State Marks 100+ Water System Consolidations, Providing Safe Drinking Water for 90,000 Californians
The Californer/10263515

SACRAMENTO ~ Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California has facilitated more than 100 water system consolidations since 2019, providing safe drinking water to 90,000 people in communities across the state. This is part of the Governor's commitment to ensuring access to clean drinking water for all Californians.

Since Governor Newsom took office in 2019, the State Water Board has used a variety of tools, including consolidation, to improve access to safe drinking water for close to 2 million Californians. To support local water systems with safe drinking water projects, the Governor signed legislation establishing the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. The fund has provided $620 million in grants for drinking water projects in disadvantaged communities since 2019.

The Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience Program (SAFER) is a key component of the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. It focuses on consolidating small, at-risk or failing water systems into larger, higher capacity systems. SAFER has provided over $815,000 in grants for Westside Elementary's consolidation into the Coachella Valley Water District alone. Before its consolidation, Westside Elementary relied on contaminated well water.

More on The Californer

• California: Governor Newsom's expanded CHP deployment makes early impact on crime, seizing drugs and illegal guns
• California: Governor Newsom honors fallen Caltrans worker
• READY Long Beach Returns October 12
• California: Governor Newsom proclaims Preparedness Month
• Snell & Wilmer Attorneys Keith Gregory & Dana Ontiveros Recognized as 2025 Leaders of Influence

Today at Riverside County's Westside Elementary, leaders from the State Water Board joined representatives from U.S. EPA Region 9 and local officials to celebrate this milestone achievement in providing safe drinking water access to Californians.

Governor Newsom stated: "There's nothing more fundamental than ensuring our communities have access to clean drinking water, and I'm incredibly proud of the progress we've made from day one of my Administration on this long-standing challenge." He added that close to 2 million Californians have benefitted from improved access to safe drinking water since 2019 as a testament to their ongoing commitment to supporting communities in every corner of their state.

---

Show All News | Report Violation