Extension of Public Comment Period for Board Workshop on Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life
The State Water Board will accept written comments on the staff proposed framework to Make Water Conservation a California Way of Life. The comment deadline has been changed from March 24, 2023 at noon to March 30, 2023 at noon. Comment letters should be submitted via email to
orpp-waterconservation@waterboards.ca.gov.
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Regional Water Boards) – collectively known as the California Water Boards – are dedicated to a single vision: abundant clean water for human uses and environmental protection to sustain California’s future.
Under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and the state’s pioneering Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, the State and Regional Water Boards have regulatory responsibility for protecting the water quality of nearly 1.6 million acres of lakes, 1.3 million acres of bays and estuaries, 211,000 miles of rivers and streams, and about 1,100 miles of exquisite California coastline.
STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD
BOARD MEETING SESSION – OFFICE OF RESEARCH, PLANNING
AND PERFORMANCE
MARCH 22, 2023
ITEM 7
***Updated March 21, 2023 to reflect the comment period has been extended to
March 30, 2023***
SUBJECT
WORKSHOP ON PROPOSED REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR MAKING WATER
CONSERVATION A CALIFORNIA WAY OF LIFE.
DISCUSSION
On May 31, 2018, Governor Brown signed two bills, Senate Bill (SB) 606 (Hertzberg) and Assembly Bill (AB) 1668 (Friedman). Referred to as the 2018 conservation legislation, these bills reflect the dedicated work of many water suppliers, environmental
organizations, and members of the Legislature. Added by the 2018 conservation legislation, Water Code section 10609 et seq. required the Department of Water Resources to provide recommendations on and the State Water Resources Control
Board (State Water Board or Board) to adopt standards for the efficient use of water, variances for unique uses that can have a material effect on water use, performance
measures for commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) water use, and guidelines and methodologies that identify how each urban retail water supplier (supplier) will calculate an urban water use objective.
Prior to consideration for adoption by the Board, State Water Board staff will develop a draft regulation establishing the standards, variances, methodologies for calculating the
urban water use objective, performance measures, and related reporting requirements.
The regular rulemaking process for that regulation will begin soon. Before beginning, the State Water Board will hold a public workshop to discuss and receive verbal and written comments on the staff’s proposed framework to Make Water Conservation a
California Way of Life.
A summary of the framework will be available at:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/conservation_portal/regs/water
_efficiency_legislation.html.
The State Water Board’s staff proposal was informed by the formal recommendations
provided by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) on September 22, 2022. These
are available at: https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/2018-WaterConservation-Legislation/Urban-Water-Use-Efficiency-Standards-Variances-andPerformance-Measures.
2
For reference, a tool that allows users to see how different parameter values affect the
water use objective for any given urban retail water supplier is available at:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/conservation_portal/regs/object
ive-exploration.html.
SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS
The State Water Board will accept written comments on the staff proposed framework to
Make Water Conservation a California Way of Life. To submit written comments, please
use the subject line: “Comment Letter – Board Workshop on Making Water
Conservation a California Way of Life.” Written comments must be received by
12:00 noon on March 2430, 2023, and should be submitted via email to
orpp-waterconservation@waterboards.ca.gov. At the Board Workshop, commenters will
be given an opportunity to make verbal comments to the Board or to summarize and
supplement their written materials. If you would like to provide oral comments, please
follow the remote participation guidelines available at:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/board_info/remote_meeting/#provide_comments.
The Board’s formal rulemaking process will begin soon. Comments heard at the
workshop and submitted in writing by the above deadline will help inform the Board
staff’s proposal used to initiate the formal rulemaking process.
POLICY ISSUE
Receive input on the proposed regulatory framework for making conservation a
California way of life. No decisions will be made at the Board Workshop.
FISCAL IMPACT
None at this time; no decisions will be made at the Board Workshop.
REGIONAL BOARD IMPACT
None.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
None.