Dirty water too pricey to fix for many Central Valley cities. Is this idea the answer?
In small rural cities in the Central Valley, many residents pay for dirty water.
In Huron, some residents pay as much as $119 a month for water city leaders say contains arsenic and cancer-causing contaminants, forcing those residents - most of whom have lower incomes - to buy bottled water.
“When you’re a farmworker family working hard in the fields, you come home and you’ve got to go to the well or to the store to buy water to drink when you’re already paying for it in the bill,” said Huron Mayor Ray Leon. “That’s unjust. That shouldn’t be happening for the people who are putting food on the table in every state in this country.”
It’s a common problem in cities like Delano, Wasco, Parlier and Huron. And fixing those problems is challenging.
Cities like Huron, with a population of 6,926 and a $22,802 median household income, are often too small to expand water access projects that could lower utility rates. While cities like Delano are too big to qualify for rural development projects from the federal government.
But a new proposal could soon alleviate those pains.
On Monday, mayors and city officials from rural Central Valley cities joined U.S. Rep. T.J. Cox to announce plans to introduce a bill they said could open up millions of dollars to help communities with clean water shortage.
Standing in front of a large water well on the outskirts of Parlier, Cox outlined the $100 million Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Act. He said he hopes the bill clears the path for cities that have been excluded from clean water projects for reasons beyond their control.
Cox, D-Fresno, said there is no shortage of resources and the problems can be solved, but he said some communities have been left out due to government bureaucracy. He said he plans to introduce the bill to Congress on Tuesday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB200 over the summer to provide millions in aid so communities can fund water projects. But the mayors from struggling cities who spoke Monday said although the funding will become available at the start of next year, they don’t have enough staff or resources to apply for the funding.
Cox said he expects his bill to supplement the state efforts.
If passed, the bill would authorize grants for projects including water treatment, well blending and searching for new drinking water sources like drilling new wells or consolidating systems. The federal bill would also provide funds so cities can hire workers who can write project grants and also help maintain the systems long term.
“Even sometimes if the money is out there, it can still be out of reach,” Cox said.
Cities would qualify for funding if they have populations at or below 60,000 and median household incomes of $64,800 or below.
Delano City Councilwoman Grace Vallejo said her city could use the funding to help connect struggling wells to healthier ones, a process known as well blending. She said this was the first time in her decades as a city official that she was asked for input on a water bill.
“We have nowhere to turn and there was no one that has reached out to our community and asked ‘What are your needs? How can we help you?” Vallejo said.
Valerie Gorospe, a representative for the Center on Race, Poverty and Environment who attended the bill announcement, said the water issues represent decades of neglect to the poorest communities.
“We don’t see these issues in the rich areas in southern California. If this would come up there it would definitely not be for decades like it has been here,” Gorospe said. “Environmental injustices exist and have been perpetuated in the Central Valley.”
This article is part of The California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequity and economic survival in California.
Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado: 559-441-6304, @cres_guez
This story was originally published December 2, 2019 at 4:31 PM.
