Hundreds in Glenn County without water as wells dry up during drought

By Brittany Hope

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    GLENN COUNTY, California (KCRA) — As California’s drought continues to worsen, people living and working in Glenn County say their wells are drying up. That means no clean drinking water and no plumbing.

Glenn County’s Office of Emergency Services said this year’s drought is breaking records, in a bad way. During the last drought, from 2014 to 2017, the maximum number of residents at one time with dry wells was 30.

This year, OES says the statistics are alarming:

117 reports so far of dry wells so far in Glenn County 75% of those are family homes Over the past 24 hours, since Tuesday, 11 new reports were filed “You don’t appreciate water until you lose it,” Jorge Bautista told KCRA 3. “And we’ve been without water for a good amount of time now.”

Bautista went to the Orland Fire Department on Tuesday to get 10 free cases of water for his family.

The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office and OES partnered for the water pass-out event thanks to a donation made by Amazon. Fifty-five families with dry wells showed up to get the much-needed water.

Robert Thomas has lived in Orland since 1985. His well dried up for the first time this year, but the community came to his rescue.

“Thanks to a lot of good friends who offered different things,” he told KCRA 3. “Water, showers.”

Down the road from the fire station, Jose Mendoza owns 36 acres of land. His family lives there, as well as their 90 cows, chicken and pets. In his 35 years in the area, he said this is the first time he has seen the water supply as dire as it is now.

His well has dried up, which means he isn’t able to grow his peaches, apples, peppers and other crops this year. He says he now drives one to two times a day to get enough water for his family, their home, their land and their livestock.

Mendoza now has to find water every day.

“That’s not easy but that’s our situation now,” Mendoza said.

He was told by well drillers it will cost $40,000 to dig a deeper well that will access water. Even if he could afford to replace it, the waitlist for the job is months.

If rain doesn’t come soon, Mendoza said he may have to sell his cows. That is the case for many people living in Glenn County.

If you are someone whose well has run dry in Glenn County, more water bottle distribution events are happening soon thanks to the sheriff’s office and OES.

When the next water bottle distribution events are happening July 23, 2021, from 6-8 p.m. at Elk Creek High School July 28, 2021, from 4-6 p.m. at the Orland Fire Department You must complete a dry well report with the county to qualify. Families are limited to 10 cases of water each, as long as supplies last

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