Public water systems: emergency notification plan., the official text

An act to amend Section 116460 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to drinking water.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, requires the State Water Resources Control Board to administer provisions relating to the regulation of drinking water to protect public health, including, but not limited to, conducting research, studies, and demonstration programs relating to the provision of a dependable, safe supply of drinking water, enforcing the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, adopting enforcement regulations, and conducting studies and investigations to assess the quality of domestic water wells.
Existing law prohibits a person from operating a public water system without an emergency notification plan that has been submitted to and approved by the state board. Existing law requires the emergency notification plan to provide for immediate notice to the customers of the public water system of any significant rise in the bacterial count of water or other failure to comply with any primary drinking water standard that represents an imminent danger to the health of the water users.
This bill would authorize and encourage a public water system to provide notification to water users in their preferred language when updating the emergency notification plan, if resources are available.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 116460 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
116460.
(a) A person shall not operate a public water system without an emergency notification plan that has been submitted to and approved by the state board. The emergency notification plan shall provide for immediate notice to the customers of the public water system of any significant rise in the bacterial count of water or other failure to comply with any primary drinking water standard that represents an imminent danger to the health of the water users.
(b) When updating an emergency notification plan pursuant to this section, a public water system may, and is encouraged to, provide notification to water users, by means of other communications technology, including, but not limited to, text messages, email, or social media.
(c) A permit, variance, or exemption shall not be issued or amended pursuant to this chapter until an emergency notification plan has been approved by the state board.
(d) When updating an emergency notification plan pursuant to this section, a public water system may, and is encouraged to, provide notification to water users in their preferred language, if resources are available.
(e) The state board shall adopt regulations to implement this section. The regulations may provide for the exclusion of public water systems from the requirements of this section when, in the judgment of the state board, the exclusion will best serve the public interest.