California Gov. Gavin Newsom to Sign Bill to Create Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund

(SACRAMENTO, CA – July 24, 2019) Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to sign legislation today to allocate up to $130 million a year to provide safe and affording drinking water to all Californians. The bill, SB 200, authored by Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) creates the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund to support projects to clean up contaminated drinking water and help cash-strapped rural water districts. Approximately 1 million Californians lack access to safe drinking water today, seven years after California became the first state in the country to legislatively recognize that every human has the right to safe, clean and affordable water.

“Today marks an important milestone toward providing clean and affordable water to all Californians. We commend Gov. Newsom for making clean water one of his highest priorities and Sen. Monning for his persistence in moving this legislation across the finish line.

Now that we have overcome this funding hurdle, it’s time to move quickly and provide long-overdue assistance to communities whose water systems have failed as a result of drought and groundwater over-pumping. These communities have been ignored for far too long.”

• Pablo Garza, California Political Director, Ecosystems, Environmental Defense Fund