CBIA Provides Drought Regulatory Information

CBIA has issued a three-page overview of Gov. Jerry Brown’s drought emergency executive order along with the State Water Resources Control Board rulemaking procedure. CBIA Vice President of Public Policy Richard Lyon, in a call to BIA executive officers around the state, said the primary impact of the governor's action on the residential development industry is a prohibition on the use of potable water for outdoor landscaping unless the water system is a drip or micro-spray. The order also bans the use of potable water in medians and in commercial/industrial area landscaping. Click here to download CBIA’s letter. Click here to download an Excel spreadsheet that shows the state’s water conservation targets for each of California’s 400+ urban water suppliers.

READ MORE: Additionally, the California Energy Commission adopted emergency regulations for faucet and toilet flows to levels that most communities have already adopted — faucets drop from 1.5 gallons per minute to 1.2 gallons per minute and urinals in common spaces drop from 1/2-gallon per flush to 1 pint per flush. The regulations apply to manufacturers and distributors. CBIA indicated this would have minimal impacts on builders. The deadline to comment on the initial rule-making document is April 13 and CBIA is preparing comments. The California Water Resources Board is scheduled to release the draft regulations on May 4 and hold a public hearing on May 5. If adopted, it will go to the Office of Administrative Law and go into effect on June 1, 2015.

At BIA|Bay Area’s request, CBIA is also developing a one-page fact sheet that can be distributed to BIA members and the media and used in the event a local agency proposes a moratorium based on the drought. The fact sheet will rebut the view that stopping new housing will result in substantial water savings by showing how much more efficient new homes are than older existing houses.

Key Links: • State's Urban Water Suppliers Conservation Target Spreadsheet (PDF version): http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/docs/emergency_regulations/urban_water_supplier_tiers.pdf • Governor Brown's Executive Order: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/docs/040115_executive_order.pdf