covid Archives - SJV Water

Online public meetings still OK but some water agencies are pulling the plug

June 14, 2021

• by Lois Henry

While most public water agencies are still mulling whether to keep an online option for their meetings, some have already clicked off Zoom and marched straight back to early 2020. The Westlands Water District, which covers a huge swath of western Fresno County, will no longer have a public online option for the public to…

Drinking Water

COVID-19 relief includes money for water bill debt. Will it be enough?

January 12, 2021

• by Lois Henry

The COVID-19 relief bill passed last month includes $638 million to address the growing issue of water bill debt across the nation. When the pandemic dug in last spring, many states, including California, issued moratoriums on household water shut offs for lack of payment. That moratorium is still in place in California and water debt…

Drinking Water

Clean water advocates hoping to safeguard SAFER funding

August 5, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Just when it looked like small drinking water systems in California were finally getting the long-term help they so desperately need, along came COVID-19. The state is peppered with failing small systems, many serving low-income communities without the resources to repair them. At least one-third of those failing systems are in the San Joaquin Valley,…

Drinking Water

Unpaid bills spiking at some water utilities

July 18, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Several state legislators have asked the Governor to extend his order prohibiting water shutoffs for nonpayment to even the smallest water utilities. Right now, the Governor’s April 2 order applies to water utilities serving 200 or more connections. If Gov. Newsom expands his order, it could have a huge impact in the San Joaquin Valley,…

Drinking Water

Survey says: COVID-19 impacts on drinking water systems still unknown

July 4, 2020

• by Lois Henry

More than four months into the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s hard to say exactly what the fallout has been for drinking water utilities. Predictions were dire shortly after Gov. Newsom ordered a moratorium on water shutoffs for non-payment back in early April. Would there be an avalanche of non payers? If so, how…

Drinking Water

Gov. Newsom orders California taps to keep flowing

April 2, 2020

• by Lois Henry

In an ongoing effort to help Californians deal with the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, Gov. Newsom today issued an executive order prohibiting water companies from shutting off customers for non payment. The order, which applies to residential and commercial customers, has no end date. Additionally, water service that was shut off for nonpayment as…

NEWS

Online public meetings still OK but some water agencies are pulling the plug

COVID-19 relief includes money for water bill debt. Will it be enough?

Clean water advocates hoping to safeguard SAFER funding

Unpaid bills spiking at some water utilities

Survey says: COVID-19 impacts on drinking water systems still unknown

Gov. Newsom orders California taps to keep flowing

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