California Environmental Quality Act: exemptions: water service.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA authorizes a court, in an action or proceeding brought challenging the decision of a public agency on the ground of noncompliance with CEQA, to enter an order that includes, among other things, a mandate that the determination, finding, or decision be void by the public agency, in whole or in part. CEQA exempts various projects from its requirements. This bill would exempt from the requirements of CEQA a project within a public street or highway or other public right-of-way for the maintenance, repair, restoration, reconditioning, relocation, replacement, removal, or demolition of an existing water distribution pipeline to address water leakage. Because a local agency would be required to determine the applicability of this exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also exempt activities undertaken by a local agency in response to a drought to acquire water supplies, extend service, or provide water for drinking and sanitation to certain individuals and communities. 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.