AB 1242: Human right to water: a novel concept

Most Californians assume they have a legal right to safe and affordable drinking water. Wrong. Excessive levels of nitrates, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and naturally occurring chemicals in high concentrations have forced many families, particularly in economically disadvantaged communities, to switch to much more expensive bottled water to meet their domestic water needs. AB 1242 (Ruskin) would have made it a policy of the state of California that everyone should have access to safe, affordable water for basic human needs and would have required state agency regulations, practices, and grant guidelines to prioritize the provision of safe, affordable water for basic human needs.