Senate Concurrent Resolution
No. 55
CHAPTER 83
Relative to Tap Water Day.
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Filed with
Secretary of State
June 02, 2023.
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LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 55, Portantino.
Tap Water Day.
This measure would proclaim the first Thursday in May to be “Tap Water Day” in this state and would encourage Californians to celebrate, support, trust, and value publicly supplied drinking water and use community drinking fountains and filling stations as one of the best and healthiest sources of drinking water.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, Clean drinking water is a basic human right and protecting and conserving the water we drink is absolutely crucial; and
WHEREAS, Outdoor access to drinking water in many municipalities, school districts, parks, and other public places has diminished over time due to aging infrastructure, shrinking budgets, and the placement of vending machines where once only water fountains stood; and
WHEREAS, There is a pressing need to maintain existing community drinking fountains and to install newer versions, more commonly known as filling stations, in public places to benefit pupil health, performance, and success. Community drinking fountains and filling stations provide a healthier alternative to sweetened beverages; and
WHEREAS, Maintaining and installing new community drinking fountains and filling stations contributes to the conservation of valuable water resources by reducing both demand for bottled water and waste from discarded bottles. For that reason, maintaining and installing new community drinking fountains and filling stations are more desirable alternatives in schools, parks, and other outdoor public areas; and
WHEREAS, The mission of the Tap Water Day campaign is to improve public access to water in public places by promoting the placement of community drinking fountains and filling stations in schools, parks, and other public spaces, leading to a growing awareness of the public health and the financial and environmental benefits to making publicly available drinking water provided by local water utilities available both at home and on the go; and
WHEREAS, Municipalities and water utilities are responsible for providing clean and dependable drinking water throughout communities, are strongly encouraged to invest in expanding and maintaining drinking fountains and filling stations especially in underserved communities, are committed to meeting the highest standards of safety and quality and ensuring the health and well-being of the public, and are driven to increase public awareness about the value, dependability, reliability, and safety of public water in this annual celebration; and
WHEREAS, WeTap.org makes community drinking fountains easy to find and use by providing its mobile phone application and other educational technology and is a major partner in the Tap Water Day campaign; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the first Thursday in May to be “Tap Water Day” in the State of California and encourages Californians to celebrate, support, trust, and value publicly supplied drinking water and use community drinking fountains and filling stations as one of the best and healthiest sources of drinking water, thereby helping to reduce single use plastic waste, alleviate economic disparity, appreciate, conserve, and preserve scarce and precious drinking water sources, especially in the face of drought and increased heat, and protect our environment and the future of California; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.