Article 1. Pure And Safe Drinking Water of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 104. >> Part 12. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Every resident of California has the right to pure and safe
drinking water.
(b) Feasible and affordable technologies are available and shall
be used to remove toxic contaminants from public water supplies.
(c) According to the State Department of Health Services, over 95
percent of all large public water systems in California are in
compliance with health-based action levels established by the
department for various contaminants.
(d) It is the policy of the state to reduce to the lowest level
feasible all concentrations of toxic chemicals that, when present in
drinking water, may cause cancer, birth defects, and other chronic
diseases.
(e) This chapter is intended to ensure that the water delivered by
public water systems of this state shall at all times be pure,
wholesome, and potable. This chapter provides the means to accomplish
this objective.
(f) It is the intent of the Legislature to improve laws governing
drinking water quality, to improve upon the minimum requirements of
the federal Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996, to establish
primary drinking water standards that are at least as stringent as
those established under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, and to
establish a program under this chapter that is more protective of
public health than the minimum federal requirements.
(g) It is the further intent of the Legislature to establish a
drinking water regulatory program within the state board to provide
for the orderly and efficient delivery of safe drinking water within
the state and to give the establishment of drinking water standards
and public health goals greater emphasis and visibility within the
state.
(h) This act shall be construed to ensure consistency with the
requirements for states to obtain and maintain primary enforcement
responsibility for public water systems under the federal Safe
Drinking Water Act and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary
thereto.
(a) The State Water Resources Control Board succeeds to and
is vested with all of the authority, duties, powers, purposes,
functions, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of the State Department
of Public Health, its predecessors, and its director for purposes of
all of the following:
(1) The Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Act (Article 3
(commencing with Section 100825) of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division
101).
(2) Article 3 (commencing with Section 106875) of Chapter 4 of
Part 1.
(3) Article 1 (commencing with Section 115825) of Chapter 5 of
Part 10.
(4) This chapter and the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
Law of 1997 (Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 116760)).
(5) Article 2 (commencing with Section 116800), Article 3
(commencing with Section 116825), and Article 4 (commencing with
Section 116875) of Chapter 5.
(6) Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 116975).
(7) The Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood
Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 (Division 43
(commencing with Section 75001) of the Public Resources Code).
(8) The Water Recycling Law (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section
13500) of Division 7 of the Water Code).
(9) Chapter 7.3 (commencing with Section 13560) of Division 7 of
the Water Code.
(10) The California Safe Drinking Water Bond Law of 1976 (Chapter
10.5 (commencing with Section 13850) of Division 7 of the Water
Code).
(11) Wholesale Regional Water System Security and Reliability Act
(Division 20.5 (commencing with Section 73500) of the Water Code).
(12) Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach
Protection Act of 2002 (Division 26.5 (commencing with Section 79500)
of the Water Code).
(b) The State Water Resources Control Board shall maintain a
drinking water program and carry out the duties, responsibilities,
and functions described in this section. Statutory reference to
"department," "state department," or "director" regarding a function
transferred to the State Water Resources Control Board shall refer to
the State Water Resources Control Board. This section does not
impair the authority of a local health officer to enforce this
chapter or a county's election not to enforce this chapter, as
provided in Section 116500.
(c) The State Water Resources Control Board shall succeed to the
status of grantee or applicant, as appropriate, for any federal
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund capitalization grants that the
State Department of Public Health and any of its predecessors applied
for.
(d) Regulations adopted, orders issued, and all other
administrative actions taken by the State Department of Public
Health, any of its predecessors, or its director, pursuant to the
authorities now vested in the State Water Resources Control Board and
in effect immediately preceding the operative date of this section
shall remain in effect and are fully enforceable unless and until
readopted, amended, or repealed, or until they expire by their own
terms. Regulations in the process of adoption pursuant to the
authorities vested in the State Water Resources Control Board shall
continue under the authority of the State Water Resources Control
Board unless and until the State Water Resources Control Board
determines otherwise. Any other administrative action adopted,
prescribed, taken, or performed by, or on behalf of, the State
Department of Public Health, or its director, in the administration
of a program or the performance of a duty, responsibility, or
authorization transferred to the State Water Resources Control Board
shall remain in effect and shall be deemed to be an action of the
State Water Resources Control Board unless and until the State Water
Resources Control Board determines otherwise.
(e) Permits, licenses, accreditations, certificates, and other
formal approvals and authorizations issued by the State Department of
Public Health, any of its predecessors, or its director pursuant to
authorities vested in the State Water Resources Control Board
pursuant to this section are not affected by the transfer and remain
in effect, subject to all applicable laws and regulations, unless and
until renewed, reissued, revised, amended, suspended, or revoked by
the State Water Resources Control Board or its deputy director, as
authorized pursuant to subdivision (k).
(f) Any action or proceeding by or against the State Department of
Public Health, including any officer or employee of the State
Department of Public Health named in an official capacity, or any of
its predecessors, pertaining to matters vested in the State Water
Resources Control Board by this section shall not abate, but shall
continue in the name of the State Water Resources Control Board. The
State Water Resources Control Board shall be substituted for the
State Department of Public Health, including any officer or employee
of the State Department of Public Health named in an official
capacity, and any of its predecessors, by the court or agency where
the action or proceeding is pending. The substitution shall not in
any way affect the rights of the parties to the action or proceeding.
(g) On and after the operative date of this section, the
unexpended balance of all funds available for use by the State
Department of Public Health or any of its predecessors in carrying
out any functions transferred to the State Water Resources Control
Board are available for use by the State Water Resources Control
Board.
(h) Books, documents, data, records, and property of the State
Department of Public Health pertaining to functions transferred to
the State Water Resources Control Board shall be transferred to the
State Water Resources Control Board. This subdivision does not
transfer any part of property commonly known as the Richmond Campus
that is owned by the State Public Works Board.
(i) A contract, lease, license, or any other agreement, including
local primacy agreements, as described in Section 116330, to which
the State Department of Public Health, any of its predecessors, its
director, or their agents, is a party, are not void or voidable by
reason of this section, but shall continue in full force and effect,
with the State Water Resources Control Board assuming all of the
rights, obligations, liabilities, and duties of the State Department
of Public Health and any of its predecessors as it relates to the
duties, powers, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction vested
in the State Water Resources Control Board pursuant to this section.
This assumption does not affect the rights of the parties to the
contract, lease, license, or agreement.
(j) If the Department of Water Resources entered into agreements
on behalf of the State Department of Public Health or its
predecessor, the State Department of Health Services, pursuant to
Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 116760), the State Water
Resources Control Board shall also succeed the Department of Water
Resources as a party to those agreements and to all related security
instruments, including, but not limited to, fiscal services
agreements, deeds of trust, guarantees, letters of credit, and
deposit control agreements.
(k) (1) The State Water Resources Control Board shall appoint a
deputy director who reports to the executive director to oversee the
issuance and enforcement of public water system permits and other
duties as appropriate. The deputy director shall have public health
expertise.
(2) The deputy director is delegated the State Water Resources
Control Board's authority to provide notice, approve notice content,
approve emergency notification plans, and take other action pursuant
to Article 5 (commencing with Section 116450), to issue, renew,
reissue, revise, amend, or deny any public water system permits
pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 116525), to suspend or
revoke any public water system permit pursuant to Article 8
(commencing with Section 116625), and to issue citations, assess
penalties, or issue orders pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with
Section 116650). Decisions and actions of the deputy director taken
pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 116450) or Article 7
(commencing with Section 116525) are deemed decisions and actions
taken, but are not subject to reconsideration, by the State Water
Resources Control Board. Decisions and actions of the deputy director
taken pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 116625) and
Article 9 (commencing with Section 116650) are deemed decisions and
actions taken by the State Water Resources Control Board, but any
aggrieved person may petition the State Water Resources Control Board
for reconsideration of the decision or action. This subdivision is
not a limitation on the State Water Resources Control Board's
authority to delegate any other powers and duties.
(3) The State Water Resources Control Board shall not delegate any
authority, duty, power, purpose, function, or responsibility
specified in this section, including, but not limited to, issuance
and enforcement of public water system permits, to the regional water
quality control boards.
(l) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2014.
As used in this chapter:
(a) "Contaminant" means any physical, chemical, biological, or
radiological substance or matter in water.
(b) "Department" means the state board.
(c) "Primary drinking water standards" means:
(1) Maximum levels of contaminants that, in the judgment of the
state board, may have an adverse effect on the health of persons.
(2) Specific treatment techniques adopted by the state board in
lieu of maximum contaminant levels pursuant to subdivision (j) of
Section 116365.
(3) The monitoring and reporting requirements as specified in
regulations adopted by the state board that pertain to maximum
contaminant levels.
(d) "Secondary drinking water standards" means standards that
specify maximum contaminant levels that, in the judgment of the state
board, are necessary to protect the public welfare. Secondary
drinking water standards may apply to any contaminant in drinking
water that may adversely affect the odor or appearance of the water
and may cause a substantial number of persons served by the public
water system to discontinue its use, or that may otherwise adversely
affect the public welfare. Regulations establishing secondary
drinking water standards may vary according to geographic and other
circumstances and may apply to any contaminant in drinking water that
adversely affects the taste, odor, or appearance of the water when
the standards are necessary to ensure a supply of pure, wholesome,
and potable water.
(e) "Human consumption" means the use of water for drinking,
bathing or showering, hand washing, oral hygiene, or cooking,
including, but not limited to, preparing food and washing dishes.
(f) "Maximum contaminant level" means the maximum permissible
level of a contaminant in water.
(g) "Person" means an individual, corporation, company,
association, partnership, limited liability company, municipality,
public utility, or other public body or institution.
(h) "Public water system" means a system for the provision of
water for human consumption through pipes or other constructed
conveyances that has 15 or more service connections or regularly
serves at least 25 individuals daily at least 60 days out of the
year. A public water system includes the following:
(1) Any collection, treatment, storage, and distribution
facilities under control of the operator of the system that are used
primarily in connection with the system.
(2) Any collection or pretreatment storage facilities not under
the control of the operator that are used primarily in connection
with the system.
(3) Any water system that treats water on behalf of one or more
public water systems for the purpose of rendering it safe for human
consumption.
(i) "Community water system" means a public water system that
serves at least 15 service connections used by year-long residents or
regularly serves at least 25 year-long residents of the area served
by the system.
(j) "Noncommunity water system" means a public water system that
is not a community water system.
(k) "Nontransient noncommunity water system" means a public water
system that is not a community water system and that regularly serves
at least 25 of the same persons over six months per year.
(l) "Local health officer" means a local health officer appointed
pursuant to Section 101000 or a local comprehensive health agency
designated by the board of supervisors pursuant to Section 101275 to
carry out the drinking water program.
(m) "Significant rise in the bacterial count of water" means a
rise in the bacterial count of water that the state board determines,
by regulation, represents an immediate danger to the health of water
users.
(n) "State small water system" means a system for the provision of
piped water to the public for human consumption that serves at least
five, but not more than 14, service connections and does not
regularly serve drinking water to more than an average of 25
individuals daily for more than 60 days out of the year.
(o) "Transient noncommunity water system" means a noncommunity
water system that does not regularly serve at least 25 of the same
persons over six months per year.
(p) "User" means a person using water for domestic purposes. User
does not include a person processing, selling, or serving water or
operating a public water system.
(q) "Waterworks standards" means regulations adopted by the state
board entitled "California Waterworks Standards" (Chapter 16
(commencing with Section 64551) of Division 4 of Title 22 of the
California Code of Regulations).
(r) "Local primacy agency" means a local health officer that has
applied for and received primacy delegation pursuant to Section
116330.
(s) "Service connection" means the point of connection between the
customer's piping or constructed conveyance, and the water system's
meter, service pipe, or constructed conveyance. A connection to a
system that delivers water by a constructed conveyance other than a
pipe shall not be considered a connection in determining if the
system is a public water system if any of the following apply:
(1) The water is used exclusively for purposes other than
residential uses, consisting of drinking, bathing, and cooking, or
other similar uses.
(2) The state board determines that alternative water to achieve
the equivalent level of public health protection provided by the
applicable primary drinking water regulation is provided for
residential or similar uses for drinking and cooking.
(3) The state board determines that the water provided for
residential or similar uses for drinking, cooking, and bathing is
centrally treated or treated at the point of entry by the provider, a
passthrough entity, or the user to achieve the equivalent level of
protection provided by the applicable primary drinking water
regulations.
(t) "Resident" means a person who physically occupies, whether by
ownership, rental, lease, or other means, the same dwelling for at
least 60 days of the year.
(u) "Water treatment operator" means a person who has met the
requirements for a specific water treatment operator grade pursuant
to Section 106875.
(v) "Water treatment operator-in-training" means a person who has
applied for and passed the written examination given by the state
board but does not yet meet the experience requirements for a
specific water treatment operator grade pursuant to Section 106875.
(w) "Water distribution operator" means a person who has met the
requirements for a specific water distribution operator grade
pursuant to Section 106875.
(x) "Water treatment plant" means a group or assemblage of
structures, equipment, and processes that treats, blends, or
conditions the water supply of a public water system for the purpose
of meeting primary drinking water standards.
(y) "Water distribution system" means any combination of pipes,
tanks, pumps, and other physical features that deliver water from the
source or water treatment plant to the consumer.
(z) "Public health goal" means a goal established by the Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment pursuant to subdivision (c)
of Section 116365.
(aa) "Small community water system" means a community water system
that serves no more than 3,300 service connections or a year-long
population of no more than 10,000 persons.
(ab) "Disadvantaged community" means the entire service area of a
community water system, or a community therein, in which the median
household income is less than 80 percent of the statewide average.
(ac) "State board" means the State Water Resources Control Board.
(ad) "Deputy director" means the deputy director appointed by the
state board pursuant to subdivision (k) of Section 116271.
This chapter does not apply to a public water system that
meets all of the following conditions:
(a) Consists only of distribution and storage facilities and does
not have any collection and treatment facilities.
(b) Obtains all of its water from, but is not owned or operated
by, a public water system to which this chapter applies.
(c) Does not sell water to any person or user. For purposes of
this subdivision, sale of water shall not include the sale of water,
obtained from a public water system that is subject to this chapter,
through a submetered distribution system if each user of the system
is charged no more than the rate the user would be charged by the
public water system.
By enacting this subdivision, it is not the intent of the
Legislature to change existing law as to responsibility or liability
for distribution systems beyond the mastermeter.
This chapter shall apply to a food facility that is
regulated pursuant to the California Retail Food Code only if the
human consumption includes drinking of water.
Before August 6, 1998, this chapter shall not apply to an
irrigation canal system if the owner or operator of the system
certifies to the department, and notifies each user, in writing, that
the water is untreated and is being furnished or supplied solely for
agricultural purposes to either of the following:
(a) A user where the user receives the water, by pipe or
otherwise, directly from the irrigation canal system.
(b) A person who owns or operates an integrated pipe system where
the person receives the water, by pipe or otherwise, directly from
the irrigation canal system.
"Irrigation canal system," as used in this section, means a system
of water conveyance facilities, including pipes, tunnels, canals,
conduits, pumping plants and related facilities operated to furnish
or supply water for agricultural purposes where a substantial portion
of the facilities is open to the atmosphere.
(a) A water district, as defined in subdivision (b), in
existence prior to May 18, 1994, that provides primarily agricultural
services through a piped water system with only incidental
residential or similar uses shall not be considered to be a public
water system if the department determines that either of the
following applies:
(1) The system certifies that it is providing alternative water
for residential or similar uses for drinking water and cooking to
achieve the equivalent level of public health protection provided by
the applicable primary drinking water regulations.
(2) The water provided for residential or similar uses for
drinking, cooking, and bathing is centrally treated or treated at the
point of entry by the provider, a passthrough entity, or the user to
achieve the equivalent level of protection provided by the
applicable primary drinking water regulations.
(b) For purposes of this section, "water district" means any
district or other political subdivision, other than a city or county,
a primary function of which is irrigation, reclamation, or drainage
of land.
(a) The department, in implementing subdivision (s) of
Section 116275 and Section 116286, shall place requirements on
affected public water systems and water districts that are consistent
with this chapter and the guidelines established by the United
States Environmental Protection Agency for implementing comparable
provisions of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996.
(b) The department, in making the determinations specified in
paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (s) of Section 116275 and
subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 116286, shall utilize criteria
that are consistent with this chapter and those used by the United
States Environmental Protection Agency in administering the
comparable provisions of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
(c) The department shall periodically monitor and review the
conditions under which a public water system, or a water district as
defined in subdivision (b) of Section 116286, has met the
requirements of this chapter pursuant to subdivision (s) of Section
116275 or Section 116286, or pursuant to the federal act, to ensure
that the conditions continue to be met.
(d) The department may prescribe reasonable, feasible, and
cost-effective actions to be taken by a public water system, water
district, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 116286, or users
subject to subdivision (s) of Section 116275 or Section 116286 to
ensure that alternative water or treated water provided by the water
systems, water districts, or users pursuant to Section 116275 or
116286 will not be injurious to health.
(e) A notice prominently titled "Notice of Noncompliance with Safe
Drinking Water Requirements" at the top of the document that states
the requirements and actions prescribed by the department under
subdivisions (a) and (d), describes the real property by assessors
parcel number or legal description to which these requirements and
actions apply, and names the record owners of that real property, may
be recorded by the affected public water system or water district in
the county where the real property is located. Recordation and
proper indexing, as prescribed by law, shall provide constructive
notice of these requirements and actions and shall not constitute a
title defect, lien, or encumbrance. The public water system or water
district shall provide notice of this recordation to the record
owners of the real property by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to
the address as shown on the latest county assessment roll. If the
public water system or water district later determines that the
record owners of the real property have complied with the
requirements and actions prescribed by the department, the public
water system or water district, within 10 days of that determination,
shall record a subsequent notice titled "Notice of Compliance with
Safe Drinking Water Requirements" that states that the "Notice of
Noncompliance with Safe Drinking Water Requirements" has no further
force or effect.
(f) A water district subject to this section shall annually
publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation describing any
requirements and actions prescribed by the department to be taken by
the water district and any record of compliance by the water
district with these requirements and actions.
(g) This section shall not relieve a water district from complying
with any other provisions of law.
Before August 6, 1998, in areas where the water service
rendered by a person is primarily agricultural, and domestic service
is only incidental thereto, this chapter shall not apply except in
specific areas in which the department has found its application to
be necessary for the protection of the public health and has given
written notice thereof to the person furnishing or supplying water in
the area.
The department may prescribe reasonable and feasible action to be
taken by those persons or the users to insure that their domestic
water will not be injurious to health.
(a) On January 1, 2003, the Office of Environmental Health
Hazard Assessment shall perform a risk assessment and, based upon
that risk assessment, shall adopt a public health goal based
exclusively on public health consideration for perchlorate using the
criteria set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 116365.
(b) On or before January 1, 2004, the department shall adopt a
primary drinking water standard for perchlorate found in public water
systems in California in a manner that is consistent with this
chapter.