California’s San Joaquin Valley provides the United States with more than 25% of all its food. When this fertile valley experienced a half-decade of drought, many local wells dried up and left residents without running water. The small town of East Porterville was one of the communities most dramatically affected. For three years neighbors used rain and bottled water for fundamental needs like drinking, washing dishes, and flushing the toilet. In this excerpt from
Water & Power: A California Heist, residents describe what a typical day looks like living without this precious amenity—one that is increasingly being siphoned off to support national agribusinesses.
Water & Power: A California Heist is a two-hour documentary from award-winning filmmakers Marina Zenovich and Alex Gibney. Watch the premiere on Tuesday, March 14 at 9/8c on National Geographic.
For a behind-the-scenes look at
Water & Power: A California Heist,
read this Q&A with Emmy-winning director Marina Zenovich.
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