1. Groundwater monitoring fees were approved, with a request for relief options. The board voted 3-2 on FY 2026-27 Groundwater Monitoring Program fees and directed staff to return with funding alternatives for de minimis well owners—those extracting 2 acre-feet per year or less. The four ongoing fees discussed were $21.86 per well for annual registration renewal, $64.82 for extraction reporting, $117.68 for groundwater level monitoring and $73.92 for groundwater quality monitoring. Extraction reporting applies above 2 acre-feet per year. Staff estimated annual charges of roughly $140 for a de minimis well in the Upper Valley or Forebay and up to $214 where northern-valley water quality monitoring applies. Supervisor Church said de minimis users account for only 3–5% of basin water use while bearing roughly half the program’s cost.
2. Potential cost relief remains pending. Staff is working with the Rural County Representatives of California on legislation that could permit a different allocation of costs. The agency has also requested $200,000 in Measure AA funds for a proposed low-income assistance program, with eligibility potentially tied to PG&E’s low-income program. Staff said increasing the request to $400,000 could cover all de minimis wells for a year; that increase was discussed, not approved. Staff expects to invoice toward the end of 2026 and said charges could be adjusted before invoicing if legislation takes effect in time.
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