This story was updated with comments from officials in the city of Sanger.
FRESNO, Calif. – After nearly a decade of advocacy, residents of the unincorporated community of Tombstone Territory in Fresno County are now connected to a reliable water source.
Families in Tombstone Territory endured years of unsafe and unreliable water supply, according to the nonprofit organization Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. The group says residents dealt with wells going dry and with contaminated water.
But residents in the area, with roughly 40 homes, recently celebrated a consolidation project that connected the community to the City of Sanger’s water system. The consolidation project cost $5 million.
The effort is part of a state program known as the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience, or SAFER.
The program was established by the State Water Resources Control Board in 2019. It provides grants, loans and services to help water systems deliver safe drinking water.
Since the program began funding projects, the state has completed 140 water system consolidations. The number of Californians receiving unsafe water from public water systems has dropped from about 1.6 million to around 600,000, according to state figures.
Tombstone Territory is also where Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 200, known as the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. The fund generates $130 million annually for projects, through 2030.
Families in the community of Tombstone Territory were forced to drink bottled water and use emergency water tanks due to their water issues.
Jovita Torres, Tombstone Territory community resident says the water connection has brought relief. "I no longer have to worry if we're going to spend another summer without water," Torres said.
Michael Claiborne, an attorney with Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, said the effort also shows the way residents can use state laws to advocate for resources.
“This community-driven success demonstrates the critical role that the SAFER program plays in delivering safe water to all Californians, and the program must be fully funded and protected," Claiborne said.
Nathan Olson, the city manager in Sanger, said that the entire project was a collaborative work from the city and the state.
"We helped each other out to help the community just outside of our sphere of influence," Olson said.
He says that the residents of the community now have a "good, reliable, safe source of drinking water," and that their reliance on wells is hopefully a thing of the past.
Frank Gonzalez, the mayor of Sanger, who was present at the groundbreaking ceremony a year ago, said that discussions about consolidating Tombstone Territory was a project that made sense.
"If we have the water, we're going to help out. That's just a human thing to do," he said.
