Article 4. Other Powers And Duties Of The State Board of California Water Code >> Division 7. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 4.

The state board is designated as the state water pollution control agency for all purposes stated in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and any other federal act, heretofore or hereafter enacted, and is (a) authorized to give any certificate or statement required by any federal agency pursuant to any such federal act that there is reasonable assurance that an activity of any person subject to the jurisdiction of the state board will not reduce water quality below applicable standards, and (b) authorized to exercise any powers delegated to the state by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251, et seq.) and acts amendatory thereto.

(a) The state board may establish a reasonable fee schedule to cover the costs incurred by the state board and the regional boards in connection with any certificate that is required or authorized by any federal law with respect to the effect of any existing or proposed facility, project, or construction work upon the quality of waters of the state, including certificates requested by applicants for a federal permit or license pursuant to Section 401 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, and certificates requested pursuant to Section 169 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, with respect to water pollution control facilities.
  (b) In providing for the recovery of costs incurred by the state board and regional board pursuant to this section, the state board may include in the fee schedule, but is not limited to including, the costs incurred in reviewing applications for certificates, prescribing terms of certificates and monitoring requirements, enforcing and evaluating compliance with certificates and monitoring requirements, conducting monitoring and modeling, analyzing laboratory samples, reviewing documents prepared for the purpose of regulating activities subject to certificates, and administrative costs incurred in connection with carrying out these actions. The costs of reviewing applications for certificates include, but are not limited to, the costs incurred in anticipation of the filing of an application for a certificate, including participation in any prefiling consultation, and investigation or studies to evaluate the impacts of the proposed activity.
  (c) (1) The fee schedule may provide for payment of a single fee in connection with the filing of an application, or for periodic or annual fees, as appropriate to the type of certificate issued and the activity authorized by the certificate.
  (2) The fee schedule authorized by this section may impose a fee upon any of the following:
  (A) Any person who files an application for a certificate.
  (B) Any person who files with the state board or a regional board a notice of intent to file an application for a certificate, or who files with a federal agency a notice of intent to apply for a federal permit or license for which a certificate will be required under Section 401 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
  (C) Any person holding a federal permit or license for which a certificate has been issued.
  (D) Any person required to send a notice of intent to the state board or a regional board to proceed with an activity permitted by a general permit subject to certification under Section 13160.
  (d) (1) If the state board establishes a fee schedule pursuant to this section, the state board shall adopt the fee schedule by emergency regulation. The state board shall set the amount of total revenues collected each year through the fee authorized by this section at an amount equal to the revenue levels set forth in the annual Budget Act for this activity. The state board shall review and revise the fee each fiscal year as necessary to conform with the revenue levels set forth in the annual Budget Act. If the state board determines that the revenue collected during the preceding year was greater than, or less than, the revenue levels set forth in the annual Budget Act, the state board may further adjust the annual fees to compensate for the over or under collection of revenue.
  (2) The emergency regulations adopted pursuant to this subdivision, any amendment thereto, or subsequent adjustments to the annual fees, shall be adopted by the state board in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. The adoption of these regulations is an emergency and shall be considered by the Office of Administrative Law as necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, and general welfare. Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, any emergency regulations adopted by the state board, or adjustments to the annual fees made by the state board pursuant to this section, shall remain in effect until revised by the state board.
  (e) Any fees collected pursuant to this section in connection with certificates for activities involving hydroelectric power projects subject to licensing by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall be deposited in the Water Rights Fund.

The state board shall annually determine state needs for water quality research and recommend projects to be conducted.

The state board shall administer any statewide program of research in the technical phases of water quality control which may be delegated to it by law and may accept funds from the United States or any person to that end. The state board may conduct such a program independently, or by contract or in cooperation with any federal or state agency, including any political subdivision of the state, or any person or public or private organization.

(a) The state board shall coordinate water-quality-related investigations of state agencies, recognizing that other state agencies have primary statutory authority for such investigations, and shall consult with the concerned regional boards in implementing this section.
  (b) The state board from time to time shall evaluate the need for water-quality-related investigations to effectively develop and implement statewide policy for water quality control and shall transmit its recommendations for investigations to affected or concerned federal, state, and local agencies. The affected state agencies shall comply with the recommendations or shall advise the state board in writing why they do not comply with such recommendations.
  (c) State agencies shall submit to the state board plans for and results of all investigations that relate to or have an effect upon water quality for review and comment.

The state board shall formulate, adopt and revise general procedures for the formulation, adoption and implementation by regional boards of water quality control plans. During the process of formulating or revising such procedures, the state board shall consult with and evaluate the recommendations of any affected regional boards.

The state board may require any state or local agency to investigate and report on any technical factors involved in water quality control; provided that the burden, including costs, of such reports shall bear a reasonable relationship to the need for the reports and the benefits to be obtained therefrom.

The state board, with the assistance of the regional boards, shall prepare and implement a statewide water quality information storage and retrieval program. Such program shall be coordinated and integrated to the maximum extent practicable with data storage and retrieval programs of other agencies.

(a) The state board shall implement, with the assistance of the regional boards, a public information program on matters involving water quality, and shall place and maintain on its Internet Web site, in a format accessible to the general public, an information file on water quality monitoring, assessment, research, standards, regulation, enforcement, and other pertinent matters.
  (b) The information file described in subdivision (a) shall include, but need not be limited to, copies of permits, waste discharge requirements, waivers, enforcement actions, and petitions for review of these actions pursuant to this division. The file shall include copies of water quality control plans and policies, including any relevant management agency agreements pursuant to this chapter and Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 13200), and monitoring data and assessment information, or shall identify Internet links to that information. The state board, in consultation with the regional boards, shall ensure that the information is available in single locations, rather than separately by region, and that the information is presented in a manner easily understandable by the general public.

(a) The state board or the regional board, as applicable, shall provide notice and a period of at least 30 days for public comment prior to the adoption of any of the following:
  (1) Waste discharge requirements prescribed pursuant to Sections 13263 or 13377.
  (2) Water reclamation requirements prescribed pursuant to Section 13523.
  (3) An order issued pursuant to Section 13320.
  (4) A time schedule order adopted pursuant to Section 13300 that sets forth a schedule of compliance and required actions relating to waste discharge requirements prescribed pursuant to Section 13263 or 13377.
  (b) The notification required by subdivision (a) may be provided by mailing a draft of the waste discharge requirements, water reclamation requirements, time schedule order, or order issued pursuant to Section 13320 to each person who has requested notice of the specific item, or by posting a draft of the respective requirements or order on the official Internet site maintained by the state board or regional board, and providing notice of that posting by electronic mail to each person who has requested notice.
  (c) This section does not require the state board or the regional board to provide more than one notice or more than one public comment period prior to the adoption of waste discharge requirements, water reclamation requirements, a time schedule order, or an order issued pursuant to Section 13320.

For each meeting agenda notice that the state board provides pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 11125 of the Government Code, the state board shall make the agenda notice available in both English and Spanish and may make the agenda notice available in any other language.

The state board shall allocate to the regional boards from funds appropriated to the state board such part thereof as may be necessary for the administrative expenses of such boards. The regional boards shall submit annual budgets to the state board. Subject to the provisions of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 13291) of Part 3, Division 3, Title 2 of the Government Code and any other laws giving the Department of Finance fiscal and budgetary control over state departments generally, the state board shall prepare an annual budget concerning its activities and the activities of the regional boards.

(a) The state board is authorized to develop and implement a groundwater protection program as provided under the Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 300 and following of Title 42 of the United States Code, and any federal act that amends or supplements the Safe Drinking Water Act. The authority of the state board under this section includes, but is not limited to, the following:
  (1) To apply for and accept state groundwater protection grants from the federal government.
  (2) To take any additional action as may be necessary or appropriate to assure that the state's groundwater protection program complies with any federal regulations issued pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act or any federal act that amends or supplements the Safe Drinking Water Act.
  (b) Nothing in this section is intended to expand the authority of the state board as authorized under the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Div. 7 (commencing with Sec. 13000) Wat. C.).

The state board may adopt water quality control plans in accordance with the provisions of Sections 13240 to 13244, inclusive, insofar as they are applicable, for waters for which water quality standards are required by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto. Such plans, when adopted, supersede any regional water quality control plans for the same waters to the extent of any conflict.

The state board shall consider all relevant management agency agreements, which are intended to protect a specific beneficial use of water, prior to adopting all water quality control plans pursuant to Section 13170.

(a) The state board shall formulate and adopt a water quality control plan for ocean waters of the state which shall be known as the California Ocean Plan.
  (b) The plan shall be reviewed at least every three years to guarantee that the current standards are adequate and are not allowing degradation to indigenous marine species or posing a threat to human health.
  (c) In formulating the plan, the state board shall develop bioassay protocols to evaluate the effect of municipal and industrial waste discharges on the marine environment.
  (d) The state board shall adopt the bioassay protocols and complementary chemical testing methods and shall require their use in the monitoring of complex effluent ocean discharges. For purposes of this section, "complex effluent" means an effluent in which all chemical constituents are not known or monitored. The state board shall adopt bioassay protocols and complementary chemical testing methods for complex effluent ocean monitoring by January 1, 1990, and shall require their use in monitoring complex effluent ocean discharges by entities discharging 100 million gallons per day or more by January 1, 1991. The state board shall also adopt a schedule for requiring the use of these protocols for complex effluent ocean discharges of under 100 million gallons per day by January 1, 1992.

On or before January 1, 2013, the state board shall either amend the California Ocean Plan, or adopt separate standards, to address water quality objectives and effluent limitations that are specifically appropriate to brackish groundwater treatment system facilities that produce municipal water supplies for local use.

Notwithstanding any provision of law, any plan provided in Section 13170, 13240, or 13245, and any approval thereof, and any certification or approval of an areawide waste treatment management plan prepared pursuant to Section 208 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act shall be subject to the provisions of Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 53098) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code.

The state board may establish a Water Quality Coordinating Committee, consisting of at least one member of each of the nine regional boards, to assist the state board in carrying out its responsibilities in water quality control.

To ensure adequate protection of water quality and statewide uniformity in the siting, operation, and closure of waste disposal sites, except for sewage treatment plants or those sites which primarily contain fertilizer or radioactive material, the state board shall do all of the following:
  (a) Classify wastes according to the risk of impairment to water quality, taking into account toxicity, persistence, degradability, solubility, and other biological, chemical, and physical properties of the wastes.
  (b) Classify the types of disposal sites according to the level of protection provided for water quality, taking into account the geology, hydrology, topography, climatology, and other factors relating to ability of the site to protect water quality.
  (c) Adopt standards and regulations to implement Sections 13226 and 13227.
  (d) Adopt standards and regulations for hazardous waste disposal sites which apply and ensure compliance with all applicable groundwater protection and monitoring requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 6901 et seq.), any federal act, enacted before or after January 1, 1989, which amends or supplements the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, any federal regulations adopted before or after January 1, 1989, pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended, together with any more stringent requirements necessary to implement this division or Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 25208) of Chapter 6.5 of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code.
  (e) Adopt policies, standards, and regulations for discharges of mining waste which apply, and ensure compliance with, all surface water and groundwater protection and monitoring requirements of this division, Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 25208) of Chapter 6.5 of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code, and Subchapter IV (commencing with Section 6941) of Chapter 82 of Title 42 of the United States Code, which are applicable to discharges of mining waste. These policies, standards, and regulations shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
  (1) A statewide policy for monitoring surface water and groundwater that may be affected by discharges of mining waste. The policy shall establish the principles the regional boards shall use in developing monitoring plans for discharges of mining waste, including the methods the regional boards shall use in determining the location, number, and type of monitoring sites.
  (2) Regulations requiring that waste discharge requirements issued for discharges of mining waste by regional boards include monitoring requirements consistent with the statewide policy adopted pursuant to paragraph (1).
  (3) Standards for reporting the results of surface water and groundwater monitoring to the regional board. The standards shall establish a reporting format that graphs monitoring data over an appropriate time period and compares the values found for each measured parameter against the standard for that parameter established in the waste discharge requirements.

(a) For purposes of this section, the use of any vacuum or suction dredge equipment, also known as suction dredging, is the use of a mechanized or motorized system for removing or assisting in the removal of, or the processing of, material from the bed, bank, or channel of a river, stream, or lake in order to recover minerals. This section does not apply to, prohibit, or otherwise restrict nonmotorized recreational mining activities, including panning for gold.
  (b) In order to protect water quality, the state board or a regional board may take one or more of the following actions:
  (1) Adopt waste discharge requirements or a waiver of waste discharge requirements that, at a minimum, address the water quality impacts of each of the following:
  (A) Mercury loading to downstream reaches of surface water bodies affected by the use of vacuum or suction dredge equipment.
  (B) Methylmercury formation in water bodies.
  (C) Bioaccumulation of mercury in aquatic organisms.
  (D) Resuspension of metals.
  (2) Specify certain conditions or areas where the discharge of waste or other adverse impacts on beneficial uses of the waters of the state from the use of vacuum or suction dredge equipment is prohibited, consistent with Section 13243.
  (3) Prohibit any particular use of, or methods of using, vacuum or suction dredge equipment, or any portion thereof, for the extraction of minerals that the state board or a regional board determines generally cause or contribute to an exceedance of applicable water quality objectives or unreasonably impact beneficial uses.
  (c) (1) Before determining what action to take pursuant to subdivision (b), the state board shall solicit stakeholder input by conducting public workshops in the vicinity of the cities of San Bernardino, Fresno, Sacramento, and Redding. A regional board considering independent action pursuant to subdivision (b) shall solicit stakeholder input by conducting at least one public workshop in that board's region. To promote participation in the public workshops, the state board or regional board shall proactively reach out to mining groups, environmental organizations, and California Native American tribes, as defined in Section 21073 of the Public Resources Code.
  (2) Before taking a proposed action pursuant to subdivision (b), the state board or regional board shall conduct at least one public hearing regarding that proposed action pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
  (3) To avoid duplication of efforts between the state board and a regional board of a public workshop or public hearing that covers the same regional area, the state board and a regional board may work in collaboration to share information obtained through the public workshops or public hearing.

"Designated waste" means either of the following:
  (a) Hazardous waste that has been granted a variance from hazardous waste management requirements pursuant to Section 25143 of the Health and Safety Code.
  (b) Nonhazardous waste that consists of, or contains, pollutants that, under ambient environmental conditions at a waste management unit, could be released in concentrations exceeding applicable water quality objectives or that could reasonably be expected to affect beneficial uses of the waters of the state as contained in the appropriate state water quality control plan.

The state board, after consultation with the California Integrated Waste Management Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control, may, as available resources permit, adopt policies with regard to designated wastes to include, but not be limited to, both of the following:
  (a) Policies that provide for the means by which a regional board shall identify designated waste and the waters of the state that the waste may potentially impact.
  (b) Policies for regional boards with regard to the granting of waivers to make inapplicable the designated waste classification.

(a) (1) The analysis of any material required by this division shall be performed by a laboratory that has accreditation or certification pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 100825) of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 101 of the Health and Safety Code.
  (2) This requirement does not apply to field tests, such as tests for color, odor, turbidity, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and disinfectant residual.
  (b) A person or public entity of the state shall not contract with a laboratory for environmental analyses required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) unless the laboratory has valid accreditation or certification.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the state board continue to implement the California State Mussel Watch Program.
  (b) The Legislature finds and declares that the California State Mussel Watch Program provides the following benefits to the people of the state:
  (1) An effective method for monitoring the long-term effects of certain toxic substances in selected fresh, estuarine, and marine waters.
  (2) An important element in the state board's comprehensive water quality monitoring strategy.
  (3) Identification, on an annual basis, of specific areas where concentrations of toxic substances are higher than normal.
  (4) Valuable information to guide the state and regional boards and other public and private agencies in efforts to protect water quality.
  (c) To the extent funding is appropriated for this purpose, the state board, in conjunction with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, shall continue to implement the long-term coastal monitoring program known as the California State Mussel Watch Program. The program may consist of, but is not limited to, the following elements:
  (1) Removal of mussels, clams, and other aquatic organisms from relatively clean coastal sites and placing them in sampling sites. For purposes of this section, "sampling sites" means selected waters of concern to the state board and the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
  (2) After specified exposure periods at the sampling sites, removal of the aquatic organisms for analysis.
  (3) Laboratory analysis of the removed aquatic organisms to determine the amounts of various toxic substances that may have accumulated in the bodies of the aquatic organisms.
  (4) Making available both the short- and long-term results of the laboratory analysis to appropriate public and private agencies and the public.

(a) The state board, in consultation with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, shall develop a comprehensive coastal monitoring and assessment program for sport fish and shellfish, to be known as the Coastal Fish Contamination Program. The program shall identify and monitor chemical contamination in coastal fish and shellfish and assess the health risks of consumption of sport fish and shellfish caught by consumers.
  (b) The state board shall consult with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and regional water quality control boards with jurisdiction over territory along the coast, to determine chemicals, sampling locations, and the species to be collected under the program. The program developed by the state board shall include all of the following:
  (1) Screening studies to identify coastal fishing areas where fish species have the potential for accumulating chemicals that pose significant health risks to human consumers of sport fish and shellfish.
  (2) The assessment of at least 60 screening study monitoring sites and 120 samples in the first five years of the program and an assessment of additional screening study sites as time and resources permit.
  (3) Comprehensive monitoring and assessment of fishing areas determined through screening studies to have a potential for significant human health risk and a reassessment of these areas every five years.
  (c) Based on existing fish contamination data, the state board shall designate a minimum of 40 sites as fixed sampling locations for the ongoing monitoring effort.
  (d) The state board shall contract with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to prepare comprehensive health risk assessments for sport fish and shellfish monitored in the program. The assessments shall be based on the data collected by the program and information on fish consumption and food preparation. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, within 18 months of the completion of a comprehensive study for each area by the state board, shall submit to the board a draft health risk assessment report for that area. Those health risk assessments shall be updated following the reassessment of areas by the board.
  (e) The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment shall issue health advisories when the office determines that consuming certain fish or shellfish presents a significant health risk. The advisories shall contain information for the public, and particularly the population at risk, concerning health risks from the consumption of the fish or shellfish. The office shall notify the appropriate county health officers, the State Department of Public Health, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife before the issuance of a health advisory. The notification shall provide sufficient information for the purpose of posting signage. The office shall urge county health officers to conspicuously post health warnings in areas where contaminated fish or shellfish may be caught including piers, commercial passenger fishing vessels, and shore areas where fishing occurs. The Department of Fish and Wildlife shall publish the office' s health warnings in its Sport Fishing Regulations Booklet.

To the extent funding is appropriated for this purpose, the state board, in consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, shall perform a monitoring study to reassess the geographic boundaries of the commercial fish closure off the Palos Verdes Shelf. The reassessment shall include collection and analysis of white croaker caught on the Palos Verdes Shelf, within three miles south of the Shelf, and within San Pedro Bay. Based on the results of the reassessment, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, with guidance from the Office of the Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, shall redelineate, if necessary, the commercial fish closure area to protect the health of consumers of commercially caught white croaker. The sample collection and analysis shall be conducted within 18 months of the enactment of this section and the reassessment of the health risk shall be conducted within 18 months of the completion of the analysis of the samples.

(a) (1) Notwithstanding Section 12439 of the Government Code, the Controller may not eliminate any direct or indirect position that provides oversight and related support of remediation at a military base, including a closed military base, that is funded without General Fund moneys through an agreement with a state agency, or that is funded through an agreement with a party responsible for paying the state board's costs, and may not eliminate any direct or indirect position that is funded by a federal grant that does not require a state match funded from the General Fund.
  (2) An agreement with a state agency subject to this section may not require the use of a state matching fund from the General Fund by that agency.
  (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including Section 4.10 of the Budget Act of 2003, the Director of Finance may not eliminate any direct or indirect position that provides oversight and related support of remediation at a military base, including a closed military base, that is funded through an agreement with a state agency or party responsible for paying the state board's costs, and may not eliminate any direct or indirect position that is funded by a federal grant that does not require a state match funded from the General Fund.
  (b) Neither the Controller nor the Department of Finance may impose any hiring freeze or personal services limitations, including any position reductions, upon any direct or indirect position of the state board that provides oversight and related support of remediation at a military base, including a closed military base, that is funded through an agreement with a state agency or party responsible for paying the state board's costs, or on any direct or indirect position that is funded by a federal grant that does not require a state match funded from the General Fund.
  (c) The Controller and the Department of Finance shall exclude, from the state board's base for purposes of calculating any budget or position reductions required by any state agency or any state law, the specific amounts and direct or indirect positions that provide oversight and related support of remediation at a military base, including a closed military base, that are funded through an agreement with a state agency or party responsible for paying the state board's costs, and shall exclude the specific amounts and any direct or indirect positions that are funded by a federal grant that does not require a state match funded from the General Fund.
  (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, neither the Controller nor the Department of Finance may require the state board to reduce authorized positions or other appropriations for other state board programs, including personal services, to replace the reductions precluded by subdivisions (a), (b), and (c).
  (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon the request of the state board, and upon review and approval of the Department of Finance, the Controller shall augment any Budget Act appropriations, except for appropriations from the General Fund, necessary to implement this section.
  (f) (1) This section does not apply to any state board appropriation or expenditure of General Fund moneys.
  (2) This section does not limit the authority of the Department of Finance to eliminate a position when funding for the position, through an agreement with a party or by a federal grant, is no longer available.

(a) The state board, in conjunction with the State Department of Public Health and a panel of experts established by the state board, shall develop source investigation protocols for use in conducting source investigations of storm drains that produce exceedences of bacteriological standards established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 115880 of the Health and Safety Code. The protocols shall be based upon the experiences drawn from previous source investigations performed by the state board, regional boards, or other agencies, and other available data. The protocols shall include methods for identifying the location and biological origins of sources of bacteriological contamination, and, at a minimum, shall require source investigations if bacteriological standards are exceeded in any three weeks of a four-week period, or, for areas where testing is done more than once a week, 75 percent of testing days that produce an exceedence of those standards.
  (b) The development of source investigation protocols pursuant to subdivision (a) is not subject to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(a) (1) On or before December 1, 2007, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency shall enter into a memorandum of understanding for the purposes of establishing the California Water Quality Monitoring Council, which shall be administered by the state board.
  (2) As used in this section, "monitoring council" means the California Water Quality Monitoring Council established pursuant to this section.
  (3) The monitoring council may include representatives from state entities and nonstate entities. The representatives from nonstate entities may include, but need not be limited to, representatives from federal and local government, institutions of higher education, the regulated community, citizen monitoring groups, and other interested parties.
  (4) The monitoring council shall review existing water quality monitoring, assessment, and reporting efforts, and shall recommend specific actions and funding needs necessary to coordinate and enhance those efforts.
  (5) (A) The recommendations shall be prepared for the ultimate development of a cost-effective, coordinated, integrated, and comprehensive statewide network for collecting and disseminating water quality information and ongoing assessments of the health of the state's waters and the effectiveness of programs to protect and improve the quality of those waters.
  (B) For purposes of developing recommendations pursuant to this section, the monitoring council shall initially focus on the water quality monitoring efforts of state agencies, including, but not limited to, the state board, the regional boards, the department, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Coastal Commission, the State Lands Commission, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the Department of Pesticide Regulation.
  (C) In developing the recommendations, the monitoring council shall seek to build upon existing programs, rather than create new programs.
  (6) Among other things, the memorandum of understanding shall describe the means by which the monitoring council shall formulate recommendations to accomplish both of the following:
  (A) Reduce redundancies, inefficiencies, and inadequacies in existing water quality monitoring and data management programs in order to improve the effective delivery of sound, comprehensive water quality information to the public and decisionmakers.
  (B) Ensure that water quality improvement projects financed by the state provide specific information necessary to track project effectiveness with regard to achieving clean water and healthy ecosystems.
  (b) The monitoring council shall report, on or before December 1, 2008, to the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency with regard to its recommendations for maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of existing water quality data collection and dissemination, and for ensuring that collected data are maintained and available for use by decisionmakers and the public. The monitoring council shall consult with the United States Environmental Protection Agency in preparing these recommendations. The monitoring council's recommendations, and any responses submitted by the California Environmental Protection Agency or the Natural Resources Agency to those recommendations, shall be made available to decisionmakers and the public by means of the Internet.
  (c) The monitoring council shall undertake and complete, on or before April 1, 2008, a survey of its members to develop an inventory of their existing water quality monitoring and data collection efforts statewide and shall make that information available to the public.
  (d) All state agencies, including institutions of higher education to the extent permitted by law, that collect water quality data or information shall cooperate with the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency in achieving the goals of the monitoring council as described in this section.
  (e) In accordance with the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.) and implementing guidance, the state board shall develop, in coordination with the monitoring council, all of the following:
  (1) A comprehensive monitoring program strategy that utilizes and expands upon the state's existing statewide, regional, and other monitoring capabilities and describes how the state will develop an integrated monitoring program that will serve all of the state's water quality monitoring needs and address all of the state's waters over time. The strategy shall include a timeline not to exceed 10 years to complete implementation. The strategy shall be comprehensive in scope and identify specific technical, integration, and resource needs, and shall recommend solutions for those needs so that the strategy may be implemented within the 10-year timeframe.
  (2) Agreement, including agreement on a schedule, with regard to the comprehensive monitoring of statewide water quality protection indicators that provide a basic minimum understanding of the health of the state's waters. Indicators already developed pursuant to environmental protection indicators for statewide initiatives shall be given high priority as core indicators for purposes of the network described in subdivision (a).
  (3) Quality management plans and quality assurance plans that ensure the validity and utility of the data collected.
  (4) Methodology for compiling, analyzing, and integrating readily available information, to the maximum extent feasible, including, but not limited to, data acquired from discharge reports, volunteer monitoring groups, local, state, and federal agencies, and recipients of state-funded or federally funded water quality improvement or restoration projects.
  (5) An accessible and user-friendly electronic data system with timely data entry and ready public access via the Internet. To the maximum extent possible, the geographic location of the areas monitored shall be included in the data system.
  (6) Production of timely and complete water quality reports and lists that are required under Sections 303(d), 305(b), 314, and 319 of the federal Clean Water Act and Section 406 of the federal Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000, that include all available information from discharge reports, volunteer monitoring groups, and local, state, and federal agencies.
  (7) An update of the state board's surface water ambient monitoring program needs assessment in light of the benefits of increased coordination and integration of information from other agencies and information sources. This update shall include identification of current and future resource needs required to fully implement the coordinated, comprehensive monitoring network, including, but not limited to, funding, staff, training, laboratory and other resources, and projected improvements in the network.
  (f) The state board shall identify the full costs of implementation of the comprehensive monitoring program strategy developed pursuant to subdivision (e), and shall identify proposed sources of funding for the implementation of the strategy, including federal funds that may be expended for this purpose. Fees collected pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 13260 may be used as a funding source for implementation of the strategy to the extent that the funding is consistent with subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 13260.
  (g) Data, summary information, and reports prepared pursuant to this section shall be made available to appropriate public agencies and the public by means of the Internet.
  (h) (1) Commencing December 1, 2008, the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency shall conduct a triennial audit of the effectiveness of the monitoring program strategy developed pursuant to subdivision (e). The audit shall include, but need not be limited to, an assessment of the following matters:
  (A) The extent to which the strategy has been implemented.
  (B) The effectiveness of the monitoring and assessment program and the monitoring council with regard to both of the following:
  (i) Tracking improvements in water quality.
  (ii) Evaluating the overall effectiveness of programs administered by the state board or a regional board and of state and federally funded water quality improvement projects.
  (2) The Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency shall consult with the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency in preparing the audit, consistent with the memorandum of understanding entered into pursuant to subdivision (a).
  (i) The state board shall prioritize the use of federal funding that may be applied to monitoring, including, but not limited to, funding under Section 106 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, for the purpose of implementing this section.
  (j) The state board shall not use more than 5 percent of the funds made available to implement this section for the administrative costs of any contracts entered into for the purpose of implementing this section.

The state board shall convene an advisory group or groups to assist in the evaluation of program structure and effectiveness as it relates to the implementation of the requirements of Section 303 (d) of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1313(d)), and applicable federal regulations and monitoring and assessment programs. The advisory group or groups shall be comprised of persons concerned with the requirements of Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. The state board shall provide public notice on its website of any meetings of the advisory group or groups and, upon the request of any party shall mail notice of the time and location of any meeting of the group or groups. The board shall also ensure that the advisory group or groups meet in a manner that facilitates the effective participation of the public and the stakeholder participants.

(a) The state board, on or before July 1, 2003, shall prepare guidelines to be used by the state board and the regional boards for the purpose of listing and delisting waters and developing and implementing the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program and total maximum daily loads pursuant to Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1313(d)).
  (b) For the purposes of preparing the guidelines, the state board shall consider the consensus recommendations adopted by the public advisory group convened pursuant to Section 13191.
  (c) The guidelines shall be finalized not later than January 1, 2004.

(a) As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
  (1) "Collection system owner or operator" means the public or private entity having legal authority over the operation and maintenance of, or capital improvements to, the sewer collection system.
  (2) "GIS" means Geographic Information System.
  (b) On or before January 1 of a year in which the Legislature has appropriated sufficient funds for this purpose, the state board, in consultation with representatives of cities, counties, cities and counties, special districts, public interest groups, the State Department of Public Health, and the regional boards shall develop a uniform overflow event report form to be used for reporting of sanitary sewer system overflows as required in subdivision (c). This event report form shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
  (1) The cause of the overflow. The cause shall be specifically identified, unless there is an ongoing investigation, in which case it shall be identified immediately after completion of the investigation. The cause shall be identified, at a minimum, as blockage, infrastructure failure, pump station failure, significant wet weather event, natural disaster, or other cause, which shall be specifically identified. If the cause is identified as a blockage, the type of blockage shall be identified, at a minimum, as roots, grease, debris, vandalism, or multiple causes of which each should be identified. If the cause is identified as infrastructure, it shall be determined, at a minimum, whether the infrastructure failure was due to leaks, damage to, or breakage of, collection system piping or insufficient capacity. If the cause is identified as a significant wet weather event or natural disaster, the report shall describe both the event and how it resulted in the overflow. If the precise cause cannot be identified after investigation, the report shall include a narrative explanation describing the investigation conducted and providing the information known about the possible causes of the overflow.
  (2) An estimate of the volume of the overflow event.
  (3) Location of the overflow event. Sufficient information shall be provided to determine location for purposes of GIS mapping, such as specific street address or the latitude and longitude of the event.
  (4) Date, time, and duration of the overflow event.
  (5) Whether or not the overflow reached or may have reached waters of the state.
  (6) Whether or not a beach closure occurred or may have occurred as a result of the overflow.
  (7) The response and corrective action taken.
  (8) Whether or not there is an ongoing investigation, the reasons for it and expected date of completion.
  (9) The name, address, and telephone number of the reporting collection system owner or operator and a specific contact name.
  (c) Commencing on July 1 of a year in which the Legislature has appropriated sufficient funds for this purpose, in the event of a spill or overflow from a sanitary sewer system that is subject to the notification requirements set forth in Section 13271, the applicable collection system owner or operator, in addition to immediate reporting duties pursuant to Section 13271, shall submit to the appropriate regional board, within 30 days of the date of becoming aware of the overflow event, a report using the form described in subdivision (b). The report shall be filed electronically, if possible, or by fax or mail if electronic submission is not possible.
  (d) (1) Commencing on July 1 of a year in which the Legislature has appropriated sufficient funds for this purpose, in the event of a spill or overflow from a sanitary sewer system that is not subject to the reporting requirements set forth in Section 13271 that is either found by the State Department of Public Health or any local health officer to result in contamination pursuant to Section 5412 of the Health and Safety Code, or is found by the State Department of Public Health to result in pollution or nuisance pursuant to Section 5413 of the Health and Safety Code, the agency making the determination shall submit to the appropriate regional board, within 30 days of making the determination, a report that shall include, at a minimum, the following information:
  (A) Date, time, and approximate duration of the overflow event.
  (B) An estimate of the volume of the overflow event.
  (C) Location of the overflow event.
  (D) A description of the response or corrective action taken by the agency making the determination.
  (E) The name, address, and telephone number of the reporting collection system owner or operator, and a specific contact name.
  (2) The report shall be filed electronically, if possible, or by fax or mail if electronic submission is not possible.
  (e) Before January 1 of a year in which the Legislature has appropriated sufficient funds for this purpose, the state board, in consultation with representatives of cities, counties, cities and counties, and special districts, public interest groups, the State Department of Public Health, and regional boards, shall develop and maintain a sanitary sewer system overflow database that, at a minimum, contains the parameters described in subdivisions (b) and (d).
  (f) Commencing on July 1 of a year in which the Legislature has appropriated sufficient funds for this purpose, each regional board shall coordinate with collection system owners or operators, the State Department of Public Health, and local health officers to compile the reports submitted pursuant to subdivisions (c) and (d). Each regional board shall report that information to the state board on a quarterly basis, to be included in the sanitary sewer system overflow database.
  (g) The state board shall make available to the public, by Internet and other cost-effective means, as determined by the state board, information that is generated pursuant to this section. In a year in which the Legislature has appropriated sufficient funds for the purposes described in this subdivision, the state board shall prepare a summary report of the information collected in the sanitary sewer system overflow database, and make it available to the general public through the Internet and other cost-effective means, as determined by the state board. To the extent resources and the data allow, this report shall include GIS maps compiling coastal overflow events.

(a) The state board, to the extent permitted by law, shall take all of the following actions for the purpose of allocating funds on behalf of a wastewater collection, treatment, or disposal project, if the recipient of financial assistance is a small, disadvantaged community:
  (1) If the state board determines that an advance is needed for the project to proceed in an efficient manner, allocate to the recipient up to 25 percent of the financial assistance amount, not exceeding one million dollars ($1,000,000), in advance of actual expenditures. The recipient shall repay to the state board any funds advanced pursuant to this section, including any interest earned on the advance funds, if the funds are unused upon expiration of the funding agreement or if the funds are not expended in accordance with the financial assistance agreement.
  (2) Establish a payment process pursuant to which the recipient of financial assistance receives funds within 30 days of the date on which the state board receives a project payment request unless the state board, within that 30-day period, determines that the project payment would not be in accordance with the terms of the program guidelines.
  (3) Utilize wire transfers or other appropriate payment procedures to expedite project payments.
  (b) The amount of financial assistance received by a recipient, including any funds advanced pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), shall not exceed the total amount of the financial assistance that the state board agrees to provide for a project. If financial assistance is advanced to a recipient pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), the state board shall reduce subsequent disbursements of financial assistance by the amount advanced.
  (c) For the purposes of this section, "small disadvantaged community" means a municipality with a population of 20,000 persons or less, or a reasonably isolated and divisible segment of a larger municipality encompassing 20,000 persons or less, with an annual median household income that is less than 80 percent of the statewide annual median household income.