Section 116681.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 116681.
in effectThe following definitions shall apply to this section and Sections 116682, 116684, 116686, and 116688:
(a)
“Adequate supply” means sufficient water to meet residents’ health and safety needs at all times.
(b)
“Affected residence” means a residence within a disadvantaged community that is reliant on a water supply that is either inadequate or unsafe and that is not served by a public water system or state small water system.
(c)
“At-risk domestic well” means a domestic well that serves a disadvantaged community and is at risk of consistently failing to provide an adequate supply of safe
drinking water as determined by the state board pursuant to the methodology established in the 2021 Drinking Water Needs Assessment referenced in subdivision (b) of Section 116769, or a substantially similar methodology adopted by the state board in an update to the Drinking Water Needs Assessment.
(d)
“At-risk water system” means a water system that meets all the following conditions:
(1)
The water system is either a public water system with 3,300 or fewer connections or a state small water system.
(2)
The system serves a disadvantaged community.
(3)
The system is at risk of consistently failing to provide an adequate supply of safe drinking water, as
determined by the state board pursuant to the methodology established in the 2021 Drinking Water Needs Assessment referenced in subdivision (b) of Section 116769, or a substantially similar methodology adopted by the state board in an update to the Drinking Water Needs Assessment.
(e)
“Consistently fails” means a failure to provide an adequate supply of safe drinking water.
(f)
“Consolidated water system” means the public water system resulting from the consolidation of a public water system with another public water system, state small water system, or affected residences.
(g)
“Consolidation” means joining two or more public water systems, state small water systems, or affected residences into a single public
water system.
(h)
“Disadvantaged community” means a disadvantaged community, as defined in Section 79505.5 of the Water Code.
(i)
“Domestic well” means a groundwater well used to supply water for the domestic needs of an individual residence or a water system that is not a public water system and that has no more than four service connections.
(j)
“Extension of service” means the provision of service through any physical or operational infrastructure arrangement other than consolidation.
(k)
“Groundwater sustainability agency” has the same meaning as provided in Section 10721 of the Water Code.
(
l
)
“Infill site” means a site within the area served by a subsumed water system that, as of the date of consolidation, is adjacent to a parcel that is developed for a qualified urban use.
(m)
“Operation period” means the period during which an administrator provides services to a designated water system, as provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (r) of Section 116686.
(n)
“Qualified urban use” means any residential, commercial, public institutional, industrial, transit or transportation facility, or retail use, or any combination of those uses.
(o)
“Receiving water system” means the public water system that provides service to a subsumed water system through consolidation or extension of service.
(p)
“Safe drinking water” means water that meets all primary and secondary drinking water standards.
(q)
“State small water system” has the same meaning as provided in Section 116275.
(r)
“Subsumed water system” means a public water system, state small water system, or affected residences served by domestic wells consolidated into or receiving service from the receiving water system.
References
referencesCal. Water Code - WAT § 79505.5.
referencesCal. Water Code - WAT § 10721.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 116682.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 116769.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 116686.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 116275.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026