The projects eligible for funding pursuant to this chapter shall help improve water quality for a beneficial use. The purposes of this chapter are to:
- (a) Reduce contaminants in drinking water supplies regardless of the source of the water or the contamination.
- (b) Assess and prioritize the risk of contamination to drinking water supplies.
- (c) Address the critical and immediate needs of disadvantaged, rural, or small communities that suffer from contaminated drinking water supplies, including, but not limited to, projects that address a public health emergency.
- (d) Leverage other private, federal, state, and local drinking water quality and wastewater treatment funds.
- (e) Reduce contaminants in discharges to, and improve the quality of, waters of the state.
- (f) Prevent further contamination of drinking water supplies.
- (g) Provide disadvantaged communities with public drinking water infrastructure that provides clean, safe, and reliable drinking water supplies that the community can sustain over the long term.
- (h) Ensure access to clean, safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water for California’s communities.
- (i) Meet primary and secondary safe drinking water standards or remove contaminants identified by the state or federal government for development of a primary or secondary drinking water standard.