Posts

State Water Resources Control Board Has Released The Proposed NPDES Suction Dredge Mining General Permit For Public Comments, Rural County Representatives Of California Reports

The State Water Resources Control Board has recently released the proposed NPDES Suction Dredge Mining General Permit for public comments.  A virtual public workshop was held on May 28, 2020 with a virtual Public Hearing originally scheduled for June 17th.  The public hearing has now been rescheduled to August 5th with comments due by August 24th.  No action will be taken at this public hearing.  The State Water Board will schedule a meeting subsequent to the public hearing to consider adoption of the General Permit.

Understaffed and ‘Struggling,’ Central Valley Water Board Trims Programs

The State Water Resources Control Board and its regional branches are facing an uncertain time, and farmers could see the fallout.

Regulating Microplastics in Drinking Water: California Retains its Vanguard Status

The California State Water Resources Control Board is poised to become “the first regulatory agency in the world to specifically define ‘Microplastics in Drinking Water.”‘ In September 2018, the California legislature adopted Health and Safety Code section 116376 via Senate Bill No. 1422, adding microplastics regulations to California’s Safe Drinking Water Act.

California Regulator Adopts Safe Drinking Water Plan

California’s top water regulator adopted a plan Tuesday that will guide the state in identifying and helping communities that don’t have access to safe drinking water.

California Allocates $5 Million for Lead Testing in California Child Care Centers

The State Water Resources Control Board has executed an agreement to provide approximately $5 million in grant funds for testing and remediation of lead in drinking water at licensed Child Care Centers in California.

‘Framework’ Aims to Aid Water Agreements

In the coming weeks and months, the Newsom administration, water users and conservation groups will continue to refine a framework for potential voluntary agreements intended to benefit salmon and other fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Gov. Gavin Newsom released the framework last week, which acts as the alternative to a state-mandated, flows-only approach that has brought opposition and lawsuits from water agencies and water users.

‘Framework’ Aims to Aid Water Agreements

In the coming weeks and months, the Newsom administration, water users and conservation groups will continue to refine a framework for potential voluntary agreements intended to benefit salmon and other fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Gov. Gavin Newsom released the framework last week, which acts as the alternative to a state-mandated, flows-only approach that has brought opposition and lawsuits from water agencies and water users.

The framework for voluntary agreements outlines a 15-year program that provides for up to 900,000 acre-feet of new flows to help recover fish populations, creates 60,000 acres of new and restored habitat, and generates $5.2 billion for environmental improvements and science. It would also establish a governance program to deploy flows and habitat, implement a science program and develop strategic plans and annual reports.

California Eyeing Lower Standard for Perchlorate in Drinking Water

California plans to halve the level at which water suppliers must test for perchlorate in drinking water.

The move is the first step in lowering the state’s drinking water standard for the chemical, which is used in rocket fuel, fireworks, and airbags, said Robert Brownwood, assistant deputy director in the State Water Resources Control Board’s division of drinking water.

 

VCMWD Reservoir Project Receives National Recognition From EPA

Valley Center Municipal Water District has been advised by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) that its Cool Valley Reservoir Cover Replacement Project was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency’s new AQUARIUS Program as an “Exceptional Project,” among only 10 identified as such nationwide.

Each year, EPA’s Aquarius Program recognizes one Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) project from each of its 10 Regions nationwide for “exceptional focus on sustainability, protection of public health” while demonstrating a high level of innovation. 

Central Valley Water Board Plan to Reduce Nitrate Contamination in Groundwater Gets Approval

Help is on the way, both immediate and long-term, for the nitrate and salt contamination of groundwater basins and surface water in the Central Valley. Although the long-term resolution may be a multi-year process, stakeholders have developed a plan to address one of the region’s most challenging water quality problems.

After more than 13 years in development by stakeholders and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB) a plan was approved earlier this week by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to address the buildup of salt and nitrates in Central Valley groundwater basins and surface water.