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Glossary
Water loss, utilities and public funding

What is California SB 555?

Definition

California SB 555 is the state law requiring urban retail water suppliers to submit annual water loss audits in the AWWA format, checked by a qualified validator, to the Department of Water Resources.

Who files in California

Urban retail water suppliers file. Each submission goes to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) through its WUEdata portal and includes the AWWA audit spreadsheet, a validator certification and a utility certification. DWR then reviews each report and posts its status publicly. The State Water Resources Control Board uses the reported loss data in setting water loss performance standards.

What validation checks

  • That each input in the balance is backed by records rather than software defaults.
  • That data validity grades match the evidence for source meter testing, billing data and estimates of unbilled use.
  • That the audit follows the AWWA method and software.

Meter records a validator can rely on

Validators grade how trustworthy each input is. Aqueduct's device Health tab records connection rate and supply voltage for every meter, and the twin marks a meter that stops reporting, so gaps in a year of readings are documented with dates instead of found during validation.

Questions

California SB 555: common questions

California SB 555 is the 2015 state law that put urban water suppliers on a regular, validated water loss reporting cycle. It led to annual AWWA audits filed with the Department of Water Resources and to water loss performance standards from the State Water Board. See the water loss audit page.

DWR reviews it and records a status on the public WUEdata listing, such as requirements addressed or preliminarily approved. Suppliers whose audits need changes are asked to correct and resubmit, so a well documented first submission saves time later in the cycle.

Both use the AWWA method with independent review. The Georgia Water Stewardship Act ties audits to water withdrawal permits with a March 1 deadline, while California reports to DWR and uses the data to set loss standards.

Records that back each input: source meter testing results, billing data extracts and documented estimates for unbilled use. Aqueduct adds dated meter health and reporting history for the meters it reads, which supports the validator's grading of AWWA M36 inputs.

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