Imagine going into the kitchen to make coffee in the morning, turning on the faucet and nothing comes out? The shower? Dry. Outside spigots? Nothing. For many people in Tuolumne County, that is their reality. “It’s scary,” said Sue Hackett. She and her husband Chris live on a small ranch outside of Sonora.  The well on their property ran dry several months ago. “It’s like, what are we going to do with this house? Where are we going to live? With no district water close by, it’s hard to know what to do.” 

After four years of drought, the aquifer under their property dropped below the level of the pump in their well.  There is nothing left to pump. Many of their neighbors had the same problem and it is still happening—even after a better year for rain and snow. Tuolumne County wells are still running dry today. But for the Hacketts and their neighbors there is an alternative.