PURPOSE: This webinar will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to learn about the State Water Board’s Needs Assessment results. The State Water Board will provide an overview of the results of the Risk Assessment (public water systems, state small water systems, and domestic wells), Cost Assessment, and Affordability Assessment. AGENDA Items on this Agenda are numbered for identification purposes only. 1. Overview of the Needs Assessment 2. Risk Assessment Results a. Public Water Systems b. State Small Water Systems and Domestic Wells 3. Cost Assessment Results 4. Affordability Assessment Results 5. Public Feedback Needs Assessment Results The focus of this webinar is to provide an overview of the Needs Assessment results. The State Water Board has been hosting public webinar workshops to provide opportunities for stakeholders to learn about and contribute to the development of the Needs Assessment methodologies. The Risk Assessment for public water systems identifies systems (starting with 3,300 or less service connections) and K-12 schools that are at-risk of failing to provide adequate safe drinking water. The Risk Assessment for state small water systems and domestic wells identifies areas where systems and households may be accessing groundwater that does not meet primary drinking water standards (maximum contaminant […]

Goal: Provide small water community utilities with practical advice on meeting AWIA requirements. The America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018 requires that small community water systems serving at least 3,300 people assess the risks to, and the resilience of, their drinking water systems.  The AWIA requires performance of a Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA), which is due June 31, 2021 and the development of an Emergency Response Plan (ERP), which is due December 31, 2021. Water utility managers have long understood the concept of managing risk. Developing a robust RRA and ERP will benefit small community water systems by opening the door to new and ongoing discussions of their vulnerabilities, including cybersecurity, and potential risk mitigation needs, leading to more dynamic policies and procedures. They also will learn how to align the RRA and ERP with Capital Improvement and Facilities Planning which can have the added benefit of incorporating new projects into their Capital Improvement and Facilities Plan. Session Topics and Speakers are: Dr. Stephen Baruch, Moderator (AARC) AWIA Compliance – Samantha McVety, EPA Region 9 Coordinator for AWIA Certification Use of the Vsat Tool from a Practitioner Perspective – Deanna McMahan (SEMC) Emergency Response Plan, Does and Don’ts […]

The agriculture industry in California is pivotal not only to state residents, but also to the entire country at large. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, over a third of the vegetables in the US come from California, as well as two-thirds of the nation's fruits and nuts. Without this state’s agriculture industry, many of the produce and dairy we have grown accustomed to having year-round would increasingly be in short supply. At the same time, however, more than 40% of California’s water is used by the agriculture industry. This pressure on the state’s water supply contributes to drought, exacerbates climate change, and impacts regional and state economies, particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. At the local level, water allocation to agriculture may compete with community resources. The right to safe and affordable drinking water continues to be unrealized for rural and immigrant farmworker communities, even as they continue to perform essential work in our economy and feed our communities. In this upcoming WELL Webinar, The Balancing Act of Water & Ag in California, we bring together experts in the agriculture industry from a variety of regions--from the Delta to the Central and Coachella Valleys--to discuss the […]