Supervisor Perez Announces State Grant to Continue Providing Bottled Water at Oasis Mobile Home Park through 2023
OASIS – An $883,930 grant has been awarded to Riverside County to continue the distribution of bottled water, a source of safe and clean water for the residents of Oasis Mobile Home Park, throughout all of next year, 2023.
The State Water Resources Control Board awarded the grant, according to a news release.
This grant reflects the major commitment and funding from the State of California, in partnership with the county and community partners, to address the ongoing water crisis at Oasis Mobile Home Park. Families at Oasis Mobile Home Park have long faced health and safety issues, especially the lack of safe and clean water to drink and use for bathing, cooking, for brushing one’s teeth and cleaning.
“We’re glad to be able to help the county provide the residents of Oasis MHP with a supply of safe and clean drinking water while many partners continue pursuing long-term solutions,” said Joe Karkoski, a Deputy Director at the State Water Board and head of its Division of Financial Assistance. “This support complements the State Water Board’s recent commitment of $23 million to the Coachella Valley Water District to implement a regionalization project that will improve access to safe and affordable drinking water in other parts of the eastern Coachella Valley.”
At a community meeting in July 2022, Supervisor V. Manuel Perez heard from residents of the mobile home park who received notice that water from the park’s water system is unsafe to use for any purpose. Since July 2022, Riverside County, local community partners and the state have continuously distributed bottled water to the community, meeting this immediate need and augmenting any bottled water supply provided by the park operators.
The county has partnered with TODEC Legal Center, which has been delivering bottled water to the community on a twice weekly basis.
“I appreciate this funding, which will help us support individuals and families at Oasis Mobile Home Park,” Perez said in a statement. “Thankfully, this helps relieve families of the expenses of buying bottled water. It is important that we meet this immediate need and deliver and provide water on an ongoing basis at Oasis Mobile Home Park. It is also important that we continue to build out the infrastructure that’s needed in the eastern Coachella Valley so that, ultimately, all our residents can have clean water to use in their homes and have an opportunity to improve their quality of life.”
The State Water Resources Control Board began providing funding for the Oasis Mobile Home Park Bottled Water Program in October 2022. Supervisor Perez commends the state water board for expanding its commitment, ensuring that the distribution of bottled water to the Oasis Mobile Home Park community continues through the end of 2023.
Supervisor Perez thanks as well the TODEC Legal Center, the partner on the ground helping the county, and Coachella Valley Water District Board Vice President Cástulo Estrada who linked the county to the state water board to have this assistance.
Photo caption – Antonio Villaraigosa (center), during a tour of the eastern Coachella Valley facilitated by Supervisor Perez earlier this month, stopped by Oasis Mobile Home Park where volunteers from TODEC Legal Center were distributing water to the residents. Villaraigosa, the former Mayor of LA and California State Assembly Speaker who is now serving as California Infrastructure Advisor, helped load cases of water into vehicles driving up and talked with volunteers from TODEC Legal Center.
Image Sources
- Bottled water: Shutterstock