Groundwater

All water districts should be required to develop and imple­ment integrated groundwater management plans that include the water quality, water supply, and drinking water quality needs of all communities within their district boundaries.

Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Legislation

IRWMP legislation is necessary to reform the treatment of low income and communities of color in the planning process. Regions should be required to address groundwater quality in their plans. In addition, regions must be required to do a more thorough job of addressing low income and communities of color interests, not only in the planning process, but also in the array of benefits described in the Plan.

Polluter Pays/Cleanup to Background Levels

The State of California must require polluters to pay for the cleanup of pollution resulting from their activities. This includes pollution resulting from industrial and agricultural activities. For example, all Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB) must stop exempt­ing agricultural and dairy runoff from meeting federal and state clean water laws. In addition RWQCBs must take all available enforcement actions and make every effort to collect fines for use in cleanup efforts.

For more information on these recommendations, contact Debbie Davis, Legislative Analyst

Affordability and Accountability

Vended Water

When low-income and communities of color are forced to rely on vended water they are paying, on average, more than 100 times the cost of their tap water but are often susceptible to increased contaminants in their water. Legislation is necessary to require more frequent inspection of water vending machines to ensure that customers are receiving the high quality water for which they pay such a high price.

Click here for more information on SB 220, EJCW's vended water bill

Affordability

Residential water service, particularly in rural areas, can often place a major financial burden on low-income households. In addition, the same residents paying high rates for their water may also be forced to purchase vended or bottled water because the tap water they pay for is contaminated.

Lifeline Water Rate

Electricity and phone service already provide lifeline rates for low-income customers. The EPA states that people should not pay more than 1.5% of their income on water but there are communities paying up to 10% of their income, and often that is for poor quality water. It is time for our State to create a lifeline water rate to guarantee that everyone in California has access to water, a life sustaining resource.