December eNews: Thank you for your support
Thank you for supporting CWC in 2020 in our fight for safe, clean, and affordable water for all.
No doubt this has been a difficult year in so many ways. But despite the challenges we’ve all faced, I’m proud of all the work we accomplished together.
We launched a new Drinking Water Tool, rolled out a regional bottled water program, pushed for a moratorium on water shutoffs, and shifted our community outreach to the virtual space.
Take a look at some highlights below!
Looking ahead to next year, our goal is to expand our efforts and work alongside our community partners to achieve affordable drinking water solutions for vulnerable communities.
It’s a tall order and we’ll need your support to do that. Together, we can solve this crisis. Will you join us or reaffirm your support by donating today?
Thank you and happy holidays!
Adelante,
Susana De Anda
Co-Founder and Executive Director
2020 Highlights
SAFER Advisory Group Kicked Off
In January 2020 the first Safe and Affordable Fund for Equity and Resiliency (SAFER) Advisory Group kicked off, marking an important milestone for the implementation of the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund.
CWC was in attendance, along with community members Lucy Hernandez from the AGUA Coalition and Horacio Amezquita from San Jerardo Cooperative Inc., who were selected as members of the group. Their leadership helped identify needs and community priorities for the Fund. CWC and community partners will continue to be on the board in 2021!
Nearly 200 people joined the launch of Community Water Center’s new Drinking Water Tool on Feb. 12. People viewed the launch online and joined in person from our Visalia, Watsonville, and Visalia offices. CWC designed the interactive web tool to help Californians understand where their water comes from and what’s in it. The Drinking Water Tool also includes an innovative drought scenario feature to help Californians prepare for the next drought. Based on groundbreaking research, CWC’s Drinking Water Tool found that if another drought occurs as severe as the 2012-2016 drought, more than 4,500 domestic wells in the Central Valley would be impacted.
Honored Water Justice Leaders
More than 80 people attended our Water Justice Leadership Awards (WJLA) in Sacramento on March 10 as we honored four water justice leaders for standing up to make the human right to water a reality, including their work to pass SB 200 (Monning) - the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. (Pictured L-R) Jared Blumenfeld, Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, on behalf of the Newsom Administration; Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia 56th Assembly District; Melynda Metheney, AGUA Coalition member and West Goshen community leader; Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of California Natural Resources Agency, on behalf of the Newsom Administration.
Spring Engagement Program Surpassed Goals
Our Spring Civic Engagement Program (CEP) surpassed their community outreach goal of contacting 3,000 Latinx voters from rural and unincorporated Tulare County! The team of 10 CWC canvassers (not all pictured) contacted 3,237 voters about implementing the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) program and ensuring that they get counted in the U.S. Census.
We Kept it Going Despite COVID Lockdown
As COVID-19 restrictions hit California, our work continued by moving to the digital space .We shifted to all-virtual team meetings (Above) and our Central Coast organizing team continued to hold monthly platicas virtually. Members of El Comité para Tener Agua Sana, Limpia, y Económica from the Bluff/Jensen/Springfield area of the Central Coast (Below pre-covid) began virtual platicas in April.
Launched Regional Bottled Water Program
We launched a free bottled water delivery program for Central Coast residents who lack clean water during National Drinking Water Week (May 3-9). Through state funding, the Regional Bottled Water Program for Central Coast Households provides a safe drinking water source for qualifying households with contaminated well water.
Fought for Preventing Water Shutoffs
Californians are encouraged to constantly wash their hands to stay safe and healthy, yet too many don’t have running water. Community Water Center and a broad coalition urged state legislators to keep the water flowing by taking emergency steps to maintain and restore water access for vulnerable communities as part of COVID-19 budget planning.
Celebrated Anniversary of Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund
On July 24 we marked the one-year anniversary of Governor Newsom signing SB 200, the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, which ushered in a funding source of $1.4 billion over 10 years for safe drinking water solutions for disadvantaged communities in California.
Community Partners Fought for Stricter Rules on Contaminants
Several community partners from the Central Coast, along with an AGUA Coalition member, shared their stories and provided public comments to the Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Coast Region) in September in support of stricter regulations, enforcement, and monitoring of harmful contaminants such as nitrate and 1,2,3-TCP in their communities as part of the Ag. Order 4.0.
State Water Board Ordered Mandatory Solution for East Orosi
After more than a decade of East Orosi residents struggling without clean drinking water, the State Water Board on Oct. 27 took a huge and critically necessary step by issuing a mandatory consolidation order for a neighboring district to connect East Orosi to safe water, ushering in the long-overdue promise of safe drinking water for the marginalized Tulare County community.
Pushing California to Prepare for Impending Tidal Wave of Water Debt
The moratorium on water shutoffs will eventually come to an end and California must be prepared. But we’re not -- and that puts our families and communities at risk of having their water shutoff and drowning in water debt. CWC and ally organizations urged California to implement comprehensive solutions to avoid this looming disaster.
CWC in the News!
Susana De Anda on the One Million Californians Without Drinking Water
“Our model of change at the Community Water Center is to really ensure that we’re a catalyst for community-driven water solutions through organizing, advocacy, and education.”
Susana De Anda, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Community Water Center
Latinos from small farming town will finally have drinking water
“In this community there are many people who are sick, have cancer, have ... other diseases, due to the pollution in which they live.”
Benedicto Cazares, AGUA Coalition member, East Orosi
Toxic tap water in Latino towns is a legacy of racist policies, California officials say
“The reality is, people cannot drink tap water without the fear of getting sick. It’s a fact that over 1 million Californians are exposed to toxic water on a daily basis.”
Susana De Anda, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Community Water Center
Much Of California’s Water Wells Are Contaminated With Chromium-6. Could A Costly Fix Be Coming?
“It’s shocking, painful, and really unjust. It is far past time for California to do right by our environmental justice communities impacted by chromium-6.”
Mayra Hernandez, Community Organizer, Community Water Center
See more CWC news coverage here.
New CWC Team Members
We are excited to introduce Uriel Saldivar as our new team member! Uriel joined our Sacramento team this month as Senior Policy Advocate. Welcome aboard, Uriel!
Read more about Uriel here
Safe Water Resources
Thank you to our Generous Donors!
Huge thank you to our regular monthly donors, whose continual contributions help to sustain our long-term work toward achieving safe, clean and affordable drinking water!
Anavel Valdez-Lupercio, Arohi Sharma, Benigna Hernandez, Bessma Mourad, Bryan Barnhart, Carly Yoshida, Cassie Morgan, Ellen Rowe, Esperanza Pimentel, F Thomas Biglione, Julia Emerson, Kathryn Wuelfing, Kavita Vora, Kristin Dobbin, Leonard Sklar, Sandra Hocker, Sandra Rose, and Vicki Woods
And thank you to our generous donors for DECEMBER!
Carrie McNeil, Geoff Eisenberg, Richard Haberman, and Robert Kimberling
If you would like to donate to CWC, please click here!
If you would like to become a monthly donor, please click here!
