Support the CalFresh Safe Drinking Water Pilot

Despite recent actions to respond to disasters as well as invest in water infrastructure, 1 million Californians – particularly Latine, rural, and under-resourced communities in the Central Coast and Central Valley – still lack access to safe, clean, and affordable drinking water. 

Safe drinking water access is a climate justice and food access issue, and we helped create the CalFresh Safe Drinking Water Pilot which launched in 2022. When communities have to spend their limited grocery budget to purchase drinking water, they have less to spend on the food they need. The CalFresh Safe Drinking Water Pilot helps bridge that gap by providing an extra $50 per month in CalFresh benefits to households in select zip codes that lack access to safe drinking water.

As we continue our advocacy to help guide the pilot’s continued implementation, we’re taking a step back from our past work to expand the pilot. While California communities need access to safe drinking water right now, long-term investments must also be made to strengthen our water infrastructure and better prepare for natural and climate-driven disasters. Though there’s still work to be done to ensure that Californians don’t have to choose between paying for groceries or drinking water, we’re reassessing how we can better align with the greater movement to ensure safe drinking water for all.

Stay tuned for future opportunities!