Restore Hetch Hetchy remains primarily focused on restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park while keeping San Francisco and its customers whole with respect to water supply.
There are over one million Californians, however, primarily in agricultural areas, who rely on groundwater that has been contaminated by arsenic, nitrates and other pollutants. RHH supports NGO and governmental efforts to address this unacceptable problem, and we applaud the work that Community Water Center continues to do to make clean drinking water a reality for all communities in the state.
This past Wednesday, Restore Hetch Hetchy, along with other environmental organizations, selected water agencies and elected officials, attended the Water Justice Leadership Awards reception hosted by Community Water Center in Sacramento. Collectively, we celebrated “leaders who have worked tirelessly, often against great odds, to ensure the human right to safe drinking water in California.”
At the awards ceremony, the CWC honored the following for their efforts in the fight for clean water:
- Eufemia Hernandez, community leader from North of Moss Landing in Monterey County
- La Asociación de Gente Unida por el Agua (AGUA) Coalition
- Vecinos Unidos, community leaders from East Orosi in Tulare County
- California Environmental Voters
- State Senator Bill Dodd, District 3
- State Assembly Speaker-Designee Robert Rivas, District 29
The Community Water Center is a grassroots organization that has taken the lead in advocating for solutions to improve drinking water quality. As they state on their website, these contaminants are linked to a myriad of health issues, including cancer.
In 2012, California adopted legislation to recognize the human right to water. The legislation states that “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.” However, even with this recognition, many still do not have drinkable tap water.
The Community Water Center has helped to accomplish numerous projects for these communities – through water treatment, sustainable groundwater management, drought preparedness, water affordability, and contaminant regulation. The CWC has also engaged successfully with policy makers and legislators to work together towards a future where clean water is accessible to everyone in California.
Kudos to the Community Water Center for their hard work and congratulations on their successes to date.