Please leave this field empty
Donate Monthly Make a Gift Renew Your Membership Ways to Give
Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch
  • About
  • Problems
  • Campaigns
  • Impacts
  • Research
  • Contact
Donate Monthly Make a Gift Renew Your Membership Ways to Give
  • facebook
  • twitter
Please leave this field empty
Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch
$
Menu
  • About
  • News
  • Research Library
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Donate
Search
Please leave this field empty
  • facebook
  • twitter

How Much of Our Produce Might Be Irrigated with Oil Wastewater?

In the nation’s produce basket, some water districts are selling oilfield wastewater to farmers, putting a huge portion of our fruits and vegetables at risk of contamination.

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • google-plus
  • envelope

We all need safe food and clean water.

Donate
Wastewater crops graphs
By Christian Detisch
07.20.16

Last year, our friends at Water Defense uncovered a California water district that was buying oilfield wastewater to include in the water it sells to farmers to irrigate crops in California’s Central Valley. But this year, Food & Water Watch has uncovered another water district in California, also buying this potentially toxic wastewater and selling it to farmers. What’s worse: we now can’t be sure how widespread this practice already is, or that it won’t spread. 

Even though this wastewater is only being used to water crops in parts of one state, California is responsible for a huge portion of other fruits, nuts and vegetables produced in the US. As the nation’s produce basket, a threat to California’s agriculture is a threat to the entire country’s food supply. Some staples that California is the primary U.S. producer of include:

  • 99% of almonds
  • 83% of fresh carrots
  • 91% of lemons
  • 99% of olives
  • 96% of broccoli
  • 95% of celery
  • 98% of garlic
  • 91% of strawberries

No one—in California, or anywhere in the country—should have to wonder if the food they eat could be contaminated with oilfield wastewater. We know some crops are already being grown and sold across the country using this questionable practice, but we have no way of knowing which ones or how many. By allowing oil companies to sell their wastewater for use on our crops, the California government is forcing us to play Russian roulette with our food—we may not find out what’s safe until it’s too late. 

That’s why we need to call on our politicians to fix this broken system and protect the food we depend on to feed the entire country. We need Governor Brown to ensure this filthy practice of selling oilfield wastewater to farmers stops right now. 

take actioN

​

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version

Monsanto's Roundup is a "probable human carcinogen." We need to ban it!

Get the latest on your food and water with news, research and urgent actions.

Please leave this field empty

Latest News

  • Trump’s Out, Biden’s In! Now The Fight Of Our Lives On Climate Begins.

    Trump’s Out, Biden’s In! Now The Fight Of Our Lives On Climate Begins.

  • Biden’s 100-Day Must-Do List for a Cleaner, Healthier Country

    Biden’s 100-Day Must-Do List for a Cleaner, Healthier Country

  • Fracking, Federal Lands, And Follow-Through: Will President Biden Do What He Promised?

    Fracking, Federal Lands, And Follow-Through: Will President Biden Do What He Promised?

See More News & Opinions

For Media: See our latest press releases and statements

Food & Water Insights

Looking for more insights and our latest research?

Visit our policy & research library
  • Renewable Natural Gas: Same Ol' Climate-Polluting Methane, Cleaner-Sounding Name

  • The Case to Ban Fracking on Federal Lands

  • Dangerously Deep: Fracking’s Threat to Human Health

Fracking activist with stickersFracking activist in hatLegal team loves family farmsFood & Water Watch organizer protecting your food

Work locally, make a difference.

Get active in your community.

Food & Water Impact

  • Victories
  • Stories
  • Facts
  • Trump, Here's a Better Use for $25 Billion

  • Here's How We're Going to Build the Clean Energy Revolution

  • How a California Activist Learned to Think Locally

Keep drinking water safe and affordable for everyone.

Take Action
food & water watch logo
en Español

Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold & uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people’s health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.

Food & Water Watch is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Food & Water Action is a 501(c)4 organization.

Food & Water Watch Headquarters

1616 P Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20036

Main: 202.683.2500

Contact your regional office.

Work with us: See all job openings

  • Problems
    • Broken Democracy
    • Climate Change & Environment
    • Corporate Control of Food
    • Corporate Control of Water
    • Factory Farming & Food Safety
    • Fracking
    • GMOs
    • Global Trade
    • Pollution Trading
  • Solutions
    • Advocate Fair Policies
    • Legal Action
    • Organizing for Change
    • Research & Policy Analysis
  • Our Impact
    • Facts
    • Stories
    • Victories
  • Take Action
    • Get Active Where You Live
    • Organizing Tools
    • Find an Event
    • Volunteer with Us
    • Live Healthy
    • Donate
  • Give
    • Give Now
    • Give Monthly
    • Give a Gift Membership
    • Membership Options
    • Fundraise
    • Workplace Giving
    • Planned Giving
    • Other Ways to Give
  • About
  • News
  • Research Library
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Donate
Learn more about Food & Water Action www.foodandwateraction.org.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • 2021 © Food & Water Watch
  • www.foodandwaterwatch.org
  • Terms of Service
  • Data Usage Policy