Section 996 - Urban Drought Response Actions(a) As used in this section: (1) "Commercial, industrial and institutional" refers to commercial water users, industrial water users, and institutional water users as respectively defined in Water Code, section 10608.12, subdivisions (e), (i), and (j), and includes homeowners' associations, common interest developments, community service organizations, and other similar entities but does not include the residences of these entities' members or separate interests.(2) "Common interest development" has the same meaning as in section 4100 of the Civil Code.(3) "Community service organization or similar entity" has the same meaning as in section 4110 of the Civil Code.(4) "Homeowners' association" means an "association" as defined in section 4080 of the Civil Code.(5) "Non-functional turf" means turf that is solely ornamental and not regularly used for human recreational purposes or for civic or community events. Non-functional turf does not include sports fields and turf that is regularly used for human recreational purposes or for civic or community events.(6) "Plant factor" has the same meaning as in section 491.(7) "Separate interest" has the same meaning as in section 4185 of the Civil Code.(8) "Turf" has the same meaning as in section 491.(9) "Urban water supplier" has the same meaning as Water Code section 10617.(10) "Water shortage contingency plan" means the plan required by Water Code section 10632.(b) Each urban water supplier shall submit to the Department of Water Resources a preliminary annual water supply and demand assessment consistent with section 10632.1 of the Water Code no later than June 1, 2022 or the effective date of this section, whichever comes later, and submit a final annual water supply and demand assessment to the Department of Water Resources no later than the deadline set by section 10632.1 of the Water Code.(c)(1) Each urban water supplier that has submitted a water shortage contingency plan to the Department of Water Resources shall implement by June 10, 2022, at a minimum, all demand reduction actions identified in the supplier's water shortage contingency plan adopted under Water Code 10632 for a shortage level of ten (10) to twenty (20) percent (Level 2).(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (c)(1), urban water suppliers shall not be required to implement new residential connection moratoria pursuant to this section.(3) Notwithstanding subdivision (c)(1), an urban water supplier may implement the actions identified in subdivision (d) in lieu of implementing the demand reduction actions identified in the supplier's water shortage contingency plan adopted under Water Code section 10632 for a shortage level of ten (10) to twenty (20) percent (Level 2), provided the supplier meets all of the following: (i) The supplier's annual water supply and demand assessment submitted to the Department of Water Resources demonstrates an ability to maintain reliable supply until September 30, 2023.(ii) The supplier does not rely on, for any part of its supply, the Colorado River, State Water Project, or Central Valley Project, and no more than ten (10) percent of its supply comes from critically overdrafted groundwater basins as designated by the Department of Water Resources.(iii) The supplier's average number of gallons of water used per person per day by residential customers for the year 2020 is below 55 gallons, as reported to the Board in the Electronic Annual Report.(d) Each urban water supplier that has not submitted a water shortage contingency plan to the Department of Water Resources shall, by June 10, 2022, and continuing until the supplier has implemented all demand reduction actions identified in the supplier's water shortage contingency plan adopted under Water Code 10632 for a shortage level of ten (10) to twenty (20) percent (Level 2), implement at a minimum the following actions: (1) Initiate a public information and outreach campaign for water conservation and promptly and effectively reach the supplier's customers, using efforts such as email, paper mail, bill inserts, customer app notifications, news articles, websites, community events, radio and television, billboards, and social media.(2) Implement and enforce a rule or ordinance limiting landscape irrigation with potable water to no more than two (2) days per week and prohibiting landscape irrigation with potable water between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.(3) Implement and enforce a rule or ordinance banning, at a minimum, the water uses prohibited by section 995. Adoption of a rule or ordinance is not required if the supplier has authority to enforce, as infractions, the prohibitions in section 995 and takes enforcement against violations.(e)(1) To prevent the unreasonable use of water and to promote water conservation, the use of potable water is prohibited for the irrigation of non-functional turf at commercial, industrial, and institutional sites.(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (e)(1), the use of water is not prohibited by this section to the extent necessary to ensure the health of trees and other perennial non-turf plantings or to the extent necessary to address an immediate health and safety need.(3) Notwithstanding subdivision (e)(1), an urban water supplier may approve a request for continued irrigation of non-functional turf where the user certifies that the turf is a low water use plant with a plant factor of 0.3 or less, and demonstrates the actual use is less than 40% of reference evapotranspiration.(f) The taking of any action prohibited in subdivision (e) is an infraction punishable by a fine of up to five hundred dollars ($500) for each day in which the violation occurs. The fine for the infraction is in addition to, and does not supersede or limit, any other remedies, civil or criminal.(g) A decision or order issued under this section by the Board, or an officer or employee of the Board, is subject to reconsideration under article 2 (commencing with section 1122) of chapter 4 of part 1 of division 2 of the Water Code.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 23, § 996
Note: Authority cited: Section 1058.5, Water Code. Reference: Article X, Section 2, California Constitution; Sections 4080, 4100, 4110, and 4185, Civil Code; Section 8627.7, Government Code; Sections 102, 104, 105, 275, 350, 377, 491, 1058.5, 1122, 10608.12, 10617, 10632, and 10632.1, Water Code; Light v. State Water Resources Control Board (2014) 226 Cal.App.4th 1463; and Stanford Vina Ranch Irrigation Co. v. State of California (2020) 50 Cal.App.5th 976.
1. New section filed 6-10-2022 as an emergency; operative 6/10/2022 (Register 2022, No. 23). The finding of emergency was exempt from OAL review pursuant to Water Code section 1058.5(b). Pursuant to Water code section 1058.5(c), a Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 6-9-2023 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.