A bill in the California legislature aims to ensure that water pumps have backup generators in the event of another major wildfire.
When power is shut off due to high winds, water pumps can go dead, locking firefighters out of desperately needed water if a fire erupts. Assemblymember Steve Bennett aims to prevent that by mandating backup generators and other upgrades.
“Backup generators aren't cheap, but they also are not major, you know, multimillion-dollar infrastructures for most,” Bennett told KNX News.
Each backup generator costs about half a million dollars, which Bennett says would amount to a couple extra dollars on water customers’ bills.
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The bill would only apply to water pumps in Ventura County, but eventually Bennett hopes to expand to a statewide mandate.
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