AB 1223, as introduced, Stone. Safe drinking water act.
Existing law, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, provides for the operation of public water systems, and imposes on the State Department of Health Services various responsibilities and duties. Under existing law, the State Department of Public Health succeeds to, and is vested with, the duties, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction exercised by the former State Department of Health Services with respect to drinking water, among other things. Existing law also finds and declares, among other things, that over 95% of all large public water systems in California are in compliance with health-based action levels established by the department for various contaminants, and that it is the intent of the legislature to establish a drinking water regulatory program to provide for the orderly and efficient delivery of safe drinking water within the state and to give the establishment of drinking water standards and public health goals greater emphasis and visibility.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the latter provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 116270 of the Health and Safety Code
2 is amended to read:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
4(a) Every citizen of California has the right to pure and safe
5drinking water.
6(b) Feasible and affordable technologies are available and shall
7be used to remove toxic contaminants from public water supplies.
8(c) According to the State Department ofbegin delete Health Services,end delete
9begin insert Public Health,end insert over 95 percent of all large public water systems
10in California are in compliance with health-based action levels
11established by the department for various contaminants.
12(d) It is the policy of the state to reduce to the lowest level
13feasible all concentrations of toxic chemicals that when present in
14drinking water may cause cancer, birth defects, and other chronic
15diseases.
16(e) This chapter is intended to ensure that the water delivered
17by public water systems of this state shall at all times be pure,
18wholesome, and potable. This chapter provides the means to
19accomplish this objective.
20(f) It is the intent of the
Legislature to improve laws governing
21drinking water quality, to improve upon the minimum requirements
22of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996, to
23establish primary drinking water standards that are at least as
24stringent as those established under the federal Safe Drinking
25Water Act, and to establish a program under this chapter that is
26more protective of public health than the minimum federal
27requirements.
28(g) It is the further intent of the Legislature to establish a
29drinking water regulatory program within the State Department
30ofbegin insert Publicend insert Healthbegin delete Servicesend delete in order to provide for the orderly and
31efficient delivery of safe drinking water within the state and to
32give the establishment of drinking water standards and public
33health goals greater emphasis and visibility within thebegin delete stateend delete
34 department.
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