The Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) has announced a celebration marking the completion of the 100th water consolidation project, held at Westside Elementary School in Thermal. The event was coordinated in conjunction with the California Water Board and the Coachella Valley Water District.
In a Facebook post by CVUSD, it was noted that the celebration took place on December 7. To commemorate this occasion, students participated in a drawing contest and composed poems emphasizing the significance of water. In addition, they produced a video with help from Coachella Valley High School’s digital media production staff. The video highlighted students, faculty, and other school staff members discussing the importance of water quality and expressing concerns about the poor quality of well water that Westside Elementary School relied on before the consolidation.
According to a press release from Governor Gavin Newsom's office, over 100 water system consolidations have been completed statewide since 2019. This effort has ensured reliable access to safe drinking water for approximately 90,000 people. These consolidations are financed by the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, which was signed into law by Newsom in 2019. Administered by the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience Program (SAFER), this fund has granted $620 million towards drinking water projects in disadvantaged communities.
"Close to 2 million Californians have benefitted from improved access to safe drinking water since 2019, a testament to our ongoing commitment to supporting communities in every corner of our state," Newsom said in his press release.
Newsom's press release also indicated that local officials, leaders from the State Water Board, and representatives from U.S. EPA Region 9 were present at Westside Elementary School's celebration. The cost of consolidating the school's water system amounted to $815,000; it was fully funded by SAFER and the EPA-administered Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.