Earlier this week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that it has identified and offered support to 17 rural communities with vulnerable drinking water systems due to drought conditions. The 17 identified rural communities may face severe water shortages in the next 60-100 days. 

The 17 rural drinking water systems identified serve communities that range in population from 39 to approximately 11,000 residents. CDPH will work with the impacted systems in implementing required conservation measures that could include rationing, or banning outside watering. CDPH will also work to identify possible additional sources of water, such as nearby water systems, or hauled water, and to provide guidance on the possible construction of additional wells to meet the system’s needs.

This announcement follows the Governor’s drought state of emergency proclamation on January 17, 2014 in which he directed CDPH’s Drinking Water Program to identify communities that may run out of drinking water, and “provide technical and financial assistance to help these communities address drinking water shortages.” The proclamation also calls on CDPH to “identify emergency interconnections that exist among the State’s public water systems that can help these threatened communities.”

CDPH’s Drinking Water Program has currently identified the following drinking water systems at greatest risk:

-       Shaver Lake Heights Mutual Water Company (Fresno County)

-       Sierra Cedars Community Services District (Fresno County)

-       Bass Lake Water Company (Madera County)

-       Whispering Pines Apts (Mariposa County)

-       Boulder Canyon Water Association (Kern County)

-       Lake of the Woods Mutual Water Company (Kern County)

-       Camp Condor (Kern County)

-       Jackson Valley Irrigation District (Amador County)

-       City of Willits (Mendocino County)

-       Redwood Valley Community Water District (Mendocino County)

-       Brooktrail Township Community Services District (Mendocino County)

-       Washington Ridge Conservation Camp (Nevada County)

-       Ophir Gardens (Placer County)

-       Lompico County Water District (Santa Cruz County)

-       City of Cloverdale (Sonoma County)

-       Healdsburg (Sonoma County)

This list may change as solutions for these systems are implemented and additional vulnerable systems are identified.

For additional information, please contact RCRC Legislative Advocate Kathy Mannion at 916.447.4806 or kmannion@rcrcnet.org.