Governor’s Historic Executive Order Protects Water Access for Vulnerable Communities
March 28, 2022
Contact:
Jennifer Clary, Clean Water Action, (707) 483-6352, jclary@cleanwateraction.org
Pedro Calderón, Community Water Center, (720) 838-1401, pedro.calderon@communitywatercenter.org
Lesly Figueroa, Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability, (760) 972-6337, lfigueroa@leadershipcounsel.org
Governor’s Historic Executive Order Protects Water Access for Vulnerable Communities
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Today, Governor Newsom signed an executive order intended to protect the majority of Californians who rely on groundwater for their water supply. Over-pumping groundwater continues to cause shallow domestic and community water wells to run dry, threatening communities' water supply throughout the state. When addressing statewide drought in past executive orders, the focus has been on reducing urban water usage through conservation. However, only so much can be done by reducing urban use when over 80% of water in California goes directly to agriculture.
“We applaud Governor Newsom’s commitment to bolstering conservation efforts by addressing the largest water users in California — agriculture,” says Nataly Escobedo Garcia, Policy Coordinator for Water Programs for Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. “When surface water supplies run dry, new and deeper wells are drilled to access the next source of water under our feet. This has already left families and frontline communities that rely on nearby shallow private wells and small water systems without water and, if unchecked, will put additional homes at risk of losing their supply altogether.”
For the first time in California, this order requires the issuance of local well permits to align with groundwater sustainability before being approved. Local groundwater agencies must now review each permit and determine how the new well would impact existing nearby wells, existing infrastructure, and the groundwater sustainability plan for that basin. These permits have, to date, too often been issued as a matter of course without consideration of impacts.
Since 2014 when the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was passed, over 6,200 new agricultural wells have been drilled in California — in direct opposition to the goal of achieving groundwater sustainability through reduced pumping. As worsening drought leads to lower or even zero surface water allocations and people rely more heavily on critical groundwater supplies, this order will ensure approved well drilling permits align with sustainable groundwater usage.
“Accountability will be key to the success of this order. Groundwater sustainability agencies and counties must work closely to ensure that long-term goals for groundwater sustainability are not upended by new, harmful groundwater extraction.” says Jennifer Clary, Director for Clean Water Action California. “We are encouraged by the Governor’s action here, but note that there needs to be a long-term solution to ensure that groundwater management and land use decisions are aligned to protect drinking water supplies.”
Other key elements of this order seek to improve access to solutions to dry wells for families, including removing local government barriers to getting hauled water to communities who need it. DWR must also determine how to expedite replacement drinking water wells, which can take over six months to install and are cost-prohibitive for families who cannot compete with corporate agriculture. The EO also includes measures to streamline groundwater recharge projects.
“Losing access to running water is hard enough without the added stressors of accessing drought resources,” says Kyle Jones, Policy and Legal Director for Community Water Center. “The steps outlined in this executive order will help provide relief to communities throughout California. We are still reviewing provisions regarding the suspension of CEQA and how that might impact groundwater quality, but are overall pleased with what the Governor is implementing today.”
Tune in this Thursday, March 31 for a media briefing on drought, climate change and what this means for sustainability in the Central Valley where this executive order, among other policies, will be discussed by impacted community leaders and experts in California water policy.
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Clean Water Action is a national nonprofit founded in 1972 to promote citizen engagement and action to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life. Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups, coalitions and campaigns to solve environmental and community problems. For more information, visit our website at www.cleanwater.org or follow us on Twitter @cleanh2oca.
Community Water Center (CWC) works to ensure that all communities have reliable access to safe, clean, and affordable water. Founded in 2006, CWC is a not-for-profit environmental justice organization, whose mission is to act as a catalyst for community-driven water solutions through education, organizing, and advocacy. Web: www.communitywatercenter.org Twitter: @CWaterC Facebook: @CommunityWaterCenter
Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability works alongside the most impacted communities to advocate for sound policy and eradicate injustice to secure equal access to opportunity regardless of wealth, race, income and place. We work with community leaders throughout the San Joaquin Valley and Eastern Coachella Valley on such issues as safe affordable drinking water, basic transit services, wastewater services, decent affordable housing, and the right to live free from industrial pollution with infrastructure that supports healthy lifestyles. Through co-powerment, organizing, litigation, policy advocacy, and research, we confront California's stark inequalities manifest in too many of California's low income communities and communities of color. Twitter: LCJandA FB: @lcjacalifornia IG: @leadership_counsel Web: leadershipcounsel.org
