Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 200, the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. Senate Budget Vice Chairman Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) issued the following statement:

“Clean water is vital to life.

“This $130 million in funding is needed to clean up water for communities across California. This is a major milestone for residents who have longed for access to clean tap water. Residents will no longer need to rely on bottled water.

“Quality and quantity of our water is imperative to our health and livelihoods. Today’s action, combined with the building and completion of Sites Reservoir in Northern California, will provide Californians with enough water for drinking and agricultural use.

“I have enjoyed working with Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) on this and other issues to support my hometown of Sanger and the surrounding communities. We appreciate Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel) for his hard work on this measure.”