BILL ANALYSIS
SB 283
Page 1
Date of Hearing: July 1, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Kevin De Leon, Chair
SB 283 (DeSaulnier) - As Amended: May 12, 2009
Policy Committee: Water Parks and
Wildlife Vote: 10-0
Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill extends the date by which the Department of Water
Resources (DWR) must adopt regulations for potable and recycled
water systems. Specifically, this bill:
1)Extends from July 1, 2008, to December 31, 2009, the date by
which DWR must adopt regulations specifying building design
standards for plumbing systems that use both potable and
recycled water.
2)Requires DWR annually to review and update any such
regulations.
3) Exempts the regulations adopted pursuant to this bill from
mandatory review by the California Water Commission.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)One-time General Fund costs to DWR of approximately $50,000 to
complete development of standards and to adopt regulations.
2)Minor, absorbable ongoing costs to review and update
regulations, as needed.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale. The author reports that resource constraints have
delayed DWR's development of the regulations described in this
bill, which are necessary to facilitate use of recycled water
in building plumbing systems. The author contends that the
deadline extension authorized by the bill, along with the
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exemption to review of the regulations by the CWC, will allow
DWR to submit its regulations in time for incorporation in the
Building Standards Commission (BCS) standards for recycled
water systems.
2)Background.
a) Recycled Water. Current law declares that the use of
potable domestic water for non-potable uses, including
toilet and urinal flushing, is a waste of water if recycled
water is available. The state has set a goal of one million
acre-feet of recycled water in use by 2010, with current
use estimated at about 600,000 acre-feet per year.
According to the Recycled Water Taskforce established by
DWR, barriers to achieving the 2010 target include a lack
of building standards to address potable and recycled water
systems in buildings.
b) Building Standards Commission. Current law charges the
BSC with reviewing and approving building standards
proposed and adopted by state agencies and with publishing
them in the state building standards code. BSC updates the
code annually.
c) California Water Commission. In 1957, the Legislature
created the California Water Commission, along with DWR,
mainly to operate the State Water Project. The commission
is composed of nine members, appointed by the Governor, and
subject to Senate confirmation. The original purpose of
the commission was annual review of progress of the State
Water Project construction. The commission also reviewed
any regulations proposed by DWR. The commission still
exists in statute; however, no members have served on the
commission for many years.
3)Related Legislation. AB 371 (Goldberg, Chapter 590, Statutes
of 2001) required DWR to adopt standard regulations for
designing and installing piping for recycled water to
facilitate installation of recycled-water carrying "purple
pipe", thereby encouraging use of recycled water. DWR has not
fully developed the recycled-water piping regulations, citing
budget and staffing constraints. However, DWR began workshops
this year to develop the standards.
4)Supporters , including many water agencies and some
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environmentalists, contend the extension and exemption this
bill provides to DWR will allow BCS to include recycled water
standards in its next building standards update. There is no
registered opposition to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081