Safe water bill
Assemblymember Alex Lee, whose 24th district includes Milpitas, is introducing a bill to ensure that tenants of rental properties served solely by domestic wells have access to safe drinking water.
According to Lee’s office, disadvantaged communities are more likely to rely on smaller, older and poorly maintained water systems or domestic wells, which may contain contaminants associated with a broad range of health issues. The state water board can order water system consolidation in these communities, but current state law does not require well owners to participate, nor does it require landlords to ensure their tenants have access to safe drinking water.
“AB 664 will make domestic well owners accountable for providing safe drinking water to renters relying on their wells in instances where they decline consolidation and the resources that are offered as part of this process,” Lee said in a statement.
The state and federal governments do not regulate the water quality of domestic wells. When contaminants are found, owners are responsible for implementing remediation strategies.
Vax populi
Santa Clara County Supervisors Joe Simitian and Otto Lee have called for the continuation of the county’s COVID-19 vaccination program to serve residents regardless of insurance, location or ability to pay.
As of March 1, vaccinations are available for existing patients and the uninsured, and only at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center facilities.
“With only about a third of county residents receiving the latest bivalent booster, we need to make vaccines more available,” said Lee, whose district includes Milpitas.
Simitian, who chairs the county’s Health and Hospital Committee, and Lee, the committee’s vice chair, asked county administration to return to the Board of Supervisors on April 18 with a plan to continue distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
Since vaccine distribution began in late 2020, the county has distributed almost two million doses at pop-ups and permanent sites throughout the county.
Source:: The Mercury News