SB 1157: Urban water use objectives.

Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources, in coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board, and including collaboration with and input from stakeholders, to conduct necessary studies and investigations and authorizes the department and the board to jointly recommend to the Legislature a standard for indoor residential water use. Existing law, until January 1, 2025, establishes 55 gallons per capita daily as the standard for indoor residential water use. Existing law establishes, beginning January 1, 2025, the greater of 52.5 gallons per capita daily or a standard recommended by the department and the board as the standard for indoor residential water use, and beginning January 1, 2030, establishes the greater of 50 gallons per capita daily or a standard recommended by the department and the board as the standard for indoor residential water use. Existing law requires the board, in coordination with the department, to adopt by regulation variances recommended by the department and guidelines and methodologies pertaining to the calculation of an urban retail water suppliers urban water use objective recommended by the department.

This bill would eliminate the option of using the greater of 52.5 gallons per capita daily and the greater of 50 gallons per capita daily, as applicable, or a standard recommended by the department and the board as the standard for indoor residential water use. The bill would instead require that from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2030, the standard for indoor residential water use be 47 gallons per capita daily and beginning January 1, 2030, the standard be 42 gallons per capita daily. The bill would require the department, in coordination with the board to conduct necessary studies and investigations to assess and quantify the economic benefit and impacts of the 2030 indoor residential use standard on water, wastewater, and recycled water systems, as specified. The bill would require the department, in coordination with the board, to summarize the findings of these studies and investigations in a report to the Legislature by October 1, 2028. The bill would prohibit enforcement of specified provisions against an urban retail water supplier solely for failing to meet the indoor residential use standard. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2028, the department, in coordination with the board, to submit a report to the Legislature on the progress of urban retail water suppliers towards achieving their urban water use objective.