SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KERO) — Two Kern County water systems are included in $25 million funding commitments by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) in coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board for communities facing water supply challenges.
The $25 million in funding for 10 systems in California is part of the first round commitments for $200 million available through the Small Community Drought Relief Program.
The systems in the county to receive funding are Lake of the Woods Mutual Water Company and Frazier Park Public District.
The money will support a range of projects including emergency water system repairs as well as infrastructure such as new wells and water storage tanks.
“The climate-induced drought is challenging Californians on several fronts, including small community water systems,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth in a statement. “Our goal is to provide immediate and near-term financial and technical support to help small communities overcome this drought and future droughts.”
Other systems receiving funding include three in Tulare County, two in Lake County, two in Shasta County, and one in Siskiyou County.
"Drought is a compounding stressor to already struggling and vulnerable drinking water systems in the state,” said Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Board in a statement. “DWR’s investments in critical water supply projects will provide much-needed emergency assistance as the state continues building the long-term resilience of our water systems. This new program also highlights the criticality of continued coordination between local, state and federal agencies to support communities that are responding to intensifying drought conditions."
The Small Community Drought Relief Program assists communities that are not served by an urban water supplier with at least 3,000 connections or that provides more than 3,000 acre-feet of drinking water annually.
