Stockton

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Availability of drinking water has not been seen as an issue in the United States; people usually believe this is only occurs in third world countries. However, this problem is occurring in communities with in the San Joaquin Valley which is located in central California. This report will be focusing on the nitrate contamination of groundwater and its impacts on lower income Latino communities. The location that will be emphasized in this report is the county of Tulare, located in the north east corner of San Joaquin Valley. The valley has an estimated population of 4,034,000, Tulare’s population accounts for 10% of population (Score Card, 2005). The San Joaquin Valley is home to both low incomes and high rates of disease. The average per capita income in the San Joaquin Valley is around $20,000, significantly less than the California average (CWC). Almost 19 percent of residents live below the poverty line, versus California’s average of 13 percent, and one fifth of the San Joaquin Valley’s population lacks health insurance. Death rates and cancer rates in the San Joaquin Valley re...

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