Hidden underground: The impact of concentrated dairy production on groundwater quality and public health in California's Central Valley

California is the nation's top dairy-producing state. Home to 4 million cows that annually produce eight times as much waste as the human population of Los Angeles, the Central Valley is ground zero for dairy-related public health impacts. While a great deal is known about air quality impacts from dairy production, much less is known about impacts on groundwater quality and ensuing public health effects. Ninety percent of Valley communities depend on groundwater as a drinking water source. This presentation will summarize the results of a Food & Water Watch report examining contaminants associated with dairy production and their potential to impact drinking water in Central Valley dairy communities. Using the limited data available through public records requests on nitrate well concentrations and a comprehensive literature review of additional contaminants associated with dairy production, the report examines the influence that the dairy industry has had on state policymaking, resulting in policies that are not protective of public health. The current system foists costs associated with dairy production – including drinking water treatment and healthcare costs – onto nearby communities, which are generally low-income and Latino. This presentation offers a comprehensive look at data that shine a light on the state of groundwater in the Valley's dairy communities. It will also present strategies to improve regulation of this critical drinking water resource and require the dairy industry to improve waste management, curb its use of antibiotics and hormones, and take additional steps to protect the health of dairy communities.