(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The waters of the state are a limited and renewable resource subject to ever-increasing demands.

(2) The conservation and efficient use of urban water supplies are of statewide concern; however, the planning for that use and the implementation of those plans can best be accomplished at the local level.

(3) A long-term, reliable supply of water is essential to protect the productivity of California’s businesses and economic climate, and increasing long-term water conservation among Californians, improving water use efficiency within the state’s communities and agricultural production, and strengthening local and regional drought planning are critical to California’s resilience to drought and climate change.

(4) As part of its long-range planning activities, every urban water supplier should make every effort to ensure the appropriate level of reliability in its water service sufficient to meet the needs of its various categories of customers during normal, dry, and multiple dry water years now and into the foreseeable future, and every urban water supplier should collaborate closely with local land-use authorities to ensure water demand forecasts are consistent with current land-use planning.

(5) Public health issues have been raised over a number of contaminants that have been identified in certain local and imported water supplies.

(6) Implementing effective water management strategies, including groundwater storage projects and recycled water projects, may require specific water quality and salinity targets for meeting groundwater basins water quality objectives and promoting beneficial use of recycled water.

(7) Water quality regulations are becoming an increasingly important factor in water agencies’ selection of raw water sources, treatment alternatives, and modifications to existing treatment facilities.

(8) Changes in drinking water quality standards may also impact the usefulness of water supplies and may ultimately impact supply reliability.

(9) The quality of source supplies can have a significant impact on water management strategies and supply reliability.

(b) This part is intended to provide assistance to water agencies in carrying out their long-term resource planning responsibilities to ensure adequate water supplies to meet existing and future demands for water.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 14, Sec. 18. (SB 606) Effective January 1, 2019.)