SSJ & EPC Water Districts: Winter Newsletter | |
Dear Community Member,
As we kick off 2025, we are hopeful and optimistic about the progress we can make together in moving our groundwater basin toward sustainability. We've made significant progress to date and look forward to building on that momentum!
We'll be honest, though — this work isn’t always easy. This year, our Districts and basin partner agencies will face some tough conversations, like how to fund our sustainability efforts through a rate study and setting the budget.
As we explore funding solutions, we want to be clear to the community: our Districts support an equitable rate structure that ensures water users pay their fair share of sustainability costs. That said, this is a complex process that requires coordination with our partner agencies, including the County, the City of Paso Robles and the San Miguel CSD.
Learn about this and more in our Winter newsletter. In this edition, we’ll update you on what’s been happening — like highlights from a recent Basin-wide Town Hall, the latest on the rate study, the results of a five-year review of our groundwater sustainability plan and other efforts to keep our Basin healthy.
We want this newsletter to be a resource for you, so if you have questions or topics you’d like us to dig into, just let us know by sending us a quick email to info@epcwd.org and admin@ssjwd.org. Your input is critical, and we’d love to hear from you. Whether it’s attending meetings or sharing your thoughts with our board, your voice really matters.
Thank you for your commitment and participation in this process. Together, we can make a lasting impact to protect this Basin.
In friendship,
Matt Turrentine, Director, SSJ Water District
Hilary Graves, Vice President, EPC Water District
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Paso Basin Cooperative Committee Selects Five-Year Budget Scenario for Rate Study
At a Jan. 22 meeting, the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee directed SCI Consulting to move forward with completing a Basin-wide rate study with Budget Scenario 3A – an average annual budget of $4.3 million over the next five years – as the preferred rate structure.
The goal is to establish cost-based, equitable and proportional fees for groundwater users in the Basin necessary to support the implementation of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) in compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
Key points to know about the rate study:
- SGMA mandates that local agencies develop and implement a GSP, but the state provides no ongoing funding for the activities necessary to achieve sustainability. As a result, local landowners and groundwater users must bear these costs.
- The Rate Study process is complex and includes developing a five-year operating budget, identifying the various types of groundwater uses and classes (e.g. agriculture, commercial, rural domestic, water systems), estimating extraction volumes, determining a method of allocating expenses and designing the groundwater fee structure. The rate study essentially establishes the maximum rate that could be charged under Proposition 218.
- As part of the process, the PBCC evaluated five different budget options and associated rate structures, ranging from $3 million to $12 million per year.
The $4.3 million annual budget scenario for the rate study covers critical SGMA operating expenses such as:
- Ongoing SGMA compliance and annual reporting, administrative and hydrogeological services
- The continued expansion of the Basin well monitoring network
- Programs related to groundwater recharge, domestic well monitoring, land fallowing, water conservation and irrigation efficiency programs
The budget scenario does not include funding for supplemental water projects.
SCI Consulting will continue to refine the rate study and present it at the PBCC’s March meeting. Our Water Districts will share more details about the Proposition 218 process and implications in our Spring newsletter.
Learn more
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More than 200 people participated in a Paso Basin Town Hall event on Dec. 16 at the Paso Robles Culinary Arts Academy. The event began with a brief history of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act presented by Blaine Reely, San Luis Obispo County’s groundwater sustainability director. Attendees then visited eight breakout stations covering key topics, including:
- Rates to Fund Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Implementation
- Governance Structure
- GSP 5-Year Periodic Evaluation
- Land Repurposing MILR Program
- Expanded Groundwater Monitoring Network
- Ag Pumping Estimate Project
- Supplemental Water Supply Projects
- Dry Well Reporting
A big thank you to the County and all our local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies for supporting this Town Hall event. The EPC and SSJ Water Districts look forward to future regional meetings and continued public outreach to engage the community about the Basin.
Learn more
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Basin GSAs Work to Formalize Committee as JPA
The Paso Basin Cooperative Committee and its member Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) are in the process of transitioning to a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) to replace its current Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
The transition to a JPA is a significant upgrade over an MOA. While collaboration will continue as it has in the past, the JPA will provide a more formal, permanent governance structure. This new entity will have the authority to collect fees, implement projects and enable all GSAs to participate and collaborate in a more efficient and dynamic way, ultimately improving its effectiveness.
Each individual GSA will need to vote separately to approve the JPA agreement. There are currently two likely final JPA agreements, which have been approved by the San Luis Obispo County GSA, and which the SSJ and EPC Water Districts expect to approve in the near future.
Learn More
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There has been a significant change in this hoped-for additional water resource for the Paso Basin. While the Paso Basin Blended Water Supply Feasibility Study comment period was set to close on Feb. 7, it now appears that the use of blended water consisting of Nacimiento and recycled water will not be available for agricultural irrigation for the foreseeable future.
Apparently, the presence of PFAS (a group of man-made chemicals used in everything from non-stick pans and stain resistant fabric to firefighting foam) in treated waste water creates a risk of soil contamination if applied to agricultural land. The EPC and SSJ Water Districts will continue to seek alternative water sources, including the possibility of using Nacimiento water that is surplus to the current needs of the entities that have contractual rights to that resource.
Learn More
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Five-Year Review of the Paso Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan
The California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires the periodic evaluation of approved Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) at least every five years. This written review assesses the progress of a basin GSP and ensures adaptive management to meet long-term groundwater goals.
The Paso Basin GSAs recently completed its five-year review of the Paso Basin GSP. The final evaluation was submitted to the California Department of Water Resources on Jan. 30 following a 30-day public comment period that closed in December 2024. Thank you to all who contributed!
Key Five-Year Review Takeaways:
- Over the past five years, groundwater monitoring data revealed rising water levels due to above-average precipitation, with no significant changes in subsidence or water quality conditions linked to groundwater management.
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Significant strides have been made in data collection, policy changes, and governance, with water level declines in most representative monitoring sites reversed, indicating notable progress toward sustainability. See this Summary Table.
- The GSAs believe it is premature to revise or amend the existing GSP at this time. Several key activities, such as the installation of more monitoring wells and initiation of GSP projects and programs, are still in progress.
Progress Toward Sustainability
The GSAs have made significant progress in establishing the knowledge and governance we need to achieve sustainability by 2040. Groundwater data indicates that the Basin is on a positive trajectory.
Read more about the five-year evaluation here.
What is SGMA and the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee?
Purpose
The purpose of the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee (PBCC), formed in 2017, is to collectively develop and implement one Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the entire Paso Robles Groundwater Basin. Through the PBCC, five local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) work together to protect groundwater as a vital resource and comply with the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
GSA Members
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SSJ Water District
January 22, 2025, Regular Meeting:
- Approved a proposed JPA agreement for the PBCC. A subsequent version has been released and will be considered at the February Board meeting.
Dec. 11, 2024, Joint SSJ/EPC Meeting:
- Discussed the MILR Program questionnaire. Comments focused on a potential fallowing program and the need to amend the County’s Offset Ordinance to preserve pumping rights.
- The Rate Study outlined five budget scenarios ($1.7–$12 million annually) and primarily looks at extraction fees for funding. Board feedback included consideration of a hybrid funding model using both extraction and per-acre fees.
- Discussions on the potential JPA agreement for the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee (PBCC).
November 20, 2024, Regular Meeting:
- Reviewed GSP 5-Year Periodic Evaluation and encouraged stakeholders to review and comment before the Dec. 20 deadline.
- Discussed PBCC’s upcoming Town Hall focused on outreach for GSP implementation and Basin management.
- The State Water Resources Control Board has not provided comments on the revised applications for supplemental water submitted in July 2024. SSJ will continue local outreach efforts on the projects.
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EPC Water District
Jan. 8, 2025, Regular Meeting:
- Approved a letter recommending the MILR program prioritize developing a fallowing program as a quick way to reduce extractions.
- Discussed JPA governance negotiations for the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee (PBCC).
- Noted San Miguel CSD's withdrawal from the recycled water project.
Nov. 14, 2024, Regular Meeting:
- Appointed Hilary Graves as District representative and Ryan Scott as alternate to the PBCC.
- Received updates on EPCWD’s Real-Time Groundwater Monitoring Network, now operating in six wells with plans to expand to six more.
Oct. 28, 2024, Special Meeting:
- Around 36 attendees participated in a discussion on the Rate Study, focusing on funding options and project prioritization. Key comments supported “Keep the Lights On” funding first, with projects developed later, and debated extraction-based vs. per-acre fees for stable funding.
Oct. 9, 2024, Regular Meeting:
- Received an update on groundwater monitoring. The approximately 33-well network has collected four years of data.
- Discussed Land IQ as a potential sustainability option.
- Examined the initial results of the Rate Study and determined that a special meeting in late October to collect member feedback would be appropriate.
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