Water replenishment districts: water system needs assessment program.

Existing law, the Water Replenishment District Act, provides for the formation, organization, and functioning of water replenishment districts and authorizes a district to do any act necessary to replenish the groundwater of the district. This bill would authorize a water replenishment district, pursuant to an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board, to offer to conduct a needs assessment program for water systems serving disadvantaged communities within the district, as specified. The bill would make a water system's participation in the program voluntary. The bill would authorize the district, upon completion of the needs assessment, to develop and evaluate options to address the findings and recommendations in the needs assessment and prepare an implementation plan for recommendation to the water system. The bill would authorize the district, to the extent it receives federal or state grants that may be used for this purpose, to assist the water system in implementing the plan, and would require the participating district to prepare an annual report regarding the services, costs, and sources of funding for all actions taken under this program. The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2026.