Small Water Systems Support

Last Update: May 8, 2013

Small Water Systems Program Plan 

CDPH has developed a Small Water System Goal targeted to bring small community systems into sustainable compliance with primary drinking water standards. CDPH has developed an implementation plan that defines specific tasks to achieve the goal as well as measureable results of progress. The implementation plan includes the use of CDPH staff and coordination with county drinking water programs, technical assistance providers, and stakeholders to accomplish its goal. This comprehensive approach will address the specific violations and reduce the number of primary drinking water standard violations in California.

The Small Water System Program Plan Goal consists of bringing approximately 63 of these systems back into compliance. Achieving this goal will bring the compliance rate of small water systems in the state from the present 92% to 95%, matching that of large community water systems. CDPH will focus internal efforts and third party provider services toward these listed systems in order to bring them into compliance. The intent is to direct attention and resources to these systems to help them secure funding that will solve their problems and to develop their TMF capacity to a level that will that will ensure sustainability into the future. The Program Plan tracks the progress of the small water systems on the list. You can find information below related to the implementation and progress of the Small Water Systems Program Plan.

Small water systems can find helpful links at the bottom of the page regarding funding, technical assistance, trainings, and compliance help.

• Small Water System Implementation Plan (PDF)  
• List of Program Plan Systems (PDF)  
• Map of Program Plan Systems (PDF)
• Monthly Progress Updates 

Small Water Systems Technical Support Unit 

The Small Water Systems Technical Support Unit administers the Local Primacy Delegation Program, as well as the Technical Assistance and Capacity Development Program.

CDPH, under the provisions of Section 116330 of the California Health and Safety Code, has delegated primacy to 32 local primacy agencies (LPAs) for the regulation of public water systems serving fewer than 200 service connections.  LPAs are county environmental health jurisdictions that have applied for and were granted regulatory authority over a portion of the public water systems in their county, and include:

LPAs regulate ~1,600 community water systems and 3,900 non-community water systems.  [Small water systems (SWSs) in the 23 counties not delegated primacy are regulated by CDPH, which regulates all large water systems.]

The CDPH Drinking Water Program's Small Water System Unit in conjunction with the DWP District Engineers, provides oversight over LPAs to insure consistency in the SWS regulatory program. The SWS Unit is the statewide contact regarding LPA issues, including (1) rule implementation and workload priorities, (2) data reporting, (3) small water program augmentation contracts, and (4) SWS regulatory issues.

For further information about the counties that are LPAs, see our SWS Unit Area Map and LPA Contact Information.

For further information about the SWS Program, contact us by email at DWPSWSLPA@cdph.ca.gov, or by phone at (916) 449-5600 and ask for a Small Water Systems Unit staff person.