ACWA Launches Website to Educate Public on Impacts of Proposed Statewide Drinking Water Tax

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 02, 2018 -- The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) has launched a new website – www.WaterTaxFacts.org – aimed at educating the public about a proposed drinking water tax currently being considered in the California Legislature.

The website was developed in response to attempts to establish a statewide drinking water tax through a Brown Administration budget trailer bill and SB 623 by Sen. William Monning (D-Carmel), a two-year bill introduced in 2017.

A recent poll of likely voters shows that 73 percent of Californians oppose a new tax on drinking water, and 74 percent would prefer the state use existing funding sources rather than establishing a new tax.

ACWA is currently leading a coalition of more than 150 California businesses, associations, cities and water agencies in strongly opposing a tax on drinking water. While the coalition agrees with the goal of assisting disadvantaged communities without safe drinking water, it believes a statewide drinking water tax is not the right approach to funding safe drinking water solutions. Instead, the coalition is proposing a number of alternative funding solutions to address gaps in funding for safe drinking water that do not require a new statewide tax.

To learn more about the proposed tax on drinking water, please visit www.watertaxfacts.org.

For more information about opposition to the drinking water tax and funding alternatives, please visit www.acwa.com/no-water-tax.

Contact: Heather Engel, Director of Communications | (916) 441-4545 | C (760) 217-0627