Water contamination threatens livelihoods

Florence Ramos is a resident of El Rancho, the neighbouring town to Central Valley. Every week, Florence makes a trip to the market in California to purchase bottled water, as she has been unable to consume tap water for over a decade.The county water has been contaminated for a decade now, with hazardous nitrates being found in tap water due to livestock manure and nitrate-rich fertilisers seeping to the groundwater. To this day, the water remains polluted with high levels of dangerous pollutants, which poses a threat to the health and well-being of residents who are falling ill.Monitoring water supplies, as well as setting water standards, is crucial to improve water quality. Furthermore, polluted water must be treated; investing in water-related infrastructure such as treatment plants will enable wastewater to be treated.