Safe drinking water: contaminated groundwater.

The Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, an initiative bond act approved by the voters at the November 7, 2006, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $5,388,000,000 for the purposes of financing a safe drinking water, water quality and supply, flood control, and resource protection program. Existing law appropriates $180,000,000 of that bond money for grants for small community drinking water system infrastructure improvements and related actions to meet safe drinking water standards. This bill would require the State Department of Public Health to develop guidelines in collaboration with the State Water Resources Control Board to fund projects for disadvantaged or severely disadvantaged communities and to govern the selection of projects that considered demonstrated prevention of illness and adverse public health effects in a community. The bill would also require the department to provide guidelines for improving replacement drinking water systems in areas with contaminated groundwater that may not be economically remediated for drinking water purposes and the acquisition of public water systems by local agencies as part of a project to provide clean and safe water for small communities.