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Lost Hills and other Kern residents tell board drinking water is contaminated, unaffordable
Summary
Residents from Lost Hills, Shafter and Arvin told the State Water Board on Sept. 5 that decades‑long groundwater problems have left tap water discolored or foul‑smelling and forced families to buy bottled water at significant cost.
Residents from Lost Hills, Shafter and surrounding communities delivered emotional testimony Sept. 5 in Bakersfield, telling the State Water Resources Control Board that household tap water is often discolored or foul‑smelling, that families purchase bottled water to drink, and that high water bills and limited access constrain low‑income households.
Speakers described long‑standing local problems. Saúl Ruiz, a Lost Hills resident who said he has lived in the community about forty years, said the tap water changed around 2010 and became brown or yellow and that household plumbing corrodes quickly. Multiple residents reported skin rashes and other health concerns in their families and…
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