Bill Text: CA SB672 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: South Lake Tahoe Public Utilities District: water meters.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-01 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB672 Detail]
Download: California-2009-SB672-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 672 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 4, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Senator Cox
FEBRUARY 27, 2009
An act to add Section 527.1 to the Water Code, relating to the
South Tahoe Public Utilities District.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 672, as amended, Cox. South Lake Tahoe Public Utilities
District: water meters.
Existing law requires an urban water supplier to install water
meters on all municipal and industrial service connections located
within its service area on or before January 1, 2025. Existing law
requires an urban water supplier to charge each customer that has a
service connection for which a meter has been installed based on the
actual volume of deliveries as measured by the water meter beginning
on or before January 1, 2010.
This bill, with regard to the South Tahoe Public Utilities
District, would extend that January 1, 2025, date to January
1, 2035, and that January 1, 2010, date to January 1, 2020
authorize the district, on or before January 1, 2015, to submit
to the State Water Resources Control Board and certain legislative
committees a report containing specified information on
the installation of water meters by the district. The bill would
authorize the district, if it submits the above report, to submit,
before January 1, 2020, a report updating that information. The bill
would authorize the district to include in the 2nd report a request
to extend the existing 2025 deadline. The bill would require the
board, if it makes a certain finding, to grant an extension to the
district, not to exceed 10 years . The bill would set forth
related declarations and findings, including findings and
declarations relating to the need for special legislation.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no
yes . State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) The South Tahoe Public Utilities District currently has one of
the lowest per capita water usages in the State of California.
(b) The district has taken a number of steps to conserve water in
its service area including all of the following:
(1) The district has implemented a water conservation rebate
program for low-flow toilets, fixtures, dishwashers, tankless water
heaters, and front loading washing machines.
(2) The district has a full-time water conservation specialist on
staff.
(3) The district employs three full-time "water educators" during
the summer months to educate district water customers and enforce the
district's water conservation program.
(4) The district has initiated a "turf buy-back" program that has
resulted, to date, in the savings of one million gallons of water
annually.
(c) Conserved water from the district does not flow into the
California watershed.
(d) Due to grading requirements established by the Tahoe Regional
Planning Agency, water meters may only be installed from May 2 to
October 14 each year. This construction window is shorter than those
in the rest of California and impacts the district's ability to meet
the current statutory metering deadline.
(e) Meeting the current statutory deadline is cost prohibitive due
to a water main improvement project. The water main improvement
project is necessary to protect the Tahoe National Forest from fire.
(f) Forest fire is a clear and present danger to the Lake Tahoe
Basin. The Angora Fire of 2007 damaged property and the environment.
(g) Waterline retrofit is essential to forest protection and to
protect Lake Tahoe's clarity.
(h) The district has identified over 185,000 lineal feet of
waterlines that cannot provide sufficient flows for fire suppression.
SEC. 2. Section 527.1 is added to the Water Code, to read:
527.1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the South
Tahoe Public Utilities District shall do both of the following:
(a) Meet the requirements set forth in paragraph (1) of
subdivision (a) of Section 527 on or before January 1, 2035.
(b) Meet the requirements set forth in subparagraph (A) of
paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 527 on or before January
1, 2020.
527.1. (a) On or before January 1, 2015, the South
Tahoe Public Utilities District may submit to the board, the Senate
Committee on Natural Resources and Water, and the Assembly Committee
on Water, Parks and Wildlife a report that does all of the following:
(1) Specifies the total number of water meters that the South
Tahoe Public Utilities District would be required to install to be in
compliance with Section 527, and the total number of connections
served by the district.
(2) Specifies the total number of water meters the South Tahoe
Public Utilities District has installed before January 1, 2015, and
the number of connections that remain to be installed by January 1,
2025.
(3) Describes all funding sources used to fund the installation of
water meters in compliance with Section 527.
(4) Estimates revenue that will be available between January 1,
2015, and January 1, 2025, to fund the installation of meters that
remain to be installed during that period.
(5) Estimates the number of meters that should be installed during
each construction season to meet the January 1, 2025, deadline
imposed in Section 527, and estimates the number of meters that can
be installed based on the funding estimated in paragraph (4).
(b) (1) If the South Tahoe Public Utilities District submits a
report in accordance with subdivision (a), the district may submit,
before January 1, 2020, a second report updating the information
described in that subdivision, to the board, the Senate Committee on
Natural Resources and Water and the Assembly Committee on Water,
Parks, and Wildlife.
(2) The South Tahoe Public Utilities District may include in the
second report a request to extend the January 1, 2025, deadline for
compliance specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section
527. If the board finds that the district has demonstrated progress
toward installing meters and the available resources or the
construction seasons are insufficient to allow the district to meet
the deadline, the board shall grant an extension, not to exceed 10
years.
SEC. 3. The Legislature finds and declares that this act, which is
applicable only to the South Lake Tahoe Public Utilities District,
is necessary because of the unique and special water problems in the
area included in that district. It is, therefore, hereby declared
that a general law within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of
the California Constitution cannot be made applicable to the district
and the enactment of this special law is necessary for the
conservation, development, control, and use of that water for the
public good.
