BAKERSFIELD, CA – Bakersfield Legislators Senator Melissa Hurtado and Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains are calling for assistance to families in East Bakersfield who have been without household water for multiple days during extended heatwaves.

“The residents of East Bakersfield are experiencing a humanitarian crisis that needs urgent attention and support. Just as we experienced triple-digit heat, their water goes out. What is happening is inhumane, and it is cruel. And it must be resolved with urgency,” said Senator Melissa Hurtado.

“It’s unacceptable that seven of the nine counties with the most at-risk water systems are located in the Central Valley. Where are the state resources to prevent issues like this? The fifth largest economy in the world shouldn’t be scrambling to ensure its residents have access to clean water,” said Dr. Bains.

According to multiple news outlets and reports on the ground, residents in the Weedpatch, Fairfax and Shirley Lane area have been without water since Friday, June 25, 2024. The service outage at point straddled a weekend heatwave, with residents relying upon nearby Shirley Lane Elementary School as a distribution center for bottled water supplies being brought in by community-based organizations and volunteers in an effort to help families through the crisis.

KGET.Com: No water, no relief: East Bakersfield community without water for days after wells shut down

KBAK: 200 homes in east Bakersfield neighborhood without running water during heat wave

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