SACRAMENTO – Two water measures focused on saving water by Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) passed out of committee Tuesday. Both bills received unanimous bipartisan support. These measures are part of a larger effort by Wolk to improve water management, combat the effects of the drought and climate change in California, and conserve valuable water supplies.

SB 555, a measure that reduces the water loss from leaks and breaks in urban water suppliers’ distribution systems by requiring them to conduct annual water loss audits, was heard in Senate Natural Resources and Water and was passed out of the committee on an 8-0 vote.

“By requiring urban water suppliers to develop and set audit and performance standards, water agencies will be able to achieve effective water loss control and reduce water lost from leaks and breaks in distribution systems,” Wolk said. “Doing so would also increase water supply reliability, reduce the energy used to move and treat water and improve infrastructure longevity.”

Later that day, in the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, Wolk presented her bill, SB 7, a measure to encourage responsible water consumption and conservation by providing residents with accurate information about the volume and cost of their water usage by requiring the installation of submeters in new multifamily residential buildings.

“SB 7 authorizes the state to develop and propose standards that require the installation of water submeters in newly constructed apartment buildings. Unlike water meters for individual homes, there is no requirement in state law that individual dwelling units in apartment buildings have individual meters or sub-meters. When installed and read, sub-metering encourages water users to be more aware of their usage, giving them a financial incentive to conserve. Given the extent of the drought and the need for greater water conservation in California, all of the state’s residents should be armed with the knowledge of how much water they are using, in order for them to take steps to reduce their usage.”

In addition to these two measures,  Wolk has also introduced four other pieces of legislation to address California’s critical water conditions. Those measures include SB 551 targeting water and energy efficiencies, SB 552 focused on achieving water service for those California communities that still do not have access to drinking water, SB 553 requiring outdoor landscaping efficiencies on all state properties, and SB 554 ensuring the California Water Commission members are free of conflict of interest when determining how to expend $2.7 billion in voter approved Proposition 1 funding. These measures will be heard in Senate committees later this month.

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