Well Permits to Continue, District NOT Moving Into Stage 3 Rationing
The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) voted unanimously last night NOT to enact Stage 3 rationing as a response to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Cease and Desist Order (CDO). The decision was based on the assumption that Cal-Am users would begin greater water conservation with the newly approved and now implemented water rate structure.
The legal challenges continue as the District, joining forces with Peninsula cities, is seeking relief from the recently approved change of venue order to Santa Clara County.
Dates have not yet been determined as to when the venue appeal will be considered or, depending on the success of the venue appeal, when the court would consider action on the stay of the SWRCB CDO currently in place. Stay tuned as this issue will certainly evolve over the next few days and weeks.
Well Permit Moratorium Averted!
The District voted NOT to adopt the rushed-through urgency ordinance that would enact a moratorium on processing of applications for water distribution systems (WDS) supplied by a well drilled in “fractured rock.” The proposed ordinance was thrown together by district staff over the past couple of weeks in an attempt to freeze well application processing for 120 days - allowing district staff the time needed to study potential adverse impacts associated with wells drilled in fractured rock.
MCAR provided testimony opposing the urgency ordinance and recommended that the District continue processing WDS applications while pursuing a fractured rock well study.
The proposed urgency ordinance lacked the super majority vote needed for passage and the issue was sent back to committee for further vetting and discussion.
Property owners within the MPWMD district boundary who have NOT begun the WDS application process and require a well drilled in fractured rock, may want to consider moving forward with the application process as this issue (and possible revised ordinance) will most likely return at some point in the future.
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