SECTION 1.
The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:(a) California has a climate that cycles between periods of large amounts of precipitation and times of drought.
(b) California’s weather cycles are already affecting water resources throughout the state, which in turn negatively impact ecosystems, economies, and communities.
(c) In addition to enhancing water efficiency, California can and should take action to build water resilience into its water resource management and planning that accounts for these changes, allowing the state to better adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change on water supplies and watersheds.
(d) With climate change likely bringing more frequent and intense droughts to California, the state needs to evaluate how it will ensure sufficient water supplies during times of shortage.
(e) An emergency water supply is one way the state can ensure sufficient water supplies during times of drought, and the development of emergency water supplies can aid the state in mitigating the impacts of more frequent droughts.
(f) Despite this, few water suppliers have made an investment in emergency water supplies.
(g) Establishing as state policy a role for emergency water supplies can help encourage and incentivize greater investment and development of those supplies across the state.