On March 14, the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife held an informational hearing, titled “The Need for a 2014 Water Bond” in Monterey Park.  It was part of a series of legislative hearings across the state on a proposed water bond.

“A water bond is extremely important for the future of our state, especially as we deal with a drought that not only produced one of the driest years on record, but which highlights the challenges of climate change and its long-term impact,” said Assemblymember Chau.  “Funding from the proposed water bond is critical to ensuring that remediation efforts, such as groundwater cleanup, are done at a vigorous pace so that our basin can serve as a reliable source of water for the region.”

The purpose of the hearing was to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to share their perspectives on the potential benefits to communities from a proposed water bond.  The hearing specifically focused on Assembly Bill 1331, authored by Assemblymember Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) and titled the Climate Change Response for Clean and Safe Drinking Water Act of 2014.  The bill is a product of the Assembly water bond-working group.  It would fund clean and safe drinking water projects; protection of rivers, lakes, streams and watersheds; climate change preparedness for regional water security; and water storage for climate change.

“I applaud Assemblyman Chau for taking the leadership to call for this hearing on the state water crisis.  Assemblyman Chau has been a leading advocate in the Legislature on groundwater and the concerns of communities in the San Gabriel Valley.  I appreciated hearing from the local experts that were assembled for this important hearing,” stated Assembly Water Parks & Wildlife Chairman Anthony Rendon.

In attendance at the hearing were other Legislators from the southern California region who heard from two panels.  The first panel focused on the San Gabriel Valley and had expert testimony from representatives of the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority, the San Gabriel Valley Water Company, and the San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers & Mountain Conservancy.  The second panel focused on the Los Angeles region at-large and had expert testimony from representatives of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the West Basin Municipal Utility District, Community Conservations Solutions, and the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation. Also present were other stakeholders that addressed members of the committees during public comment.