The Water Resources Control Board proposes the self-improvement plan in two parts: legislation to overhaul its structure and duties, and a strategic plan to regulate San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The proposal would reduce the size of the regional boards from nine to seven members to minimize chronic vacancies. Each chairman would become a full-time, paid position to improve accountability and expertise.

To improve enforcement, the boards would no longer issue written notices before penalizing polluters, and a public hearing would no longer be held before referring these cases to the attorney general.

Civic attorneys in large cities would gain the power to seek civil penalties against polluters if requested by the water board.

The second prong of the overhaul package is the “Bay-Delta strategic work plan.” It proposes a schedule to review existing water rights within and upstream of the Delta to ensure diverters are following the law. This includes the rules governing the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project, which deliver Delta water to 25 million Californians.

The board also would develop a strategy to achieve the governor’s call for a 20 percent reduction in per capita water consumption by 2020. The plan would take up to five years to carry out.