Senate Concurrent Resolution
No. 80
CHAPTER 159
Relative to water professionals.
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Filed with
Secretary of State
September 19, 2017.
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LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 80, Dodd.
Water Professionals Appreciation Week.
This measure would proclaim the first week of October, beginning on the first Saturday of the month and ending on the Sunday of the following weekend, Water Professionals Appreciation Week, and would encourage public water and wastewater agencies to offer tours, open houses, and other events during that time to educate Californians on the important functions of those agencies.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, Water is the lifeblood of California, without safe and reliable water, no community and no sector of the economy—from agriculture to high tech to manufacturing—can thrive or expand; and
WHEREAS, Thanks to technological advances by water professionals and the dedication of thousands of water industry professionals in the state, California drinking water and treated wastewater meet some of the most stringent water quality standards in the nation; and
WHEREAS, Depending on where you live in California, your water may come from a nearby well or river, or it may travel hundreds of miles through canals or pipelines to reach your tap; and
WHEREAS, Regardless of where it originates, your drinking water is filtered, cleaned, tested, and distributed in a process carefully managed by water professionals; and
WHEREAS, Public water systems actively serve Californians, delivering six billion gallons of safe drinking water each day through an extensive network of pipelines and distribution systems; and
WHEREAS, Roughly four billion gallons of wastewater is managed each day through 100,000 miles of sanitary sewers and more than 900 wastewater treatment plants in California, protecting communities and reducing toxic chemicals and nutrient buildup in California’s surface waters and the entire west coast of the state; and
WHEREAS, California is steadily expanding the reuse of treated wastewater and pioneering the use of advanced purified recycled water to replenish aquifers, prevent seawater intrusion, and improve local water supply resiliency; and
WHEREAS, Water professionals at local public water and wastewater agencies work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to plan for the future, maintain and upgrade their systems, and improve the safety and resiliency of local water supplies; and
WHEREAS, According to the Public Policy Institute of California, local public water and wastewater agencies invest more than $25 billion a year on programs and projects that protect the public health and the environment, improve local water supply reliability, replenish and clean up groundwater basins, provide water for fire protection, and protect against floods; and
WHEREAS, Thousands of water, wastewater, and recycled water industry professionals in the state dedicate their careers to keeping drinking water, recycled water, and treated wastewater safe and reliable for use by Californians; and
WHEREAS, The Association of California Water Agencies, WateReuse California, California Municipal Utilities Association, California Water Association, and California Association of Sanitation Agencies acknowledge and celebrate the work of the professionals employed by their agency members; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates Water Professionals Appreciation Week during the month of October each year, beginning on the first Saturday of the month and ending on the Sunday of the following weekend, and encourages public water agencies and wastewater agencies to offer tours, open houses, and other events during that time to educate Californians on the important functions of those agencies; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature encourages residents to learn about the water and wastewater industries in California and consider careers in this important field; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.