May eNews: Residents Go to Capitol for Action on Affordable Water
Yesterday, more than 60 community partners and water advocates rallied outside the Capitol with one resounding message — California must fund a low-income water rate assistance program. For too long, our most vulnerable families have been paying the highest price for water: once for the toxic water in their taps and then again for bottled water. Enough is enough. I joined leaders from around the state to urge the legislature to fund a solution to our water affordability crisis. Speakers included:
Camila Chavez, Executive Director of Dolores Huerta Foundation
Eddie Valero, Tulare County Board of Supervisors
Ruth Martinez, long-time water activist, Ducor water board member and currently pay over $60/month for water
Simona Magaña, long-time water activist and private well owner who knows too well the price that comes from buying bottled water
Julia Mendoza, long-time community water activist from Cantua Creek who has had to pay over $195 for water
Nataly Escobedo Garcia, Policy Coordinator for Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability who works with residents dealing with affordability issues
California’s Human Right to Water law promises safe, clean, affordable and accessible water for all. We won’t stop until an affordability program is available for all those who need it, stopping the fear and danger of water shutoffs due to inability to pay unaffordable water bills once and for all.
Adelante,
Susana De Anda
Co-Founder and Executive Director
State Water Board Releases 2022 Drinking Water Needs Assessment
When the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund (SB 200) passed in 2019, the State Water Board was tasked with helping the most vulnerable water systems in the state. To determine which systems to prioritize, the State Board conducts an annual drinking water assessment containing information on contamination risk, affordability and overall cost of solutions. For the first time, small water systems (systems with less than 14 connections) and domestic well risks were included, which provide water to more than 1.5 million Californians.
The results of this year’s assessment serves as an urgent reminder of the work we have in front of us:
46% of water systems in California are failing or at risk* of failing to provide safe drinking water.
50% of state small water systems are at risk for water quality concerns or vulnerable to drought.
Statewide, more than 180,000 wells are at risk for water quality concerns or vulnerable to drought. Another 100,000 are potentially at risk.
*At risk is defined as any public water system that is likely to be unable to meet at least one of the Human Right to water goals: (1) providing safe drinking water; (2) accessible drinking water; (3) affordable drinking water; and/or (4) maintaining a sustainable water system.
Funders Visit Southern San Joaquin Valley Communities
Kassandra Hishida of the Community Alliance of Agroecology (left) and Darlene Franco of the Wukchumni Tribe (right) honor the memory and vision of community leader and activist Isabel Arroyo of El Quinto Sol de America.
On May 25, more than 25 funders visited several San Joaquin Valley rural communities to learn about opportunities to invest in a more healthy and equitable agricultural system. Representatives of philanthropy heard from unincorporated communities most impacted by the overdraft of our aquifers and the water and air contamination caused by pesticide and fertilizer application. Grassroots leaders and Tribal leadership presented equitable strategies to address interconnected environmental issues caused by industrial agriculture. Some of these strategies include reducing the application of pesticides and fertilizers that pollute our water and air, and giving land back to Indigenous Peoples to steward using ecological and traditional methods.
CWC thanks our community partners, ally organizations, Tribes, and our funder partners for making this informative learning experience possible and is looking forward to strengthening resources for critical San Joaquin Valley needs.
Maria Herrera Appointed by Biden Administration as USDA Regional Director
Maria Herrera with Seville, CA elementary school students and staff, addressing the United Nations Special Rapporteur on drinking water issues in 2011.
We are excited to share that Maria Herrera was appointed by the Biden Administration as USDA State Director, Rural Development, California. Maria was one of CWC's first employees from 2008-2014! During her time as Community Advocacy Director at CWC, she worked to tackle water issues and organize alongside communities in Tulare County to successfully pass California’s Human Right to Water bill in 2012. Since then, she has served on the California Water Commission and within Governor Newsom’s administration, continuing to advocate for rural community needs statewide.
CWC congratulates Maria on this great accomplishment!
In Case You Missed It
‘A race to the bottom’: New bill aims to limit frenzy of well drilling on California farms
“I am getting many calls and concerns from families about the decreased pressure and the lack of water coming from our taps. Our brand-new water is failing because the county did not protect us.”
— Ruth Martinez, Ducor local water board member on the importance of passing AB 2201
"The bigger story, at least for us, is when we are in the middle of drought like this, it's not just shorter showers and stopping outdoor water use for our families. Our families are worried that their water is just going to stop running all together."
— Kelsey Hinton, Communications Director
'We're still not in great shape' | Conservation stressed as California's water crisis continues
Kelsey Hinton, CWC’s Communications Director, shares the urgency of California’s current drought for the rural, unincorporated communities whose homes rely on an ever dwindling source of groundwater.
Welcome Kjia, Maricela, Mikel and Tien!
CWC welcomed four new staff in May!
Kjia Rivers (top left) joins CWC’s Sacramento team as a Policy Advocate. Kjia is an Environmental Studies and Political Science graduate from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and will apply that expertise to the intersections of drought, climate, and nitrate contamination of groundwater.
Maricela Mares-Alatorre (top right) joins CWC’s Visalia team as a Community Solutions Advocate. Maricela brings a depth of expertise including 30 years of organizing in communities of color, most recently with Green Action for Health and Environmental Justice.
Mikel Irigoyen (bottom left) joins CWC’s Watsonville team as a Community Solutions Coordinator. Mikel is finishing his Master's of Environmental Science and Management at University of California, Santa Barbara and will be bringing that expertise to technical assistance projects in the Central Coast.
Tien Tran (bottom right) joins CWC’s Sacramento team as a Policy Advocate and will focus on the equitable implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Tien brings strong state policy experience to the team from past work with State Water Board members and a year-long fellowship in State Senator Durazo’s office at the California Capitol.
Join us in welcoming our new team members! Learn more about 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.
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 — Visalia, Sacramento or Watsonville Offices
Help build relationships and raise funds to keep our water justice movement going strong.
Development Director - Visalia, Sacramento or Watsonville Offices
Lead our fund development work to keep the water justice meeting going strong.
86 Reported Dry Wells Since May 1Is Your Water Safe or Well Running Dry?
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! Your ongoing commitment to water justice ensures everyone will have access to safe, clean and affordable drinking water.
Arden Wells, Bessma Mourad, Bob Simone, Carly Yoshida, Claire Wilkens, Denise Heitzenroder, Frank Lukacs, Jose Pablo Ortiz Partida, Kathryn Gilje, Kathryn Wuelfing, Klara East, Kristin Dobbin, Lara Cushing, Max Meyer, Paul Pierce, Sandra Hocker, Sandra Rose, Stephen Gasteyer, Vicki Woods, Victoria Klug, Yara Pasner
And thank you to our generous donors for the month of May!
Iris Biblowitz, Jerry Jimenez, Kristine Andarmani, Luisa Medina, Mark Kines
Be a water champion and support safe water for all.
