By Rachel Becker

WHAT THE BILL WOULD DO

California lawmakers approved SB 222 by state Sen. Bill Dodd, a Democrat from Napa, which offers state assistance to low income residents who struggle to pay for drinking water and sewage. Many of the details for how it would work remain up in the air — including how much assistance would be offered and how many people would qualify. There’s also a major catch: The program remains unfunded as final budget negotiations continue. 

WHO SUPPORTS IT

Environmental justice advocates supported the bill, including bill sponsor Community Water Center, a safe drinking water advocacy group. Investor-owned utilities represented by the California Water Association, such as California Water Service, also support it; the largest already offer rate assistance programs of their own. 

WHO IS OPPOSED

The Association of California Water Agencies, which represents more than 450 public water agencies, was opposed over concerns that the program’s division of state and local responsibilities is inefficient and would waste money. 

WHY IT MATTERS

Californians have been struggling to pay their water bills statewide, and it reached a boiling point during the pandemic. Nearly 650,000 residential and 46,000 business accounts owed more than $315 million in unpaid water and wastewater bills by September 2021. This would be the only program of its kind in the country. It aims to make water more affordable before Californians are in crisis. 

GOVERNOR’S CALL ❌

Newsom announced Sept. 28 he had vetoed the bill. In a veto message, he said that “lowering costs and making sure that Californians have access to safe and affordable drinking water is a top priority,” but said that “there is no sustainable, ongoing funding identified.”