Two bills, SB 261 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/sen/sb_0251-0300/sb_261_bill_20090629_amended_asm_v94.pdf and AB 49 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_49_bill_20090709_amended_sen_v94.pdf , which support the 20x2020http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/water_issues/hot_topics/20x2020/index.shtml water conservation goal are advancing in the California legislature. Senator Lou Correa is a coauthor of SB 261.
20x2020 is a statewide water initiative to reduce water consumption by 20% by 2020 (11 years from now.) The two bills differ in their approaches to California's water problems. SB 261 has urban water agencies write and implement the plans. Also included in the Senate bill are provisions to create commercial and industrial task forces to find and encourage ways for businesses to become more water thrifty. Additionally, agricultural users would have to prepare and submit detailed usage and conservation plans. AB 49 is in the process of being reconciled with the Senate bill so a single bill can be agreed upon and passed by both houses.
The bills acknowledge that different types of users (agricultural, industrial, residential) have different needs and capabilities and that different regions (coastal, desert, mountain) have different resources and needs. These bills work to acknowledge these differences, set up uniform requirements statewide but allow the individual areas to find their own unique solutions for their areas.
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