Supervisor Monthly Message ~ District 2 ~ June 2022

Water!

Tulare County, along with most of State of the California, has been embroiled with the fight for water for quite some time. Tulare County continues to work with public water suppliers and local non-profits to track and respond to drought impacts on community water systems.  At the time of this message, our communities have not reported any water shortages.  
Just a few short weeks ago, the Bureau of Reclamation announced that the community water systems relying on the Central Valley Project will receive a health and safety allocation, which will keep community members in water throughout the summer. 

There are resources available for residents who require assistance with water sustainability and water quality issues. Self-Help Enterprises is the first stop for anyone experiencing a private well outage. By utilizing Self-Help’s online system, you can now access their online intake form for a faster way to get connected to resources within Tulare County. Some of the resources available include household tanks, hauled water, well repair assistance, and a bottled water program. Additionally, there are programs available to address community water shortages. These include emergency repairs and bottled water delivery through the State Water Resources Control Board funding as well as the Small Community Drought Assistance Program through the Department of Water Resources.

On March 28, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-7-22, which is a Drought Emergency Order that included 15 items related to drought response in California. So, what does that mean for Tulare County? Items 9 (a) and (b) requires counties to coordinate with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) prior to issuing agricultural, industrial, or commercial well permits. Tulare County has worked closely with various GSAs in our County to create a process to comply with the Executive Order and allow these necessary well applications to move forward.

For more information or to apply for water resources through Self-Help, please visit: https://bit.ly/3PXL3gf 

 

Pete Vander Poel
District 2 Supervisor