Transfer of Drinking Water Programs
Transfer of Drinking Water Programs from the Department of Public Health to the State Water Board
As of July 1, 2014, the administration of the Drinking Water Program (DWP) has transferred from the Department of Public Health (DPH) to the State Water Board. This transfer of responsibility aligns the state’s drinking water and water quality programs in an integrated organizational structure to best position the state to both effectively protect water quality and the public health as it relates to water quality, while meeting current needs and future demands on water supplies.
The Administration had proposed to transfer the Drinking Water Program from the Department of Public Health (DPH) to the State Water Board on July 1, 2014. This proposal is described in a White Paper circulated in the summer of 2013.
The California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Health and Human Services Agency held a public meeting on January 15, 2014 to obtain input on the proposed transfer.
The Secretary for Environmental Health Protection and the Secretary of Health and Human Services used input from the Drinking Water Reorganization Task Force and January 15, 2014. The transition plan released in March is below. Immediately below this is a link to the available Department of Finance trailer bill language posted May 20 that describes how this program would be fiscally and statutorily transferred to the State Water Resources Control Board from the California Department of Public Health.
With the Governor's signing of Senate Bill 851 and Senate Bill 861, the transfer was approved and occurred on July 1, 2014. Documents related to the transfer follow:
- Senate Bill No. 861 Trailer Bill Language
- Budget Change Proposal Documents Supporting the Transfer of the Drinking Water Program
- FL 1 Small Water Systems - Merced-Tulare (5.61 MB)
- FL 2 Recycled Water (4.31 MB)
- FY 14-15 BCP 13 - Drinking Water Program Transfer (11.66 MB)
- FY 14-15 BCP 14 - Drinking Water Bonds 50 & 84 (6.23 MB)
- FY 14-15 BCP 15 - AB 21 Drinking Water Small Communities (4.73 MB )
- Drinking Water Program Transfer Report, July 2015
- Drinking Water Reorganization Transition Plan, March 2014:
- Full Version (2.29 MB)
- Mobile Friendly Version (1.14 MB)
- Drinking Water Reorganization Task Force Summary Document, February 5, 2014
- Notice of Public Meeting – English | en Español
- Agenda for Public Meeting – English | en Español
- Drinking Water Reorganization White Paper 2013 – English | en Español
- Drinking Water Reorganization Administration Proposal – English | en Español
- Drinking Water Reorganization Proposal in Governor's Proposed 2014-2015 Budget
- Drinking Water Program Transition Operator Certification – Frequently Asked Question
Division of Drinking Water (DDW)
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