Waterwise: Additional funding needed for drought relief.
Laurel Firestone, co-executive director of Community Water Center, and Tom Collishaw, Self-Help Enterprise CEO, said Central Valley residents are in need of clean water.
According to the State Water Resource Control Board, there are California communities not able to finance long-overdue drinking water solutions.
In some communities, according to the resource board, water has high levels of arsenic for more than 10 years.
“California has been a leader in drinking water, but we have to commit sustained funding if we want to solve the crisis this year,” Firestone said.
Collishaw said the need for clean water must be addressed.
Arsenic, nitrate and disinfectant byproducts are the most common contaminants.
The CWC said 300 communities and one million California residents are still lacking access to clean water.
Earlier this year, state administrators recognized there are communities in need of finding a water solution.
“The Administration is committed to working with the Legislature and stakeholders to address this issue,” according to Brown’s budget.