Hundreds of Failing Water Systems in California Need Funding for New Infrastructure

Nearly 400 public water systems in California have failed to meet recommended safety standards for drinking water, according to a report last month from the State Water Resources Control Board, but a new climate bond measure recently joined the state’s November ballot may help. Some 913,000 Californians, approximately 2 percent of the state’s population, are potentially affected by 385 failing public water systems according to the report. Fifty-six of those systems “serve disadvantaged communities and 67 percent serve majority communities of color.” The annual report identifies California drinking water challenges, part of an effort to improve access to safe drinking water started by former Gov. Jerry Brown. He signed Assembly Bill 685 into law in 2012, establishing that “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for cooking consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.”...