BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
SB 553 (Wolk) - Water conservation
-----------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| |
| |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Version: February 26, 2015 |Policy Vote: G.O. 8 - 0 |
| | |
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
| | |
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Hearing Date: May 11, 2015 |Consultant: Mark McKenzie |
| | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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)
SB 553 (Wolk) Page 1 of
?
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.
SB 553 (Wolk) Page 2 of
?
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.
-- END --
SB 553 (Wolk) Page 3 of
?