Bill to Manage Utility Water Leaks Sent to Governor Brown for his Signature

SACRAMENTO (September 4, 2015) – The State Senate today sent a water bill to the Governor’s desk that would help manage water losses by utilities. Nearly a million acre-feet of treated drinking water is lost to leakage each year; about one-third of that could be cost-effectively prevented or eliminated.

“Leaking water mains are a 24/7/365 problem for California, all the more unacceptable in the midst of the drought,” said Ed Osann, Senior Water Policy Analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “This bill takes a whack at this hidden problem and puts the state at the forefront of water loss reductions. California is in the fourth consecutive year of its worst drought in more than 1,200 years. It’s critical that we take charge of our water use by investing in smart water practices that protect and preserve our water supply.”

SB 555, authored by Senator Lois Wolk, would require urban water suppliers to report each year on water losses and for the State Board to set mandatory performance standards for utility water losses. If implemented, California would become the second state in the country with a volume-based water loss standard.