 2515 (Weber) Page 2 of ? not a useful or effective means to improve either the efficiency of landscape water use or the administration of the ordinance. 2)Requires DWR, upon updating the Ordinance, to submit any updates to the Commission for consideration during the triennial revision process of the CalGreen Code. 3)Makes a number of findings regarding the importance of the Ordinance and the advantage of synchronizing the updates with the triennial cycle for revisions of the CalGreen Code. Related Legislation:1) AB 2525 (Holden, 2016) would have required DWR to establish the California Water Efficient Landscaping Program to promote the efficient use of water in landscaping. The bill was held in Assembly Appropriations Committee. AB 1928 (Campos, 2016) requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to adopt landscape irrigation equipment performance standards and labeling requirements. The bill is being heard in Senate Appropriations. Staff Comments: According to the author, "With California experiencing prolonged and serious drought conditions over the past 4 years, everyone - including homeowners, renters, businesses, government agencies, schools - has been asked to do everything they can to conserve water and improve water use efficiency. With outdoor water use consisting more than half the average household water use, attention to improving landscape irrigation efficiency should be an ongoing focus." "Synchronization of the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance revision cycle with the CalGreen building code revision cycle would allow updated Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance standards to be adopted in the CalGreen building code revisions during the same triennial cycle. A synchronized revision cycle would also eliminate the current practice of updating Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance in an uncoordinated, unplanned, and ad hoc manner." AB 2515 (Weber) Page 3 of ? -- END --