Merced supervisors approve emergency water aid plan

As California’s drought worsens, Merced County residents whose wells have failed could get some temporary help come August.

The Merced County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved an Emergency Water Distribution Program. The plan will authorize a nonprofit group to supply up to 2,500 gallons of water to residents for health and safety purposes, said Jeremy Rahn, the battalion chief for the county’s Office of Emergency Services. The program is scheduled to be implemented in August.

The goal is to help those whose wells have failed and are waiting either to have their well fixed or to gain access to another water supply, such as through the city, Rahn said. Drilling a new well or finding an alternative water supply could mean months without water for residents. That’s where the Emergency Water Distribution Program comes in.

“The drought is impacting everybody,” Rahn said. “This is the fourth year of drought conditions we’ve been facing. Now we’re seeing impacts affecting health and safety. This program is meant to be a temporary solution.”

Residents who need the assistance must apply and show verification of a failed well. Next, the applicant must go through a screening and review process.

The county has not determined which nonprofit will operate the program. Once it’s up and running, the county will oversee it. The nonprofit will be able to apply for state assistance to run the program through the California Disaster Assistance Act and the Governor’s Office of Environmental Services.

The nonprofit will supply a household with a water tank containing 50 gallons of water per person and 1 gallon of bottled drinking water per person for one day. Once the residence is connected to a water source or has a working well, another household in the same situation will be given water.

Supervisor John Pedrozo said the sooner the program is implemented, the better.

“We need to move as fast as we can on this to make this come to fruition,” he said. “We’re getting calls every day of issues with domestic wells. This is just another way of assisting those in need.”

This story was originally published July 7, 2015 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Merced supervisors approve emergency water aid plan."