Golden State Today

The state of California announced this week that $880 million has been allocated to provide relief for water and wastewater utility bills for 4 million residents. This initiative is part of a broader strategy that includes various forms of financial aid in response to the pandemic, such as tax refunds, rent relief, and small business grants.

California’s Water and Wastewater Arrearages Payment Program was a significant element of this strategy. It has distributed funds to clear the utility debts of over 1.3 million households and businesses. The program began in 2021 following authorization from Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature to use nearly $1 billion in federal funding from the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan.

This effort builds on an earlier executive order from Governor Newsom in April 2020, which prohibited water suppliers from discontinuing service to customers with unpaid bills during the COVID-19 emergency.

A total of 944 community water systems participated in the program, serving 96% of California's population. Notably, the City of Los Angeles received nearly 30% of these funds to assist over 204,000 customers through its Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and City Sanitation (LASAN).

Officials from CalEPA and the State Water Board joined Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass at an event this week to celebrate the distribution of funds. CalEPA Secretary Yana Garcia and State Water Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel were among those present.