Santa Ana Clean Water Initiative

With a longstanding history of environmental injustices and situated next to the Orange County North Basin Superfund site, the diverse Californian community of Santa Ana has endured consistent and intense PFAS contamination for years. The SACWI Block Party on Saturday, May 11th will empower residents to combat the disproportionate impact of water injustices in Santa Ana.

The SACWI Block Party will not only educate but also celebrate community unity, offering an opportunity for residents to come together, share experiences, and support local enterprises. We're excited to engage local businesses, food vendors and incorporate recreational activities, emphasizing their importance in this gathering.

THE PROBLEM: Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are “forever chemicals” that pose serious environmental harms and health risks to the communities of which they infiltrate water supplies. Over nearly a decade, suspicion of PFAS contamination of Santa Ana drinking water supplies has prompted research and public concern, though no concrete investigative or remedial actions have been taken to ensure that the health of Santa Ana residents is secure, nor that their water is safe. 

THE NEED: There is a critical need for increased community awareness and engagement regarding PFAS risks, testing, and mitigation strategies to empower residents and stakeholders. The project aims to bridge the gap between ongoing research on PFAS and its practical implications for public health and community security, emphasizing the need for a multi-sectoral approach to mitigation. The community event in May 2024 will begin to coordinate much-needed conversations between constituents and leaders, between water administrators and customers, and between researchers and residents. A successful “block party” event will improve public health knowledge, awareness, and outcomes of Santa Ana residents through the subsequent household water testing and participatory community workshops, allowing residents to acutely understand the extent to which PFAS contamination threatens their water supplies, as well as improving community-level understanding of PFAS and water contamination and policy-level understanding of resident attitudes, respectively. 

THE PROJECT: SACWI is a community-oriented project meant to improve public health outcomes by addressing PFAS drinking water contamination in the environmental justice community of Santa Ana, California. Primary project activities, which can be organized into phases, include 1) a community event held with and for the Santa Ana community in May 2024, 2) resident in-home water testing for PFAS parameters, and 3) two stakeholder workshops to collect community concerns, insights, and knowledge regarding PFAS water contamination in the Santa Ana community. 


#cleanWaterForAll

The Water Insecurity Correction Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Upstate New York. We believe access to clean water is a human right, one that people often take for granted. Through advocacy, education, and development, our goal is to ensure every citizen has access to clean water, and raise awareness of issues relating to water insecurity on both a national and global level.