SHE Celebrates SAFER Program’s 5-Year Anniversary!

SHE Celebrates SAFER Program’s 5-Year Anniversary!

Posted on August 1, 2024

On July 22nd, Self-Help Enterprises proudly joined the State Water Board and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) to mark a significant milestone: the five-year anniversary of California’s Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) drinking water program. 

This exciting event took place at Porterville City Hall, where a diverse group of partners, including the City of Porterville, elected officials, and community leaders gathered to reflect on the program’s achievements and future aspirations. The celebration concluded with a bus tour of five SAFER projects around Porterville. Along the way, they paused to hear stories from residents and project leaders. 

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in this area, providing families with the clean drinking water they need,” said Jessi Snyder, Director of Community Development at Self-Help Enterprises. “Reaching the program’s midpoint is incredibly rewarding, and celebrating it with our partners highlights the impressive work done by the City of Porterville. This is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our past accomplishments.” 

The City of Porterville is one of many towns across the San Joaquin Valley grappling with the effects of deteriorating infrastructure and climate change, such as this summer’s extreme heat. Over recent years, Porterville has been at the forefront of local efforts to enhance access to safe drinking water. Through strategic consolidation of neighboring water systems, the city has effectively merged infrastructure and managerial expertise to create a unified, sustainable solution for its water needs. 

Since the SAFER Program’s inception in 2019, Porterville has received over $15 million in funding, with an additional $5.5 million grant currently in the pipeline. This financial support has facilitated six significant water system consolidations, benefiting more than 900 individuals. To date, three of these consolidations are complete, showcasing the program’s tangible impact on the community. On a broader scale, the SAFER Program has overseen 142 consolidations statewide, positively affecting over 100,000 people. 

At the halfway mark of California’s ten-year SAFER Program, the number of residents lacking access to clean drinking water has been reduced by over 50%. Since 2019, this figure has dropped from 1.6 million to 700,000. 

As we celebrate these achievements, we look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to ensure that every Californian has access to safe and reliable drinking water. Here’s to many more years of progress and partnership in securing our water future!