By Louis Martin, RCAC staff writer

A landmark analysis of California water systems is being undertaken by the University of California, Los Angeles, Luskin Center for Innovation. Scholars and civil leaders have secured a $3 million contract with the California State Water Resources Board for the study. They will examine hundreds of water systems in the state. The work is expected to take two years.

California has about 400 water systems that are considered noncompliant in safety and/or affordability standards. The Luskin Center says that about 90 percent of those violations occur in small systems in rural areas that serve less than 500 connections. UCLA, in partnership with several other research bodies including California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), will create a risk ranking system and make recommendations for improvement

California lawmakers are expected to closely watch the study and use the findings to set funding goals for Senate Bill 200, which mandates the establishment of a Safe and Affordable Drinking Water fund.

Read more details from NPR at http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/ucla-to-assess-california-drinking-water-systems-for-risks