Many New Cuyama residents worry about water. Will they have enough to brush their teeth? Wash clothes? Grow a garden? When it comes to the little guy, some locals say big food growers like Grimmway do not carrot all!

And what about the 185 kids who have to go to school? “Without water, we have no school,” says Alfonso Gamino, the superintendent and principal. If the water basin goes dry, big growers could possibly move to another spot. But Mr. Gamino asks, “What about the rest of us?”

What in the World Is Groundwater?

Have you ever tried to dig to China in a sandbox? Long before you hit China, you’re likely to find some water. Groundwater.

Groundwater collects beneath land’s surface. It seeps into cracks and holes in sand, rock, and gravel. People can pump it out and use it. Water can stay in one of these underground wet spots (called aquifers) for thousands of years. Nearly half of public water and water used for agriculture comes from underground. That’s right . . . you live above the water you drink!

In Exodus 17, we read about Moses striking a rock. When he does, water pours out for God’s thirsty people. Those people didn’t believe God would provide for their needs . . . even though He had done so many times already. We can pray God will provide plenty of water for the people of New Cuyama.

How Can You Preserve Groundwater?

1. Don’t waste it. Take short showers, fix leaks quickly, wait until the dishwasher is full to turn it on.

2. Don’t pollute it. If toxic materials (motor oil, gasoline, pesticides) spill onto the ground, soak them up with kitty litter instead of letting them leak into soil.