Water quality: recycled water.

Water

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: McNerney
Last action: 2025-10-13
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 736, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Water Quality Rules for Recycled Water

This law changes how recycled water is defined and used in California to allow more uses while protecting water quality.

What This Bill Does

Changes the definition of 'recycled water' so that water from decorative ponds during storms isn't considered an unauthorized discharge if it's used to refill due to evaporation.
Allows a small amount of spray, mist, or runoff from recycled water to enter outdoor eating areas in parks and open spaces when certain safety rules are followed.
Says that watering common areas outside homes with recycled water doesn't count as having two plumbing systems if it follows specific quality and cost rules.
Expands the places where recycled water can be used for toilet flushing or outdoor irrigation, including food handling facilities, commercial buildings, and cafeterias, but not in rooms where food is prepared.

Who It Names or Affects

People who use recycled water
Public agencies that manage water resources

Terms To Know

recycled water: Water that has been treated and cleaned to be used again for different purposes.
unauthorized discharge: Releasing recycled water without permission or in a way that breaks the rules.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much recycled water can be used in outdoor eating areas.
It is unclear if there are specific penalties for breaking these new rules about recycled water use.

Bill History

2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 736, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-09 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2512.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 2867.) Ordered to the Senate.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2025-08-20 California Legislative Information
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-07-02 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-17 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E.S & T.M. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.
2025-06-09 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on W. P., & W.
2025-06-05 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on W. P., & W. and E.S & T.M.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1322.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1188.) (May 23).
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
May 23 set for first hearing. Reconsideration of favorable vote granted.
2025-05-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-12 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-05-12 California Legislative Information
May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-02 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 12.
2025-05-01 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 962.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
2025-04-02 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 30.
2025-03-26 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
2025-03-25 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on E.Q. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 531.) (March 25).
2025-03-12 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing March 25.
2025-02-19 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and E.Q.
2025-02-10 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-01-29 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on RLS.
2024-12-03 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after January 2.
2024-12-02 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 31, McNerney.
Water quality: recycled water.
(1) The Water Recycling Law generally provides for the use of recycled water. Existing law requires any person who, without regard to intent or negligence, causes or permits an unauthorized discharge of 50,000 gallons or more of recycled water in or on any waters of the state to immediately notify the appropriate regional water board.
This bill would, for the purposes of the above provision, redefine “recycled water” and provide that water discharged from a decorative body of water during storm events is not to be considered an unauthorized discharge if recycled water was used to restore levels due to evaporation.
(2) Existing law regulating the use of recycled water prohibits the use of prescribed potable water by state and local agencies for any nonpotable
uses, including cemeteries, golf courses, parks, and highway landscaped areas if prescribed recycled water is available, and deems use of the recycled water in lieu of the potable water to constitute a reasonable beneficial use of that water.
The bill would provide that incidental amounts of spray, mist, or runoff are to be permitted to enter outdoor eating areas of parks and open spaces when irrigated with disinfected tertiary treated recycled water that complies with a specified regulation regarding irrigation.
(3) Existing law authorizes any public agency, including a state agency, city, county, city and county, district, or any other political subdivision of the state, to require the use of recycled water for irrigation of residential landscaping, as specified.
The bill would provide that outdoor landscape irrigation of common areas that does not enter the boundaries of a residence is not to be considered a part of the same premises as an individual residence and is not to be considered a dual-plumbed system. The bill would require recycled water used for this purpose to comply with specified water quality and cost conditions.
(4) Existing law authorizes any public agency, including a state agency, city, county, city and
county, district, or any other political subdivision of the state, to require the use of recycled water for toilet and urinal flushing in structures, as specified. Existing law defines “structures” for the purposes of these provisions.
This bill would include food handling and processing facilities as part of the definition of “structures.” The bill would authorize the use of 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 recycled water does not enter the room where food handling or processing occurs, as specified.

Current Bill Text

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