SACRAMENTO – Funds for safe water will be flowing in thanks to a state senator from the Central Valley.
Announced in a Sept. 3 press release, State Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) secured $171 million in the 2026–27 state budget package for the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) program, protecting critical drinking-water assistance for communities across California.
According to the press release, SAFER helps meet that need through emergency water supplies, system repairs, technical assistance, infrastructure improvements and permanent solutions for struggling water systems.
“Growing up in the Central Valley, I, along with my family, experienced the challenges of limited availability to clean and affordable drinking water,” Senator Hurtado said in the press release. “Unfortunately, access to water is still (not) a reality for many across the Valley, including the community of Earlimart.”
She continued, “Safe drinking water is a necessity, not a privilege. I am proud to have helped secure $171 million for SAFER. Those dollars will keep emergency assistance available, strengthen struggling water systems, and move permanent solutions forward. California made a commitment to communities waiting for clean, reliable water, and this investment helps us keep it.”
Established in 2019, SAFER is meant to support communities facing contaminated water, failing infrastructure and other threats to reliable drinking water. According to the release, the program has become a critical lifeline for small and disadvantaged communities throughout the Central Valley and across California.
The press release further shared the thoughts of many local leaders and organizations on the secured funding. Aaron Fakuda, the Executive Director for Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency said, “We appreciate Senator Hurtado’s ongoing support in ensuring our citizens’ water supply remains a priority and necessity among the many competing issues we face today. This is especially important to the disadvantaged communities we represent, which often lack the financial means to address their ongoing water needs.”
Jennifer Capitolo, the Executive Director of California Water Association, also shared her thoughts.
“The Legislature’s budget proposal to fund SAFER is a critical investment in the 600,000 Californians still waiting for safe, reliable drinking water,” Capitolo said in the press release. “CPUC-regulated water utilities have long been partners in this work, not just through direct assistance, but by stepping in to take over struggling small water systems and investing in the infrastructure, treatment and long-term management those communities need.”
Justin Skarb, the Vice President of Government and Community Affairs for California Water Service said, “The SAFER program has become an indispensable tool in helping to provide all Californians with safe, reliable drinking water, and the program only works with sufficient funding. Senator Hurtado’s leadership and advocacy on the critically important topic of SAFER funding has been invaluable, and we appreciate the Legislature’s commitment to ensuring each and every Californian has access to clean, dependable water.”
Eric Quinley, the Executive Director of Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District, further stressed the importance of these funds.
“The most vulnerable residents of California are now in a position to continue receiving the protections the state promised them through prior legislative actions signed into law by the Governor, thanks to the tireless efforts of Senator Hurtado,” Quinley said in the press release. “Without Senator Hurtado’s leadership, many California residents would surely be facing emergency water shortages that would remain unmet.”
Susana De Anda, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Community Water Center in Visalia, and Geoffrey Vanden Heuvel, the Regulatory and Economic Affairs Director for the Milk Producers Council, both emphasized safe water as a human right for Californians.
“The Human Right to Water is the law in California, and we applaud California leaders for upholding it,” De Anda said in the press release. “With 900,000 Californians gaining access to safe drinking water through SAFER, guaranteeing $171 million for 2026–27 is an important step toward ensuring that communities still fighting for solutions can have safe, reliable water flowing from their taps.”
“If the Human Right to Water means anything at all, we must, as a society, continue to fund the important work the SAFER program does to provide clean water to our neighbors most in need,” Vanden Heuvel said in the press release. “We appreciate the strong support Senator Hurtado brings to this issue in the State Legislature.”
Self-Help Enterprises also shared a statement on the funding.
“Thanks to the leadership of Senator Hurtado, the needs of those who have lost access to water will be met for at least another year, as the promise of a human right to water in California remains intact,” the statement said. “Going forward, we must focus on establishing an enduring financial commitment to this essential aid.”
