Water Utilities Update LowIncome Oversight Board Water Division
Water Utilities Update Low-Income Oversight Board Water Division Viet (Kevin) Truong March 8, 2018
2 Topics – Affordability – School Lead Testing
3 Water Affordability • CPUC’s Strategic Directive SD-04 – “Assure that essential services remain affordable for Californians…” • Water IOUs serve 15% of the state’s population – Districts span the entire state • Median Household Income is $59, 756* – In the cities that contain the service areas of our 9 Class A Water Utilities • Median Average Monthly Water Bill is $64. 22** Q: Is water affordable? *2016 American Community Survey **June 2017
4 Water Affordability • How to define Affordability? – CPUC has not adopted an affordability standard – Low-Income Programs • • • – 19% participation rate Average Monthly Discount: $9. 50 Eligibility Criteria – 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines – $50, 200 (2017 Family of Four) Agencies with Affordability Guidelines (Percentage of Median Household Income) • SWRCB – 1. 5% • US EPA – 2% • United Nations Development Program – 3%
5 Water Affordability • Applying the Affordability Criteria to Median Household Income, the monthly water bills are as follows: SWRCB US EPA UN 1. 5% 2% 3% $74. 70 $99. 60 $149. 39 • Water IOUs – Median Average Monthly Bill is $64. 22 Q: Is water affordable?
6 School Lead Testing • Amendment to Domestic Water Supply Permit – Issued by SWRCB on January 2017 • Upon request by schools, requires all community water systems to test school drinking water for lead – Community Water System is any public water system that serves water yearround to at least 15 connections or a population of 25 people • Water systems are responsible for testing costs only • Schools are responsible for costs of corrective actions needed – Funding available from SWRCB • Lead level limit < 15 ppb (parts per billion) Quarterly reporting of testing progress for CPUC regulated water utilities
7 Current Status (As of December 2017) 545 Total Requests (27%) IOUs serve 2, 000 Schools 394 Schools Tested • 5 over limit 20% - Corrective actions taken Statewide (as of Feb 2018) • • 13, 000 schools 2, 261 requests/tested (17%)
8 Assembly Bill 746 Mandatory School Lead Testing • • • Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher Approved October 13, 2017 Effective since January 1, 2018 • Deadline July 1, 2019 − Requires all Community Water Systems serving a school built before 2010 to test for lead − If determined by Commission on State Mandates, schools will receive reimbursement for certain costs By July 1, 2019, all CPUC regulated water utilities will have completed lead testing
Thank You Viet (Kevin) Truong Utilities Engineer CPUC – Water Division (415) 703 -1353 vt 4@cpuc. ca. gov
- Slides: 9