The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) posted the enclosed draft “Safe Drinking Water Plan” (Plan) (sdwp_chapters_1_12)
The initial requirement to develop a Plan originated with Assembly Bill (AB) 21 signed into law in 1989. Subsequent legislation in 1996 and 2018 added further details for preparation of the Plan and now require the Plan be updated every five years.
The initial Plan was prepared in 1993. The first updated Plan was published in 2015. This is the update of the 2015 Plan. DDW plans to hold workshops on the Safe Drinking Water Plan. The workshops have not yet been scheduled. The final Plan will be presented to the State Legislature.
The requirements for the “Safe Drinking Water Plan” are contained in California’s Health and Safety Code Section 116355 and requires the Plan to address, at a minimum, 12 separate topics. Presented below are the initial four topics to be included in the Plan (the entire list of 12 topics are presented on the second and third pages of the enclosed Plan).
- An analysis of the overall quality of California’s drinking water and the identification of specific water quality problems.
- Types and levels of contaminants found in public drinking water systems that have less than 10,000 service connections. The discussion of these water systems shall include the following:
- Estimated costs of requiring these systems to meet primary drinking water standards and public health goals.
- Recommendations for actions that could be taken by the Legislature, the department, and these systems to improve water quality.
- A discussion and analysis of the known and potential health risks that may be associated with drinking water contamination in California.
- An evaluation of how existing water quality information systems currently maintained by local or state agencies can be more effectively used to protect drinking water.
