Grass Roots Help Needed to Pass Landscape Water Meter Bill

In May, 52 members of the State Assembly voted in winning approval of the California Landscape Contractors Association's (CLCA) landscape water meter bill, Assembly Bill 2298, in a floor vote. Only 17 members voted against the bill and 11 others did not vote or were absent.

The Bill is now on the senate side of the legislature awaiting a hearing by their Agriculture and Water Resources Committee. If approved, the Bill will set the following three requirements:

1. Dedicated landscape meters must be installed on new landscapes of 10,000 square feet or more after January 1, 2006.
2. Dedicated landscape meters must be installed on existing landscapes of an acre or more by January 1, 2012-except on parcels occupied by a single-family residential dwelling. Public parks with incidental indoor water use can remain in compliance as long as they install one or more meters that measure total water use on their property.
3. Urban water suppliers are required to use the landscape meter information for billing purposes.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee approved this same version of AB 2298 about a week before the floor vote. In that hearing Scott McGilvray (CLCA member) of Jensen Corporation Landscape Contractors testified in support along with Parke Terry, CLCA Legislative Advocate

The CLCA will need a lot of grass roots help from members to get the bill through the state Senate. Members willing to contact their legislators about the bill should contact CLCA assistant executive director Larry Rohlfes at (800) 448-2522.