Reso 0875-04/1990 RESOLUTION NO. 875
RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE VALLECITOS WATER DISTRICT URGING
OPPOSITION OF SENATE BILL 2688 WHICH
LIMITS PUBLIC AGENCY REGULATION OF THE
DISCHARGE OF DISSOLVED SOLIDS
WHEREAS, development of water reclamation and the
protection of groundwater basins is critical in meeting the present
and future demands for water in the State of California; and
WHEREAS, it is an indisputable proposition that the
discharge of brine into the groundwater through septic systems and
into community disposal systems, particularly by self re-generating
water softeners, degrades groundwater basins and is extremely
detrimental to the ability of public agencies to reclaim
wastewater; and
WHEREAS, the expert opinion of the "Rancho Bernardo
Study" by the San Diego County Water Authority and of knowledgeable
sanitation engineers demonstrates beyond a doubt that self re-
generating water softeners contribute significantly to the salt
loading in public disposal systems; and
WHEREAS, the destructive effect of salt on the
environment, as a pollutant and poison, is demonstrated by the
State of California contemplating banning the use of salt to keep
highways ice free in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the impending
demise of the Salton Sea, and mounting salinity problems in the
San Joaquin Valley; and
WHEREAS, the use of self re-generating water softeners
is absolutely unnecessary since there are alternatives available
that do not discharge brine directly into community disposal
systems such as water softeners that are discharged in
environmentally safe off-site locations and curb-side collection
services; and
WHEREAS, in the face of overwhelming evidence that salt
poisons the water and soil and is clearly an environmental
pollutant, the idea that public agencies and the people they serve
must continue to tolerate salt pollution is untenable; and
WHEREAS, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control
Board strongly urges self re-generating water softeners and other
brine discharges be prohibited in conjunction with other means to
control salinity; and
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WHEREAS, Senate Bill 2688 (Copy attached as Exhibit "A")
makes it administratively impossible for public agencies to
regulate brine discharge and effectively implement water
reclamation projects or groundwater protection projects; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 2688 contradicts the purpose of
Senate Bill 2016 (Copy attached as Exhibit "B") which provides
protection and preservation of groundwater for reuse.
NOW THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE VALLECITOS
WATER DISTRICT DOES HEREBY FIND, DETERMINE, RESOLVE, AND ORDERS AS
FOLLOWS:
Section 1: The Board of Directors of the Vallecitos
Water District strongly urges strong opposition to Senate Bill 2688
which would prohibit any public agency from banning or limiting the
use of any industrial, commercial, or residential device or
substance which contributes dissolved solids to any sewage or
wastewater system unless the public agency identifies each source
thereof and determines the proportion to the total that each source
contributes.
Section 2: The Board of Directors of the Vallecitos
Water District urges all public agencies providing water and sewer
service to provide a united front in opposing Senate Bill 2688.
Section 3: The Board of Directors of the Vallecitos
Water District urges that all citizens throughout the State of
California join in opposing Senate Bill 2688, which if enacted
would make it administratively and financially impossible to
identify each source which contributes dissolved solids to a
community sanitation system and economically impractical to reclaim
wastewater.
Section 4: The Secretary of the Vallecitos Water
District is hereby authorized and directed to transmit a certified
copy of this resolution to the Assembly and Senate Local Government
Committees; Senator Craven; Assemblyman Frazee; and David Kennedy,
Director of the State Department of Water Resources; to the San
Diego County Board of Supervisors; to the City Council Members from
the Cities of Encinitas, Solana Beach, Carlsbad, San Diego, San
Marcos, Escondido; and to the Board of Directors of the San Diego
County Water Authority; Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California; and all member agencies and other appropriate parties.
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PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the
Board of Directors of the Vallecitos Water District held this 16th
day of April, 1990, by the following roll call vote:
AYES: DIRECTORS: Blalock, Burton, Fergus0n, Mason, Newport
NOES: DIRECTORS:
ABSENT: DIRECTORS:
ABSTAIN: DIRECTORS:
DALE MASON, President
Board of Directors
Vallecitos Water District
ATTEST:
Board of Directors
Vallecitos Water District
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~ i SECTION i, Ch~p~r ~ (~umm~n~h~ w~tl~ S~ctior.
~ 4~0) is added to Part ~ of Division 5 of the Health and
a $a}~ty Ced~, m read:
4
5 CIiAPTRR ~. DISCHARGE OF DISSOLVED ~LXDS
" 6
7 4~. e~ A loenl ~eney sh~ not ~an or other~se
f
8 restrict u~e o any h~dustrial, commerci~ or
.. 9 resident~ deuce or subaun~c which eon~butes
10 dissolved sog& to any w~tewater or sewerag~ system,
11 unl~s~ the local agency tint identffies each
11 commerci~,orr~sident~lsourc~thereofanddeterm~es
13 what propor~on of the tot~ ~a~lv~ solid~ e~h source
14 cont~b~tss.
15 (b) ~y timi~on placed by a loe~ agency on
16 d~charge of ~i~so[ved solids shall apply to e~h source,
17 iaclud~g ~dust~, commerce, ot residentS, h~ the
X8 same proportion as the contribution from tha~ ~ourc~ is (
19 to the tot~ "'
20 (c) ~Y fee~ For ~hargh~g ~is~lved so~& into a
!1 w~r or sewerage. system ixn o~d by a
~ agency u on any source of d~ssolved s~[~ds, includin any
~ proportion to th~ dissolved solids each sO~c~ contributes
~ to the total.
~ 4~I. Com~n~g July 1, I~1, no loe~
~ limi~on, ~r f~ which exist,d on January 1, 1~1,
~ be ~or~d by ~y local agency unless it ts in compliance
~9 wi~ t~s ehap~t.
30 4~2, "~e~ agency," for the purposes of thi~ chapter,
31 m~ns any city, co~ty, e~ty and co~y, inelu~, but
... 32 not limited to, any c~rter cry, county, or city ~d
~ county, ~nd any ~triet,
o (
EXHiBi'I' A
Sacramento Digest Monday. April 9. 1990
Water SB 2016
laireduced in Ihe S~nale Febr~,q lS, 1990
An' act to amend Sections 60230, 60305, 60306, '.
60315, 60316, and 60317 of, and to add Seaions 60027,
60028, 60224, 60225, 60226, 60301, and 60317.5 to, the "'
Water Code, relating to water replenishment districts.
LEGISI. ATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 2016, as introduced, Cecil Green. Water replen-
ishmcnt districts.
_ (1) Under c~isting law, a district organized under
the Water Replenishment Dislrict Act may nercise
specified powers to protect or prevent interference with
water, water quality, or water rights within the di~rict.
This bill would authorize a water replenishment
district, for the purpos~ of protecting and prasetvmg
groundwater supplies, to take any action n~ or
desirable to prevent contaminants, as defined, from
entering the dis~rict's groundwater supplies, to remove
contaminams, to determine the cx~tcncc and location of
conruminants and Persons rc~lxm~iblc, and to Perform or
obtain related studins. The biU would authorize the
district to re. cover costs incurred by the district for thos~
purposes from responsible persons. The bill would specily
related powers of the district.
(2) Under c:dsting law, a water replenishment
district may levy a water replenishment assessment in
acxordance with prc,scribed proecdurc.
Th~ bill would permit that asscs.smcnt to raise funds
to remove c, ontaminants from groundwater supplies of the
district or to ocerct.g other powers specified above and
would spedfy procedures and requirements for including
thos~ costs within the water replenishment assessment.
· The bill would tintit the amount that may bc included for
these purposes to 50% of the average assessment levied
for the current and 4 preceding fiscal years for the
purcha.g of water for groundwater repJenishment. The
bill would p~'e.scribc the powers of the district to rovts~
the us~ of amounts levied for the above purposc~ and
would pre. gribc related matters.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:
no. State. mandated local program: no.
EXq qfT