Rep. TJ Cox (D-Fresno) held a press conference in Parlier to announce a new bill that would bring clean drinking water to California’s 21st Congressional District.
PARLIER — On Monday, Representative TJ Cox (D-Fresno), held a press conference in Parlier to announce a new bill that would bring clean drinking water to California’s 21st Congressional District and small communities across the country.
Joined by local elected officials from across the district, Cox discussed the challenges of obtaining clean drinking water in disadvantaged communities and how his forthcoming bill would assist Central Valley communities such as Parlier, Huron, Wasco, Corcoran, Delano, and many others.
Cox said contaminants such as 1,2,3,-Trichloropropane, nitrates, and arsenic have brought many municipal wells into noncompliance and federal assistance is needed for communities that struggle to afford the necessary mitigation projects.
However, he said many communities in the 21st District do not have the resources to keep technical experts on staff for monitoring their water systems or handling the grant application process.
In addition, he said some small communities are not classified as rural under federal standards and as a result are shut out of other rural drinking water funding programs.
For these reasons, Cox introduced this bill to help close these gaps and bring clean drinking water to Central Valley communities — which he called the “most important piece of legislation” he’s proposed or signed onto in his time in congress.
“Most Americans take their drinking water for granted,” Cox said. “That’s not a luxury we have in the Central Valley.”
Every month, Cox said families in Huron are paying an average of $119 a month for water that doesn’t meet disinfection standards, while households in the Bay Area and Los Angeles pay a fraction of that cost for completely safe water.
Cox said this is unacceptable and he’s ready to tackle the problem by putting these communities front and center and ensuring they have the resources they need to be able to meet federal water standards.
“Our local governments and the state have taken action and they know what needs to be done to protect existing water sources and unlock new sources without contamination,” he said. “The only missing piece is the federal government, which hasn’t yet met its responsibilities.”
If passed, Cox said the $100 million Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Act wouldn’t just expand the number of communities eligible for assistance, it would also help them get that assistance by funding application, technical assistance, and operations and maintenance costs.
Eligible communities would be those with a population less than 60,000 and a median household income less than $64,800. The grant’s priorities would be disadvantaged communities with safe drinking water violations, water shortage, dry or contaminated domestic wells, and consolidation projects.
Cox said a team of technical experts employed by the state who have experience working on similar projects and would evaluate the benefits of every project to get help where it’s needed most as quickly as possible.
“I hope to work hand in hand with the state of California to make sure that this program is truly accountable and effective,” Cox said.
Jessi Snyder, community development manager at Self-Help Enterprises, also spoke during the conference and said drinking water infrastructure is a fundamental and critical piece to creating livable communities.
Along with replacing old infrastructure, bringing systems up-to-date and treating water, Snyder said the grants could help small unincorporated communities and cities deliver reliable services at affordable prices — something she said they struggle with every day.
“Ultimately, the goal is to achieve healthier communities [and] more affordable communities so that the Central Valley can continue to live and thrive as it has for so many years,” Snyder said.
In closing, Cox said he and other leaders “can’t stop until the water coming out of every tap is never in doubt.”
“We provide the world with the most delicious fruits and vegetables, but if we can’t provide the most important ingredient of life for our own people, I think we’ve truly failed the most basic test of governance,” he said.
The reporter can be reached at (559) 583-2423 or jzavala@hanfordsentinel.com
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