Wastewater Consolidation Program

Overview

The State Water Resources Control Board and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Boards (LA Regional Water Board) recognize that improperly sited, designed, operated, and/or maintained onsite sewage treatment systems (OSTSs) are a key source of bacteria and nitrate to surface and groundwaters that serve as drinking water sources.

In 2018, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 1215 (SB 1215) into law, establishing funding and the regulatory framework for a statewide Wastewater Consolidation Program to facilitate the consolidation of inadequate OSTSs with local publicly owned treatment works (POTW).

SB 1215 modifies the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (California Water Code Chapter 4.3, commencing with section 13288) to authorize each Regional Water Board to encourage, and if necessary, mandate the provision of sewer service to disadvantaged/severely disadvantaged communities with inadequate OSTSs. This authority will be executed either through collaboration with local sewer service providers, or through enforcement orders to establish a timeline for connection to local sewer systems of POTW.

The Wastewater Consolidation Program provides a pathway to compliance with other State and Regional Water Board initiatives such as the Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Policy (OWTS Policy) and the Los Angeles Region Water Quality Control Plan for the Coastal Watersheds of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties (Basin Plan). Please also see the ‘Related Programs’ section for links to these web pages.