State Water Board Needs Survey Answers For COVID-19 Arrearages Help by ACWA Staff Aug 24, 2021 Water News Community water systems have until Sept. 10 to complete an important survey from the State Water Resources Control Board regarding residential and commercial drinking water arrearages, as well as information on revenue shortfalls they experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Water Board hosted a webinar Aug. 19 to answer questions about the Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program and explain how to navigate the survey. The State Water Board’s Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program webpage is now live and includes several resources, including: A recording of the initial Aug. 19 webinar, the presentation that was given and a detailed summary of the questions and answers from that event. The summary answers over 100 questions. A FAQs document for water systems. ACWA encourages members to complete the survey to help the State Water Board determine the extent of statewide arrearages, which is the first step in allocation of funds to community water systems. The State Water Board emailed the survey and information on how to complete it during the week of Aug. 9, allowing recipients 30 days to provide answers. The survey stems from AB 148, which Gov. Newsom signed on July 22. It requires the State Water Board to conduct the survey as the first step in administering the California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program so that it can distribute $985 million in arrearages relief funding.