ACWA and CMUA Proposal for a Safe Drinking Water Trust

  • Feb 11, 2019

A statewide water tax is not the right approach

ACWA and the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) are sponsoring state legislation to create a Safe Drinking Water Trust.  Instead of relying on a proposed statewide water tax, the Trust would be funded with General Fund dollars during a state budget surplus year. The net income from the Trust would create a durable funding source that will help community water systems in disadvantaged communities provide access to safe drinking water.

Why is there a need for safe drinking water funding in California?

  • Most Californians have access to safe drinking water, but some disadvantaged communities do not
  • Lack of access to safe drinking water is a public health issue the state must address
  • A funding gap exists for operations & maintenance (O&M) costs for community water systems that treat water
  • In general, O&M costs cannot be financed using existing state and federal drinking water funding sources
  • In some situations, consolidation of a community water system may be the most effective solution
  • A financial solution is needed for O&M and consolidation costs in disadvantaged communities that can complement existing federal and state funding sources for capital costs.

How would the ACWA/CMUA proposal for a Trust work?

  • The Trust’s principal would be initially financed with a one-time infusion of General Fund dollars during a budget surplus year
  • There is a record budget surplus for the 2019-2020 Fiscal Year, which makes it the perfect time to create and fund the Trust
  • Funding the Trust via the General Fund serves as a progressive source of revenue, as taxpayers with higher income would contribute more, while lower income taxpayers would contribute less
  • The Trust’s principal would be invested, and the net income would be transferred to a Safe Drinking Water Fund, which the State Water Board would administer

Why is a statewide water tax not the right approach?

  • It isn’t sound policy to tax a resource that is essential to life
  • A regressive statewide tax on local water bills is in conflict with keeping water affordable for all Californians
  • It would be highly inefficient to require more than 3,000 local water agencies to serve as tax collectors for the state
  • The combined local administrative costs would exceed the combined statewide water tax revenue collected with local water bills

Recent Events

On Jan. 10, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2019-’20 that includes a proposal for a Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. Revenue for the fund would be collected through a statewide tax on drinking water and assessments on fertilizer sales and confined animal operations.

In 2018, despite attempts to create a new water tax, the Legislature’s Budget Conference Committee rejected the statewide water tax proposed in the 2018 budget trailer bill and acted to include more than $25 million in General Fund revenue for safe drinking water in the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year State Budget. Also in 2018, California voters approved Proposition 68 with $250 million for safe drinking water and clean water projects that is prioritized for disadvantaged communities.

Learn more about the previously proposed tax on drinking water.

Californians Oppose a Drinking Water Tax

Tulchin Research conducted a statewide poll in early 2018 based on a previous drinking water tax proposal. That poll showed that 73% of likely voters oppose a new tax on drinking water, both initially and even after hearing more information.

Additionally, 74% would prefer using existing funding sources rather than establishing a new tax on drinking water.

For more on the polling, please read the polling results memo or see our news release.

Tools & Resources

2018 Coalition Letters

Questions

For media inquiries, please contact ACWA Director of Communications Heather Engel at (916) 441-4545.

To learn more about the Safe Drinking Water Trust proposal or the proposed statewide water tax, please contact ACWA Deputy Executive Director for Government Relations Cindy Tuck at (916) 441-4545.