Fresno County Grand Jury
• 2024-2025
How is the City of Fowler addressing Water Contamination? Fresno County
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 6 findings
F1
Not all City of Fowler Public Works, Water Department operators knew written procedures and/or checklists existed for their day to day operation tasks as the procedures were recently developed for the department by the new Public Works Director.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Training for all Public Works, Water Department operators, including written procedures and/or checklists, should be disseminated and implemented for ease of access, continuity and succession planning by the City of Fowler’s Public Works Director by March 31, 2026. (F1)
F2
The City of Fowler’s water reports are submitted occasionally late to SWRCB due to the absence of the report deadline checklists to remind users.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The City of Fowler’s Public Works Director should develop a process and or procedure to ensure required water board reports are completed and returned on time to the California State Water Resources Board by October 31, 2025. (F2)
F3
The City of Fowler Public Works, Water Department website information is not organized in a user friendly, searchable format and is outdated, with the most recent reports not being added in a timely period.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The City of Fowler Public Works, Water Department webpage should be improved making it more user friendly, accessible and straightforward to easily find all water information and important links to enhance transparency by the City of Fowler’s Public Works Director by March 31, 2026. (F3)
F4
A maintenance and budget plan for the ongoing operation of the soon to be installed GAC filtration system in the City of Fowler has not been developed.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
A maintenance and budget plan for the ongoing operation of the soon to be installed GAC filtration system should be developed by the City of Fowler’s Public Works Director by March 31, 2026. (F4)
F5
While only one of the City of Fowler’s six wells is above the CA-MCL for TCP, all wells, including the TCP contaminated well, must be utilized to satisfy consumer demands and fire protection requirements.
Related Recommendations (2)
R5
The City of Fowler Public Works, Water Department should proactively develop plans to increase water system capacity and fire protection needs through new well development, distribution interconnectivity and above ground storage facilities that would assist in providing potable water to Fowler citizens if TCP contamination extends to another City of Fowler water well by March 31, 2026. (F5, F6)
R6
The City of Fowler Public Works, Water Department should identify and establish a water sampling location(s) within the distribution system (apart from well sources mandated by SWRCB) and use the location(s) to begin compiling water quality data from quarterly water samples by September 30, 2025. (F5) 10
F6
The City of Fowler has been aware of elevated TCP levels in Well #7 since 2018; however, funding to mitigate TCP contamination was delayed because of litigation. 9
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The City of Fowler Public Works, Water Department should proactively develop plans to increase water system capacity and fire protection needs through new well development, distribution interconnectivity and above ground storage facilities that would assist in providing potable water to Fowler citizens if TCP contamination extends to another City of Fowler water well by March 31, 2026. (F5, F6)
Conclusions 2
-
CL1 Page 8The Fresno County Civil Grand Jury found the City of Fowler to be addressing the water contamination issue. The City initially addressed the issue quickly however, with no funding to fix the issue, the City could do little until the lawsuit was settled and the needed settlement funds were received. The City has received the funds and will hopefully have a reduction in their TCP levels below the limit, preventing future violations by the City of 6 https://pws-ptd.120wateraudit.com/fowlerca 7 https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/saferdashboard.html 8 https://www.redwoodcity.org/residents/water 8
-
CL2 Page 9Fowler on their Annual Water Quality reports In addition, it should be noted that the City of Fowler's Public Works, Water Department has made significant improvements in its processes over the past year. The team continues to do their best with the resources available.
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Fowler
City