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 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. These contaminants include nitrate, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, and uranium. 

Community Water Center is working with West Goshen residents and the engineering firm Dee Jaspar & Associates to identify options for connecting households served by private wells to other reliable, safe, and affordable drinking water sources through an alternatives analysis study.

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

The goal is to provide residents with enough information about the options available by fall 2022 so they can decide for themselves what long-term option they want to pursue for their community.

In 2021, West Goshen residents formed the community based organization West Goshen Water for Life. This group is actively engaging in the alternatives analysis study, while continuing to organize and advocate for safe and affordable drinking water for their families.

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 December 2024, residents currently supplied by private wells will be connected to the Cal Water Visalia system.

This grant now puts the community on a faster path toward safe and accessible water for all!