Senate BillFailedWater
SB 463: Drought planning: resiliency measures.
What SB 463 does, verified February 3, 2026
The bill aims to exempt small water suppliers and nontransient noncommunity water systems from metering and monitoring requirements. These exemptions apply if the water supplier or system is in the process of applying for state funding, has been deemed ineligible, or cannot access funding due to lack of available programs. Exemptions also apply if increasing rates to raise revenue locally is deemed an infeasible option. This allows these systems to avoid additional costs associated with metering and monitoring, while still addressing the need for drought resiliency measures.
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
2In CommitteeCurrent
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. (2026-02-02)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions16 total · showing 5
| Feb. 02, 2026 | Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. |
| May. 23, 2025 | May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. |
| May. 16, 2025 | Set for hearing May 23. |
| May. 05, 2025 | May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file. |
| Apr. 25, 2025 | Set for hearing May 5. |
Latest bill textAmended version, April 9, 2025 · 517 words
| Amended IN Senate April 09, 2025 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 463
| Introduced by Senator Alvarado-Gil |
February 19, 2025 |
An act to amend Section 10609.62 of the Water Code, relating to water.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 463, as amended, Alvarado-Gil. Drought planning: resiliency measures.
Existing law requires small water suppliers, defined for purposes of these provisions to mean a community water system serving 15 to 2,999 service connections, inclusive, and that provides less than 3,000 acre-feet of water annually, and nontransient noncommunity water systems that are schools to implement specified drought resiliency measures, including, among other things, no later than January 1, 2032, meter metering each service connection and monitor monitoring for water loss due to leakages.
This bill would exempt a water district with fewer than 500 service connections small water supplier or nontransient noncommunity water system from metering each service connection and monitoring for water loss due to leakages. these metering and monitoring requirements if it (1) is in the process of applying for state funding, has been determined to be ineligible for state funding, or is not able to obtain state funding because there is no funding available in applicable state programs, and (2) has made a finding that increasing its rates to raise revenue locally is not a feasible option.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 10609.62 of the Water Code is amended to read:10609.62.
Small water suppliers and nontransient noncommunity water systems that are schools shall implement, subject to funding availability, all of the following drought resiliency measures:(a) No later than January 1, 2023, implement monitoring systems sufficient to detect production well groundwater levels.
(b) Beginning no later than January 1, 2023, maintain membership in the California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CalWARN) or similar mutual aid organization.
(c) No later than January 1, 2024, to ensure continuous operations during power failures, provide adequate backup electrical supply.
(d) No later than January 1, 2027, have at least one backup source of water supply, or a water system intertie, that meets current water quality requirements and is sufficient to meet average daily demand.
(e) No later than January 1, 2032, meter each service connection and monitor for water loss due to leakages. This subdivision does not apply to a water district with fewer than 500 service connections. shall not apply to a small water supplier or nontransient noncommunity water system that meets both of the following:
(1) The small water supplier or nontransient noncommunity water system is in the process of applying for state funding, has been determined to be ineligible for state funding, or is not able to obtain state funding because there is no funding available in applicable state programs.
(2) The small water supplier or nontransient noncommunity water system makes a finding that increasing its rates to raise revenue locally is not a feasible option.
(f) No later than January 1, 2032, have source system capacity, treatment system capacity if necessary, and distribution system capacity to meet fire flow requirements.
Text of SB 463 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions