Drought, Contaminated Water Threatens The "Food Basket Of The World"

November 10, 2014- After more than three years of severely dry weather, Californians thirst for water has landowners digging deep to get the drinking water it needs.

In a recent report, "Unsafe Drinking Water Adds To California's Drought Misery," NBCNews.com writes, "The problem is that the groundwater it is using is unsafe for nearly 800,000 residents, according to the state's water resources control board, because of longtime contamination from nitrates and arsenic."

Here are the highlights of the NBCNews.com post:

• In the course of one of the worst droughts in California history, the contaminations mean less drinkable water for residents.

• "Most areas affected by contamination don't have surface water supplies so they have to find new groundwater sources," said Kurt Souza, a branch chief of the division of drinking water at the California State Water Resources Control Board, and quoted in the post. "But that's not always easy to do," Souza added. "Sometimes you can find new ground locations for water and sometimes you can't."

• "The lack of rain and subsequent heavy demand on ground wells — which are also facing supply problems — is making a bad situation worse," said Sara Aminzadeh, executive director of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, a statewide advocacy group for safe water, and quoted in the post. "Contamination is a major concern," Aminzadeh tells NBCNews.com. "The drought just exacerbates water issues, and the groundwater problem is one of those."

• Arsenic, a known carcinogen, is the top contaminant in groundwater supplies. Arsenic is found naturally in soil and rock in much of the world and seeps into groundwater. The post notes that chronic low exposure to arsenic has been traced to respiratory problems in children and adults as well as having links to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancers of the skin.

• California has areas of high arsenic concentration. Groundwater that comes into contact with rocks of high arsenic concentration will leach out arsenic naturally.

• Nitrates are the second most contaminants, most often traced to farming chemicals and animal waste.

• According to the state's water resources board, 98 percent of California's 38 million citizens get their drinking water from safe public sources and treated groundwater supplies.

• And yet, due to the high cost of water treatment or a lack of alternative water sources, nearly 800,000 Californians rely on groundwater that is contaminated. Half of those affected are in the San Joaquin Valley, known as the "food basket of the world."

One of the areas hardest hit by contaminants in the valley is Tulare County, where supplies of water bottles at state expense have been dispersed to many residents on a weekly basis, according to county water commission analyst Denise Akins. The county has also provided a 5,000-gallon, non-potable water tank for bathing and flushing.

• California supplies water bottles on a weekly basis to income-qualifying residents of Tulare County, one of the areas hardest hit by water contamination in the San Joaquin Valley. NBCNew.som reports that the county has also provided a 5,000-gallon, non-potable water tank for bathing and flushing.

• County water commission analyst Denise Akins explains that the county water commission is planning to find new groundwater wells but is more likely to pay, with state and federal funds, to bring in water from other sources. "We've talked to a couple of suppliers to set up tanks for people on a regular basis," she said. "We're hoping to have something in place by the end of the year."

• In 2012, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation establishing a state policy that every Californian has a human right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible drinking water and, a year earlier, he signed seven bills into law seek to improve access to clean drinking water in California. Experts told NBCNews.com there aren't enough enforcement mechanisms in place, however.

• State officials are updating the 1993 safe drinking water plan and seeking input from the public. "Among the dozens of proposals in draft form are calls for increased funding for research and demonstration grants to develop new treatment processes or improve the cost efficiency of existing treatment processes for small water systems." NBCNews.com writes.

• A $7.54 billion water bond measure will appear on the November ballot that targets funding for new surface and groundwater storage projects, as well as for sustainable groundwater management while providing safe drinking water, particularly for disadvantaged communities. NBCNews.com says the polls show the measure passing by a wide margin.

• The post closes by noting that what would help even more are near endless days of rain. "If we have another dry year, I don't know what we'll do," Akins said. "I don't even want to think about it."

Read the full NBCNews.com post here.

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