SACRAMENTO – (INT) - Governor Brown, meeting with mayors from across the state, announced Tuesday he will propose legislation to help local officials better enforce conservation requirements and will direct state agencies to streamline environmental review of local water supply projects.

The proposed legislation will give new enforcement authority to local entities that don’t currently have it and increase potential penalties against water wasters. It will specifically:

-Establish a new penalty of up to $10,000 per violation, expanding on $500 per day maximum infraction established in last year’s drought legislation.

-Allow penalties to be issued administratively by wholesale and retail water agencies, as well as city and county governments. This change speeds up an infraction process involving courts that was established in last year’s emergency drought legislation.

-Enable these entities to enforce local water restrictions against water waste, as well as conservation restrictions established by the State Water Resources Control Board.

-Allow local public agencies to deputize staff to issue water conservation-related warnings and citations.

This legislation will give all water agencies and local governments a consistent, minimum set of enforcement authorities to achieve required water conservation. Local water agencies with existing authorities to enforce against water waste can continue to use those authorities. Under the proposed legislation, any monetary penalties from this enforcement will be used for local conservation efforts.

Story Date: May 8, 2015