May Pulse: Learn About Land Transition
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In this edition:
View into Land Transition 🌳
Protecting SAFER Funding 💸
Water Affordability Making Progress 🎉
We’re Hosting an Open House 🏠
Dear Supporter,
In communities across California's San Joaquin Valley, the signs of a drinking water crisis are impossible to ignore. Domestic wells are going dry while industrial agriculture continues to overpump and pollute the water resources families depend on. Protecting communities and their water sources to guarantee their Human Right to Water takes action at every level. CWC has secured funding through the CA Department of Conservation’s Multi-Benefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) to build and test a model for community-led land transition.
East Orosi green space community partners manage as a place for recreation.
A just land transition prioritizes and amplifies the needs of communities most impacted by drinking water contamination and dry wells. The MLRP funds the planning and implementation of strategies and projects to transition from unsustainable groundwater pumping towards broader multi-benefit land-based solutions. Driven by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) implementation, an estimated 500,000 to one million acres of industrial agricultural production across the San Joaquin Valley will need to shift to less water-intensive and regenerative land uses. The goal is to reduce overpumping of groundwater and reach groundwater sustainability by 2040. CWC is working alongside communities to ensure the transition reflects their needs and priorities, visualizing what these green spaces for groundwater recharge can look like for their neighborhoods. Healthy neighborhoods with clean water are possible with community input!
Adelante,
Susana De Anda
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Advocating for Safe Drinking Water Funding
Community partners from the Central Coast meeting with Rivas’s Office to talk about SAFER.
The fight to keep the SAFER Program fully funded with $130 million annually is not over. Community Advocacy began with an action day in Sacramento, where over 40 community partners from the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Coast met with over 60 legislative offices. Sharing how emergency bottled water services are critical and how their communities are looking for long-term solutions, the message was clear - rural California communities cannot afford to lose $62 million dollars that goes into safe drinking water solutions.
Advocacy continued with an in-district action day in the Central Coast, calling for Speaker Robert Rivas to continue working with community partners to find solutions that will guarantee full funding for SAFER. In Assembly District 29, SAFER has invested over $4.5 million into 19 water systems, which is a great start, but there are still 53 failing or at-risk water systems that need investments to deliver safe water, addressing contaminants like nitrate, 1,2,3-TCP, PFAS, and chrome-6. We need to keep state leaders accountable to continue the investment in safe drinking water resources for all communities.
We’ll share more updates on socials about SAFER!
Affordability is Making Progress
Assemblymember Soria speaking about SAFER and affordability at the State Capitol alongside community partners.
Affordable drinking water is moving forward!
SB 1125 and AB 2739 both passed out of the floor in their respective houses and are now on their way through their respective committees. SB 1125 by Senator Menjivar would create a low-income affordability framework, and AB 2739 by Assemblymember Soria would create a funding source alongside water utilities. These bills will work together to make affordable drinking water a reality for Californians across the state. We will continue to advocate for these bills alongside community partners.
Stay tuned for affordability updates on our socials.
See Our New Central Coast Office!
You are invited to join us for our Open House on June 11th at 4 - 6:30 PM at our new Central Coast office in Freedom, CA. Come meet the CWC staff and learn more about ways to partner for water justice in the Central Coast. Refreshments will be provided.
Location: 80 Airport Blvd, Suite 206, Freedom, CA 95019
To RSVP, please call Sergio at (831) 288-0450.
CWC in the News
View all recent media here.
CWC is Hiring
Do you have a passion for environmental and social justice? Are you looking for an opportunity to work alongside those on the frontlines of the movement for safe and affordable drinking water in California?
Community Water Center is hiring:
Administrative Assistant - Visalia Office
The Administrative Assistant is a regular, part-time, non-exempt hourly position. This position will be responsible for serving as the first point of contact for all visitors, managing the daily administrative tasks, and assisting with the accounting process across the organization.
Human Resources Manager- Visalia Office
This role offers the opportunity to drive strong recruitment of talent, increase efficiency of hiring processes, take initiative, inform key decisions, and contribute to a positive, fast-paced work environment that drives organizational success.
Sr. Water Projects Coordinator - Visalia Office
A full-time exempt position that will be primarily responsible for developing water projects in underserved communities where residents do not have reliable access to safe and affordable drinking water.
More information on CWC Careers here!
Community Resources
Drinking Water Tool
Visit the Drinking Water Tool to see who makes decisions about your water supply and quality, potential threats to groundwater quality, and how to get involved in local groundwater management decisions, among other great information. Use the tool here!
Thank you to our Generous Donors!
A huge thank you to our sustaining monthly donors! Your ongoing commitment to water justice ensures everyone will have access to safe, clean and affordable drinking water.
Ann Dierks, Bessma Mourad, Carly Yoshida, Claire Sarraille, Claire Wilkens, F Thomas Biglione, Herbert G Cattanach, Jelle van Geuns, Jonathan Nelson, Kat Gilje, Kelsey Hinton, Kjirste Morrell, Kristin Dobbin, Lauren Gordon, Lou Riordan, Margaret Ferguson, Margaret Pedersen, Max Gomberg, Robert Kimberling, Sandi Matsumoto, Temma Kaplan, Wendy Hoben
May Donors
Alicia Barela and Vernell G Goehring
Be a water champion and support safe water for all.
