The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has accepted the California Department of Public Health Drinking Water Program’s (CDPH DWP) corrective action plan in response to the April 2013 notice of non-compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
On Wednesday, California Department of Public Health Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Ron Chapman said his agency was committed to meeting federal and state goals to ensure Californians have access to safe and reliable drinking water throughout the state.
“We are pleased the U.S. EPA today accepted our corrective action plan, which allows us to achieve this goal through funding small, medium and large water system projects across the state,” he said. “We have improved our processes and work with stakeholders over the last two years and will make continued improvements to get funding to water projects more quickly.”
Chapman said CDPH will continue to work closely with its federal and state partners, and all interested parties toward achieving the goal of providing safe drinking water through California’s public water systems.
In April, the US EPA informed CDPH that it was not in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act reporting that $455 million out of the $1.5 billion has been provided to California to capitalize the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund had not been spent, as Lake County News has reported.
Last month, CDPH submitted a corrective action plan to the US EPA that addressed all 29 of the issues raised by the federal agency in April, with $84 million intended for immediate distribution for water projects across the state.
In addition, CDPH had anticipated it would distribute nearly $200 million in total funds in this new fiscal year and in the two upcoming fiscal years, and will disburse an additional $600 million for water projects.
CDPH documents had listed $1.8 million for surface water treatment plant improvements for the community of Spring Valley east of Clearlake Oaks among its current list of executed funding agreements for water projects.