On May 31, 2018, former Governor
Brown signed two companion bills – SB 606 (Hertzberg) and AB 1668 (Friedman)
–  to put California on the path to greater water use efficiency in light
of climate change and the reality that water utilities are facing a “new
normal.” Together, the bills create a new structure for water suppliers to
develop water efficiency strategies tailored to their circumstances and needs
by relying on the expertise and authority of local decision makers. WaterNow’s
previous blog
unpacks some of the complexities of this new framework.

To further dive into what the efficiency legislation does and doesn’t do, and how it evolved over the course of the legislative process, WaterNow conducted a webcast series and held an in-person workshop. This briefing series concluded in December 2018, with nearly 200 water leaders at 149 different agencies throughout California participated.

In addition, WaterNow has developed
an in-depth member-only guide that: (1) summarizes the elements of the new
water efficiency rules and regulatory structure, (2) highlights new or revised
deadlines for SWRCB, DWR, and urban water suppliers, (3) identifies
forthcoming public review and comment opportunities, and (4) provides links to
other available resources on the legislation and ways urban water suppliers can
begin meeting their water budgets.

WaterNow also
compiled a complete database of the California Water Code sections added or
amended by SB 606 and AB 1668, which summarizes each new or amended
statutory section.

More efficient use of all water resources realized
through widespread deployment of localized water infrastructure is
environmentally friendly and can help cities and water suppliers avoid the need
to build costly conventional, centralized infrastructure. This Member Guide is just
one part of WaterNow
Alliance’s Tap into Resilience campaign—a new initiative aimed at providing water
leaders across the nation with the tools they need to scale utility investment
in sustainable, decentralized water management strategies.

WaterNow
members can now access the Member Guide and Water Code database through the member portal.