The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has announced the implementation date and final ZIP code selection for the CalFresh Water Pilot. The pilot is a program to provide additional CalFresh nutrition benefits to purchase safe drinking water in areas where it is necessary. Pilot benefits will be available to CalFresh households living in selected ZIP codes in Kern County with out-of-compliance water systems under the California Safe Drinking Water Act. The first date of the pilot is March 1, 2022 and will last for 12 months, depending on the final number of pilot-eligible households and continued funding.
The following Kern County zip codes will participate in the Pilot:
- 93241 (Lamont)
- 93220 (Edison)
- 93243 (Gorman-Lebec)
- 93311 (Bakersfield)
- 93387 (Bakersfield)
- 93386 (Bakersfield)
Notices about the program will be issued to eligible households on February 1, 2022 regarding the implementation date, eligibility criteria, benefit amount, and pilot duration. Notices will be given to households when they approved to participate in the CalFresh Water Pilot, discontinued from the pilot, or when the pilot ends. (ACL 21-50, April 28, 2021).
The pilot is extended to October 31, 2021. (ACL 22-101, November 30, 2022.)