Water and wastewater agencies will now have more financial stability thanks to Governor Newsom signing Senate Bill 323 (Caballero) this week. The new law requires any lawsuits challenging fees or charges for water or sewer service to be filed within 120 days of the effective date. Water and sewer agencies …
Read More »Newsom meets with FEMA; signs budget trailer bill AB 148
Late last week Governor Gavin Newsom met with new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell at Folsom Lake to show the massive impacts of climate change, including drought, heat waves and wildfires. The Governor also signed budget trailer bill AB 148 to expedite the state’s response to severe drought …
Read More »House passes PFAS legislation
Earlier this week the House approved the PFAS Action Act of 2021 with bi-partisan support, 241-183. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish national drinking water standards for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — PFOA and PFOS — or better known as “forever chemicals”. Representative Josh Harder (CA-10), …
Read More »Eastern projects receive federal funding allocations in House bill
Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) stands to receive federal funding allocations for two projects in the House Appropriations Committee’s FY 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies legislation approved last week. Thanks to Representatives Ken Calvert and Mark Takano, EMWD’s Quail Valley Septic to Sewer program is slated to receive $2.5 …
Read More »Valadao introduces NEED Water Act to provide emergency drought relief
Congressman David Valadao (CA-21) has introduced legislation he says will provide emergency drought relief to the Central Valley. The Necessary to Ensure Expeditious Delivery of Water Act, or NEED Water Act, would protect water currently in the Central Valley Project system for human needs and reduce regulatory burdens in order …
Read More »President Biden’s 2022 budget proposes investments in water reliability across the West
Last week the Biden administration submitted to Congress the President’s budget for fiscal year 2022 which includes a $1.5 billion investment for the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation. “Drought, climate change, and issues of equity and sustainability as well as the continuous need to secure and modernize our …
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