Mariposa water board presses drought consultant to address private wells, outreach and local hot spots

At a meeting of the Mariposa County Water Agency Advisory Board, members pressed county staff about how the consultant’s SB 552 drought‑resiliency work plan will treat private wells, public outreach and several locally at‑risk communities, and scheduled a special meeting so the consultant can present directly.

The board sought clarity after staff summarized material the consultant prepared. Sam Cerini, public works project lead, said the draft approach follows other counties’ templates — for example Santa Cruz County’s SB 552 work plan — and will map developed parcels not served by water systems and “assume that it is a source as a private well.” Cerini said, “That is not in the plan and not a requirement,” in reference to placing meters on private wells.

The distinction matters because several board members said they worry the draft will miss on‑the‑ground conditions. Michael Martin, a member at large, asked whether the consultant intends to rely solely on Department of Water…