116431
. (a) At the request of any public water system that prepares
and submits a compliance plan to the state board, the state board
may grant a period of time to achieve compliance with the primary
drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium by the state board's
written approval of the compliance plan.
(b) (1) A compliance plan shall include all of the following:
(A) A compelling reason why it is not feasible for the system to
presently comply with the primary drinking water standard for
hexavalent chromium.
(B) A summary of the public water system's review of available
funding sources, the best available technology or technologies for
treatment, and other options to achieve and maintain compliance with
the primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium by the
earliest feasible date.
(C) A description of the actions the public water system is taking
and will take by milestone dates to comply with the primary drinking
water standard for hexavalent chromium by the earliest feasible
date. The actions may include, but are not limited to, planning,
designing, permitting, financing, constructing, testing, and
activating treatment facilities or other capital improvements. The
compliance plan shall include the public water system's best estimate
of the funding required for compliance and the actions that the
public water system will take to secure the funding. In no event
shall the earliest feasible date extend beyond January 1, 2020.
(2) The state board may do either of the following:
(A) Approve a compliance plan.
(B) Provide written comments on the compliance plan to the public
water system. The comments may include requiring the public water
system's compliance, prior to January 1, 2020, with the primary
drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium if the earliest
feasible date, based on review of the compliance plan and based on
the public water system's specific circumstances identified in the
plan, is prior to January 1, 2020. If the state board provides
written comments, the public water system may submit a revised
compliance plan that the state board may approve if the plan timely
and adequately addresses any and all written comments provided by the
state board.
(c) The public water system shall provide written notice regarding
the compliance plan to the persons served by the public water system
at least two times per year. The written notice shall meet the
translation requirements provided in subdivision (h) of Section
116450 and shall include notice of all of the following:
(1) That the public water system is implementing the compliance
plan that has been approved by the state board and that demonstrates
the public water system is taking the needed feasible actions to
comply with the primary drinking water standard for hexavalent
chromium. The notice shall summarize those actions in a form and
manner determined by the state board. For notices after the initial
notice, the public water system shall update information
demonstrating progress implementing the compliance plan.
(2) That the persons served by the public water system have access
to alternative drinking water and that the public water system shall
provide information on that drinking water. The notice shall
identify where that information may be obtained.
(3) Basic information describing hexavalent chromium, including
the level found in drinking water provided by the public water
system, the maximum contaminant level for hexavalent chromium, and
the possible effects of hexavalent chromium on human health as
specified in Appendix 64465-D of Section 64465 of Title 22 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(d) Following the state board's approval of the compliance plan,
the public water system shall submit a written status report to the
state board, at a frequency and by a deadline or deadlines set by the
state board, for the state board's approval, that updates the status
of actions specified in the state board-approved compliance plan and
that specifies any changes to the compliance plan that are needed to
achieve compliance with the primary drinking water standard for
hexavalent chromium by the earliest feasible date. State board
approval of a written status report that includes proposed changes to
the compliance plan shall be deemed approval of the proposed changes
to the compliance plan and the resulting revised plan.
(e) A public water system shall not be deemed in violation of the
primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium while
implementing an approved compliance plan. A public water system that
has submitted a compliance plan for approval shall not be deemed in
violation of the primary drinking water standard for hexavalent
chromium while state board action on the proposed and submitted
compliance plan is pending.
(f) (1) At any time, the state board may direct revisions to a
compliance plan or disapprove a compliance plan if the state board
determines that the actions and timelines addressed in the compliance
plan are inadequate to achieve compliance by the earliest feasible
date. At any time, the state board may disapprove a written status
report if the state board determines that the written status report
fails to demonstrate that the public water system is complying with
the approved compliance plan by the milestone dates. In these
instances, the state board shall provide the public water system with
written notice specifying the reason for the required revisions or
disapproval and the deficiencies that shall be addressed in a
resubmitted compliance plan or written status report.
(2) A previously approved compliance plan that the state board
requires to be revised, or a written status report that is
disapproved by the state board, may be revised and resubmitted by the
public water system for state board approval within 60 days of
receipt of the notice required by paragraph (1). During the 60 days,
a public water system shall not be deemed in violation of the primary
drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium. A public water
system shall not be granted a period of time to achieve compliance
with the primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium if
the public water system fails to submit a revised compliance plan or
revised written status report within 60 days of receiving the notice,
or submits a revised compliance plan or revised written status
report that is subsequently disapproved.
(3) A compliance plan approved by the state board pursuant to this
section shall continue in effect until the earliest feasible
compliance date, as specified by the compliance plan, or until the
water system fails to retain state board approval of the compliance
plan.
(g) The state board may implement, interpret, or make specific the
provisions of this section by means of criteria, published on its
Internet Web site. This action by the state board shall not be
subject to the rulemaking requirements of the Administrative
Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1
of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(h) This section does not affect the state's requirements for
establishing drinking water standards for contaminants in drinking
water. This section does not apply to any contaminants other than
hexavalent chromium. This section is intended to address the specific
circumstance that, for some public water systems, compliance with
the state's hexavalent chromium drinking water standard requires the
design, financing, and construction of capital improvements. These
major compliance actions necessitate a period of time for compliance.
(i) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2020, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2020, deletes or extends
that date.