Public water systems: drinking water.

Existing law establishes the Emergency Clean Water Grant Fund (Grant Fund) , which is continuously appropriated for the purpose of providing financial assistance to public water systems and funding emergency actions, as defined by the department, to ensure the availability of safe drinking water supplies. Existing law requires the department to determine the definition of what constitutes an emergency requiring an alternative or improved water supply. Existing law authorizes the State Department of Public Health to expend funds from the Grant Fund for these purposes, including, but not limited to, the payment of specified actions. This bill would eliminate the requirement that the department develop a definition of what constitutes an emergency and would instead provide a definition of a public health emergency as an unexpected event that requires immediate action, as specified. This bill would authorize the department to expend the moneys from the Grant Fund if the department determines that a public health emergency has occurred and would list the provision of interim water treatment as one of the listed specified actions for which the department may provide payment. By revising and expanding the application of funds in the Grant Fund, the bill would make an appropriation. This bill would limit the provision of an alternative water supply to $50,000 per public water system per public health emergency. Existing law creates the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (Revolving Fund) and authorizes the department to provide grants or revolving fund loans for public water system projects that enable suppliers to meet safe drinking water standards. Existing law requires the department to report at least once every 2 years to specified committees of the Legislature on the implementation of these provisions and expenditures from the Revolving Fund. Existing law requires the report to include, among other things, the number and types of projects funded and the reduction in risks to public health from contaminants in drinking water provided through the funding of the projects. This bill would require the department to also post on its Internet Web site funding commitments made by the department for certain water system projects and other specified projects. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.