Water: testing and reports.

Existing law, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, governs drinking water quality and requires the State Water Resources Control Board to ensure that all public water systems are operated in compliance with the act. The act requires a person operating a public water system to obtain and provide an analysis of the water to the state board, as provided. Under the act, a person who knowingly makes a false statement or representation in a report submitted, maintained, or used for purposes of compliance with the act may be subject to a misdemeanor. This bill would require the person to include in the analysis samples from schools, day care facilities, and health care facilities, to the extent those locations are within the public water system. The bill would require the person to report to the state board other information regarding the samples taken at those sites. The bill would require the state board to post this information on its Internet Web site, as provided. The bill would also require the person to report to the state board the public and private schools to which the public water system provides water. Because a misstatement in these reports could be a crime under the provision described above, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the scope of a crime. 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 is required by this act for a specified reason.