HB43: HB43 Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program; establish

This bill adds a new section to Georgia's water law (O.C.G.A. § 12-5-74) creating the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program, run by the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources. The program would give grants, funded through future state appropriations, to 'disadvantaged communities,' defined as census block groups where at least 30 percent of residents earn 200 percent or less of the federal poverty level and who have seen their drinking water quantity or quality decline. Grant money could pay for things like new wells, water treatment systems, connecting small rural water systems to larger ones, emergency water supplies, and helping households connect to water service. The division would prioritize communities under violation notices for unsafe water, those facing shortages from overdrawn groundwater, and rural areas with dry or contaminated wells. Grants generally cannot cover more than 100 percent of setup costs or more than 25 percent of ongoing operation and maintenance costs, and no more than 25 percent of the program's yearly funds can go toward maintenance.

• Establishes the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program inside the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources.
• Defines 'disadvantaged community' as a census block group where 30 percent or more of residents earn at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
• Allows grant funds to pay for wells, treatment systems, water system consolidations, emergency water supplies, and household connection costs.
• Directs the program director to prioritize communities under drinking water violation notices, at risk of shortages, or served by contaminated or dry wells.
• Caps grant funding at 100 percent of startup and construction costs and 25 percent of ongoing operation and maintenance costs.
• Limits total program funds spent on operations and maintenance in any fiscal year to 25 percent.

Low-income communities with declining drinking water quality or supply, small rural water systems considering consolidation with larger systems, households needing water connections, and the Environmental Protection Division, which would administer the new grant program.

Communities struggling with unsafe or insufficient drinking water, often smaller or rural areas with limited resources, could gain access to state grants for wells, treatment systems, and emergency supplies, potentially improving water reliability and safety without relying solely on local funding or rate increases.

• Section 1 adds new Code section 12-5-74 establishing the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program under the Environmental Protection Division.
• Subsection (a) defines 'director,' 'disadvantaged community,' and 'division' for purposes of the program.
• Subsection (c) states the program's purpose: helping disadvantaged communities meet federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
• Subsection (d) lists ten eligible uses for grant funds, including new wells, treatment systems, and consolidation costs.
• Subsection (e) lists five factors the director must weigh when prioritizing funding, such as active violation notices or overdrawn groundwater basins.
• Subsections (f) and (g) cap how much grant money can go toward construction versus ongoing maintenance costs.
• Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-01-16House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-01-15House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-14House Hopper (House)

• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)Primary sponsor
• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)
• Rhonda Taylor (D, HD-092)
• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)

• drinking water
• rural water systems
• low-income communities
• environmental protection
• water infrastructure funding