California industry officials are on the watch after the passage two water-conservation bills.
Though Assembly Bill 1668 and Senate Bill 606 do not directly list water quotas for outdoor use, they do assign more power to the State Water Resources Control Board to establish and enforce conservation goals in the state, govern water boards in managing targets, and establish fines for violating water providers.
The new legislation also states that outdoor use will have to meet efficiency standards in the state’s Model Outdoor Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). The California Pool & Spa Association anticipates a lengthy process to develop standards for irrigation, pools and other applications outside.
On the positive side, the bills stipulate that water-use restrictions for pools and spas must be considered separately from those of ornamental waterfeatures. This counteracts MWELO’s lack of such a distinction. “Conservation and reduction will be the norms moving forward, and it is critical that the pool/spa industry stay on top of these changes in order to avoid being left out or unfairly targeted,” CPSA said.
