Much has been made of the defeat of Assembly Bill 2046, which included a provision precluding water suppliers from relying on groundwater that did not meet applicable state standards when assessing their water supply.

Supporters of the bill would have you believe that, without AB 2046, polluted water could find its way into our drinking water supply. In reality, the bill would have stifled development for the sake of stifling development.

The fact is that the current process calls for agencies and developers to determine whether a groundwater basin is viable to meet future needs.

Then appropriate agencies treat the water prior to its use. This bill would have obligated groundwater be treated to drinking water standards when it may not be used for several years.

This risks creating a huge potential disincentive to cleaning up groundwater basins if they cannot be counted as a water source for a future project.

The bottom line is that the Building Industry Association has been at the forefront of implementing technology that improves water quality and conservation for years, and we will continue to strive to adequately prepare for the needs of our children and our community.