State Water Board Appoints ACWA Representative to SAFER Advisory Group by ACWA Staff Dec 22, 2023 Water News SACRAMENTO —The State Water Resources Control Board on Dec. 20 announced nine new appointments to its Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) Advisory Group, including ACWA State Relations Advocate Soren Nelson. ACWA strongly supported the creation of SAFER in 2019. Established through SB 200 (Monning), funding through SAFER strengthens access to safe and affordable drinking water throughout the state, especially in disadvantaged communities. The State Water Board allocates $130 million annually toward accomplishing this goal and identifies funding priorities in consultation with advisory group members. By participating in the advisory group, ACWA will be better able to provide valuable input and give association members a voice in the SAFER funding process. The 20-member advisory group is comprised of members with diverse drinking water backgrounds and experiences, including representatives of public water systems, local agencies, tribes, nongovernmental organizations and residents served by domestic wells or water systems in disadvantaged communities. The group meets quarterly to provide feedback on key SAFER plans and proposals. “I thank the new appointees for their commitment to partnering on these issues,” stated State Water Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel in a news release. “We are grateful for their collaboration, which ensures the board’s financial assistance is as effective as possible in helping communities and water systems achieve safe drinking water.”
