Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program

If this bill is passed, it will update part of the Code of Georgia to set up the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program.

• Code of Georgia: These are the rules or laws for the state of Georgia that say what people in Georgia can and cannot do.

This Bill:

• Covers the reasons for, rules for, limitations of, and priorities of the program.

• Lists definitions related to the program.

  • 'Director' means the head of the Environmental Protection Division at the Department of Natural Resources.

  • 'Disadvantaged community' is defined as census block groups where 30% or more of the population has an annual household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

  • 'Division' refers to the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources. The program is run by the division to provide financial help to disadvantaged communities dealing with big drops in water quality or quantity.

• Cancels laws that stop this one from working 

• Adds a new part to the Georgia code

Money from grants this program gives can pay for:

• Small water filters that clean water right where it is used, like at a sink or where water enters a building.

• Systems that clean water at the source that it comes from (like a well) or in multiple places before sending it to homes and businesses.

• Mixing different water sources to make sure the water is safe to drink and follows state rules.

• The money needed to combine smaller water systems in rural areas so they work better and cost less.

• Making new places to get water (like wells or treatment plants) and new pipes to bring water to homes and businesses.

• Pipes, pumps, and storage tanks that move clean water from treatment plants to people who use it.

• Costs people or businesses pay to hook up to a water system or build new water-related services.

• Financial or technical help for families to get their homes connected to a water system.

• Backup water for disasters and expert help to fix problems with water systems.

Priorities for using the money are:

• Communities with drinking water that doesn’t meet the rules for being safe enough 

• Helping people to get other money without extra costs.

• Helping communities that only have one source of water, that is running out of water.

• Rural communities with dry or dirty wells.

• Water systems for the public to use that can be joined together into one bigger system people can share water for a smaller amount of money.

Money from grants this program gives won’t pay for:

• More than what’s needed for setup and expert help.

• Most of the ongoing costs to keep the system working.

The program won’t use more than a small part of its yearly budget to help with system upkeep.