Office of Emergency Services: state matching funds: water system infrastructure improvements.

Assembly Member Bennett's proposal to establish a Rural Water Infrastructure for Wildfire Resilience Program addresses water system vulnerabilities in California's high-risk fire zones through state matching funds for infrastructure improvements. The program, to be administered by the Office of Emergency Services (OES), would support urban wildland interface communities in designated high and very high fire hazard severity zones with projects including waterline upgrades, additional fire hydrants, enhanced water delivery systems, and backup power generation.

The legislation directs OES to coordinate with the Department of Water Resources, State Water Resources Control Board, and Office of the State Fire Marshal in developing funding criteria that prioritize smaller water systems serving 15,000 connections or fewer. Communities seeking funds must demonstrate their projects align with local wildfire protection plans or water system assessments. The program places particular emphasis on protecting properties near outstanding national resource waters and headwaters as defined under the federal Clean Water Act.

The bill's findings note that one in four California residential structures - over 2 million households - are located within or near high fire hazard zones, with rural communities facing particular infrastructure challenges. While the program's framework is established through this legislation, its implementation remains contingent on separate appropriation of funds by the Legislature. The measure builds upon existing state-federal coordination on fire prevention, referencing recent Congressional investments in water delivery improvements for areas like the Tahoe Basin.