The proposed tax on drinking water was introduced in 2017 by Sen. Bill Monning (SB 623).
Another $30 million would come from higher fees on agricultural and dairy businesses, industries whose chemicals contribute to the problem of contaminated groundwater.
Keep in mind, there’s money available from other sources — such as the state’s general fund — that could be used for contaminated groundwater remediation.
I said it was a very bad idea because it was the proverbial camel’s-nose-under-the-tent: It surely would be the first step towards more taxes on public drinking water.
They also plan to allocate $23.5 million from the general fund for various safe drinking water provisions as the legislative year is wrapped up shortly.
Their bungling in the library caper created a prodigious issue that resonates with voters throughout the county, but especially in the 3rd District which is headquarters for two extremely active “Friends of the Public Library” groups in Laytonville and Covelo..
It’s considered bad public policy when elected officials go out of their way to insult and vilify the very folks they appointed to serve as an advisory conduit to them.
Recently many people were disappointed that the Board of Supervisors approved the Cultural Services Agency, a new county department that combines the Library, County Museum and parks.
The supervisors made this move disregarding the advice of their advisory boards, the public and Friends of the Libraries.
Mendocino County’s current and past Board of Supervisors approved an asphalt plant in a flood plain, overly complex cannabis rules and a Cultural Services Agency without considering the effect on its people.

"Why they can’t fix the pipes in the water so the kids won’t be missing so many days of school," said Denill Holmes.
Holmes is one of many parents in St. Joseph who are nervous.
“Some parents don’t want them at home."
She’s considering not sending her grandson to school on Monday because she thinks it’s still not safe there.
"I just told them don’t drink it and I’ll buy water and give it to them," she said.
"If we don’t know what they’re drinking at this high school or this elementary school here, then it’s putting our children’s lives at stake," Johnson said.
"At this point, it’s not just a St. Joseph issue, it’s a parish-wide issue,” said Janie Jones.
“So we need to make sure that every child in this parish has access to clean water at the schools."
The school board says they’ve replaced all the water fountains in the buildings, and have been flushing the water every day.
"Change the pipes, then put in the water," Johnson said.

In the lead up to a High-level Political Forum held at the United Nations in July, which discussed progress and challenges on a range of SDGs, including goal six, WaterAid Australia drew attention to the challenges of achieving the objective.
Based on its current rate of progress, Laos is projected to achieve national access to basic water and sanitation by 2024.
By 2015, more than 91 percent of the population had access to basic water, putting the country on track to achieve universal basic water access by 2025.
“For every dollar spent on water and sanitation, on average $4 is returned in economic benefits, according to World Bank estimates.” In 2000, Papua New Guinea had enabled 36.7 percent of its population to access basic water and 18.7 percent basic sanitation.
Based on this rate of progress, Equatorial Guinea will achieve national coverage for basic water by 3119.
Beginning in 2000, data shows just 16.8 percent of the nation had access to basic water and 7.5 percent access to basic sanitation.
Just over half the population had access to appropriate facilities for basic sanitation in 2015, but with an annual progress of 0.2 percent, the country is projected to achieve basic sanitation targets by 3468.
These three nations also face other challenges.
Despite national basic water coverage, 1 percent of Germany’s population has no access to basic sanitation.
Although projections show the challenging road ahead for water and sanitation, they do not factor in additional challenges — such as future natural disasters, conflicts, and economic crises — have in achieving universal access targets.

In the five years under audit, the Union and state governments budgeted Rs 89,956 crore or close to Rs 900 billion for about 1.2 million schemes.
The CAG audit finds that coverage of rural habitations increased by only 8 per cent at 40 lpcd and 5.5 per cent on the basis of 55 lpcd during 2012-17.
Instead of 100 per cent coverage as planned, “44 per cent of rural habitations and 85 per cent of government schools and anganwadis provided access to safe drinking water”.
Similarly, instead of the 50 per cent target, only 18 per cent of rural population was provided potable drinking water through pipes and only 17 per cent of rural households were given household connections.
“While the percentage of fully covered rural habitations to the total habitations with 40 lpcd increased from 69 (2013) to 77 per cent (2017), the coverage increased from 39 per cent in April 2013 to 44 per cent in April 2017 based on the norms of 55 lpcd,” says the audit report.
2,212.44 crore.” Under the programme, every village has to have a water security plan besides similar plans at district and state levels to not only target the programme effectively but also involve local communities for sustainable management of structures created.
But 21 states have not prepared such plans showing a fundamental failure in implementation of the scheme.
The National Drinking Water and Sanitation Council (NDWSC), set up in 2010, that is supposed to be the nodal body to coordinate the scheme between the Union ministries and the state governments for speedy implementation.
Now, CAG says given this state of implementation, India might not meet the Sustainable Development Goals on drinking water coverage by 2030.
Govt’s new assessment tool will find out We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s congressional delegation announced on Tuesday a combined $18.97 million from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Vermont’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).
The CWSRF program is a federal-state partnership that provides communities a permanent, independent source of low-cost financing for a wide range of water quality infrastructure projects.
The DWSRF is a federal-state partnership to help ensure safe drinking water.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said: “These EPA clean water programs are so important to towns in Vermont and to communities across the country.
A high priority for me on the Appropriations Committee continues to be to secure strong funding for both the EPA Clean Water and EPA Drinking Water programs this year, and our success in this year’s budget is reflected in these investments coming to Vermont.” “I’m very pleased Vermont will receive roughly $19 million in much-needed funding from the EPA to improve drinking water and wastewater systems,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who serves on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which authorized the EPA State Revolving Fund programs.
“At a time when families in parts of Vermont are struggling with PFAS contamination and untreated or partially treated sewage being dumped into our waterways, these funds will help modernize our aging water infrastructure.
However, if we are serious about addressing the huge backlog of water system projects in Vermont and across the country, we must make a significant and prolonged investment on the federal level.
During the next 20 years, according to estimates, Vermont must invest $510 million to upgrade small community water systems, alone.
Earlier in this Congress, Sanders and Leahy also helped draft a $1 trillion proposal to rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure.
In the House, Welch helped draft the LIFT America Act, a comprehensive 21st Century infrastructure package that invests in in broadband, health care, the electric grid, renewable energy, and contains $22.56 billion for drinking water infrastructure.

Alaina Lockhart, Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Cathy Rogers, Minister of Finance; and Jim Campbell, Mayor of Riverside-Albert; today announced over $24,000 in joint funding towards the installation of water system sampling stations in the Village of Riverside-Albert.
The federal government is funding up to 50 per cent of project costs—over $11,000.
Thanks to this investment, two dedicated water sampling stations will be installed on the municipal water distribution system.
This investment by the Government of Canada will ensure that residents have access to clean, safe drinking water for years to come.
They can now be confident as they plan for sustainable growth and make investments to create well-paying middle class jobs.
I am proud that we were able to partner with the Village and the Province of New Brunswick with this investment for the future here in Albert County."
When we invest strategically, we maximize the return on every dollar invested."
The Honourable Cathy Rogers, Minister of Finance "As a result of the water and wastewater partnership with the federal and provincial governments, the Village of Riverside-Albert was able to install new water lines and laterals on King Street.
Quick facts The Government of Canada will invest more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
$26.9 billion of this funding will support green infrastructure projects, including $5 billion that will be available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

But Yang was disappointed to see “disturbing amounts of plastic water bottles and cups” littering the grounds at Parc Jean-Drapeau during last weekend’s festival.
When organizers learned that an extreme heat warning would be in effect last weekend, it was decided that the security team would undertake a mass distribution of bottles of water, he said.
At the end of the day, we will do what we have to to keep people safe.” It was Yang’s third year at Osheaga, “and I have never stepped on water bottles every two steps the way I did this year,” she said in an interview Tuesday.
Vanden Brande acknowledged the lineups, but said “a lot had to do with the weather.” As in prior years, food vendors at Osheaga were required to use compostable containers, cups and utensils, and some offered eco-cups for which concertgoers paid a refundable deposit, he said.
As in the past, waste sorting centres to encourage recycling and composting were in place, and “it is definitely something we want to increase.” Although festival co-ordinators were “extremely pleased” with eco-conscious efforts to date, “we always want to get better,” Vanden Brande said.
We do a lot with garbage and recycling bins and composting, but I do think it is an effort for everyone to make — concertgoers, concessions, everyone.” “Being eco-responsible means taking concrete action, year after year, to minimize the ecological footprint of our events,” Evenko said in a statement in July, when the ban on straws was announced.
Eight recycling bins were filled, and five compost bins.
“We don’t create a lot of garbage,” founder Ziv Przytyk said of the festival, which takes place on his organic family farm.
Przytyk and his brother started to sort the garbage back in the third or fourth year of the festival.
Plastic water bottles.

Alaina Lockhart, Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Cathy Rogers, Minister of Finance; and Jim Campbell, Mayor of Riverside-Albert; today announced over $24,000 in joint funding towards the installation of water system sampling stations in the Village of Riverside-Albert.
The federal government is funding up to 50 per cent of project costs—over $11,000.
Thanks to this investment, two dedicated water sampling stations will be installed on the municipal water distribution system.
This investment is part of an agreement between Canada and New Brunswick for clean water and wastewater.
This investment by the Government of Canada will ensure that residents have access to clean, safe drinking water for years to come.
I am proud that we were able to partner with the Village and the Province of New Brunswick with this investment for the future here in Albert County."
When we invest strategically, we maximize the return on every dollar invested."
The Honourable Cathy Rogers, Minister of Finance "As a result of the water and wastewater partnership with the federal and provincial governments, the Village of Riverside-Albert was able to install new water lines and laterals on King Street.
Quick facts The Government of Canada will invest more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
These investments complement the Atlantic Growth Strategy, a 2-year federal-provincial action plan aimed at stimulating economic growth in the region through five priority areas: Skilled workforce/Immigration; Innovation; Clean growth and climate change; Trade and investment; Infrastructure.

The apex court also summoned the Chief Minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif to inquire about the quality of the water supply situation and the actions taken to tackle water pollution (quality degradation).
The Punjab CM submitted before the court that the provincial government will soon be able to come up with a comprehensive plan for water treatment to provide safe drinking water to the people.
However, provision of, and access to, safe drinking water is one of the provincial governments’ prime responsibilities.
Industries are a major source of pollution when it comes to both surface and groundwater in Pakistan.
The run off from agriculture has nitrogen and phosphorus-based fertilisers and varying pesticides.
Excessive use of agricultural fertilisers increases the productivity of the soil which it does, but on the contrary impairs the quality of water which was earlier drinkable.
Over 50 to 60 million people might be at risk as they are the ones who use groundwater for human consumption.
The provinces of Punjab, KP and Sindh re-established PHEDs in 2003, 2009 and 2010, respectively.
These developments created further confusion on responsibility and jurisdiction (pertaining to water and sanitation services delivery) whereas PHEDs are operating in rural areas and TMAs in urban areas.
After the promulgation of the Local Government Act of 2012 provinces replaced urban TMAs with town municipal corporations and rural TMAs by district councils.

Much of the land that would be used for the proposed project was purchased by the Birmingham Water Works — with ratepayer funds — to protect a major drinking water intake on the river.
"There are many places where development is appropriate in the watershed," said Beth Stewart, executive director of the Cahaba River Society, one of the groups organizing opposition to the project.
ALDOT’s East Central Region Engineer DeJarvis Leonard said the road is meant to restore connectivity between Cahaba Beach Road and Sicard Hollow Road, which previously were connected by a dirt road and an old iron and wood bridge across the river.
This map shows proposed routes to connect Cahaba Beach Road with Sicard Hollow Road off of U.S. 280.
ALDOT The department had proposed multiple similar routes to connect the two roads, and Leonard said two of those, Options 5 and 5B on the map above are advancing to the next stage, which includes environmental impact studies and additional planning work.
Environmental issues Leonard said ALDOT intends to make the roads controlled-access, to limit development in the sensitive areas around the river in response to concerns about the water intake.
Still, environmental groups like Cahaba River Society, Cahaba Riverkeeper, Alabama Rivers Alliance and others have said the road — even a limited-access road — would result in dirtier water being pumped through the intake to hundreds of thousands of customers in the Birmingham metro area.
That changed with Cahaba Beach Road.
Several nearby residents also said they opposed the project, which in their minds was mostly about connecting undeveloped land on the other side of the river to U.S. 280 than about alleviating traffic concerns or restoring a connectivity that was lost several decades ago.
Several Edenton residents attended the meeting, all opposed to the project.