Disaster preparedness: urban retail water suppliers and public water systems: wildfire.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not mention the expansion of criminal penalties in detail, only stating it would impose a state-mandated local program.

Wildfire Preparedness for Water Systems

The bill requires urban water suppliers in high fire risk areas to update their disaster plans to include specific wildfire response procedures and mitigation actions, starting January 1, 2028.

What This Bill Does

• Requires urban retail water suppliers serving high or very high fire hazard zones to add wildfire-specific response procedures to their disaster preparedness plans by January 1, 2028.
• Includes requirements for actions and equipment that can reduce the impact of wildfires on water systems and drinking water supply.
• Expands criminal penalties for violating these new requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

• Urban retail water suppliers in high fire risk areas

Terms To Know

urban retail water supplier

A company that provides drinking water to urban areas.

high or very high fire hazard zone

An area with a significant risk of wildfires due to factors like vegetation and weather conditions.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much it will cost urban water suppliers to comply.
• It is unclear what specific actions or equipment are required for mitigation.

Official Summary Text

SB 1153, as amended, Caballero.
Disaster preparedness: urban retail water suppliers and public water systems: wildfire.
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, requires all public water systems, as defined, with 10,000 or more service connections to review and revise their disaster preparedness plans in conjunction with related agencies, including, but not limited to, local fire departments and the Office of Emergency
Services
Services,
to ensure that the plans are sufficient to address possible disaster scenarios. A person, as defined, who violates the provisions of this act is guilty of a misdemeanor.
This bill, beginning January 1, 2028, would require all urban retail water suppliers, as defined, serving a high or very high fire hazard
severity zone to include
incident-specified
incident-specific
response procedures for wildfires as part of their disaster preparedness plans, including any applicable emergency response plan as required by federal law. The bill would require these plans to
include
include, among other things,
mitigation actions, including actions, procedures, and equipment, that can obviate or significantly lessen the impact of a wildfire on the water system and the supply of drinking water provided by the water supplier. Because violation of these requirements by certain urban retail water suppliers would constitute a misdemeanor, the bill would
expand the scope of a crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.
This bill would
deem
provide that
the inability of a public water system to maintain water supply or water pressure during a wildfire
shall
not
be considered
a substantial cause of the damages resulting from a
wildfire. The bill would also deem
wildfire, and that
the spread of wildfire
shall
not
be considered
an inherent risk presented by the deliberate design, construction, or maintenance of a public water system.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF