Community Water Affordability Program.

Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Water Resources. Existing law vests in the department powers, duties, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction in matters pertaining to water or dams. Existing law declares the responsibility of the state to assist local governments in providing certain essential services and facilities where water resource construction projects financed, in whole or in part, by the state or by the state jointly with the federal government create an undue burden on a local area's ability to provide these services and facilities. This bill would establish the Community Water Affordability Program to provide funding in the form of grants to local water suppliers for water system repairs, rehabilitation, and enhancements, water safety and quality, and other local water system infrastructure projects, for the purpose of reducing the amount of local ratepayer funding required for those projects. The bill would require the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop and administer the program. The bill would require the department to develop and adopt program guidelines and project solicitation documents before disbursing grant funds. The bill would require the program guidelines to require an applicant for a grant to provide at least 50% of the total funding required for the project, as provided. The bill would authorize the department to waive or reduce that minimum amount if that requirement would cause extreme financial hardship to the applicant. The bill would also establish the Community Water Affordability Assistance Fund in the State Treasury. The bill would make moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the department for the purposes of the program.