City of Modesto begins construction to connect 600 people to safe drinking water
Water Board provided $7 million for consolidation of Riverdale with the city
MODESTO – Expanding access to safe drinking water to communities that have been without it the longest, the State Water Resources Control Board today joined City of Modesto and Stanislaus County officials and residents to break ground on a project that will connect the community of Riverdale to the city’s water system, ensuring reliable access to safe drinking water for over 600 residents.
Located in an unincorporated area of Stanislaus County, Riverdale is a severely disadvantaged community that has been without reliable access to safe drinking water since at least 2016 due to uranium contamination in its only supply well. The State Water Board provided over $7 million in grants through its Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) drinking water program to fully fund the construction of community’s consolidation with the city
State Water Board member Nichole Morgan (second from right), Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen (center) and Vice Mayor Jeremiah Williams (far left) break ground on the Riverdale consolidation project.
“It is in small communities like Riverdale where California is making the Human Right to Water real,” said State Water Board Member Nichole Morgan. “The State Water Board can provide technical support, outreach and financial assistance through our SAFER program, but success depends on the goodwill of neighboring communities to come together to secure safe drinking water for everyone. I congratulate the City of Modesto and Riverdale for what they’ve accomplished together today.”
Consolidation is the merging of a smaller, struggling water system into a larger water system as a means of securing safe drinking water for communities like Riverdale. In addition to construction costs, the board funded over $1 million in technical assistance, partially from the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. The funding was used to complete a feasibility study and contract with Self Help Enterprises to assist Riverdale identify a long-term solution and apply for construction funding.
“Helping the Riverdale community establish a reliable supply of safe drinking water has always been a goal for us,” said Andrew Malizia, Deputy Public Works Director for the Stanislaus County. “The County is thankful for the partnership formed with the City of Modesto, Self-Help Enterprises, and the State Water Board. The Board’s financial and technical assistance has brought us all together today to celebrate this important milestone.”
The SAFER program began in 2019 after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 200, establishing the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. Since that time, over one million more Californians have gained access to safe and affordable drinking water in their homes and over 180 drinking water consolidations have been completed, benefiting more than 360,000 people. The board has provided a total of $674 million since 2019 to support drinking water consolidation projects.
While almost 99% of Californians have access to drinking water in their homes and schools that meets state standards, about 600,000 people are still served by a water system that is failing to provide safe drinking water. The SAFER program is focusing its regulatory and financial assistance on those communities that have been without safe drinking water since at least 2019. Since January 2025, SAFER has helped 39 of these communities, like Riverdale, finally gain access to safe drinking water.
Uranium is naturally occurring in soil, but irrigation and groundwater pumping can mobilize it into the aquifer. Residents in unincorporated areas like agricultural tracts are more likely to be impacted by groundwater polluted by uranium or other contaminants because they generally rely on domestic wells instead of municipal water systems.
More information about the SAFER program can be found on the board’s website.
The State Water Board’s mission is to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California’s water resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health, and all beneficial uses, and to ensure proper resource allocation and efficient use for the benefit of present and future generations.
