Location: Pixley, Tulare County, California

Problem:  Pixley Public Utility District needed interim financing to replace arsenic contaminated wells and to make other improvements to provide safe water to customers

Solution: Rural Community Assistance Corporation’s (RCAC) Loan Fund provided a $2 million environmental construction loan so the utility could make timely payments to a contractor while awaiting grant reimbursement

Pixley Public Utility District provides water service, sewage collection and treatment to residents in the unincorporated area of Pixley in Tulare County, California. Pixley is located approximately 30 miles south of Visalia. Pixley, with a population of just more than 3,310, has a $27,917 median household income, and the State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) determined it to be a severely disadvantaged community.

The utility provides water with four wells, three of which have arsenic levels that exceed the 10 ppb federal limit. The water distribution system also needs improvements to reduce water loss and meet fire flow requirements. The SWRCB granted the utility $4.5 million in Prop 84 funding to replace the three wells and make the other needed improvements. Although the Prop 84 grant will fund the project through reimbursements, it can take several months to process them. The utility needed cash to make timely payments to its contractor during the interim.

RCAC’s Loan Fund provided a $2 million environmental construction loan. The utility can now make timely payments and once completed, the new wells and delivery system improvements will ensure it provides safe drinking water to customers.