The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(a) In February 2009, the state board unanimously adopted, as Resolution No. 2009-0011, an updated water recycling policy, which includes the goal of increasing the use of recycled water in the state over 2002 levels by at least 1,000,000 acre-feet per year by 2020 and by at least 2,000,000 acre-feet per year by 2030.
(b) Section 13521 requires the department to establish uniform statewide recycling criteria for each varying type of use of recycled water where the use involves the protection of public health.
(c) Achievement of the state’s goals depends on the timely development of uniform statewide recycling criteria for potable water reuse and of a clear pathway for approval of potable reuse projects.
(d) This chapter is not intended to delay, invalidate, or reverse any study or project, or development of regulations by the department, the state board, or the regional boards regarding the use of recycled water for potable reuse.
(e) This chapter shall not be construed to delay, invalidate, or reverse the state board’s ongoing review of projects consistent with Section 116551 of the Health and Safety Code.
(f) The water recycling goals of 700,000 acre-feet of water per year by the year 2000 and 1,000,000 acre-feet of water per year by the year 2010, established in Section 13577, have not been met.
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the development of potable reuse to mitigate the impact of long-term drought and climate change.
(h) A 2014 report by the WateReuse Research Foundation, “The Opportunities and Economics of Direct Potable Reuse” found that potable reuse could provide up to 1.1 million acre-feet per year of new drinking water supplies for California.
(i) The state board adopted uniform water recycling criteria for the replenishment of groundwater basins in June 2014 and is developing uniform water recycling criteria for the augmentation of surface water reservoirs pursuant to Section 13562.
(j) The state board report to the Legislature, “Investigation on the Feasibility of Developing Uniform Water Recycling Criteria for Direct Potable Reuse,” found that it is feasible to develop uniform water recycling criteria for direct potable reuse that is protective of public health.
(k) The state board report to the Legislature stated that the state board should develop a common framework across various types of direct potable reuse projects to help avoid discontinuities in the risk assessment and then sequentially develop uniform water recycling criteria.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 528, Sec. 2. (AB 574) Effective January 1, 2018.)