Water is a human right. Here’s how California can ease the burden of utility bills
California is answering the call to keep the tap open to millions of people who have fallen behind on their water bill payments through a recent $1 billion investment from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The timely assistance comes amid serious economic fallout from the pandemic that caused record unemployment and left 1.6 million households drowning in water debt.
At the same time, some small water systems are struggling to keep the water flowing due to lost income from unpaid bills. The governor’s plan addresses both problems, for now. But what happens next year? And the year after that?
We believe the answer lies in our legislation to establish a water bill assistance program for low-income families that meet eligibility requirements, preventing a wave of water shutoffs when the current moratorium ends and providing help for both families and utilities.
It would be unconscionable to put people in a position where they can’t wash their hands, wipe down surfaces or wash clothes when it is within our power to prevent it. Water is not a luxury to be doled out just to those who can pay. It is a human right that every Californian must be able to count on.
In 2019, 500,000 Californians had their water cut off because of their inability to pay. That was before the pandemic doubled the number of people on unemployment. Now, nearly two million Californians are looking for work, and five million Californians are at risk for water shutoffs.
The State Water Resources Control Board recently surveyed the state’s water providers to get a better handle on our water debt crisis. The results were sobering. In our districts, which span the Northern Bay Area, Delta region and Southeastern Los Angeles County, about one in nine households are behind on their water bills, owing an estimated combined $11 million. In the greater Sacramento area, it’s about one in eight households, with water debt totaling about $40 million.
Just like the COVID-19 pandemic, this debt problem is particularly acute in communities of color.
Water rates have risen steadily for decades, increasing at about six times the rate of inflation. This is partially due to a steep decline in federal water spending, which has left ratepayers covering a larger share of the cost for delivering clean water to communities. Meanwhile, consumers struggling to cover ever-higher bills need stronger protections against shutoffs.
The situation is also dire for small water providers. Two-thirds of California’s community water systems serve fewer than 3,300 customers. These small systems tend to serve lower-income communities that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. That means the utilities that can least afford to lose revenue are seeing the biggest drops in payments.
These problems predate the pandemic, but have grown exponentially in the past year, adding urgency to our efforts to ensure universal water access and a financially sustainable water system.
We must address the lack of a statewide low-income ratepayer assistance program, and we must extend existing basic shutoff protections to all Californians and strengthen them.
That is why we have introduced Senate Bill 222 to establish a framework for a statewide Water Affordability Assistance Fund to get support to families. It would be in place long after the current moratorium ends and the current investment is spent.
The bill won overwhelming Senate approval and is heading to the Assembly for a vote.
Keeping the water flowing to all Californians is essential to achieving an equitable COVID recovery – and SB 222 provides a comprehensive plan to do that. We call on all our legislative colleagues to support this bill to address one of our state’s most urgent challenges.