Historic Allensworth community breaks ground on new drinking water system
New, state-funded groundwater well and storage tank will help community overcome arsenic contamination
ALLENSWORTH – The State Water Resources Control Board joined the Allensworth Community Service District, elected officials, area residents and local drinking water advocates today to celebrate Allensworth’s groundbreaking of a new public water system that will supply the historic community – the only California town founded and governed by African Americans – with safe and affordable drinking water after decades of struggle with water supply and arsenic contamination.
The State Water Board provided the town with a $3.8 million grant through its Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) drinking water program for construction of a groundwater well and storage tank that will create a sustainable supply of safe drinking water for the first time in the town’s 118-year history. The small, rural community of approximately 500 people has endured poor water quality and drinking water shortages as well as a legacy of racial discrimination that hindered its economic progress.
“Today, we are not just breaking ground on a new well and drinking water system, we are celebrating a groundbreaking moment for a town that is fighting for basic necessities,” said Board Member Nichole Morgan. “Discrimination tried to stop this town, but you forged ahead. Instead of being separated, you built partnerships. Today’s milestone is testament to our work together and shared determination to establish, at last, a sustainable supply of safe and affordable drinking water for Allensworth.”
Founded in 1908 by Col. Allen Allensworth, the Union Army’s highest-ranking Black officer during the Civil War, the community in southwestern Tulare County has struggled for years with a water system ill-equipped to address natural-occurring arsenic contamination in its groundwater. The board has provided extensive regulatory support to the town’s water district and, aside from the construction grant for the project breaking ground today, funded over $1 million in technical assistance and support for the project’s planning and design.
“We could not have made it to this point without the financial assistance of the State Water Board and the dedication of many parties who contributed their time and support,” said Sherry Hunter, board president of the water district. “I am proud of the progress we have made together and look forward to Allensworth’s brighter future, made possible by safe and reliable drinking water delivered to our homes.”
The groundwater well is expected to be completed this year, with the construction of the storage tank planned for 2027. To date, the board has paid more than $80,000 for bottled water assistance and over $200,000 for repairs needed to address water outages and emergencies, while also contracting an engineer to administer the failing water system.
The board has worked with many partner organizations to create a sustainable solution for safe drinking water in Allensworth. Among them are Self Help Enterprises, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., the California Rural Water Association and Fresno State’s California Water Institute.
Establishing reliable access to safe drinking water in small, disadvantaged communities with chronically failing water systems like Allensworth is a core goal of the board’s SAFER program. In the past year alone, SAFER has helped restore reliable access to safe drinking water for 227,000 people in 26 communities that have not had it for seven years or more.
Launched in 2019 after Governor Newsom signed SB 200, SAFER has provided over $1.6 billion in grants to disadvantaged communities to achieve safe, accessible and affordable water. During this period a total of over 320 water systems serving 3.3 million Californians have come back into compliance with drinking water standards. More information about the SAFER program here.
Allensworth Community Service District Board President Sherry Hunter, (center) and State Water Board Member Nichole Morgan, (second from right) together with Allensworth board members and representatives from the offices of Congressman David Valadao, state Senator Melissa Hurtado and Tulare County Supervisor Pete Vander Poel III.
The State Water Board’s mission is to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California’s resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health, and all beneficial uses and to ensure proper water resource allocation and beneficial use for present and future generations.
The SAFER Program includes projects funded by the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, which is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment - particularly in disadvantaged communities.
