SB 1263: Public water system: permits.

(1)Existing law, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, imposes on the State Water Resources Control Board various responsibilities and duties relating to providing a dependable, safe supply of drinking water. The act prohibits a person from operating a public water system unless he or she first submits an application, including a technical report, to the state board and receives a permit, as specified. The act requires the state board, upon determination that the application is complete, to make a specified investigation, and allows the state board to impose permit conditions, requirements for system improvements, and time schedules as the state board deems necessary to ensure an affordable, reliable, and adequate supply of water at all times that is pure, wholesome, and potable. The act provides that a person who knowingly makes a false statement or representation in a report submitted, maintained, or used for purposes of compliance with the act may be punished as a misdemeanor.

This bill would require a person submitting an application for a permit for a proposed new public water system to first submit a preliminary technical report to the state board at least 6 months before initiating construction of any water-related improvement, as defined. Because a misstatement in the report could be a crime under the provision described above, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the scope of a crime. The bill would allow the state board to direct the applicant to undertake additional discussion and negotiation with certain existing public water systems the state board determines have the technical, managerial, and financial capacity to provide an adequate and reliable supply of domestic water to the service area of the proposed new public water system, as specified, and would require an applicant to comply before submitting an application for a permit to operate a system and would prohibit the application from being deemed complete unless the applicant has complied. The bill would, if the state board determines that it is feasible for the service area of the public water system addressed by the application to be served by one or more currently permitted public water systems, authorize the state board to deny the permit of a proposed new public water system if it determines that it is reasonably foreseeable that the proposed new public water system will be unable to provide affordable, safe drinking water in the reasonably foreseeable future, as prescribed.

(2)Existing law allows the state board to delegate primary responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the act within a county to a local health officer if certain criteria are met. Existing law requires that the local primacy agency be empowered with all of the authority granted to the state board over the specified public water systems.

This bill would prohibit a local primacy agency from issuing a permit to operate a public water system without the concurrence of the state board. The bill would require, for a proposed new public water system that would be regulated by a local primacy agency, the applicant to also submit a copy of the preliminary technical report to the state board.

(3)Existing law declares the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes. Existing law requires a city or county that determines a project, as defined, is subject to the California Environmental Quality Act to identify certain water systems that may supply water for the project and to request those public water systems to prepare and approve a specified water supply assessment. Under existing law, if no public water system is identified, the city or county is required to prepare and approve the water supply assessment. Existing law provides that if, as a result of its assessment, the public water system or city or county concludes that its water supplies are, or will be, insufficient, the public water system or city or county is required to provide its plans for acquiring additional water supplies, as prescribed.

This bill would prohibit a city, including a charter city, or a county from issuing a building permit for the construction of a new residential development where a source of the water supply is water transported by a water hauler, bottled water, a water-vending machine, or a retail water facility, as specified. By imposing new duties on a city or county in connection with the issuance of a building permit, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(4)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.