BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Questions raised about groundwater safety in west Kern County A farmer near McKittrick says the state's review could have real negative impacts on local water use.
Beneath farmland in McKittrick, a quiet but high-stakes dispute is unfolding over the groundwater below the surface.
Brad Kroeker is a Partner with Starrh Family Farms, and he says, "They are trying to say that the water under our farm is not usable for farming, and we're disputing that. We're trying to fight against that."
Brad says his family has been fighting for years to prove the water under their farm is safe for agriculture.
However, the State Water Resources Control Board is moving forward with a plan to reclassify groundwater in McKittrick and other parts of western Kern County, saying it is not suitable for drinking or farming.
Patrick Pulupa is the executive officer for the Central Valley Water Board and he says, "Rather than trying to restore something that actually never naturally met those conditions, we're essentially saying instead what we're going to do is draw the line and say this doesn't meet drinking water standards. It probably never could've been used as a source of agricultural supply."
The board contends the groundwater here is naturally very salty and contains minerals that can damage crops. They say that's why farmers in this area imported water from canals and aqueducts.
But Kroeker disagrees. He points to troubling state-peer-reviewed studies that show industrial wastewater — from oil fields and stored in nearby ponds — may be silently migrating underground, potentially contaminating the groundwater and raising long-term safety concerns.
"They've been operating for 60 years out here dumping their wastewater and contaminating the groundwater. It's affected us, our farm, and our family. We're concerned it could affect other residents of Kern County. Water is moving in the direction of Buttonwillow." Brad said.
The ponds Kroeker is referencing are owned by Valley Water Management, a nonprofit organization that says it safely manages oilfield wastewater in Kern County under state permits.
Valley Water Management told 23ABC:
"Its fully permitted facilities are managed utilizing best practices to maintain the high and evolving industry and regulatory standards set by state and local regulators for such facilities."
Documents reviewed by 23ABC show scientists hired by the state found evidence that wastewater from the ponds has been detected in multiple groundwater layers below the McKittrick area. The documents read in part: "Concentration measurements from wells screened in the Upper and Lower Tulare formations downstream of the McKittrick 1 & 1-3 infiltration ponds, available in the GeoTracker database, confirm the presence of wastewater discharged in the infiltration ponds."
This means the water from the ponds is moving underground, potentially toward nearby communities like Buttonwillow. The State maintains these findings do not change its plan, insisting the groundwater is being tightly controlled under long-standing permits.
"They are allowed to use that area how they've been using it for the past 70 years. If they decided to dispose of a lot more water, then we'd have to take a hard look at it. But as long as they keep operations as they have been, our technical team says there isn't really a problem." Pulupa said.
For now, farmers and residents near McKittrick say they're watching closely, hoping the state's review will address long-term safety and the future of local water supplies.
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