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State Auditor Report Criticizes State Water Board’s Delays in Assisting Water Systems in Need

By Vanessa Gonzales posted 08-02-2022 08:55 AM

  
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On July 26, the State Auditor’s Office reported the results of its investigation into the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) financial assistance programs for water systems identified as failing. Despite the availability of funding for such systems, the report notes lengthy delays that these systems experience in actually receiving financial help from the state.

Notably, in the last five years, the SWRCB grant application review and approval time periods have doubled from 17 months to nearly three years. In addition, the report criticizes the SWRCB for lacking metrics and performance measures related to the application process and expresses concerns about limited oversight of contractors that provide technical services.


The report makes a number of recommendations for improvement. These include the following:
  • Streamline and simplify the application process
  • Prioritize emergency situations
  • Establish measures and performance goals
  • Improve staff accountability
  • Update online resources
  • Provide better oversight of contractors to avoid duplicative efforts
  • Collaborate with state and federal entities to ensure sufficient resources exist for systems in need

A fact sheet on the report can be found here, and the report in its entirety is here.

CSDA is interested in member feedback about this report. If you have any comments, critiques, or experiences to share that are relevant, please contact CSDA Water Policy Analyst Charlotte Holifield at charlotteh@csda.net.


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