Contaminated: Dirty Water In California's San Joaquin Valley
In 2012, California made history when it became the first U.S. state to declare that clean drinking water is a human right. But five years later, nearly 300 communities still shouldn’t drink their water, according to new state data—and more than half of the 400,000 impacted residents live in the San Joaquin Valley. In this series, our reporters visit these communities, speak with residents, and explore the challenges to obtaining safe, clean drinking water.
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In our 2017 series Contaminated, we told the stories of communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley struggling to access safe drinking water. Since… -
From Keith Pickett’s front yard just east of Bakersfield you can see the trees of where the official city begins. He’s on the board of a tiny water system… -
Drive through the pomegranate and pistachio orchards between Highways 41 and 99 and you may stumble upon Valley Teen Ranch, a cluster of residential homes… -
The recent drought underscored the struggles of private well owners as wells across Tulare County went dry. But an underlying issue has existed all along:… -
This is the third installment in our series Contaminated, in which we explore the 300 California communities that lack access to clean drinking water.… -
In late April, we launched a series called “Contaminated” where our team explores communities in the region affected by water unsafe to drink. In our… -
In 2012, California made history when it became the first U.S. state to declare that clean drinking water is a human right. But five years later, nearly…
