Commission asks staff whether water‑distribution or bottling sites trigger rezoning, use permits and CEQA review

Early in the workshop commissioners raised a hypothetical involving a private parcel owner who wanted to establish a water‑distribution facility (bottling and distributing water) and asked what zoning, land‑use approvals and environmental review would apply.

Staff responded that if the activity is outside the parcel’s existing zoning allowance, the property owner would need a rezoning or a conditional-use permit; the county would need to evaluate the project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to issue a use permit. Commissioners asked whether CEQA review would require notice to the state clearinghouse and whether the State Water Resources Control Board would review or assess water for distribution; staff said they would need to check and return with a definitive answer on the state water board review question.

The discussion noted existing legal avenues for enforcement if an operator is distributing water in violation of zoning, including referral to the district attorney in some cases; staff also said rezoning or CUP processes are tools the county can use to compel compliance. The commission did not take formal action; staff will research whether state water-board review applies to a county-level CEQA process for a bottled-water distribution operation and will return with clarification.