HANFORD — Monday, Congressman David Valadao (R-Hanford) announced the community of Stratford as the recipient of federal grant funding to ensure the community has access to an adequate, clean water supply.
The Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant, totaling $1 million is administered by the Office of Rural Development, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants help eligible communities, such as Stratford, prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water.
"After two public wells failed in Stratford this past August, ensuring the community had the funding needed to repair their water infrastructure was absolutely critical,” Valadao said in a released statement.
“As I continue working to improve our water infrastructure, I am pleased this community will have access to a clean, safe and reliable water supply."
According to a press release, since being elected in 2012, Valadao has introduced five separate pieces of legislation to improve water availability in the western United States.
In the 115th Congress, Valadao introduced and passed through the U.S. House of Representatives H.R.
23, the Gaining Responsibility on Water (GROW) Act, which aims to expand water infrastructure and allow for more water conveyance while protecting the water rights of users across the state.
Most recently, Valadao worked with the administration to move forward with executive actions to expedite biological opinions for the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project in California and, as a result, ensure a reliable water supply for Central Valley farms and families.
Valadao represents the state’s 21st Congressional District, which includes Kings County and portions of Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties.