The fund expenditure plan may include expenditures for the following:
(a) The provision of replacement water, as needed, to ensure immediate protection of health and safety as a short-term solution.
(b) The development, implementation, and sustainability of long-term drinking water solutions, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) (A) Technical assistance, planning, construction, repair, and operation and maintenance costs associated with any of the following:
(i) Replacing, blending, or treating contaminated drinking water.
(ii) Repairing or replacing failing water system equipment, pipes, or fixtures.
(iii) Operation and maintenance costs associated with consolidated water systems, extended drinking water services, or reliance on a substituted drinking water source.
(B) Technical assistance and planning costs may include, but are not limited to, analyses to identify and efforts to further opportunities to reduce the unit cost of providing drinking water through organizational and operational efficiency improvements, and other options and approaches to reduce costs.
(2) Creating and maintaining natural means and green infrastructure solutions that contribute to sustainable drinking water.
(3) Consolidating water systems.
(4) Extending drinking water services to other public water systems, community water systems, state small water systems, or domestic wells.
(5) Satisfying outstanding long-term debt obligations of public water systems, community water systems, and state small water systems where the board determines that a system’s lack of access to capital markets renders this solution the most cost effective for removing a financial barrier to the system’s sustainable, long-term provision of drinking water.
(c) Identifying and providing outreach to persons who are eligible to receive assistance from the fund.
(d) Testing the drinking water quality of domestic wells serving low-income households, prioritizing those in high-risk areas identified pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 116772).
(e) Providing services under Section 116686.
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 211. (SB 1371) Effective January 1, 2021.)