Governor

Program:
Emergency Safe Drinking Water Supply Program
Administrating Agency: Resources Agency
Bond: Proposition 84
Department Name: Department of Public Health
Bond Statute: Ch. 2, Section: 75021(a)
Implementing Statute: SB 1063, Chapter 1428, Statutes of 1985, Amended by AB 1285, Chapter 885, Statutes of 1987, Health & Safety Code, Section 116475

Front-end Accountability

The Safe Drinking Water and Water Quality Projects Program was created under Proposition 84, which provides $10 million to the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) under Section 75021(a) for grants and direct expenditures to fund emergency and urgent actions to ensure that safe drinking water supplies are available to all Californians. Eligible project criteria includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1) Providing alternate water supplies including bottled water where necessary to protect public health.
2) Improvements in existing water systems necessary to prevent contamination or provide other sources of safe drinking water including replacement wells.
3) Establishing connections to an adjacent water system.
4) Design, purchase, installation and initial operation costs for water treatment equipment and systems
5) Grants and expenditures shall not exceed $250,000 per project.
6) Direct expenditures shall be exempt from contracting and procurement requirements to the extent necessary to take immediate action to protect public health and safety.

CDHS developed grant criteria in the 1980s for its Emergency Clean Water Grant Fund, which was created under Chapter 1428, Statutes of 1985 and amended under Chapter 885, Statutes of 1987. These criteria were established to provide a process to award and approve grants for emergencies. CDHS will continue to use these criteria in funding Proposition 84 projects. The criteria may be found on the CDHS website at http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/ddwem/. These funds will be used on an “as needed” basis since emergencies cannot be predicted in advance.

In-Progress Accountability

"The Safe Drinking Water and Water Quality Projects Program was created under Proposition 84, which provides $10 million to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) under Section 75021 for grants and direct expenditures to fund emergency and urgent actions to ensure that safe drinking water supplies are available to all Californians.

Emergency projects funded under Section 75021 of the Safe Drinking Water & Water Quality Grants Projects Program address immediate measures necessary to restore safe and potable drinking water to the public. These immediate measures tend to be quick fixes such as a temporary need for bottled water or the replacement of a valve.

In-Progress accountability for these types of needs would be field coordination with the water system to identify the immediate need to address the emergency and consultation with headquarters for review and approval of the recommended solution along with the cost.

Follow-up Accountability



All emergency projects funded under Section 75021 of the Safe Drinking Water & Water Quality Grants Projects Program will have internal control administrative processes built into the final approval process prior to the release of funds. Emergency projects are typically one-time expenditures to correct an immediate need, such as a broken valve or the need for bottled water. Field and headquarters review and approval is required prior to the disbursement of emergency funds. Recipients of emergency funds will be required to furnish supporting documentation of all costs.