July eNews: 1 BILLION to help pay household water debt
Here’s some great news: Governor Newsom signed a bill last week that will provide $1 billion to help California families pay for their household water debt.
This is huge! The State Water Board had previously reported that 1.6 million households who have been struggling financially through the pandemic are drowning in $1 billion in water debt.
The legislation will also expedite drought emergency funds to impacted communities by providing more flexibility to state agencies.
These measures will definitely help bring some much needed relief and support to our communities.
At the same time, we must continue working toward drought preparedness and ensuring that all Californians have safe, clean, and affordable drinking water.
In that regard, I’m proud to announce that we had a new water champion join our Community Water Leaders Network (CWLN), Delano City Councilmember Salvador Solorio-Ruiz, as well as a new member of the CWC team, Policy Director Kyle Jones!
You can read more about these updates below.
Adelante,
Susana De Anda
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Delano Councilmember Joins Community Water Leaders Network
Meet one of our newest Community Water Leaders Network (CWLN) members, Delano City Councilmember Salvador Solorio-Ruiz!
Salvador, who is a first-generation college graduate and the son of immigrants, attended California State University Fresno and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication.
After graduating, he returned to his hometown of Delano because he wanted to serve the community that raised him. He is now one of the youngest council members in Delano at 25. Salvador hopes to inspire other young people to get civically engaged and to amplify the voices of marginalized communities.
Community Water Leaders Network is a group of local elected officials and water decision-makers with the unified mission of increasing access to safe, clean, and affordable drinking water in the San Joaquin Valley. Members highlight key drinking water issues facing their communities, advocate for resources and share important drinking water information with their constituents.
Welcome, Salvador!
$1 Billion on the Way for Household Water Debt Relief
Last week, California announced it will spend $1 billion to help Californians who are drowning in COVID-19 water debt.
The California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program will provide a critical lifeline for families who have been struggling to stay financially afloat throughout the pandemic.
In January, the State Water Board released their COVID-19 Impact Survey, which revealed that 1.6 million households were drowning in water debt totaling $1 billion. We knew that the state had to establish an equitable reopening plan to protect the Human Right to Water. After months of advocacy, coalition coordination, and highlighting the water affordability crisis, help has finally arrived!
We applaud Governor Newsom’s and the legislature’s leadership on this issue. CWC will continue to engage for equitable implementation for small and rural communities alike and further that Human Right to Water.
We cannot have massive water shutoffs as a part of “building back” California, so we must disburse these funds while keeping families' water service intact. In other words, we cannot have families lose water access while significant relief is on route to the water systems.
Additionally, California is positioned to receive an additional $116 million dollars for the federal Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program. Both of these programs will be instrumental in helping Californians have critical access to water.
Governor Expedites Drought Emergency Funds
Drought has hit communities of color disproportionately hard during this extraordinarily hot and dry summer. According to the Department of Water Resources (DWR), more than 160 households have experienced domestic well outages within the last 30 days.
These outages, caused by agriculture groundwater over-pumping, are a significant threat to our drinking water supply.
To address some of these challenges, Governor Newsom has signed AB148, which will allow drought emergency funds to be expedited to impacted communities. He has also directed DWR to develop groundwater management principles to monitor and minimize impacts to drinking water wells.
These developments are promising to rural, low-income communities that have faced despair in the face of one of the worst droughts in 100 years. Still, we need to invest equitably in California community water systems and limit groundwater depletion to build back better.
CWC in the News!
Senator Dodd’s Water Access and Equity Bill Approved in Committee
“California families are drowning in $1 billion of water debt. SB 222 would be a huge step forward in ensuring that all Californians have affordable water. We’re proud to support this critical legislation for our communities. Together, we can realize the Human Right to Water for all.”
Susana De Anda, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Community Water Center
Have we learned from the last drought?
“We cannot develop water policy without an acknowledgment of the inequitable laws that have brought us to where we are today. Future water policies must acknowledge the disinvestment in low-income families and communities of color.”
Erick Orellana, Policy Advocate, Community Water Center
California: Estado de emergencia
“Droughts are getting worse and worse throughout the years.”
Daniel Penaloza, Water Leadership Strategist, Community Water Center
“[The drought] was a trauma that we’re still living through.”
Cristobal Chavez, Porterville Resident, AGUA Coalition member
“[The drought] was traumatic for all of us.”
Maria Nora Loza de Chavez, Porterville Resident
“We are in the United States and we must be united in finding a solution for this problem, because without that, we won’t be able to achieve it.”
Sandra Chavez, Porterville Resident, AGUA Coalition and SAFER Advisory Group member
This Tulare County town has been without water for a month, experts say more to come
“There’s no coincidence that a lot of low-income communities of color have no access to safe drinking water. Systemic racism, set up in a way where people have access to certain resources and some don’t.”
Susana De Anda, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Community Water Center
VIDEO: What Does Sweat Have to do with the Global Water Crisis? | Out of Our Elements
“Just because it flows in our tap water and is clear and smell-free, it’s not guaranteed to be safe.”
Susana De Anda, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Community Water Center
Californians scramble for fresh water as taps, wells run dry
“We were drinking the water for 11 years without noticing that the water is contaminated.”
Cristobal Chavez, Porterville Resident, AGUA Coalition member
Without Enough Water To Go Around, Farmers In California Are Exhausting Aquifers
"When 90 percent of our valley residents rely on groundwater, we have to be sure that we're sharing that for all beneficial uses," she says. "That means that we should not over-pump."
Susana De Anda, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Community Water Center
See more CWC news coverage here.
New CWC Team Members
We are excited to introduce Kyle Jones as our new team member! Kyle joined our Sacramento office this month as our new policy director. Welcome aboard, Kyle!
Read more about Kyle here
Thank you to our Generous Donors!
Huge thank you to our regular monthly donors, whose continual contributions help to sustain our long-term work toward achieving safe, clean and affordable drinking water!
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