BILL NUMBER: SB 518ENROLLED BILL TEXT PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 11, 2010 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 5, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 21, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 7, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 17, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 21, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 28, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 6, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 22, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 13, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Senator Lowenthal FEBRUARY 26, 2009 An act to add Section 18941.8 to the Health and Safety Code, and to amend Section 14877.1 of the Water Code, relating to building standards. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 518, Lowenthal. Building standards: graywater. The California Building Standards Law provides for the adoption of building standards by state agencies by requiring all state agencies that adopt or propose adoption of any building standard to submit the building standard to the California Building Standards Commission for approval and adoption. Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to propose to the commission the adoption, amendment, or repeal of building standards relating to hotels, motels, lodging houses, apartment houses, and dwellings, and the buildings and structures accessory thereto, except as specified. Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development, at the next triennial building standards rulemaking cycle that commences on or after January 1, 2009, to adopt and submit to the commission for approval building standards for the construction, installation, and alteration of graywater, as defined, systems for indoor and outdoor uses. Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to adopt standards for the installation of graywater systems. Existing law terminates the authority of the Department of Water Resources to adopt graywater standards for residential buildings upon the approval by the commission of the standards submitted by the Department of Housing and Community Development. This bill would require the commission, as a part of the next triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code adopted after January 1, 2011, to adopt building standards for the construction, installation, and alteration of graywater systems for indoor and outdoor uses in nonresidential occupancies, in accordance with prescribed requirements. The bill would terminate the authority of the Department of Water Resources to adopt standards for graywater systems in nonresidential occupancies upon adoption of the standards by the commission. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 18941.8 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read: 18941.8. (a) As used in this section, "graywater" has the same meaning as defined in Section 17922.12. (b) Notwithstanding Chapter 22 (commencing with Section 14875) of Division 7 of the Water Code, as a part of the next triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) adopted after January 1, 2011, the commission shall adopt building standards for the construction, installation, and alteration of graywater systems for indoor and outdoor uses in nonresidential occupancies. (c) In adopting building standards under this section, the commission shall do all of the following: (1) Ensure protection of water quality in accordance with applicable provisions of state and federal water quality law. (2) Consider the adopted building standards for the construction, installation, and alteration of graywater systems for indoor and outdoor uses in residential buildings. (3) Consider existing research available on the environmental consequences to soil and groundwater of short-term and long-term graywater use for irrigation purposes. (4) Consider graywater use impacts on human health. (5) Consider the circumstances under which the use of graywater treatment systems in nonresidential occupancies is recommended. (6) Consider the use and regulation of graywater in other jurisdictions. (7) Use Chapter 16 of the Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, as the starting point for the building standards and amend those standards as necessary. (d) The commission may revise and update the standards adopted under this section at any time. (e) The commission's adoption of building standards for graywater systems pursuant to this section shall terminate the authority of the Department of Water Resources to adopt and update standards for the installation, construction, and alteration of graywater systems in nonresidential buildings pursuant to Chapter 22 (commencing with Section 14875) of Division 7 of the Water Code. SEC. 2. Section 14877.1 of the Water Code is amended to read: 14877.1. (a) The department, in consultation with the State Department of Public Health and the Center for Irrigation Technology at California State University, Fresno, shall adopt standards for the installation of graywater systems. In adopting these standards, the department shall consider, among other resources, "Appendix J," as adopted on September 29, 1992, by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, the graywater standard proposed for the latest edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, the City of Los Angeles Graywater Pilot Project Final Report issued in November 1992, and the advice of the Center for Irrigation Technology at California State University, Fresno, on the installation depth for subsurface drip irrigation systems. (b) The department shall include among the approved methods of subsurface irrigation, but the approved methods shall not be limited to, drip systems. (c) The department shall revise its graywater systems standards as needed. (d) (1) The authority of the department under this chapter to adopt standards for residential buildings shall terminate upon the approval by the California Building Standards Commission of the standards submitted to that commission pursuant to Section 17922.12 of the Health and Safety Code. (2) The authority of the department under this chapter to adopt standards for nonresidential occupancies shall terminate upon the adoption of standards by the California Building Standards Commission pursuant to Section 18941.8 of the Health and Safety Code.