Water conservation: water wise designation.

Assembly Member Ahrens' proposal to establish a "Water Wise" designation program aims to recognize commercial, industrial, and institutional businesses that demonstrate exemplary water conservation practices through California's Save Our Water Campaign.

The designation would be awarded to businesses that meet or exceed the water use management practices established under existing state efficiency standards. The Department of Water Resources and Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications would administer the program within their current Save Our Water Campaign framework. According to the bill's findings, the commercial, industrial, and institutional sector accounts for approximately 30 percent of California's urban water use, totaling roughly 2.6 million acre-feet annually.

This initiative builds upon water conservation legislation enacted in 2018 that directed the development of urban water efficiency standards and best management practices. The bill's findings note that California faces projected reductions of at least 10 percent in usable water over the next two decades due to climate pattern changes, highlighting water conservation's role in the state's broader water management strategy.