IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Rep. Norma Torres, D-Ontario, and Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, have introduced a bill meant to reduce nitrate and arsenic in drinking water.
If passed, the Removing Nitrate and Arsenic in Drinking Water Act will provide $15 million a year to help remove those substances from drinking water, according to a statement released by Torres’ office.
That funding would start in fiscal year 2025-26.
The California State Water Resources Control Board has found the Inland Empire to have the highest levels of contamination of nitrate throughout the state, with 82 sources in San Bernardino County and 67 sources in Riverside County
“The nitrate and arsenic contamination in California water sources is a public health crisis, and a threat to my constituents’ health and safety,” Torres said in the statement. “The Inland Empire experiences some of the worst levels of contamination in the state. I am committed to providing clean drinking water free of these harmful substances.”
