Participatory Research on Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley

 In partnership with the Community Water Center, Clean Water Action, and the California Rural Legal Action Fund, the Pacific Institute will conduct household surveys to document the impacts of groundwater nitrate contamination on underserved rural communities in the San Joaquin Valley.

These Central Valley communities -- largely consisting of Latino farm workers -- suffer from unsafe household water supplies as a result of nitrate run-off from nearby farms and dairies. On September 15, Pacific Institute staff met with the Community Water Center in Visalia, Calif. to discuss the overarching project goals, as well as specific sampling and survey methodologies.