Plain English Breakdown
The bill adds the terms but does not provide their full definitions in this summary text.
Groundwater Rules for Managed Wetlands and Small Community Systems
This law adds new definitions to groundwater rules and stops agencies from setting water use limits or charging fees on small community systems serving disadvantaged areas and managed wetlands until January 1, 2029.
What This Bill Does
- Adds the terms 'managed wetland' and 'small community water system' to existing groundwater laws.
- Stops local agencies from setting specific water use limits for small systems serving disadvantaged communities or managed wetlands until January 1, 2029.
- Requires sustainability plans to include information on how they affect the water supply and economy of these groups.
- Bans fees on groundwater extraction by these users if their usage stays at historical levels needed to support them.
- Allows agencies to charge fees only for any water use that goes above what was historically needed.
Who It Names or Affects
- Groundwater sustainability agencies
- Small community water systems serving disadvantaged communities from permitted public wells
- Managed wetland extractors
Terms To Know
- managed wetland
- A term added to the law, defined by this bill.
- small community water system
- A term added to the law, defined by this bill.
Limits and Unknowns
- The rules limiting fees and allocations end on January 1, 2029.
- Fees may apply if users take more groundwater than they historically needed to support their system or wetland.
- The bill does not define the exact historical water amounts for each user.