Sacramento, CA–The basic human right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible water became part of state policy today when Governor Brown signed AB 685.
A.B. 685 directs relevant state agencies to advance the implementation of this policy when those agencies make administrative decisions pertinent to the use of water for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.
“Safe, affordable water is a basic essential of survival. We applaud the Legislature and the Governor for recognizing this and taking the bold action to cement it into law,” said Alecia Sanchez of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA), a member of the Safe Water Alliance that has worked on this issue.
For years, grassroots activists, community leaders, faith-based groups, and dedicated environmental justice, public health and environmental organizations, drawn together by a shared commitment to improve access to safe drinking water in our poorest communities, have been advocating at the local, regional, and state level, combating powerful, entrenched interests determined not to change the status quo in California water policy.