Storm Water Strategic Initiative

Greg Gearheart, Storm Water

CA State Water Board

Water Engineering• Engineers as Champions of

the “Promethean Project”• Break big things down into

smaller things to better understand them

• Control or conquer “nature”

Storm Water Story (being rewritten as we sit here!)

Storm water management plays vital role in quality and availability of CA water

CA’s growing population and climate change increase pressure on water quality and supply

Effective storm water management becomes even more urgent

The Next Chapter

Continue the shift from ‘end of pipe’ treatment to storm water as resource

Innovative, multiple-benefit approaches to achieve tangible results in terms of both water quality and water supply

Storm Water Strategy InitiativePhase 1

In May 2014 SWSI Team rolled out a list of “discussion starters,” or potential issues and Water Board actions organized into three element areas:

1. Utilize Storm Water as a Resource

2. Remove Storm Water Pollutants by True Source Control

3. Improve Storm Water Program Overall Efficiency and Effectiveness

Sustainable Groundwater Management Legislation

Local Tools and Authorities

Local Agency Formation

and Planning Requirements

State Assistance, oversight, and

intervention

• AB 1739 (Dickinson)• SB 1168 (Pavley)• SB 1319 (Pavley)

Local Agency Formation and Planning

Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (2017)• One or more cooperating agencies • Basins to be managed by a single agency or

coordinated agencies Prepare and adopt Groundwater Sustainability

Plans (2020-2022)• Consider local planning projections• Measurable objectives & interim milestones • Annual reports (groundwater extractions, total

water use, and change in groundwater storage) Achieve sustainability (20 years after plan)

Local Tools and Authorities

Metering and monitoring Permit and pumping fees Pumping limits/groundwater allocation Enforcement (including fines) Well spacing

State Assistance, Oversight and Intervention

DWR to assist locals and will publish estimates of water available for replenishment and BMPs

DWR to develop regulations defining components of a GSP (2016)

DWR will evaluate and assess a GSPs The State Water Board may develop an interim plan

when: there is no GSA (2017) a GSP is not completed(2020) the GSP is inadequate or not implemented to achieve

sustainability and there is a condition of long term overdraft or significant depletion of interconnected surface waters (2020, 2022, or 2025).

Other Provisions Water Board fee authority Requires reporting to State Water Board

when no GSA Increased coordination of groundwater

management and land use planning Off ramp for well managed and

adjudicated basins Related---Water Bond allocates $900M to

the State Water Board for groundwater cleanup and management

SB 4: Oil and Gas Monitoring Unit

New Unit in Division of Water Quality New positions at Regional Boards 3, 4, and 5 Current activities:

Develop MOU with DOGGR for well stimulation regulation Review operator submitted groundwater monitoring plans Review operator submitted requests for written concurrence Develop model criteria for groundwater monitoring by July 2015 Implement Regional Groundwater Monitoring by Jan 2016 Consult with DOGGR on their final regulations for well stimulation Manage list of designated contractors for property owner

requested water sampling Audit field sampling and testing under property-owner requested

water sampling

Oil and Gas: Injection Well ReviewInitial phase of review is to confirm that there are no immediate health risks or risks to groundwater sources DOGGR identifies disposal wells of concern Water Board locates water supply wells within 1 mile of disposal well Focusing initially on:

• Disposal wells < 1,500 feet deep (water supply depths)• Disposal into aquifers with < 3,000 mg/L TDS• Disposal wells with associated water supply wells with

screens within 500 vertical feet Region 5 has issued 13267 Orders to 10 well operators Water samples collected from nine water supply wells near disposal

wells (arsenic, nitrate and thallium above MCL, maximum TDS 1,800 mg/L).