(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that certain coastal areas of the state have been using sea water to flush toilets and urinals as a means of conserving potable water; that this practice precludes the beneficial reuse of treated wastewater and has had a deleterious effect on the proper wastewater treatment process, and has led to corrosion of the sea water distribution pipelines and wastewater collection systems; and that this situation must be changed.

(b) There is a need for a pilot program to demonstrate that conversion to the use of recycled water in residential buildings for toilet and urinal flushing does not pose a threat to public health and safety.

Terms Used In California Water Code 13553.1

  • Recycled water: means water which, as a result of treatment of waste, is suitable for a direct beneficial use or a controlled use that would not otherwise occur and is therefor considered a valuable resource. See California Water Code 13050
  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Water Code 18

(c) A city that is providing a separate distribution system for sea water for use in flushing toilets and urinals in residential structures may, by ordinance, authorize the use of recycled water for the flushing of toilets and urinals in residential structures if the level of treatment and the use of the recycled water meets the criteria set by the State Department of Public Health.

(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 544, Sec. 16. (SB 1458) Effective January 1, 2015.)

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