AB 1572: Potable water: nonfunctional turf.

(1)Existing law establishes various state water policies, including the policy that the use of water for domestic purposes is the highest use of water.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations concerning water use, including that the use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf is wasteful and incompatible with state policy relating to climate change, water conservation, and reduced reliance on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem. The bill would direct all appropriate state agencies to encourage and support the elimination of irrigation of nonfunctional turf with potable water.

(2)Existing law, the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning Act, authorizes a regional water management group to prepare and adopt an integrated regional water management plan in accordance with specified requirements, including, among other things, the identification and consideration of the water-related needs of disadvantaged communities in the area within the boundaries of the plan.

This bill would additionally require an integrated regional water management plan to address the identification and consideration of the water-related needs of owners and occupants of affordable housing, including the removal and replacement of nonfunctional turf.

(3)Existing law provides various findings and declarations of the Legislature related to sustainable water use and demand reduction. Existing law imposes various water use reduction requirements that apply to urban retail water suppliers, including a requirement that the state achieve a 20% reduction in urban per capita water use by December 31, 2020.

This bill would prohibit the use of potable water, as defined, for the irrigation of nonfunctional turf located on commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, other than a cemetery, and on properties of homeowners associations, common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar entities, as specified. The bill would authorize the State Water Resources Control Board to create a form for compliance certification and would require owners of covered properties to certify their compliance, as specified. The bill would authorize a public water system, city, county, or city and county to enforce these provisions, as specified. The bill would require the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development to support small and minority-owned businesses that provide services that advance compliance with these provisions.