HCAI webinar details water-rationing guidance, deadlines for NPC‑5 hospital compliance

Kamal Kalsi, senior structural engineer in the Seismic Compliance Unit at the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI), led a webinar that summarized water‑rationing plan guidance and the submission deadlines hospitals must meet to show compliance with NPC‑5 seismic performance standards.

Kalsi said HCAI filed final express terms for the 2025 California Administrative Code with the Secretary of State on Feb. 27 and that “there is no change to the NPC regulations” in the filing; those regulations were scheduled to take effect 30 days after filing (March 29, 2025). He contrasted that effective date with the 2025 California Building Code, which he said becomes effective Jan. 1, 2026, and reviewed the sequence of upcoming NPC‑related deadlines for hospitals with noncompliant buildings.

Why it matters: NPC‑5 rating requires not only structural and bracing measures but also on‑site supplies (water, wastewater, fuel) and systems to allow a facility to operate for the initial 72 hours after a major earthquake or other disaster. HCAI’s guidance explains how hospitals can show compliance when space or cost constraints make full on‑site storage impractical and when facilities propose partial rationing plus vendor resupply.

The webinar covered three broad topics: (1) statutory and code references and deadlines (HCAI pin guidance, AB 869, the California Administrative Code, California Building Code and related plumbing/electrical codes); (2) what should be in a water‑rationing evaluation report; and (3) examples and common review issues, including when the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) must review plans because proposed rationing affects patient care.

Key deadlines and submission items - HCAI said evaluation reports for noncompliant buildings already were required under the 2024 timeline…