Across California water accessibility and distribution is a pressing issue for residents. In the Central Valley, many unincorporated and disadvantaged communities are reliant on groundwater from shallow domestic wells for drinking water; however, many of these domestic wells are in areas where groundwater contamination is prevalent yet sparsely monitored. 

The Central Valley’s soils yield over 17 billion dollars a year in growth domestic product, and despite it being less than 1% of the total farm area in the United States, the Central Valley produces nearly 25% of the US food supply. These farms use intense industrial agricultural practices with many of the crops grown requiring intense irrigation. While the Central Valley is one of the most agriculturally and economically productive regions in the world, many of the individuals that make the wealth possible live in poverty and are subject to many environmental justice issues. 

Currently, patterns of water contamination extent, intensity, and spatial and temporal trends are not well understood, in large part because the relevant data has not been systematically collected. Our work seeks to identify the patterns that emerge from available data, identify where gaps in our understanding exist, and advocate for data collection and analysis that supports policies aimed to ensure equitable access to safe and sufficient water for all communities. 

To learn more about our specific projects, please explore the tiles below.