ORLAND, Calif. - Help is coming to people with dry wells. Orland is building new water lines to extend to county limits, but some people are going to be left out.
Some dry well owners in Glenn County will soon be seeing water coming out of their faucet again on a regular basis.
It’s part of Orland’s plan to build more water pipes to connect folks living just outside the city.
"That means running the lateral from the street to their property,” said Pete Carr, the Orland City Manager. “Installing a meter and connecting it to the house at no charge to them."
In total 237 people were interested in signing up for that program, which will cost nearly $12 million.
Most if not all that money will come from the Department of Water Resources (DWR), according to Carr.
At least 150 people will be getting water from the city. But for 87 other people, that opportunity is down the drain.
Part of it has to do with where the lines will go. As you can see on this map below - most of them are in areas with several reported dry wells.
The city also has to work with the $12 million it will get from the DWR.
"We could certainly use more money if it became available," Carr said.
"I feel bad and sorry for them," said Jennifer Obie, a well owner who lives just outside of Orland.
She knows what it's like to be without water.
"I was out for about a week and a half. And that week and a half was deadly. I had no water," Obie said.
She decided not to reach out to Orland for help - instead - digging her well deeper.
"I just think the cost of the water would go up," Obie said.
Obie knows not everyone can afford to do what she did and hopes the city will expand the water line project.
"In the long term our big picture we're trying to find more funding," said Grant Carmon, a Glenn County Supervisor.
Carmon says the county is doing what it can.
"We're looking into federal money. As well as the state’s new budget has $6 billion on it, related to drought," Carmon said.
The longer it takes to get the money the more likely people will drill deeper.
"I know there’s another 40 feet below where they just lowered it," Obie said.
A new reality in this drought emergency.
In the meantime, dry well owners can get a 1,500 gallon tank at their home.
They can hook a pump to it, and have two water deliveries a month for that tank, according to Carmon.
That aid provided by the county does expire within a year.
But the county is looking into extending that help for another year, all that money comes from the North Valley Community Foundation.
No word yet on when this water project will be complete.
