Gathering draws more than 100 community members

INDIO -- Community members from throughout the East Coachella Valley gathered Thursday night at Desert Mirage High School in Thermal for a briefing organized by Assemblymember V. Manuel Pérez on the topic of arsenic contamination of local wells. 

“When community members brought this issue to my attention, I quickly realized there was no ‘quick fix’,” said Pérez.  “Instead, to create lasting solutions, we needed a collaborative and sustained effort involving multiple stakeholders and funding sources.”

Assemblyman Pérez brought together state and county authorities, as well as local community organizations, to raise awareness and engage the community on the issue. The meeting was organized around two panels.

The first panel featured Jeff Johnson, of the Riverside County Office of Environmental Health, as well as Carmen Rocha, a Utilities Engineer at the California Public Utilities Commission.  They provided background information about arsenic contamination, water rates, and their oversight roles related to small community water systems.

Following them was a staff attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc., Megan Beaman Carlson, and community member Teresa Martinez.  The two described their experiences trying to navigate the PUC’s complaint process related to the high rates some residents at the Sunbird Mobile Home Park were paying for their water. 

The second half of the meeting was focused on the various short, medium, and long-term solutions the group is pursuing to address the problem.  This panel was comprised of Mark Johnson, Principal Engineer at the Coachella Valley Water District, Anna Lisa Vargas of Poder Popular, and Jennifer Hernandez of California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.  Vargas and Hernandez work with community members in the impacted parks.

In outlining solutions, all agreed that the long-term goal is to build the necessary water infrastructure. State bond funding does exist for such projects, but to be eligible, communities must engage in a regional planning process and develop what is known as an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.  Such a process is currently underway in the Coachella Valley, and Hernandez explained the necessity of community members becoming involved.  Time is of the essence, however, as the first of three rounds for submitting suggested community priorities for the plan is the end of July.  Community members can find out more by visiting www.cvrwmg.org .

“It’s extremely important that people engage in this process,” said Pérez.  “Our region is eligible for $36 million from Prop 84 funding alone, but without a plan we cannot access it.  This is about the future of our communities.  It impacts all of us.”

Assemblyman Pérez also described two bills he has authored that are currently moving through the State Legislature.  AB 2515 requires the California Department of Public Health to develop emergency regulations governing the use of filtration treatment devices for smaller community water systems up to 200 connections.  These regulations would guide the use of filtration devices, thereby providing residents access to safe drinking water. The bill would also expand the type of eligible projects for Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund grants to include filtration systems, helping to defray the cost.

Another bill, AB 2669, ensures that notifications about water quality violations are provided to communities both in English, as well as the predominant language spoken by the impacted community.  Such a provision previously existed in water regulations but was omitted in a recent update.

Held in English with Spanish translation available, the meeting attracted nearly 150 people.  Mobile home park residents, private landowners, representatives from the area’s water providers, and city officials were present.

CONTACT: Amy L. Wilson @ (916) 319-2080