nitrates Archives - SJV Water

East Orosi residents protest what they say is abusive, dysfunctional water district

September 5, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Just as residents in rural East Orosi are getting some traction on drinking water issues, they are dealing with what they call abusive treatment over sewage services and they’ve had enough. At a recent protest during the East Orosi Community Services District meeting, about 40 residents laid out charges of mistreatment. They alleged the district…

Drinking Water

Fail: Tule Basin drinking water plan kicked back for a redo

May 11, 2021

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water reporting intern

When Sandra Chavez’ mother discovered she had stage four cancer last year, one of Sandra’s first thoughts was about their water. Her family’s private well is contaminated with nitrates and Chavez wondered if years of drinking the water could have caused her mother’s sickness. Chavez and her family have relied on bottled water since they…

Drinking Water

Clean water plans need more public involvement, activists say

January 13, 2021

• by Lois Henry

The stage is finally set for years of talking to be translated into actual clean drinking water for potentially thousands of San Joaquin Valley residents. But activists fear the effort will flop before the curtain rises if more isn’t done to engage the people who are drinking that water. The issue is nitrate, which is …

Drinking Water

Tiny bugs can clean valley drinking water but at what price?

May 20, 2020

• by Lois Henry

If you have a small, drinking water system in the Central Valley that’s full of nitrates, and there are plenty, a company has some bugs to sell you. Specifically, a company called Microvi is looking for a demonstration project in the valley to show that its “biological denitrification” process is feasible for small systems. Bio…