Drinking water: primary standard for hexavalent chromium: exemption.

Senator Caballero's drinking water legislation creates a compliance pathway for public water systems addressing hexavalent chromium standards while maintaining existing chromium safety requirements. The measure establishes that water systems meeting California's total chromium maximum contaminant level will not be deemed in violation of hexavalent chromium standards while implementing state-approved compliance plans or awaiting plan approval.

The bill's provisions apply exclusively to hexavalent chromium and require water systems to meet current total chromium standards to qualify for this compliance mechanism. Water systems lose this protection if their compliance plan is rejected by the State Water Resources Control Board. The measure maintains the board's and Attorney General's authority to enforce hexavalent chromium regulations, including oversight of approved compliance plans.

This targeted modification to drinking water enforcement preserves California's existing framework for establishing contaminant standards while creating a defined process for water systems to achieve compliance with hexavalent chromium requirements. The State Water Resources Control Board retains its role in reviewing and approving compliance plans, with systems remaining subject to enforcement if plans are rejected.