On-Demand Webinar | Taking the Plunge: Lessons Learned from Water System Consolidations
On-Demand Webinar | Flood or Drought? A Discussion of the Election’s Potential Legislative Impacts on the Water Sector
The 2024 legislative session ended on August 31, meaning the legislature passed all bills for this year. All of the bills are currently with Governor Newsom. He has until September 30 to sign or veto any bills. Any bills not...more
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order, calling on state agencies to create a comprehensive Water Resilience Portfolio, has set goals for recycling at least 800,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2030 and...more
Water Agencies Beware Before Proceeding with Forced Municipalization - California’s state water system serves roughly 40 million people and irrigates nearly 10 million acres of farmland. The 2023 water year was ranked as...more
Introduction - On March 15, 2024, the Sacramento County Superior Court found that the State Water Board’s substitute environmental document did not violate the Porter-Cologne Act, the California Environmental Quality Act...more
On March 12, 2024, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) announced updates to the “Make Conservation a California Way of Life” framework that is based on SB 606 and AB 1668 from 2018. The changes seek to...more
On January 4, 2024, the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) issued its statutorily-mandated report – “Assessing Early Implementation of Urban Water Use Efficiency Requirements” – analyzing the implementation of the “Make...more
Water recycling is a high priority for California—a critical water supply in a state still burdened by massive drought—but the considerations a city or water agency must contend with in navigating decisions on water supply...more
Facing an onslaught of criticism that water was “wasted” during January storms, Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday issued an executive order authorizing the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to “consider modifying”...more
As severe drought conditions continue across the western U.S., Allen Matkins will begin publishing a quarterly newsletter focused on recent legal, regulatory, and policy issues impacting water users and suppliers in...more
On March 21, 2022, the State Water Resources Control Board (“State Water Board” or “Board”) issued a letter to approximately 20,000 water rights holders warning them curtailment orders are imminent due to continued drought...more
California adopts emergency water conservation regulations Bullet Los Angeles Times - May 24 The State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday voted to adopt emergency drought rules that increase conservation requirements...more
On March 28, 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-7-22, escalating prior water conservation efforts as the majority of California remains under “extreme drought” conditions. The executive order has significant...more
The State Water Resources Control Board (“Water Board”) is now receiving public comments on certain components of its revised proposed statewide National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) Construction...more
On March 29, 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines the terms for an 8-year program that would provide additional flows to and create habitat in the Sacramento-San...more
Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the budget trailer bill, Senate Bill (SB) 155 into law. The bill modifies the deadline and reporting period for surface water diversion reports submitted annually to the State...more
EPA to propose first-ever PFAS discharge limits - The Hill – September 8 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Wednesday that it will propose a rule to set the first-ever limits on the...more
The State Water Resources Control Board (“State Water Board”) issued emergency regulations on August 3, 2021, authorizing Board staff to curtail diversions and require informational reporting from water users in the...more
On June 10, 2021, the State Water Resources Control Board (“Water Board”) issued a Revised Public Notice that changed certain dates noted in our June 2, 2021 blog post. The Water Board’s public hearing to receive public...more
San Francisco sues state to retain access to vital water supply - Courthouse News Service – May 14 - The city of San Francisco sued the State Water Resources Control Board in Tuolumne County Superior Court last Friday...more
Last week, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) officially released an order (the Order) to investigate and sample for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at over 160 bulk fuel storage...more
2021 Land Use, Environmental & Natural Resources Update - Allen Matkins – March 25 - With the end of the first quarter of 2021 approaching, we thought it timely to issue an update on selected recent developments and...more
With a wide patchwork of water systems servicing residents across California, there have been ongoing efforts by the Legislature to encourage the consolidation of smaller water systems to take advantage of scale economies and...more
There has been no shortage of recent regulatory developments concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in California, which are especially relevant to drinking water systems and the consumer product community. ...more
President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump could mean big changes for federal treatment of issues affecting water service providers, as well as how such issues are addressed in California, where Governor Newsom...more