Yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger signed the Planning and Conservation League’s co-sponsored bill, Senate Bill 918. The bill, authored by Senator Fran Pavley and co-sponsored by the WateReuse Association, directs the State Department of Public Health to develop criteria for safely using recycled water to supplement groundwater basins and reservoirs.

The legislation offers a unique solution to California’s water crisis, enabling millions of acre-feet of water to be cost-effectively reused every year, rather than simply discharged to the ocean. This new law will improve California’s water management record and point the way to a more sustainable holistic water management plan.

SB 918 had no recorded opposition and was supported by traditional water interests like the Association of California Water Agencies and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, environmental groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund, and municipalities like the cities of San Diego and San Jose.

PCL is proud to have built support for this landmark legislation and thanks Senator Pavley for her leadership and Governor Schwarzenegger for his support, the WateReuse Association for their diligence, and all of the bill’s many supporters for their partnership in securing passage for SB 918.