West Goshen residents will no longer struggle to have safe water to use and drink, as California Water Service Company (Cal Water) broke ground on a water mainline extension project that will connect the West Goshen community with its Visalia water system. Cal Water and its partners, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Self-Help Enterprises, commemorated this important milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony on March 18 at the West Goshen well site, 5155 Avenue 308, Goshen.
West Goshen, a town with around 500 residents, had been unable to deliver water that met water quality standards since the last of the town’s two wells malfunctioned in early 2013. CDPH approached Cal Water to assist the town with an emergency disinfection plan. Together with CDPH and Self-Help Enterprises, the group developed a temporary plan to repair and maintain the town’s water system.
CDPH has now provided a grant to permanently connect the entire West Goshen system to Cal Water’s system, through a master-metered connection overseen by the West Goshen Mutual Water Company until individual services can be installed for each property. This state funding will prevent Cal Water’s existing Visalia District customers from bearing the costs of adding these new customers to the system.
“This project would not be possible without the commitment of all of our partners to do the right thing,” said Cal Water District Manager Scott Bailey. “From beginning to end, CDPH, Self-Help Enterprises, West Goshen Mutual and Cal Water have all been focused on getting a reliable supply of water that meets all federal and state water quality standards to West Goshen residents.”
The first phase of the project to connect the system through a master meter is expected to take about two months. Afterward, Cal Water expects construction to connect individual customer services, which includes new water main, hydrant and meter installations, to take about six months.
Cal Water serves about 132,200 people through 41,200 service connections in Visalia. The company has provided water service in the area since 1927. Additional information may be obtained online at www.calwater.com.