California lawmakers have approved legislation that would establish a statewide water rate assistance program for low-income households, potentially giving eligible residents a new way to reduce their monthly water bills.
Senate Bill 1125, authored by Sen. Caroline Menjivar, D-San Fernando, would establish the Water Rate Assistance Program and a Water Rate Assistance Fund to provide direct assistance to qualifying low-income residential water customers. The bill was passed by the Legislature and presented to Newsom on August 31.
Under the bill, the program would be administered by the State Water Resources Control Board and funded through state or federal money appropriated for the program. Assistance would be available to eligible residential customers served by participating water systems. The program would not begin simply because the bill is signed; the Legislature would first have to appropriate money for implementation and benefits.
Eligible households would generally include those with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. The bill also identifies several existing public assistance programs that could be used to determine eligibility, including CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, Supplemental Security Income and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
The legislation establishes a minimum monthly benefit of $20, with the amount adjusted annually for inflation. Participating water systems could instead provide a credit equal to 20% of qualifying water charges when that amount is greater than the flat monthly benefit.
The proposal comes as some California communities continue to face challenges with water access and affordability.
In a video shared on Self-Help Enterprises’ Facebook page, Lidia Espinosa described what it has been like to live through a water shortage in her community after having lived there for four decades.
“Very few times have this happened to us, that we don’t have water,” Espinosa said. “I would love for all the people who have not gone through this to try to take better care of the water, and to be more aware of everything. Because there is a lot of struggle.”
Espinosa said the shortages have been especially difficult because she is caring for three young grandchildren.
“I have here with me three small grandchildren, and it is with them that I struggle the most,” she said. “What I do is that in those two little ponds that I have, I separate a little water, sometimes even for the bathroom; let’s not say for herbs or animals, because that is what we want to do.”
Espinosa also expressed gratitude toward people helping provide water during the shortage.
“I am very grateful to all the people who are helping to give us water,” she said. “Thank you very much, God bless you.”
The Community Water Center, one of the organizations supporting SB 1125, celebrated the legislation’s passage in a statement posted online following the Senate vote.
“SB 1125, which creates this first-of-its-kind program, has passed the Senate floor!” the organization wrote. “We are one step closer to making the Human Right to Water a reality for many in California.”
The organization said the bill would move next to Newsom’s desk. The bill ultimately passed the Senate on August 26 after the Senate concurred with Assembly amendments in a 31-9 vote. It was enrolled August 28 and presented to the governor on August 31.
SB 1125 is designed to create a statewide approach to water affordability rather than leaving assistance programs solely to individual water providers. The bill states that rising water service costs can place an added burden on low-income households.
For Kern County residents, the potential impact would depend on funding availability and whether local water systems participate in the program once it is established.
