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<br />WHEREAS, cities have seen their costs with the new NPDES permit requirements double and <br />triple in size in the past year, with additional costs anticipated in future years. Additionally, many local <br />businesses have grown increasingly concerned about the costs of retrofitting their properties to meet <br />stormwater and runoff requirements required under the NPDES permits and TMDL programs; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the League of California Cities adopted water polices in March of 2012, recognizing <br />that the development and operation of water supply, flood control and storm water management, among <br />other water functions, is frequently beyond the capacity of local areas to finance and the League found that <br />since most facilities have widespread benefits, it has become the tradition for Federal, State and local <br />governments to share their costs (XIV, Financial Considerations); and the League supports legislation <br />providing funding for stormwater and other water programs; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the Governor and the Legislature are currently contemplating projects for a water <br />bond and a portion of the bond could be directed to assist local government in funding and implementing the <br />goals of the Clean Water Act and the State’s water objectives of conserving and reusing stormwater in order <br />to improve the supply and reliability of water supply; and now therefore let it be <br /> <br />RESOLVED by the General Assembly of the League of California Cities, assembled in Sacramento <br />on September 20, 2013, that the League calls for the Governor and the Legislature to work with the League <br />and other stakeholders to provide adequate funding for water conservation, ground water recharge and <br />capture and reuse of stormwater and runoff in the water bond issue and to prioritize future water bonds to <br />assist local governments in funding these programs. The League will work with its member cities to educate <br />federal and state officials to the challenges facing local governments in providing for programs to capture, <br />infiltrate and reuse stormwater and urban runoff. <br /> <br />////////// <br /> <br />Background Information on Resolution No. 1 <br /> <br />Source: Los Angeles County Division <br /> <br />Background: <br />In order to meet the goals of both the Federal Clean Water Act and the State’s Porter-Cologne Water <br />Quality Control Act, which seek to ensure safe clean water supplies, cities provide critical water <br />conservation, ground water recharge and reuse of stormwater infrastructure, including capture and reuse of <br />stormwater for their citizens, businesses and institutions. <br /> <br />Working with the State’s Regional Water Quality Control Boards and the State Water Resources Board <br />through the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting process and Total <br />Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Programs, California’s cities implement programs to capture, infiltrate and <br />treat stormwater and urban runoff with the use of low impact development ordinances, green streets policies <br />and other programs to increase the local ground water supply. <br /> <br />These actions have led to a dramatic decrease in water pollution from wastewater treatment plants and other <br />so-called “point sources” since the adoption of the Clean Water Act in 1972. However, current threats to the <br />State’s “non-point sources “ of pollution, such as stormwater and urban runoff are far more difficult to solve, <br />even as the demand for clean water increases from a growing population and an economically important <br />agricultural industry. <br /> <br /> <br />7