TULARE COUNTY – When it comes to poor water quality, Tulare County is ground zero in the state.

Of the state’s 300 water systems out of compliance with water quality standards, 10% are located in Tulare County affecting an estimated 100,000 people, according to the State Water Resources Control Board, more commonly known as the State Water Board. The communities cover every corner of the county from Allensworth to Lemon Cove and from Richgrove to London.

Their water contains high levels of three primary contaminants: Nitrates, a chemical found in fertilizers; arsenic, a naturally occurring chemical that is tasteless and odorless; and Dibromochloropropane or DBCP, a pesticide used to kill agricultural pests in the past.

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