The people of California find and declare all of the following:

(a) Safeguarding California’s supply of clean and safe water for homes, businesses, and farms is an essential responsibility of government, and critical to protecting the quality of life for all Californians.

(b) Every Californian should have access to clean, safe, and reliable drinking water.

(c) California has been experiencing more frequent and severe droughts and is currently enduring the worst drought in 200 years. These droughts are magnifying the shortcomings of our current water infrastructure.

(d) California’s water infrastructure continues to age and deteriorate. More than 50 years ago, Californians approved the construction of the State Water Project. In recent decades, however, that infrastructure has proven inadequate to meet California’s growing needs.

(e) This measure provides funding to implement the three objectives of the California Water Action Plan which are more reliable water supplies, the restoration of important species and habitat, and a more resilient and sustainably managed water infrastructure.

(f) Developing and guarding our water resources is critical for California to maintain vibrant communities, globally competitive agriculture, and healthy ecosystems.

(g) Encouraging water conservation and recycling are commonsense methods to make more efficient use of existing water supplies.

(h) Sustainable water management in California depends upon reducing and reversing overdraft and water quality impairment of groundwater basins. Investments to expand groundwater storage and reduce and reverse overdraft and water quality impairment of groundwater basins provide extraordinary public benefit and are in the public interest.

(i) Protecting lakes, rivers, and streams, cleaning up polluted groundwater supplies, and preserving water sources that supply the entire state are crucial to providing a reliable supply of water and protecting the state’s natural resources.

(j) The Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 provides a comprehensive and fiscally responsible approach for addressing the varied challenges facing California’s water resources.

(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 188, Sec. 8. (AB 1471) Approved in Proposition 1 at the November 4, 2014, election.)