FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno County community is celebrating breaking ground on a long-awaited project to connect residents to Sanger's water system.
It would give residents in the rural area of Tombstone access to safe, reliable drinking water.
Community members, advocates and policymakers are gathered to celebrate the start of construction on this project.
The event got underway 11 am Tuesday at a property on Central near Fairbanks in Sanger.
It's all made possible by California's Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, which is a bill signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019.
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Cheers from the community of Tombstone as advocates broke ground on a new multi-million-dollar clean water project Tuesday.
Many in the small town live off of massive water tanks positioned on their property.
"They're going to bring us water, and we won't have to be budgeting our water for a while," said Anita Torres.
She has called Tombstone home for the past 27 years.
Located about a mile or so south of Sanger, Tombstone is home to about 350, mostly elderly Latinos and low-income families.
The reality of the moment hit resident Anita Torres hard.
She has relied on a 2,000-gallon water tank on her property for the last several years for her daily water needs.
"I rely on water for washing, taking baths, and do your dishes, and it's hard because if you have a big family, that water has to last you from week to week," said Torres.
Torres and her neighbors have been fighting for clean water for six years.
According to the State Water Boards, Governor Newsom signed State Bill 200 when he came to visit the unincorporated area in Fresno County in 2019.
That bill established the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund.
The fund provides $130 million year after year through the year 2030 in an effort to highlight drinking water needs, more so in areas where access to and clean water are not available.
The State Water Boards reported that since Governor Newsom has served in his role, the number of Californians who don't have access to clean drinking water has been cut by more than half.
"We've gone to Sacramento. We fought for water. We've gone to a lot of water meetings every month," said Torres. We've gone out of town for water meetings. It's just so exciting to get water now."
"A lot of people came to us with this problem, but they didn't come to us with just a problem. They came to us with a solution and backers," said Sanger Mayor Frank Gonzalez.
Those backers came in the form of partnerships through California Water Boards, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and those who call Tombstone home.
A victory many say was long overdue for the predominantly Latino community.
"Today in California, most residents have access to safe, clean,n and affordable drinking water," said Ana Garcia, California Secretary for Environmental Protection.
"Two percent still do not, and it's usually communities that look just like this."
The $5 million project secured a million from the State's general fund and $4 million from Prop 68 through the State Water Boards' SAFER drinking water program.
"What we have now are pipeline of projects in our most needed communities, where often times our communities have gone for decades without access to clean water," said Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board.
The project will deliver clean, safe, and affordable drinking water to 350 people, roughly 50 households.
"It's not enough for water to be safe. It also needs to be affordable and accessible to the residents who need it, and the City of Sanger is fortunate enough to offer an affordability program," said Michael Claiborne, Directing Attorney, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability.
"It's been hard, it's a struggle, very hard struggle, but I am happy we're getting it done," said Torres.
"It's going to take time, but hey, we're getting it done."