The Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors today approved a $15,000 grant for the Camptonville Community Services District to help them seek additional financial and technical support to ensure the community is better able to handle drought.
Camptonville will use the grant to prepare a drought relief funding application through the California Department of Water Resources’ Small Community Drought Relief Program.
During drought conditions, Camptonville’s surface and groundwater supply falls below the amount needed for basic community services. The district’s users, which includes the Camptonville Fire Department, voluntarily reduced their average water usage by 66 percent in recent weeks to conserve their limited supply.
The community’s surface water source is already drying up and may soon be unable to supply water, which poses a threat to the health and well-being of the area's residents, as well as to public safety.
“The Camptonville Community Service District's water supply is just able to keep up with the demand of the public and local fire department, but the surface water is drying up and may soon be unable to meet the community’s needs,” said Yuba Water Agency Director Randy Fletcher. “This funding will help the district get their application in in a timely manner, in hopes of getting assistance from the state to secure a more reliable water supply.”
DWR’s Small Community Drought Relief Program provides immediate and near-term financial and technical support to help small communities impacted by drought.
The grant funding will allow the district to contract Bennett Engineering Services to complete the grant application, which includes preparation and procurement of organizational, financial and legal information and the development of a project proposal.