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$14 million project to bring safe drinking water to Arvin after arsenic contamination problems

Water tested, cleared by Cal Water; boil water advisory canceled
Posted at 12:11 PM, May 16, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-16 15:25:34-04

ARVIN, Calif. — The Arvin Community Services District is breaking ground on a $14.3 million project designed to bring safe drinking water to residents following decades of arsenic contamination problems in the area.

City officials say the project is expected to be completed within two years.

The project will be funded by a grant and zero-interest loan from the State Water Board's Division of Financial Assistance.

In a statement, State Water Board Member, Laurel Firestone said;

“This project is part of the effort to meet the state mandate for clean, safe and affordable water as a human right. The burden of contaminated drinking water falls heavily on disadvantaged communities like Arvin that can least afford to fix the problem. The State Water Board is working hard to find funding and solutions for those communities.”

According to officials, The Arvin district serves a population of 20,850 people and is in a rural part of Kern County, 15 miles southeast of Bakersfield.