Six new members, three returning appointees named to State Water Board SAFER Advisory Group

SACRAMENTO - The State Water Resources Control Board today announced six new appointees and three re-appointments to the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) Advisory Group.

The advisory group, which meets quarterly, consists of volunteers who provide local perspectives to the State Water Board as it works to improve access to safe drinking water in disadvantaged communities throughout the state. The new and re-appointees join ten continuing members, all with diverse drinking water backgrounds and experiences. These include representatives of public water systems, local agencies, tribes, non-governmental organizations, and residents served by domestic wells or water systems in communities struggling with drinking water problems.

“The advisory group’s input has been crucial as we innovate our approach to ensure that all Californians have access to safe and affordable drinking water,” said board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel. “The members bring knowledge and insight from their specific communities that helps us prioritize our financial assistance and identify the evolving water-system challenges and needs. I am immensely grateful to all the group’s past and current members and look forward to continuing to work together to ensure California's Human Right to Water.”

In 2019, California enacted Senate Bill 200, establishing the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund to advance the human right to water. The same year, the State Board launched the SAFER drinking water program to administer the SADW Fund and several complementary financial sources.

Leveraging the board’s regulatory authorities, data collection and analysis, and financial assistance, SAFER brings together water systems, non-profit organizations, local governments and the advisory group to identify and break down barriers to safe drinking water access. Toward this end, the board annually updates, adopts and publishes its Fund Expenditure Plan, which outlines goals, strategy, and tactics developed in consultation with the advisory group members.

All group members represent communities throughout the state, serve staggered two-year terms and are selected through an application process.

Listed by appointment category and affiliation, the new and re-appointed members are:

• Timoteo Prado, resident, Lamont, CA
• Wajiha Noor, public water system, Eastern Municipal Water District
• Angela Ruiz-Alvarez, public water system, Orosi Public Water System
• Bruce Houdesheldt, non-governmental organization, Northern California Water Association, Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition
• Shannon Murphy (reappointment), technical assistance provider, Water Quality Association
• Soren Nelson (reappointment), non-governmental organization, Association of California Water Agencies
• Rosa Carrillo, resident, San Jerardo Cooperative, Inc.
• Destiny Rodriguez, public, resident, Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative, State Center Community College District
• James Sullivan (reappointment), resident, Domestic Well Owner

The following are the current SAFER Advisory Group members who will continue to serve through Dec. 31, 2026:

• Erick Orellana, member of the public, Bakersfield, CA
• Kristin Dobbin, member of the public, UC Berkeley
• Juan Cano, technical assistance advisor, Self-Help Enterprises
• Tequita Jefferson, resident, Pixley, CA
• Norma I. Amezcua, resident, Indio, CA
• Irene Cacho, resident, Le Grand, CA
• Angela Islas, non-governmental organization, Central California Environmental Justice Network
• Parry Klassen, local agencies, Valley Water Collaborative
• Michael Knight, public water system, Porterville, CA
• Adam J. Rausch, technical assistance advisor, GHD Engineering

The board wishes to acknowledge and extend gratitude to members whose appointments end at the end of 2025. They are:

• Stephanie Anagnoson, local agencies, Madera County Groundwater Sustainability Agency
• Don James, tribal representative, Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation
• Edwin Alonzo, resident, Victorville, CA
• Rami Kahlon, public water system, California Water Service
• Isabel Solorio, resident, Lanare, CA
• Siverio Pérez, resident, Royal Oaks, CA

More information about the SAFER Advisory Group can be found on the board’s website.

The State Water Board’s mission is to preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of California’s water resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health, and all beneficial uses, and to ensure proper water resource allocation and efficient use for current and future generations.