BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 1258
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   June 18, 2008 

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mark Leno, Chair

                   SB 1258 (Lowenthal) - As Amended:  May 29, 2008 

          Policy Committee:                             Environmental  
          Safety & Toxic Materials                      Vote: 7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Department of Housing and Community  
          Development (HCD), at the next triennial building standards  
          rulemaking cycle, to submit, for approval by the California  
          Building Standards Commission (CBSC), building standards for the  
          construction, installation, and alteration of graywater systems  
          for indoor and outdoor use at residential buildings.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Minor GF costs, likely less than $50,000 in 2009-10, to HCD  
            and CBSC to respectively develop and approve graywater system  
            building standards for residential buildings.

          2)Minor GF savings, if any, to the Department of Water Resources  
            (DWR) in a future fiscal year resulting from the  
            responsibility to update graywater system standards being  
            shifted from DWR to HCD.  

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .  The author believes the adoption of building  
            standards for residential graywater systems will encourage  
            greater use of these systems as an option for both water  
            conservation  and reducing wastewater flow volumes from homes.  
             The author notes there are several potential indoor and  
            outdoor uses for graywater at homes that would reduce overall  
            demand for water that must satisfy water quality standards for  
            human consumption.

           2)Graywater  is defined by this bill as "untreated wastewater  








                                                                  SB 1258
                                                                  Page  2

            that has not been contaminated by any toilet discharge, has  
            not been affected by infectious, contaminated, or unhealthy  
            bodily wastes, and does not present a threat from  
            contamination by unhealthful processing, manufacturing, or  
            operating wastes."  Wastewater from bathtubs, showers,  
            bathroom wash basins, washing machines, and laundry tubs is  
            considered to be graywater.  Graywater generally comprises  
            between 50% and 80% of a home's wastewater from indoor  
            sources, with its primary use being landscape irrigation.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Steve Archibald / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081