Monterey County declares “human right” to water

“(In) Moss Landing, there are communities that have had polluted water since 1986,” said Horacio Amezquita.

Amezquita works with the San Jerardo Cooperative in Monterey County. He knows what communities with water troubles are going through because it already happened to him.

“Three wells were contaminated. 2005, we started watching our people getting sick, having rashes, red spots, (and) losing hair,” said Amezquita.

He says contaminated groundwater impacted their ability to shower and drink water.

A unanimous vote, Tuesday, from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors acknowledges the toxic water problem – heightened by the large use of groundwater wells.

They claim Monterey County is the first in the nation to recognize what they’re calling the “human right” to water

The Monterey County Environmental Health Department tells KION it will allow other departments and agencies to provide resources for the water fight.

Nearly 20 percent of county water systems are contaminated, most with nitrates and arsenic.

“Natural forming arsenic,” said Supervisor Luis Alejo. “There are places in north county that have Chrom-6 in the water, high levels of fluoride. So there’s a wide range of toxic contaminants that exist in some of our water systems in Monterey County, where some of our residents are paying a high amount of money every year just to buy bottled water.”

Local groups, like the Community Water Center, are speaking with people impacted, including with a Castroville parent dealing with the problem now.

“Her student has to take bottled water to school because they have chromium 6 in their faucets, and when she comes home they have nitrates in they home,” said Susana Deanda, the co-director and co-founder of the group.

The resolution requires the considering of the water policy when county departments install new policies and rules. The only objection came from a local farmer worried about another crippling regulation – saying they already have constant checks to make sure their operations are in line with what’s allowed.

“We have a right to farm ordinance in Monterey County,” said the objector. “We’ve had over a 700 percent increase in regulatory costs in the last ten years.”