Water quality: recycled water.

Senator McNerney's recycled water legislation expands permissible uses of treated wastewater while establishing new safety protocols and reporting requirements. The bill modifies discharge notification rules, allowing water released from decorative features during storms to be exempt from unauthorized discharge provisions when recycled water replenishes evaporation losses. It permits incidental spray from landscape irrigation to contact outdoor eating areas in parks when using disinfected tertiary treated water meeting state standards.

The measure creates a distinction between residential irrigation systems and common area landscaping, specifying that outdoor common areas do not constitute dual-plumbed systems requiring the same oversight as individual properties. For structures including food handling facilities, the bill authorizes recycled water use in toilets and outdoor irrigation provided it does not enter food processing areas, though closed piping may pass through these spaces. During outdoor food handling, irrigation must cease.

New requirements mandate engineering reports detailing plumbing design, cross-connection controls, and monitoring protocols for recycled water systems in commercial and residential buildings. For condominium projects, the legislation requires regular testing, backflow prevention devices, and explicit disclosure in property declarations regarding recycled water use. These provisions align with California's water supply goals while maintaining public health protections through technical standards and administrative oversight.