Linda Vo, CalWEP Program Manager | Updated: October 11, 2022
It has been a busy year at the State Capitol where lawmakers were working to address various issues, such as the drought, COVID-19 pandemic, and more. The Legislature wrapped up the legislative session at the end of August, and now hundreds of bills are awaiting the Governor’s decision. CalWEP has updates about some water efficiency and conservation-related bills that you should know about.
Assembly Bill 2142 (Gabriel)
CalWEP is proudly co-sponsoring AB 2142 with the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) and WaterNow Alliance. The bill would reinstate an important exemption for turf replacement rebates from gross income in California, which aligns it with other permanently exempt water efficiency rebates. Read our letter to the Governor here.
The bill was approved by the Governor.
Assembly Bill 1867 (Lee)
CalWEP supports AB 1867, which would ensure that school bathrooms are meeting current water efficiency and conservation standards. The bill would only apply to projects submitted to the Division of the State Architect three months after a statewide general obligation bond with funding for school facilities is approved by voters.
The bill was approved by the Governor.
Senate Bill 1469 (Bradford and Becker)
CalWEP is supporting SB 1469. The bill would authorize the California Public Utilities Commission to allow the use of a mechanism that separates a water utility’s revenues and water sales. The mechanism is known as a “decoupling,” and it eliminates the disincentive for an investor-owned water utility to pursue robust water conservation programs.
The bill was approved by the Governor.
Senate Bill 1157 (Hertzberg)
CalWEP does not have a position on SB 1157 but continues to monitor the bill. The bill would align the indoor residential water use standard with DWR and SWRCB's recommendations. Specifically, the bill would set the standard as follow: 2020: 55 gallons per capita daily (gpcd) | 2025: 47 gpcd | 2030: 42 gpcd.
The bill was approved by the Governor.