SB 31 would also enhance the state’s fresh water supply by allowing businesses, homes, and agencies to expand their use of recycled water for irrigation and other uses, rather than relying on drinking water.
Press Release

CA Senate Approves McNerney’s Bill to Help Drought-Proof CA

The California Senate on Thursday unanimously approved Senator Jerry McNerney’s SB 31, legislation that is designed to help drought-proof California by boosting the use of recycled water. SB 31 would also enhance the state’s fresh water supply by allowing businesses, homes, and agencies to expand their use of recycled water for irrigation and other uses, rather than relying on drinking water.

“Expanding the use of recycled water is exactly the type of commonsense proposal that California should pursue to help solve our state’s water issues — rather than building an extremely costly and destructive water tunnel in the Delta that pits one region of the state against the other,” said Sen. McNerney, D-Pleasanton. McNerney is co-chair of the California Legislative Delta Caucus and the legislature’s representative on the Delta Protection Commission. 

The Senate approved SB 31 on a 37-0 vote. The bill now goes to the state Assembly for consideration.

Water recycling, also known as water reuse or reclaimed water, is wastewater that has been treated to make it safe for instances where using potable (drinking) is unnecessary. It is commonly used in irrigation, groundwater recharge, and more.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy identifies water recycling as a key tool for drought-proofing communities. California currently uses more than 700,000 acre feet of recycled water a year. That saves the state roughly the equivalent of enough drinking water for 1.4 million households.

To meet the goal of recycling 1.8 million acre-feet per year by 2040, recycled water use in California needs to expand. SB 31 would boost the state’s ability to meet its goal by:

  • Enabling parks to expand their use of recycled water.
  • Ensuring that using recycled water use in decorative bodies of water, such as a lake at a golf course, isn’t deterred by overly burdensome regulations.
  • Requiring homeowners’ associations to use recycled water, where available, to irrigate outdoor common areas.
  • Making sure that homeowners’ associations won’t have to install expensive and cumbersome new plumbing systems to use recycled water.
  • Allowing food handling and processing facilities to use recycled water for toilet or urinal flushing or outdoor irrigation as long as the recycled water doesn’t enter a room where food handling or processing occurs.

 

Sen. Jerry McNerney is chair of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee and his 5th Senate District includes all of San Joaquin County and Alameda County’s Tri-Valley.