The rural Kings County community of Kettleman City, long plagued by unsafe drinking water, now has a clear path toward a clean water supply.
The State Water Resources Control Board today approved the construction of a water treatment plant to serve Kettleman City. The unincorporated community’s water supply contains unsafe levels of arsenic. Maricela Mares-Alatorre is a Kettleman City resident and activist, and she says residents are ready.
“Whenever you ask people what Kettleman City needs, the first thing out of their mouths is, we need better water," says Mares Alatorre.
Today’s decision was the final step in approving the facility. Construction had been set to begin earlier this year but was delayed due to an additional environmental assessment.
Construction is likely to begin in early 2017 and is estimated to take about 18 months. The project will receive close to $10 million from state and federal governments.
