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Self Help Enterprises urges consolidation to fix Tuleville’s unsafe water; test‑well, grant delays cited
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Summary
Andy of Self Help Enterprises reported nitrates near the MCL and hexavalent chromium above the new MCL in Tuleville, described test‑well failures and property negotiation delays on a $7.7 million inner‑tie grant, and said consolidation with Exeter is the most durable solution to guarantee safe drinking water.
Andy, representing Self Help Enterprises, told the Tulare County Water Commission that Tuleville (a small rural community east of Exeter) continues to experience long-standing water‑quality and supply problems and that the most reliable remedy is consolidation with the City of Exeter.
Andy summarized recent test results showing nitrate levels between 8.4 and 9.5 parts per million (the MCL is 10 ppm) and a detection of hexavalent chromium at 12 parts per billion (the newly adopted MCL is 10 ppb). Andy advised that the water is not recommended for drinking. She also described emergency responses: in 2021 Self Help Enterprises secured emergency funding to rehabilitate wells and lower pumps and the community received hauled and bottled water deliveries (4,620 gallons per month distributed in regular deliveries; a separate earlier figure cited 6,261,560 gallons delivered between January and July 2022 during intensive emergency response).
Andy described an “inner tie” project with the Department of Water Resources intended as phase 1 of consolidation between Tuleville and Exeter, backed by a $7.7 million planning/design grant awarded in 2022. That effort has hit delays caused by property negotiations and problematic test‑well results: the test well returned high levels of secondary contamination, had an unpleasant odor, and produced low yields, leading the city to pursue a replacement site.
Andy said the safest long‑term option is full consolidation, noting a written notice from the State Water Board to Exeter on Aug. 23, 2021 that required negotiations; she said the state’s shift from offering loans toward grant funding has made consolidation and even mandates more feasible. Andy also described mitigation steps underway — water‑efficient toilets, showerheads and meters installed in late 2024 — allowing the community to track usage and in some months avoid hauled water, though bottled‑water deliveries continue for health and hygiene uses.
Commissioners thanked Andy and expressed support for pursuing consolidation with Exeter.
