Written by CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and California State Water Resources Control Board Chair Felicia Marcus via Sacramento Bee Sacramento, California – When we read about drinking water problems like those in Flint, Michigan, it’s easy to think that would never happen here.
And we’ve consolidated smaller systems in communities like East Porterville, where clean water now flows into hundreds of homes that were without it.
Bond funds and loans can’t be used to cover these costs, but without these resources, small systems don’t qualify for the funding that is available to cover the capital costs of these projects.
The governor’s proposed budget includes a new Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund created from fees on fertilizer, dairies and livestock, and a fee of less than a dollar a month assessed on water bills.
And most critical, it will help cover ongoing water treatment costs, providing the last piece of the puzzle for small systems that are currently unable to get grants and loans and hire qualified managers.
Let’s be clear: Existing funds would not provide the kind of multi-year funding guarantee needed to secure capital financing and maintain critical water infrastructure 24 hours a day.
The proposed dedicated funding source will not compete with other general fund needs and will provide the state with essential infrastructure investment and public health protection over time.
Using fees to pay for the state’s basic needs makes good sense.
The proposed drinking water fee of less than a dollar a month has the same clear connection to addressing a critical need – and costs even less.
That is why we are urging members of California Legislature to approve the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund this session.