Affordability
Topic: SWRCB Preliminary Staff Report: New Hexavalent Chromium Drinking Water MCL – Cost Estimates.
Thank you to all who helped CalMutuals take action with the State Water Resources Control Board to bring potential issues regarding the Hexavalent Chromium cost estimates to the forefront of discussion.
Summary: CalMutuals has the position that the State Water Resources Control Board’s current cost estimates may not reflect true economic feasibility and still retain problems that may prevent it from being legally acceptable. The discussion of the allowance of alternative technologies such as POE/POU devices, modelling strategies for predictions, and universal treatment assumption concerns support CalMutuals’ position that more consideration must be given to all systems as well as their costs and abilities before moving forward.
Read CalMutuals Comment Letter
If you would like to follow the evolution of this issue you may read our previous comment letters to the State Water Resources Control Board regarding their economic feasibility analysis dating back to April and December 2020 that summarize CalMutuals’ position that the White Paper does not adequately address the issues cited by the Court in invalidating the previous standard for hexavalent chromium.
Read CalMutuals December 2020 Comment Letter
Read CalMutuals April 2020 Comment Letter
Bill of Interest:
AB 2041 (E. Garcia) California Safe Drinking Water Act: primary drinking water standards: compliance.
Summary: AB 2041 by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia helps water systems that can not afford to comply with new drinking water regulations enforced by the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water. The bill helps to eliminate uncertainty for water suppliers that must comply with new drinking water standards presenting potential unmanageable costs. AB 2041’s passage would require the Division of Drinking Water to consider who can and can not afford to comply, and development of financial plans to help small and disadvantaged communities that may not be able to afford the required treatment within the compliance period.
AB 2054 (Quirk-Silva) Corporation taxes: exempt organizations: mutual ditch or irrigation companies: public water system: mutual water companies.
Summary: AB 2054 by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva attempts to secure California State recognition of the federal 501(C)12 tax-exempt status for mutual water companies.