Senator Shannon Grove
1021 0 Street, Room 7150
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Senator Shannon Grove:
On behalf of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, I write in strong opposition to the reversion of $17.5 million previously allocated in AB 211 (Sec. 35 of Ch. 574 of Stats. 2022) to supply hauled water to households who lost water access during the drought. The reversion of these funds will cut off access to water for more than 2,536 residents in Tulare County, who receive hauled water and await a permanent solution. It is essential that the state continue to fund this ongoing program keeping households connected to water while the state, local agencies, and community organizations work to implement permanent drinking water solutions for these communities.
While heavy precipitation in 2023 may have seen the majority of California move on from drought concerns, California's Central Valley is still experiencing severe drought impacts. In Tulare County, 288 domestic wells went dry over the last year. Temporary water supplies, like hauled water, were brought in to address the immediate needs of drinking water for these families. These interim solutions are funded in large part by the California Emergency Relief Fund and are still being implemented between the State Water Board and nonprofit technical assistance organizations. This interim funding is vital to bridge the gap until those permanent solutions can be implemented.
The water hauling and water tank program funded through this program has already made a significant impact in Tulare County. The program is moving families off of tanks to permanent solutions. In the past 17 months alone, Self-Help Enterprises has successfully moved 40 households off of temporary emergency water assistance in Tulare County. Without interim solutions like the water hauling program, families relying on relief won't be able to wait for sustainable, long-term solutions and will be forced into catastrophic decisions such as walking away from their homes.
For these reasons we must oppose the reversion of funds in AB 107. Cutting funding for such a crucial program will have devastating effects on rural and disadvantaged communities by immediately cutting them off from their sole source of water. Maintaining the full allocation in the California Emergency Relief Fund for hauled water is essential to ensuring that our most vulnerable communities have access to safe drinking water.
Sincerely,
Larry Micari, Chair
Tulare County Board of Supervisors