HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.18.22 For Immediate Release_ Temporary Pause on Non-Drinking Water Well Permits in Butte County, Prompted by New California Water Conservation Order
From:Almaguer, Lisa
To:BOS; Cox, Erin; McSpadden, Elaine; Nicholas, Jodi; Putnam, Jodi; Soderstrom, Monica; Star, Nanette
Subject:For Immediate Release: Temporary Pause on Non-Drinking Water Well Permits in Butte County, Prompted by
New California Water Conservation Order
Date:Monday, April 18, 2022 1:33:33 PM
The following press release will be issued shortly…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2022
Temporary Pause on Non-Drinking Water Well Permits in Butte County,
Prompted by New California Water Conservation Order
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. – On April 12, 2021, Governor Newsom issued California Executive Order
N-7-22, directing cities and counties to implement new water conservation measures. Butte County
Public Health’s (BCPH) Environmental Health Division, along with other County departments and
Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA), are reviewing this order to establish new permitting
wells that are not to be used for drinking water.
This executive order was prompted by the Governor following the driest three months in what is
typically California’s rainy season. Nearly all of California, including Butte County, is under severe or
extreme drought conditions. Both the Sierra snowpack and reservoir levels are approaching new
lows.
Prior to issuing new permits, Environmental Health must ensure the following:
Cannot approve a permit for a groundwater well or an alteration of an existing well without
obtaining written verification from the GSA.
This does NOT apply to small diameter, residential drinking water wells.
Determine that groundwater extraction is not likely to harm existing nearby wells and
infrastructure.
Determine groundwater pumping is not likely to cause land subsidence (i.e., gradual settling
or decline in earth’s surface) that would adversely impact or damage nearby infrastructure.
No permanent (inelastic) land subsidence has been recorded in Butte County to date.
To comply with the Executive Order, BCPH’s Environmental Health Division is temporarily not
accepting well permit applications for any non-drinking water well while these processes are
established.
Important links:
California Executive Order N-7-22 (tinyurl.com/2yeyueus)
Butte County Public Health, Division of Environmental Health
(www.buttecounty.net/ph/Environmental-Health)
Butte County Water and Resource Conservation
(www.buttecounty.net/waterresourceconservation)
Department of Water Resources (https://water.ca.gov/)
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Lisa Almaguer
Communications Manager / PIO
BUTTE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH
202 Mira Loma Drive | Oroville, CA 95965
T: 530.552.4000 | D: 530.552.4041
“Nationally Accredited, 09/13/17”
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