Water reports: urban retail water suppliers: informational order: conservation order.

Existing law authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board, on and after January 1, 2024, to issue informational orders pertaining to water production, water use, and water conservation to an urban retail water supplier that does not meet its urban water use objective, as provided. Existing law authorizes the board, on and after January 1, 2025, to issue a written notice to an urban retail water supplier that does not meet its urban water use objective. Existing law authorizes the board, on and after January 1, 2026, to issue a conservation order to an urban retail water supplier that does not meet its urban water use objective. This bill would instead authorize the board to issue the informational orders on and after January 1, 2026, the written notice on and after January 1, 2027, and the conservation order on and after January 1, 2028. Existing law requires an urban retail water supplier to annually, by January 1, submit a report to the Department of Water Resources that includes, among other things, its calculated urban water use objective and its calculated actual urban water use, along with relevant supporting data, as provided. This bill would require an urban retail water supplier to submit one report to the department and the board annually based on the urban retail water supplier's water use conditions for the previous calendar or fiscal year, as provided. The bill would require that report to be due on or before January 1st and to include all water use calculations required of urban retail water suppliers for sustainable water use and demand reduction. The bill would authorize the department and board to update regulations adopted for urban water use objectives and water use reporting to address changes in statutory reporting requirements. The bill would also authorize the board to adopt an enforcement policy to guide its enforcement of regulations adopted for urban water use objectives and water use reporting, as provided. Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, sets forth the requirements for the adoption, publication, review, and implementation of regulations by state agencies. This bill would authorize the board to enact emergency regulations, as specified, in accordance with the provisions of the act.