Farm town residents block water rate hike but are still stuck with a massive water debt
The western Fresno County community, where nearly half the residents live in poverty, is already carrying a water debt of $400,000. That debt has been incurred over the last few years as El Porvenir has had to buy surface water on the open market and pay for expensive treatment. The town, along with nearby Cantua Creek, was supposed to be getting water from two new groundwater wells by this time. But the well project, which began in 2018 and was supposed to be completed in 2021, was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, residents have had to continue relying on the expensive surface water. Fresno County buys about 100 acre feet of water each year for the towns from Westlands Water District at $432 per acre foot.
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