On Tuesday, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) put in motion allocating a $10 million appropriation from a recent budget trailer bill, Senate Bill 129, for emergency drinking water funding requests. A July 8th Governor’s Proclamation of a Statewide Emergency for drought conditions was expanded to include 50 counties. Drought conditions are expected to continue through 2022. The SWRCB’s Division of Financial Assistance will give priority for these funds to drought areas that are economically disadvantaged and have water systems that lack the cashflow to implement projects on their own. Services that could be provided through this funding include bottled water, storage tanks and hauled water, point-of-use and point-of-entry water treatment devices, well repair, rehabilitation or replacement, and technical assistance to communities in need, mainly in the Central Valley. For more information on drought funding opportunities, see here.
