Chapter 8. Federal Assistance For Treatment Facilities of California Water Code >> Division 7. >> Chapter 8.

The state board shall administer any program of financial assistance for 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, in cooperation with the regional boards, shall survey the statewide need for waste collection, treatment and disposal facilities which will be required during the five-year period, January 1, 1968, to December 31, 1972, inclusive, to adequately protect the waters of the state for beneficial use. The state board shall also, biennially, commencing in 1970, survey the need for facilities which will be required by public agencies for the ensuing five-year period. The state board may request a local public agency operating such facilities to transmit to its regional board a report on the following:
  (a) A summary of the construction or improvement of its waste collection, treatment and disposal facilities and amounts expended therefor.
  (b) An estimate of its needs for the five-year period, January 1, 1968, to December 31, 1972, inclusive, and for any ensuing five-year period. The state board shall review the information contained in the reports made by the local public agencies. The state board shall submit to the Legislature findings and conclusions as to the anticipated local, state, and federal financing necessary to provide the needed facilities for such periods.

The state board shall make no commitment or enter into any agreement pursuant to an exercise of authority under this chapter until it has determined that any money required to be furnished as the state's share of project cost is available for such purpose.

The Governor may request the funds required to finance the state's share of project costs for each fiscal year through inclusion of the anticipated state's share in the annual Budget Bill.

The state board shall review and approve each waste collection, treatment, and disposal project for which an application for a grant under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act has been made. The state board shall, in reviewing each project, determine whether such project is in conformity with state policy for water quality control and in conformity with water quality control plans adopted by regional boards, and shall certify that such project is entitled to priority over other eligible projects on the basis of financial as well as water pollution control needs.

For the purpose of reviewing applications for grants made pursuant to authority granted in Section 13600, the state board shall give added consideration to applicants having facilities providing optimum water recycling and use of recycled water.

If an application states that the applicant is not able to finance the local agency share of the project, the state board shall consider whether the applicant should be required to levy a sewerage service charge. If the state board determines a sewerage service charge is necessary to pay such costs, the state board shall not approve the grant application unless, as a condition to such approval, the applicant agrees to levy a reasonable and equitable sewerage service charge in connection with the proposed project. Any such applicant, not otherwise authorized, is authorized by this section to levy a sewerage service charge pursuant to such an agreement, and shall levy such charge in the manner provided in the agreement.

All money appropriated by the Legislature for the state's share of the project costs shall be appropriated without regard to fiscal years, or shall augment an appropriation without regard to fiscal years.

After the effective date of the amendment of this section by the 1972 Regular Session of the Legislature, no application for a grant under this division or under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, or amendment thereof, or for a loan pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 13400) of this division, shall be accepted by the state board unless such application contains assurances that supervisors and operators of the plant meet or will meet certification requirements, adopted pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 13625) of this division, for the proposed plant, as well as the plant in current operation.

The money in the State Clean Water Grants Administration Revolving Fund is transferred to the State Clean Water Fund to pay, upon appropriation, for administrative costs relating to adjustments of grant processing fees paid pursuant to this chapter.