Safe Drinking Water for Californians

Our Purpose

Each year, one million Californians are exposed to unsafe drinking water. Approximately 300 water systems – spanning every region of the state – fail to meet safe water standards. Contaminated water is a public health disaster – putting Californians at risk for cancer, birth defects, heart disease, diabetes and infant mortality.,

To fix California's toxic taps crisis, community, health, labor, and business organizations and families living with contaminated water have come together to support legislation to create a sustainable Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. This solution provides the source of funding needed to maintain safe, affordable water systems that serve our most vulnerable communities up and down the state.

Facts About California's Water Crisis

Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately harmed by unsafe, unaffordable drinking water.

Disadvantaged communities often "pay a triple penalty" to obtain safe water: not only do they face health risks, their bills for toxic water tend to be higher, and they have to buy expensive bottled water to drink, cook and bathe.

More than two-thirds of California voters said they would be willing to pay as much as an additional one dollar per month on their water bill to fix unsafe levels of contamination.

Call Your Representative

Videos

News

Don’t panic, but California has yet another water problem

By: Los Angeles Times Editorial Board |
May 9, 2019 |

But many of the parties reached a tentative accord two years ago, which would impose fees on dairies, fertilizer sellers and most residential water customers (who would pay about 95 cents more per month). It’s a good solution. Former Gov. Jerry Brown supported it but couldn’t persuade the Legislature to approve it. Gov. Gavin Newsom is a strong supporter but is still dealing with opposition from water agencies. The Environmental Health report strengthens his case.

By: Hannah Wiley, Sacramento Bee |
May 2, 2019 |

Nearly 5,000 people out of 3.1 million Californians in small- to medium-sized communities could develop cancer because they’re drinking water from close to 500 contaminated systems. Another 28.5 million Californians are drinking from more than 1,100 contaminated systems, leading to a potential 10,427 lifetime cancer cases. The report’s release coincides with a push by Gov. Gavin Newsom and some state lawmakers to create a new drinking water fee that would pay for improvements in communities with unsafe tap water.

Editorial: A new water tax might be California’s best chance at clean water for all

By: San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board |
May 13, 2019 |

At least 1 million Californians don’t have stable access to clean drinking water. That’s a shameful and unacceptable fact in this wealthy state. In his February State of the State address, Gov. Gavin Newsom called the safe drinking water crisis — which is centered in lower-income communities ranging from the coasts to the Central Valley — “a moral disgrace and a medical emergency.” He’s right.

For the Latest News, Follow #NoToxicTaps on Twitter

#notoxictaps

CEJA @cejapower·

“Speaker Rendon’s co-authorship of #AB217 further builds toward a historic opportunity in the next month to solve California’s drinking water crisis once and for all.”- @CWaterC @LCJandA @CWCActionFund -- Thank you @Rendon63rd for your leadership! #NoToxicTaps #SafeWaterforAll

Reply on Twitter Retweet on Twitter1 Like on Twitter Twitter

Earl Lui @EL_CalWellness·

Terrific @nytimes story on California's safe drinking water crisis. “Clean water flows toward power and money,” says Susana De Anda of @CWaterC, a longtime @CalWellness grantee. #NoToxicTaps #SafeWaterforAll

Bottled water at a home in East Orosi, Calif. The failing water systems in the state are most heavily concentrated in the small towns of the Central and Salinas Valleys, the key centers of agriculture.

They Grow the Nation‘s Food, but They Can‘t Drink the Water

The soil in California‘s farm country is fertile, but the water is bad. Half of all failing water systems in the state are in the San Joaquin Va...

nyti.ms

Reply on Twitter Retweet on Twitter Like on Twitter1 Twitter

CleanWaterAction CA @cleanh2oca·

A Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund is the only solution that will permanently guarantee safe water for all Californians. #NoToxicTaps

Anthony Rendon on Twitter

“[email protected] is absolutely right — California must have a sustainable funding source for clean and safe drinking water. #NoToxicTaps https://t...

twitter.com

Reply on Twitter Retweet on Twitter Like on Twitter1 Twitter

Ioannis Kazanis @IKazanis·

11h

1 million people can’t turn on their faucets and have a glass of water...in California. Unacceptable. #NoToxicTaps

Reply on Twitter Retweet on Twitter Like on Twitter Twitter