Water: waste discharge.

Senator Allen's water quality legislation expands California's regulatory framework to protect previously exempt water bodies while strengthening enforcement mechanisms for waste discharge violations. The bill extends the State Water Resources Control Board's authority to adopt water quality control plans for "nexus waters" - defined as non-navigable state waters that maintain specific environmental connections.

The legislation requires that nexus waters receive the same protections as navigable waters under federal Clean Water Act standards. Any existing water quality standards for these waters will remain in effect unless superseded by more stringent requirements from state or federal regulators. The bill mandates that both state and regional water boards incorporate nexus waters into all Clean Water Act processes, including pollution monitoring programs and the establishment of maximum contamination limits.

To ensure compliance, the measure creates new civil penalties for violations involving nexus waters and establishes an annual adjustment mechanism tied to inflation beginning in 2026. Penalties collected will fund a new Penalty Adjustment Account within the Waste Discharge Permit Fund, dedicated to cleanup and pollution abatement efforts. The bill authorizes various entities - including the Attorney General, state and regional boards, and local prosecutors - to pursue enforcement actions, with courts able to award injunctive relief and require violators to pay the prevailing party's legal costs.

The legislation preserves existing protections by specifying that in any conflict between new and current requirements, the more stringent standard prevails. While expanding regulatory oversight, the bill maintains specific exemptions for certain water features like groundwater, artificial ponds, and qualifying agricultural lands. Local agencies must absorb associated compliance costs without state reimbursement, as the bill declares these expenses either within their existing fee authority or related to modified criminal provisions.