EAST OROSI – The California State Water Board has appointed an administrator to oversee the failing East Orosi sewer system in an effort to provide sanitation to rural residents.
Announced in a press release on June 11, the Tulare County Resource Management Agency has been appointed to oversee the system under the guidance of a state law authored by Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The appointment is the first in the state under the new law.
“This appointment is another milestone in the board’s ongoing efforts to ensure that all residents, particularly in underserved rural areas, have access to clean, safe and affordable water for drinking, cooking and sanitation,” Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel said in a statement. “Administrator appointment authority has been a critical tool to help us secure safe drinking water for communities, and now it can serve to broaden access to wastewater services as well.”
East Orosi has dealt with sanitation issues for decades, including sewage leaks, plumbing problems and billing discrepancies that ultimately led to the decision by the board to take over the system. The board will provide financial and technical assistance to restore services to approximately 100 low-income residences in the community.
A third-party provider will be brought on to conduct an analysis of the sewer system and make recommendations for improvements.
“Tulare County applauds the board’s leadership in working to cure the longstanding problems in East Orosi,” Tulare County Supervisor Eddie Valero said. “Tulare County stands ready to remedy obstacles, provide transparent management of the sewer system and work towards a long-term solution for the community.”
The law, Assembly Bill 805, allows for streamlining the process of addressing long-standing sanitation issues. Through the law, $390,000 was appropriated to fund the administration. The administrator will take over responsibility for the system which has been managed by Tulare County since 2022.
According to the statement issued by the board, failing sewer systems such as the one in East Orosi can contaminate drinking water and lead to harmful algal blooms. The project in East Orosi is the first of an ongoing effort by the state to inspect and evaluate nearly 100,000 miles of sewer lines and around 900 treatment plants to identify problems and find solutions.
