Water quality: recycled water.

The document was reformatted from the official chaptered legislative print (with page numbers, column layout, and 'Authenticated Electronic Legal Material' header) to a web page rendering that includes navigation menus, search tools, version history links, and other website interface elements. The actual statutory text in all sections is unchanged.

References to 'State Department of Public Health' are systematically replaced with 'state board' (State Water Resources Control Board) in Sections 4, 5(c), 5(d), and 5(e). This transfers approval authority for residential recycled water use, determination of what qualifies as a 'structure,' condominium project report approvals, backflow protection device approvals, and regulatory rulemaking from CDPH to the Water Board.

The homeowners association provision in Section 4(d) is clarified to state that outdoor landscape irrigation of common areas 'that does not enter the boundaries of a residence' is not considered part of the same premises as an individual residence and is not a dual-plumbed system. The digest also adds that recycled water used for this purpose must comply with 'water quality and cost conditions.'

A grammatical error in Section 2(e) is corrected: 'shall not to be considered' is changed to 'shall not be considered' in the decorative body of water storm discharge provision.

Assembly Members Alvarez, Bennett, Macedo, and Tangipa are added as coauthors, reflecting the bill's progression through the Assembly.

The entire provision amending Section 13512 of the Water Code (a nonsubstantive change to the legislative intent statement encouraging development of water recycling facilities) was removed from the bill.

A new definition of 'decorative body of water' was added in Section 13529.2(e): an impoundment for aesthetic enjoyment or landscape irrigation, or which otherwise serves a similar use or function, in which recycled water is stored or used and is not intended to include public contact.

The agency name was corrected throughout from 'State Department of Health Services' to 'State Department of Health Care Services.'

The regulatory citation in Section 13552.4(a)(3) was corrected from 'Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 60301)' to 'Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 60301.050).'

In the legislative findings (Section 1(c)), the statement was changed from 'The regulations that pertain to nonpotable recycled water uses have not been updated since the year 2000' to 'Most of the regulations that pertain to nonpotable recycled water uses have not been reviewed and updated since the year 2000,' narrowing the scope from all regulations to most and adding 'reviewed and.'

The fiscal committee designation was changed from 'no' to 'yes' in the bill's digest.

In Section 13551(c), the language regarding spray, mist, or runoff entering outdoor eating areas was changed from 'shall not be prohibited from entering' to 'be permitted to enter,' shifting from a negative formulation to an affirmative permission. The term 'disinfected tertiary recycled water' was also changed to 'disinfected tertiary treated recycled water.'

Header changed from Senate Bill passage information to 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' with Chapter 736 designation and Governor approval date of October 13, 2025.

Page numbering changed from 'SB 31' format to 'Ch. 736' format throughout the document.

Line wrapping and indentation were adjusted throughout all sections to fit the new chaptered layout, but no statutory language was added, removed, or altered.

Removed 'common areas of a residential community irrigated by a homeowners' association' from the list of prohibited nonpotable uses of potable water in Water Code Section 13551(a). Previously, if recycled water was available, HOA common area irrigation could not use potable water. This restriction no longer applies.

Removed the corresponding legislative finding that stated 'This bill would add common areas of a residential community irrigated by a homeowners' association as prohibited uses of potable water.'

Senator Valladares was added as a coauthor alongside Senator Seyarto.

In Section 13551(c), the regulatory compliance requirement for incidental spray, mist, or runoff entering outdoor eating areas was narrowed from requiring compliance with both Section 490.1 and Section 493.4 of Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations to only Section 493.4.

In Section 13551(c), the phrase 'shall not be prohibited from entering' was replaced with 'shall be permitted to enter,' clarifying the permissive language without changing its practical effect.

Senator Rubio was added as principal coauthor and Senator Seyarto as coauthor, indicating expanded legislative sponsorship.

Minor drafting cleanups in the legislative findings section, including removal of a redundant phrase ('water supply strategy') before 'Water Supply Strategy' and correction of 'The Most of the regulations' to 'Most of the regulations.'

The bill now amends five additional Water Code sections (13529.2, 13551, 13552.4, 13553, and 13554) in addition to the original Section 13512, expanding scope from a single nonsubstantive intent statement to comprehensive recycled water regulation.

New Section 1 adds legislative findings declaring California's goal to reuse at least 800,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2030 and 1.8 million acre-feet by 2040, and noting that nonpotable recycled water regulations have not been updated since 2000.

Section 13529.2 now defines 'recycled water' in two tiers: (c) wastewater treated as disinfected tertiary 2.2 or beyond, with a 50,000-gallon notification threshold, and (d) recycled water treated below that level, with a lower 1,000-gallon threshold.

Section 13553(c) adds 'food handling and processing facilities' to the definition of 'structures' subject to recycled water toilet and urinal flushing requirements.

Section 13529.2(e) provides that water discharged from a decorative body of water during storm events is not considered an unauthorized discharge if recycled water was used to restore levels due to evaporation.

Section 13551(c) provides that incidental amounts of spray, mist, or runoff from disinfected tertiary recycled water irrigation are not prohibited from entering outdoor eating areas of parks and open spaces.

Section 13551 adds 'common areas of a residential community irrigated by a homeowners' association' and 'industrial and irrigation uses' to the list of nonpotable uses for which potable water may not be used when suitable recycled water is available.

Section 13552.4(d) provides that outdoor landscape irrigation of common areas operated by a homeowners' association that does not enter the boundaries of a residence is not considered a dual-plumbed system, but recycled water used for this purpose must comply with Section 13550.

Section 13554(d) permits recycled water for toilet or urinal flushing or outdoor irrigation in and around food handling or processing facilities, commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings, and cafeterias, provided the water does not enter the room where food handling or processing occurs. Closed piping may pass through such rooms, but outdoor irrigation is prohibited while food is being handled or processed outside.

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now has fiscal implications requiring fiscal committee review.