AB 2079

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, except as specified. Existing law authorizes any local agency or combination of local agencies overlying a groundwater basin to decide to become a groundwater sustainability agency for that basin and imposes specified duties upon that agency or combination of agencies, as provided. Existing law requires the State Water Resources Control Board to adopt a model water well, cathodic protection well, and monitoring well drilling and abandonment ordinance implementing certain standards for water well construction, maintenance, and abandonment and requires each county, city, or water agency, where appropriate, to adopt a water well, cathodic protection well, and monitoring well drilling and abandonment ordinance that meets or exceeds certain standards. Under existing law, if a county, city, or water agency, where appropriate, fails to adopt an ordinance establishing water well, cathodic protection well, and monitoring well drilling and abandonment standards, the model ordinance adopted by the state board is required to take effect, and is required to be enforced by the county or city and have the same force and effect as if adopted as a county or city ordinance. This bill would require a local enforcement agency, as defined, to perform specified activities at least 30 days before determining whether to approve a permit for a new large-diameter, high-capacity well, as defined. By imposing additional requirements on a local enforcement agency, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require, upon adoption or amendment of a groundwater sustainability plan, the groundwater sustainability agency to provide specified information to the local enforcement agency, including, but not limited to, the name of the applicable groundwater sustainability agency, the agency manager and contact information, and the applicable sustainable management criteria related to groundwater levels, including the groundwater level measurable objectives and minimum thresholds. The bill would require a local enforcement agency, before approving a permit for a large-diameter, high capacity well, to provide specified information to the applicant. The bill would prescribe certain standards a local enforcement agency would be required to follow in the approval or denial of the permit, including the location of the proposed large-diameter, high capacity well and specified geological and water supply considerations. The bill would provide exemptions for its provisions for specified water wells. The bill would provide that its provisions apply only to applications for permits for the construction, maintenance, abandonment, or destruction of water wells in basins identified in the Department of Water Resources Bulletin 118. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.