Running water slated to return to East Porterville

When the California drought forced hundreds of domestic wells to dry up, the small farming town of East Porterville became the poster child for the parched state.

Although the state has spent upwards of $16 million delivering bottled water in areas throughout the Golden State where approximately 2,000 wells have gone dry, it is Tulare County — where East Porterville is located – that some 1,200 of the wells are located. The $16 million has also been used to set up large storage tanks in the front yards of those East Porterville residents who have been without running water for at least two years. Worse yet, many must use portable showers set up in a church parking lot.

East Porterville resident, Tomas Garcia, 51, who works at a tire shop said, “Water should be for all, you know, not just for the rich people. We’re part of the community.” Garcia who heads a group called East Porterville for Water Justice, finds it hard to believe that in this day and age, in the United States, families don’t have reliable water in their homes.

But hope and water appear to be on their way to the residents of this largely Latino community.

The state has announced plans to begin connecting unincorporated East Porterville to the city water mains of adjacent Porterville. The state will spend $10 million in the first stage of work to connect up to 500 homes by year’s end. The hook-up costs to the homes with dry wells will run another $2,000 to $4,000 which the state will also pay. The catch is that ultimately the property owners must be annexed as part of Porterville, though this could take decades said city officials.

“I’m willing. I’m really excited,” said Angelica Beltran, an East Porterville resident.

The California Department of Water Resources is handling the first phase of the project. Up to 40 homes adjacent to existing city water mains in East Porterville should see running water sometime this summer.

The State Water Resources Control Board is responsible for the later phases of the project. Another 1,300 homes in East Porterville, whose wells has nitrate contamination, should be hooked to the new water system line by the of 2017.

Although hook-ups are voluntary, and paid for by the state, yard tanks will be removed once water service has been established.

State officials have said that their goal is to fund the project to be able to provide safe and reliable drinking water for East Porterville residents.

“Our hearts go out to the residents of East Porterville and elsewhere in California affected by the unprecedented drought,” Said Eric Lamoureux, regional administrator for the state Office of Emergency Services. “The permanent connection to the city of Porterville is the permanent solution. I’m confident we’re going to begin seeing, in the very near future, some connections and solutions to these residents who have suffered for too great for far too long.”

Beltran said her family has gotten by on bottled water and a 75-gallon tank in her front yard; the tank was replaced by a larger one just two months ago.

“It’s been really hard,” she said. “You can’t do laundry at home. You always have to deal with rumors that the county is going to take away the water deliveries.”

Mike Ennis, a Tulare County Supervisor, feel both the county and the East Porterville residents will both benefit.

“I think it’s the chance of a lifetime,” said Ennis. We’d never be able to get the state to put the infrastructure in the ground and hook people up.”

His take on way the state is providing the funds for East Porterville residents and Tulare County? “…They figure we’re at ground zero for the (California) drought. They got tired of reporters from all over the world coming there.”