The State Senate voted recently to send the governor legislation by Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Solano, that requires planning for basic infrastructure in disadvantaged, unincorporated communities.

"This measure addresses a very serious public health and planning problem in California that has for too long been largely hidden from view," said Wolk. "There are hundreds of underserved communities in this state, many of them in my district. They are home to an estimated one million Californians who lack basic necessities such as clean drinking water, adequate sewage disposal and other critical infrastructure.

Seeking to prevent underground water contamination, a group of environmentalists is trying to regulate the way companies drill for oil in California.

In a process known as hydraulic fracturing or "fracking," oil companies inject a combination of water, chemicals and sand into the ground to induce cracks, thereby stimulating the flow of oil and natural gas. The process has been used in California for more than four decades.
Supporters of the bill are concerned that there is currently no oversight or regulation regarding the process.

Drinking water samples collected from nearly 800 Los Angeles County facilities showed traces of metals and harmful chemicals at many sites, while water at four locations contained levels of arsenic and lead that exceeded recommended health standards, a study has found.

Water with the highest concentrations of arsenic was collected from a juvenile probation camp in Lancaster, where levels were measured at roughly seven times the recommended maximum threshold, the report states.