At the highest of the list of things most Californians take with no consideration is the power to soundly drink water from the kitchen faucet or safely bathe in water from the lavatory faucet. Believe me and the handfuls of farmworker families who lived within the housing cooperative I managed and lived in for years: This shouldn’t be something you need to ever take with no consideration.
To live and not using a protected and clean water supply is to be consistently aware of its absence. There are itchy, painful rashes and illnesses brought on by showering with contaminated water. There are the constant trips to purchase bottled water. There are the mounting water bills to pay for the drilling of ever deeper wells that sometimes provide temporary relief.
About 1 million Californians live under such conditions and about one other million are supplied by water systems the state classified as endangered. In view of the increasing threats The impacts of climate change on our water supply must be of great concern to all Californians.
Now is the time to speculate in proven solutions somewhat than accepting these outrageous, inhumane conditions or allowing them to spread. California voters can approve such an investment this fall by Proposal 4a $10 billion bond whose fundamental objective is to enhance the amount and quality of drinking water.
It would fund grants and loans to local water utilities to assist them provide protected and reliable drinking water. It would fund projects to scale back or treat contaminants in groundwater, recharge aquifers, construct infrastructure to supply access to wash water, expand services to communities currently underserved, and protect and restore our rivers, lakes and streams.
Although there are failing water systems across the state, they’re concentrated within the Central Valley and the Central Coast, where the housing cooperative I run is positioned near Salinas. Most individuals who have been denied what California calls Fundamental right have access to wash water and live in low-income communities.
Sentence 4 recognises these injustices and demands that at the very least 40% of the funds go to disadvantaged communities. The money goes where it’s most needed.
Voters are rightly cautious about approving loans that have to be paid back over time. In this case, there may be every reason to spend money now so taxpayers can save later. That applies to protecting our water resources and likewise to Prop. 4's other fundamental focus: Wildfire Prevention and containment. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Every dollar spent today to enhance resilience save $6 on disaster relief tomorrow.
In addition, the recent Assessment of climate change The state Natural Resources Agency estimates that if we do nothing, the price of climate change to the state will exceed $200 billion by 2050.
We cannot pass these costs on to our kids and grandchildren. If we don’t act now, the price to taxpayers shall be astronomical.
We have the chance to enhance their lives and combat the climate impacts that threaten our drinking water supplies and our ability to breathe clean air. This requires resources, political will and the determination to act before things worsen.
Now is the time to make use of all these tools. We must not lose the battle for clean air and clean water.
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