When the California Senate recently passed Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668, the goal was to increase water conservation across the state. However, as important as this goal is, there have recently been a lot of misconceptions swirling around about how the passage of these bills will affect California homeowners. For instance, some have been spreading the rumor that taking a shower and doing laundry on the same day will cost you a $1,000 fine (for the record, this is absolutely not true.) Keep reading for what to know about California’s 2020 water laws, and make sure to hire All City Plumbing, Air & Electrical for all your water line repairs and replacements.
California’s New Water Restriction Laws
Written by Senator Bill Hertzberg and Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, SB-606 and AB -1668 are the latest in a long line of efforts to control water usage across the state of California. First and foremost, this legislation sets new standards for water service agencies. Under SB-606 and AB -1668, these agencies will be required to take numerous factors into account when calculating state water efficiency, including indoor and outdoor water use, industrial and institutional irrigation, and commercial and residential water needs. While the State Water Board can fine water agencies up to $10,000 a day for not meeting the new efficiency standards, individuals cannot be fined for their water usage.
The ultimate target of the new laws is to help water agencies reach a target of 55 gallons of water use per person a day. However, this target will go into effect in 2023, not 2020, and while the role of the agencies is to incentivize individuals to reach these standards, there is no law at this point forcing individuals to meet them. To put it another way, the new water use laws are all about the agencies that monitor individual and organizational water use—not the water use of the individuals and organizations themselves.
How Will California’s Water Restriction Laws Affect Me?
While California’s new water laws were created with the good intention of increasing water efficiency to help fight climate change and droughts, it is understandable that some property owners have become concerned about how these laws will impact their daily lives. But remember, there is no state-wide law specifically forcing California households to change their water habits. Water suppliers should brace for the impact that SB-606 and AB -1668 could have on them, but for most home and business-owners, it is unlikely that you will need to change your water use habits—at least not in the near future.
Here at All City Plumbing, Air & Electrical, our professional Rancho Cucamonga plumbers believe we should all do our part to conserve water and protect our planet. Find out more about how you can help your home go green, and for water filtration, softening, and leak detection, hire the pros at All City Plumbing, Air & Electrical.
We are available by phone at (909) 552-7550, or you can contact us online.