CMUA Applauds Compromise Ensuring Safe Drinking Water for Californians
Monday, June 10, 2019
Section: CMUA News




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Danielle Blacet-Hyden, Director for Water, dblacet@cmua.org, 916-326-5802; or
Matt Williams, Communications Manager, mwilliams@cmua.org, 916-326-5805

(Sacramento,
Calif., June 10, 2019) — The California Legislature’s Budget Conference Committee on Sunday, June 9, approved a compromise providing $130 million per year to ensure all Californians can access safe drinking water. The funding will come from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the General Fund.

Danielle Blacet
-Hyden, Director for Water at the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA), issued the following statement:

“CMUA and its members have always been committed to a durable solution for communities without safe drinking water. We applaud Governor Newsom, Senate pro Tem Atkins, Assembly Speaker Rendon, and the Budget Conference Committee for their leadership on this issue, which dedicates long-term funding to solve this public health crisis. We urge the full Senate and Assembly to approve the budget and bring relief to struggling communities throughout the state.”

The deadline for approving the
state budget is midnight on June 15. CMUA supports Senator Monning’s SB 200 to implement the drinking water fund and also is co-sponsoring with Eastern Municipal Water District SB 414 by Senator Caballero, which would establish a new tool in the toolbox for the State Water Resources Control Board to advance the consolidation of small systemsthat are currently out of compliance.

CMUA
represents 62 publicly owned electric utilities and water agencies statewide. Together, CMUA members provide water service to 70 percent of Californians and electric service to 25 percent of the state.

 
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