East Orosi’s Struggle for Clean Drinking Water

KPFA - Making Contact

East Orosi hasn’t had safe drinking water in over 20 years. The water is full of nitrates, runoff from industrial agriculture, which is harmful to human health. The community has taken action to find a solution, from lobbying at the state capital to working with neighboring towns.

And they may finally have one. New California laws, passed in the last five years, have opened up funding to build water infrastructure in small towns like East Orosi. But even as laws and funding develop, implementation has been challenging.

We visit East Orosi and talk to Berta Diaz Ochoa about what it’s like living without clean drinking water and the solutions on the horizon. This is part one of a two part series.

GUESTS:

Susana De Anda – Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Community Water Center;
Berta Diaz Ochoa -East Orosi community member and organizer;
Cristobal Chavez – member of Community Water Center;
Janaki Anagha – Director of Advocacy, Community Water Center;
Jessi Synder – Director of Community Development, Self Help Enterprises;
Andrew Altevogt – Assistant Deputy Director of the State Water Resources Control Board.

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