March eNews: San Joaquin Valley Drought Tour, New Bill to Protect Communities From Excessive Well Drilling
Para español, haz clic aqui
Last month, community leaders from six rural farmworker communities in the San Joaquin Valley invited key state water policy makers to hear firsthand the water issues their families face. These meetings took place at homes, next to drinking water wells and in the center of these towns. It was the first time in a long time where we could meet in-person and hear directly from people impacted by drought, contamination and affordability — and it was powerful. We will be sharing a story from a different community each month. I hope these stories stick with you and remind you of how powerful our communities are. These are the leaders who will help make the Human Right to Water in California a reality.
Adelante,
Susana De Anda
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Stories from the San Joaquin Valley Drought Tour
Each month we’ll share a new story from the community drought tour in March, including any key updates for that community that have happened since.
Jesus Benitez standing next to his private well at his home in West Goshen.
West Goshen
Close to sixty families in the small, rural community of West Goshen rely on their own private wells for water access. During the 2012-2016 drought, some of the wells supplying these households went dry, leaving families with no running water in their homes.
Today, California is in the midst of another drought and West Goshen residents reliant on private wells are concerned they may, once again, lose their water.
Even when the wells aren’t dry, a number of contaminants that make water unsafe for drinking, cooking, and in some cases bathing, have been found in their groundwater supply.
West Goshen Water for Life community leader Jesus Benitez invited us to his home and shared these concerns during the drought tour and urged state water staff to help the community move forward with a permanent drinking water solution.
“They say they can bring temporary tanks to get water, but that is not a permanent solution. This is the worst drought in 1,000 years. It’s not getting better. I’m hoping that we get connected to the city [of Visalia’s] water. ”
Thank you to Department of Water Resources (DWR) Director Karla Nemeth, her staff and State Water Resources Control Board Member Sean Maguire for taking the time to meet with community leaders, answer their questions and learn from their firsthand experience what solutions are needed to achieve safe and affordable water for all in California.
New Bill Introduced to Better Community Drinking Water From Excessive Well Drilling
Close to 85% of Californians rely on groundwater for at least a portion of their drinking water supply, yet for decades this critical resource has been pumped with no regulation. As surface water supplies dwindle, thousands of deep agricultural wells are drilled to make up for this lack of water. This will only worsen as the climate crisis continues to upend snowpack and rain that Californians have relied on for crops and groundwater recharge. Currently, counties are tasked with issuing well drilling permits and do not have to take groundwater sustainability into account when doing so. That’s how since 2014, in the midst of two historic droughts, over 6,200 new agricultural wells were drilled.
What does this mean for small, rural communities who rely on groundwater as their sole source of drinking water? For community water systems such as Ducor in Tulare County, it means a community well drilled only three years ago to combat nitrate contamination is already at risk of going dry due to an agricultural well drilled right across the street.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Stories like this can be heard in communities throughout the Central Valley and once the deeper wells are drilled, there is little communities can do to protect their supply. Private wells are at even greater risk due to the shallow depths they are typically drilled. Deepening a private well is not a feasible solution when costs can start at $30,000.
Assemblymember Bennett’s new Community Drinking Water Protection Act (AB 2201) aims to help address this crisis. If passed, Groundwater Sustainability Agencies be required to review new well drilling permits and ensure they align with the sustainability plan for their basin. Community members would also be notified of new wells that could threaten their water supply. Read more in the press statement here.
In Case You Missed It
Skimpy state snowpack points to another long, dry summer
“We knew if the drought continued this year we would continue to face devastating impacts in our communities. This summer, it won’t be a surprise when wells start running dry, so it’s crucial that we have the resources in place to connect homes directly to bottled water and dry well services.”
— Daisy Gonzalez, Community Solutions Coordinator
Community drinking water to be protected under Bennett Bill
“Without increased state and local oversight, over-pumping of groundwater will continue to cause shallow domestic and community water wells to run dry, threatening the water supply of disadvantaged communities throughout the state and is in direct opposition to the goals of SGMA and the Human Right to Water,” says Community Water Center Executive Director Susana De Anda. “Given what we know about the future of our water in California and the challenges of Climate Change, there is no excuse for us to leave our communities in a situation where their drinking water supplies are stolen from underneath their feet.”
Welcome Pedro Calderón
Please join us in welcoming our new Public Relations Manager Pedro Calderón! Pedro brings to the water justice movement over 20 years of experience in Spanish language media including directing newsroom for award-winning networks such as Univision and Telemundo in both San Diego and Denver. We are excited for Pedro to help amplify the drinking water crisis in California and highlight the incredible work being done by community leaders in the San Joaquin valley and Central Coast.
Learn more about Pedro and the rest of the CWC team 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:
Administrative Assistant — Visalia Office
Support day–to–day activities to ensure sustainable, efficient and effective operations of the organization and its three 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.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.
Is Your Water Safe to Drink?
If you’re experiencing drinking water issues and live in the San Joaquin Valley or Central Coast regions, check out our Safe Water Resources page. Information can be found on private well testing, bottled water programs, and more.
As California continues into the third year of this historic drought, we also have a page dedicated to drought relief 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!
Brian Hinton, Carol Seastrom, Jane Affonso, Jordi Vasquez, Judith Redmond and Kristine Andarmani
Be a water champion and support safe water for all.
