Drinking water.

Existing law, known as the California Safe Drinking Water Act, requires the State Department of Public Health 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, adoption of enforcement regulations, and conducting studies and investigations to assess the quality of water in domestic water supplies. Existing law authorizes the department to enter into primacy delegation agreements with local health officers for enforcement of these provisions. Existing law authorizes the department to establish less stringent requirements applicable to state small water systems, as defined, and requires local health officers to enforce those standards. This bill would, notwithstanding provisions of law to the contrary, require the local public health officer to establish standards for, and be the primary enforcement agency over, local small water systems, as defined. By imposing these new requirements on local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would also allow specified properties, after applying to the county and having the county make specified findings, to use hauled water when no other water source is available for a single-family dwelling. The bill would require the applicant for the use of hauled water to meet various requirements, including filing a covenant and agreement containing specified conditions, to be filed with the county against the property. The bill would exempt properties approved to use hauled water from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) . By imposing new requirements on local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions for costs mandated by the state pursuant to this act, but would recognize that local agencies and school districts may pursue any available remedies to seek reimbursement for these costs.