BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                             Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
                            2015 - 2016  Regular  Session

          SB 553 (Wolk) - Water conservation
          
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          |Version: February 26, 2015      |Policy Vote: G.O. 8 - 0         |
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          |Urgency: No                     |Mandate: No                     |
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          |Hearing Date: May 11, 2015      |Consultant: Mark McKenzie       |
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          This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.







          Bill  
          Summary:  SB 553 would require the Department of General  
          Services (DGS) to identify state properties where it is feasible  
          to reduce water consumption, and to replace landscaping with  
          drought tolerant plants and implement other recommended  
          strategies to save water at those locations based upon a  
          specified water efficient landscape ordinance.


          Fiscal  
          Impact:
           Unknown costs to DGS, likely in the low millions, to identify  
            state properties, evaluate the needs at each location, and  
            implement recommended water conservation measures on  
            approximately 2,900 state properties.  (General Fund)







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           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.   
          Existing law, under the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act,  
          required the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to update a  
          model water efficient landscape ordinance to meet specified  
          requirements by January 1, 2009, to the extent funds are  
          appropriated for that purpose.
          The Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) was  
          updated by DWR in 2010 with the aim to promote water  
          conservation, prevent water waste and protect water quality.  It  
          includes provisions for water conservation and the appropriate  
          use of plants that are well adapted to particular environments  
          including climate, soil, or topographic conditions.  The MWELO  
          establishes the maximum amount of water used by the irrigation  
          system, based on climate, landscape, size, irrigation  
          efficiency, and plant needs.  It also includes provisions for  
          the use of automatic irrigation systems and irrigation schedules  
          based on climatic conditions, specific terrains and soil types,  
          and other environmental conditions as well as references to  
          local, state, and federal regulations regarding standards for  
          water conserving irrigation equipment. 


          Proposed Law:  
            SB 553 would require DGS to implement water saving strategies  
          on state properties, where feasible.  Specifically, this bill  
          would:
           Require DGS to identify each public property in the  
            department's state property inventory where it is feasible for  
            water consumption to be reduced and water efficiencies to be  
            achieved through implementation of the relevant  
            recommendations made in the model water efficient landscape  
            ordinance adopted by the DWR.  
           Explicitly require the implemented recommendations to include  
            the replacement of landscaping with drought tolerant plants.








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           Require DGS to implement the relevant recommendations for each  
            public property identified to reduce overall water consumption  
            where feasible, except that work on California State  
            University (CSU) property is subject to CSU consent.
           Define "feasible" as capable of being accomplished in a  
            successful manner within a reasonable period of time, taking  
            into account life-cycle cost analyses, and environmental,  
            social, and technological factors. 




          Staff  
          Comments:  This bill would require DGS to implement water  
          conservation on state properties, using DWR's most recently  
          updated Model Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance.  According  
          to DGS's statewide property inventory, there are currently 2,903  
          real properties and over 24,000 structures across 42 state  
          entities, not all of which are under direct DGS control.  
          SB 553 would require DGS to coordinate closely with these  
          entities to survey the status of each property's landscaping and  
          irrigation, evaluate the needs to make those properties  
          compliant with the MWELO, and replace infrastructure and plants  
          as necessary.  DGS indicates that has been in the process of  
          undertaking landscape water conservation measures at over 70  
          locations, but most of the focus has been on the installation of  
          smart irrigation systems rather than replacing landscaping with  
          drought tolerant plants.  DGS costs to identify properties,  
          evaluate the needs at each location, and implement the  
          recommendations of the MWELO are unknown at this time.  Staff  
          estimates that such an effort would at least require resources  
          in the low millions of dollars in the aggregate.  Actual costs  
          would be informed by an evaluation of the inventory and  
          assessment of needs, which are currently unavailable.




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