Lawmakers pass drought bill to help homeowners drill deeper wells

A drought relief bill providing $15 million in loans and grants to homeowners to deepen dry wells passed the Assembly unanimously, Assemblyman Devon Mathis, R-Visalia, said Tuesday.

The bill, AB 1588 authored by Mathis, is on its way to the governor’s desk. The bill also provide loans and grants for water treatment systems for contaminated wells, and for connecting to a municipal water system.

Mathis said he introduced the bill to help East Porterville residents where wells went dry in the drought.