Clean Water – Ground Truthing California

Tools to Identify Water Quality

Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program

Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program (GAMA) is a groundwater research program that collects data about groundwater quality. The system consists of groundwater sampling data and water level information, which aim to meet the statutory requirements of Groundwater Quality monitoring Act of 2001.

GeoTracker

GeoTracker is the Water Boards’ data management system that allows individuals track the water quality in California. It records detail sites that need cleanup, have unregulated projects, permitted facilities, and land disposal sites. The interactive map allows you to search for specific sites, facilities, or locations.

CALPIRG

The CALPRIG map shows the median lead levels detected at each site based on the latest publicly available data as of March 2019. People can search specific schools to identify their lead levels.

Importance of Clean Water

Clean water is important for individual health and the community. RIvers, lakes, and bays provide aid in trapping floodwaters, filtering pollution, and it’s a home to many aquatic animals. When individual drink polluted water not only is the water dirty, but they are also at risk of developing waterborne diseases such as cholera. For sanitation purposes, if individuals bathe in polluted water, that can also cause diseases and irritation to the body due to its contaminants. Likewise, agriculture needs clean water to produce health foods, if not bacteria can grow in the produce and be consumed by the individual.

History

State Water Resource Control Board

State Water Resource Control Board was created in 1976 in effort to preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of California’s water resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment and the public health. The Water Board regulates wastewater discharges, surface water, and groundwater to ensure water quality. It also regulates stormwater, discharges from industrial activities, irrigated agriculture, fill activities, and any alteration of federal water.

Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Ac

Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986: the proposition focused on protecting drinking water sources from being contaminated with chemicals known to cause birth defects, cancer, or any reproductive harm.

Current Policies

Clean Water Act or the Federal Water Pollution Control Act

Clean Water Act or the Federal Water Pollution Control Act established water quality standards for surface waters, regulated industrial and municipal wastewater, and provided funding for the construction sewage treatment plan. The Clean Water Act provided EPA the ability to generate programs that sought to minimize the amount of pollutants in bodies of water. It also made it illegal for an individual to dump pollutants into waterways.

The Porter- Cologne Act

The Porter- Cologne Act was created in order to govern and regulate the water quality in surface waters, wetlands, and groundwater. By State has full authority to protect the quality of all waters, regulate the activities affecting the quality of water, and use its power to protect the quality of water. The act also established nine Regional Water Boards and State Water Board to protect water quality in California and enforce the implementation of regulations for waste disposal. Together, the agencies work to monitor, assess, plan, and manage the usage and quality of waters in California.

The Safe Drinking Water

The Safe Drinking Water was a law established in 1974 to secure the safety and quality of drinking water nation wide. The law provides authority to EPA to generate purity standards for both aboveground and underground water sources for human consumption. Operators of public water systems must adhere to the standards

Proposition 65

Prop 65: Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986- This proposition focuses on protecting drinking water sources from being contaminated with chemicals known to cause birth defects, cancer or any reproductive harm. To enforce this, the State is required to publish a list of chemicals that has intrinsic hazardous properties. Businesses are required to inform about exposures to chemicals.

Agencies and Non-Profits

The River Project

The River Project is a nonprofit organization that aims to protect, conserve, and enhance the rivers nourished by natural watershed in Los Angeles. They engage with communities and schools to provide opportunities to learn about watershed and create awareness about the local water resources.

Community Water Center

The Community Water Center is a non-profit environmental justice organization that aims to generate water solution by community driven organizing, education, and advocacy. Their fundamental goal is to have safe, clean, and affordable water.

Clean Water Action

Clean Water Action is a national organization that recognizes that many of the rivers, bays, and other water resources are being affected by pollution. In California, one of the main campaigns is to protect the water from oil and gas production activities as well as toxic wastewater disposal.

Case Study: Quemetco, Inc

The Quemetco, Inc. is a facility that recycles used lead-based batteries from vehicles and other lead bearing scrap. Quemetco is located on 720 S 7th Ave, City of Industry, CA 91746 and was searched using the GAMA ground water tool to identify the local wells. The results were the following:

Wells found: 9
City: Hacienda Heights
County: Los Angeles
DWR Groundwater Basin/ Sub-Basin: San Gabriel Valley