New drinking water system in Allensworth, Calif.
On Jan. 20, 2026, the State Water Resources Control joined the Allensworth Community Service District, elected officials, area residents and local drinking water advocates to celebrate Allensworth’s groundbreaking of a new public water system that will supply the community with safe and affordable drinking water after decades of struggle with water supply and arsenic contamination. The State Water Board provided the town with a $3.8 million grant through its Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) drinking water program for construction of a groundwater well and storage tank that will create a sustainable supply of safe drinking water for the first time in the town’s 118-year history.
“Today, we are not just breaking ground on a new well and drinking water system, we are celebrating a groundbreaking moment for a town that is fighting for basic necessities,” said Board Member Nichole Morgan. “Today’s milestone is a testament to our work together and shared determination to establish, at last, a sustainable supply of safe and affordable drinking water for Allensworth.”
