California's $5M Project Finally Brings Safe Water to Tombstone Families

In California’s Central Valley, the small, unincorporated community of Tombstone has faced a quiet crisis. Residents depended on private wells, many tainted with nitrates or arsenic, forcing families to weigh their health against every glass of water. On May 13, 2025, that changed. Governor Gavin Newsom joined local leaders and advocates in Sanger to break ground on a $5 million state-funded project connecting Tombstone’s homes to safe, reliable water. This pipeline delivers more than water; it carries hope.

The project fulfills a pledge made in 2019, when Newsom signed Senate Bill 200 in Tombstone, launching the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. With $130 million allocated each year, the fund targets underserved rural areas, cutting the number of Californians without clean water by nearly half. Access to safe water defines dignity. Tombstone’s transformation shows what happens when leaders prioritize people over profit.

For too long, Tombstone’s residents lived with uncertainty. Now, thanks to state investment and local teamwork, they’re gaining a basic necessity most take for granted. This moment matters because it proves equity-focused policies can reshape lives, even in overlooked corners of the state.

Why should anyone have to fear their tap water? The answer is no one should. Tombstone’s story reflects a broader truth: clean water belongs to everyone, not just those who can afford it. California’s commitment to this principle sets a standard for the nation.

The Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) program, born from SB 200, powers this progress. Since 2019, SAFER has restored over 250 failing water systems, completed 140 consolidations, and reached 300,000 people. Tombstone’s project, guided by SAFER, shows how state and local collaboration can succeed. The City of Sanger led with heart, waiving fees and solving property-line challenges to extend its water system.

Community advocates, like Nataly Escobedo Garcia of Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability, ensured residents’ voices shaped the project. Their tireless work, paired with state resources, turned vision into reality. California’s approach—uniting agencies, locals, and organizers—stands out as a model for systemic change.

Some argue that individual property owners should handle water infrastructure, resisting state involvement as excessive. In Texas, for example, critics have pushed back against public funds for similar projects, citing local control. But this perspective fails Tombstone’s residents, who lacked the means to fix contaminated wells. Leaving communities to fend for themselves isn’t freedom; it’s neglect.

California’s fight for water justice rests on a core belief: water is a human right. In 2012, the state passed AB 685, enshrining this idea in law and inspiring a wave of action. Federal support, including over $500 million from the Biden-Harris Administration, has fueled projects like Tombstone’s. These efforts affirm that geography or income shouldn’t dictate access to clean water.

Nationwide, over 2 million Americans lack reliable water, with rural and low-income areas hit hardest. Contaminated wells in Appalachia, failing systems in tribal lands, and aging pipes in places like Jackson, Mississippi, reveal a crisis. Tombstone’s success proves programs like SAFER can close these gaps, but only with sustained public investment.

Voices skeptical of government funding often advocate for market-driven fixes or local efforts. Yet markets haven’t protected Tombstone’s families from toxic water, and small towns can’t bankroll major upgrades alone. California’s blend of state leadership, federal backing, and community advocacy charts a path forward.

Tombstone’s project signals a brighter future. By late 2025, families will trust their taps, a change driven by years of advocacy and smart policy. But the fight continues. Thousands in California, and millions across the U.S., still face water insecurity. Expanding SAFER, securing federal funds, and centering equity in infrastructure plans are urgent priorities.

What happens if we falter? Communities like Tombstone suffer, and the gap between haves and have-nots widens. California’s progress shows that treating water as a right builds stronger, healthier societies. Other states and federal leaders must follow this example, rejecting shortsighted resistance to public investment.

Tombstone’s victory belongs to its people, who demanded better, and to leaders who listened. Together, we can ensure every American enjoys the simple, profound security of clean water.