Senate Bill No. 513
CHAPTER 373

An act to add Section 13194 to the Water Code, relating to water.

[ Approved by Governor  September 27, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State  September 27, 2019. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 513, Hurtado. State Water Resources Control Board: grants: interim relief: private water wells.
The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act requires a person who discharges waste into the waters of the state in violation of waste discharge requirements or other order or prohibition issued by a California regional water quality control board or the State Water Resources Control Board to clean up the waste or to abate the effects of the waste. The act authorizes the state board or a regional board to issue a cleanup or abatement order that may require, among other things, the provision of, or payment for, uninterrupted replacement water service to each affected public water supplier or private well owner. The act, to the extent that funding is made available, authorizes the state board to provide grants to a county or qualified nonprofit organization that would award grants or loans, or both, to eligible applicants for specified purposes relating to drinking water and wastewater treatment.
This bill would authorize the state board to provide grants to eligible applicants to be used to provide interim relief, as specified, to households in which a private water well has gone dry, or has been destroyed, due to drought, wildfire, or other natural disaster, subject to an appropriation of funds for that purpose by the Legislature. The bill would authorize the board to provide up to 10% of the funds appropriated for these purposes to eligible applicants for planning related to permanent solutions for private water wells that have gone dry, or have been destroyed, due to drought, wildfire, or other natural disaster.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 13194 is added to the Water Code, immediately following Section 13193.9, to read:

13194.
 (a) (1) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, the state board may provide grants to eligible applicants to be used to provide interim relief to households in which a private water well has gone dry, or has been destroyed, due to drought, wildfire, or other natural disaster. Eligible applicants who receive funds pursuant to this section shall administer and implement that funding consistent with this section.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision:
(A) “Eligible applicant” means a county, community water system, local public agency, or nonprofit organization.
(B) “Interim relief” includes, but is not limited to, the provision of domestic water storage tanks, hauled water, and bottled water.
(b) The state board may provide up to 10 percent of the funds appropriated for these purposes to eligible applicants for planning related to permanent solutions for private water wells that have gone dry, or been destroyed, due to drought, wildfire, or other natural disaster.
(c) The state board shall not use more than 5 percent of the funds appropriated for these purposes for its administrative costs.
(d) The state board may adopt guidelines to implement this section. Those guidelines are not subject to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(e) A contract entered into under this section is exempt from Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10290) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code. The state board may award a contract under this section on a noncompetitive bid basis as necessary to implement the purposes of this section.