Outside of major cities like Fresno and Clovis, drinking-water quality for San Joaquin Valley residents can be dicey. The Valley is full of examples of rural water systems failing to either produce enough supply or deliver fresh water that is not tainted by contaminants, be they manufactured, like farming chemicals, or naturally occurring elements in local soils like arsenic. … Now, Rep. David Valadao, a Republican from Hanford, is teaming up with Rep. Norma Torres, a Democratic legislator from Southern California, on a new bill that would amend the federal Safe Drinking Water Act by adding a special focus on nitrate and arsenic pollution in groundwater. The amendment would authorize the federal government to allocate $15 million a year in grants to clean up failing water systems in rural communities.