Knights Ferry has a major drinking water problem in its small water system, and it’s had it for a long time. The residents have largely learned to live with the near constant leaks, equipment failures and sporadic shutoffs. The community was established in the 1850s on the northeastern edge of Stanislaus County. Home to the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi and a park run by the Army Corps of Engineers, it’s a destination by out-of-towners for recreational opportunities and preserved Gold Rush-era history.