February eNews: California Groundwater Update, Update on Safe Water for West Goshen
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World Water Day is March 22, which is a celebration of water, but also a stark reminder of the two billion people currently living without access to it. This year’s theme is groundwater — “making the invisible visible.” Approximately 85% of Californians rely on the water under their feet for at least some of their drinking water, and reliance on it will grow as surface water supplies become more scarce and unpredictable due to climate change. Overpumping of this critical resource has left communities throughout the state vulnerable to losing access to water all together. This World Water Day, join us in recognizing the critical role groundwater plays in our lives and urging decision makers to protect it for future generations. Be sure to join the conversation by using the hashtag #WorldWaterDay.
To support equitable sharing of our groundwater resources, CWC engages in in-depth groundwater advocacy and community engagement on groundwater issues impacting them. If you care about the future of our water resources, consider becoming a CWC sustaining donor. Even $25 a month can help our team provide critical updates and empower community members to protect our water for future generations to come.
Adelante,
Susana De Anda
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Groundwater Management Plans Must Prioritize Small Community Water Needs
CWC’s groundwater advocacy lead Justine Massey gives a video update on sustainable groundwater management in California, including:
What is SGMA? A quick overview of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
How to ensure private well communities are prioritized in the future of groundwater (spoiler alert, there was a big win this winter!)
Learn more below and share on your channels! Also available in Spanish.
Safe Water for West Goshen Moves Forward!
West Goshen (pop. 500) is a small, unincorporated community just west of the city of Visalia in Tulare County. While a portion of the community gets safe drinking water from California Water Service — which also serves the city of Visalia (pop. 132,000) — about 60 households still rely on private wells. During the 2012-16 drought, some of the wells supplying these households went dry, leaving families with no running water. Even when the wells aren’t dry, a number of contaminants that make water unsafe for consumption, and in some cases bathing, have been found in their groundwater supply. These contaminants include nitrate, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, and uranium.
Community Water Center worked with West Goshen residents and an engineering firm to identify options for connecting households served by private wells to other reliable, safe, and affordable drinking water sources through an overview of alternatives study released in February. Potential solutions include connecting each household to Visalia’s larger water system or continuing to rely on private wells but deepen them to alleviate drought impacts and install individual treatment systems to reduce contamination.
West Goshen residents will continue to meet monthly to dive deep into each alternative option identified in this report and will vote this fall on their preferred option for safe water for their community.
In Case You Missed It
California Has Begun Managing Groundwater Under a New Law. Experts Aren’t Sure It’s Working
“We’ve been using too much groundwater in the Central Valley that we really do not have, and it’s taking water from our communities now and from future generations.”
— Erick Orellana, CWC's Policy Advocate
As drought conditions worsen, California braces for ‘worst-case scenario’
“The most significant drought impacts we’ve seen have been when households lose access to running water in their homes as a result of large agricultural wells depleting groundwater levels near drinking water wells. We have to be clear that every Californian’s human right to water is not less important than another’s pursuit of wealth.”
— Erick Orellana, CWC's Policy Advocate
CWC’s Bryan Osorio shares new website and an update on outreach in an effort to hold San Joaquin Valley nitrate polluters accountable for state mandated private well testing and bottled water deliveries in their contamination zone:
Welcome Janaki Anagha
We are excited to introduce Janaki Anagha as our new team member! Janaki brings years of environmental justice experience from previous positions with California Rural Legal Assistance and assisting in the creation of the Community Alliance for Agroecology. She will be CWC’s Director of Community Advocacy. Join us in welcoming Janaki!
Read more about Janaki Anagha here.
CWC is Hiring
Do you have a passion for environmental and social justice? Are you looking for an opportunity to work alongside those on the frontlines of the safe and affordable drinking water movement in California?
Community Water Center is hiring for multiple positions across all three of our offices:
Community Solutions Advocate - Watsonville Office
Partner with Central Coast communities to help secure access to safe and affordable drinking water.Community Solutions Coordinator — Watsonville Office
Coordinate technical assistance projects and work with communities to develop and implement drinking water solutions.Community Solutions Manager — Watsonville Office
Apply technical and project management skills to develop and implement community-driven drinking water solutions and policy advocacy.Federal Policy Advocate — Remote from the Washington DC area
Lead CWC’s federal policy and advocacy work and support California community members to engage in federal policymaking.Fund Development Coordinator — Sacramento, Visalia or Watsonville Office
Help build relationships and raise funds to keep our water justice movement going strong.
Safe Water Resources
Thank you to our Generous Donors!
Huge thank you to our sustaining monthly donors, whose continual contributions help to sustain our long-term work toward achieving safe, clean, and affordable drinking water!
Arden Wells, Benigna Hernandez, Bessma Mourad, Bob Simone, Carly Yoshida, Claire Wilkens, Denise Heitzenroder, Frank Lukacs, Jose Pablo Ortiz Partida, Julia Emerson, Kathryn Gilje, Kathryn Wuelfing, Kelsey Hinton, Klara East, Kristin Dobbin, Lara Cushing, Max Meyer, Paul Pierce, Sandra Hocker, Sandra Rose, Stephen Gasteyer, Vicki Woods, Victoria Klug and Yara Pasner
And thank you to our generous donors through the end of December and January!
Mark Carlson and Nancy Wiens
Be a water champion and support safe water for all.
