Background

West Goshen is a small, unincorporated community just west 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 — an estimated 60 households still rely on private wells. 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 continues to face 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. These contaminants include nitrate, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, and uranium. 

In 2021, West Goshen residents formed the community based organization West Goshen Water for Life. This group has actively engaged in advocating for safe and affordable drinking water in their community through:

• In 2022, Community Water Center worked with West Goshen residents and the engineering firm Dee Jaspar & Associates to complete an alternatives analysis study. After the completion of the alternative analysis study, the community of West Goshen decided to consolidate with Cal Water Visalia as their long-term water solution.

• In 2022, The Department of Water Resources awarded Tulare County a $3.4 million grant for the express purpose of connecting nearby West Goshen homes to a permanent and sustainable water source.

• By Fall 2025, residents currently supplied by private wells will be connected to the Cal Water Visalia system.

Community Water Center holds monthly community meetings to share the progress of the project and to gather questions and feedback from residents. 

Tulare County will oversee the construction and has hired West Valley Construction Company to complete it.