BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session SB 1398 (Leyva) - Public water systems: lead pipes ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: March 28, 2016 |Policy Vote: E.Q. 6 - 1 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: May 9, 2016 |Consultant: Narisha Bonakdar | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: SB 1398 requires public water systems, by July 1, 2018, to compile an inventory of lead pipes in use and, after completing the inventory to provide a timeline for replacement of lead pipes in the system to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The bill also requires SWRCB to establish best practices to ensure that chemicals introduced into public water systems do not create corrosion or contamination within the system. Fiscal Impact: Unknown, but likely significant costs to SWRCB to develop best practices to prevent corrosion or contamination within public water systems. Background: Lead is a common additive in plumbing materials such as lead solder, brass, bronze, and other alloys. Any plumbing product containing lead that is in contact with water is a potential source of drinking water contamination. Beginning January 1, 2010, California law prohibited the introduction into commerce of any pipe, pipe or plumbing fitting, or fixture intended to convey or dispense water for human consumption through drinking or cooking that is not "lead SB 1398 (Leyva) Page 1 of ? free" as defined in statute. This includes kitchen faucets, bathroom faucets, and any other end-use devices intended to convey or dispense water for human consumption through drinking or cooking. However, service saddles, backflow preventers for non-potable services such as irrigation and industrial, and water distribution main gate valves that are two inches in diameter and above are excluded. An Associated Press article published April 6, 2016, by Scott Smith outlined an analysis done by the Associated Press (AP) on United State Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) data that found that nearly 1,400 water systems nationwide, including dozens in California, reported lead levels exceeding the government's allowable level of 15 parts per billion at least once between January 1, 2013, and September 30, 2015. The AP article states that in California, the federal data show that roughly 57 water systems, including schools, parks, prisons and neighborhoods, reported being over the allowable lead content within the last three years. However, the article notes that some of the readings were recorded in error when the state manually input data collected from local water systems, said Cindy Forbes, Deputy Director of the State Water Resources Control Board's Division of Drinking Water. State water officials said they are closely monitoring 19 water systems. Some are included in the analysis of the federal data as exceeding the allowable limits for lead. Proposed Law: This bill: 1) Requires a public water system to compile an inventory of lead pipes in use by July 1, 2018. 2) Requires the public water systems, after completing the inventory, to provide a timeline for replacement of lead pipes in the system to the SWRCB. 3) Requires the SWRCB to establish best practices to ensure that chemicals introduced into public water systems do not create SB 1398 (Leyva) Page 2 of ? corrosion or contamination within the system. Related Legislation: SB 334 (Leyva, 2015) would have prohibited drinking water that does not meet the US EPA drinking water standards for lead from being provided at a school facility, required schools that have lead-containing plumbing components to flush all drinking water sources at the beginning of each school day, and deleted the authority for school district governing boards to adopt a resolution stating that it is unable to comply with the requirement to provide access to free, fresh drinking water during meal times in the food service areas. Vetoed by the Governor. -- END --