State Water Board adopts administrator handbook changes to allow temporary sewer system administrators under AB 805

The State Water Resources Control Board on Jan. 22 unanimously adopted revisions to its Administrator Policy Handbook to implement Assembly Bill 805, giving the board temporary authority to appoint administrators to designated sewer systems found to be providing inadequate service. The board also authorized the executive director or designee to take necessary actions to implement the authority and directed staff to return with lessons learned after the first use.

Staff presented the changes as an extension of existing administrator authorities used for failing drinking water systems. James Garrett, senior water resource control engineer in the Division of Financial Assistance, told the board the handbook was updated to reflect AB 805 (signed Sept. 24, 2024), which authorizes the board, through January 1, 2029, to require a designated sewer system to contract with an administrator the board designates. The amendments add criteria and processes required by new Water Code sections cited in AB 805 and allow limited grant funding from the State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account to administrators for eligible sewer uses.

The revised handbook adds criteria (section 14) the board will use to find a sewer…