Governor’s office outlines ‘closers’ agenda: drinking water compliance, Bay-Delta plan and groundwater recharge

Deputy cabinet and CalEPA officials with the governor's office told the State Water Resources Control Board annual convening they are prioritizing a short list of attainable goals through the end of the administration, emphasizing measurable outcomes and regulatory streamlining.

Bianca Sievers, deputy cabinet secretary handling water issues, said the governor’s office has adopted objectives-and-key-results planning to focus effort toward the end of the administration in 2026. Key numerical targets include delivering safe drinking water to roughly 1,100,000 more Californians and returning specific numbers of community and school systems in long‑term violation back into compliance on a staged schedule through 2025–2026.

Sievers said the Bay-Delta Plan update and the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program are top priorities and the governor is “leaning in” to move them forward. She also identified groundwater recharge and possible streamlining to accelerate temporary recharge permits as a focus, noting the administration is exploring ways to expedite permit processes for storm‑event recharge opportunities.

Officials highlighted the Delta Conveyance Project and Sites Reservoir as major climate‑adaptation infrastructure that the governor supports; Sites, if built, is expected to provide large‑scale off‑stream storage capacity. Staff noted SB 149 changes to CEQA court procedures and other permitting streamlining measures intended to reduce litigation delays for climate‑resilient infrastructure.

Megan Mickleberg from the appointments office explained reappointment checks and emphasized the governor’s staffing processes; she noted that appointees can continue serving for about 60 days after the listed expiration date while reappointments are finalized. Deputy Secretary Anna Neymark framed the regional board members as critical proxies for the governor’s priorities, thanked members for wildfire and HAB responses and described interagency work on wildfire emergency proclamations and secretarial suspension authority to expedite fuels‑reduction projects.

Officials said the administration is tracking the Bay‑Delta Plan schedule closely and urged board members to sustain momentum to advance major items and “get as much done as possible” before the end of the administration. They also noted the administration’s attention to budget, including tracks related to the November climate bond (Prop 4) and related infrastructure funding that will be allocated through the Division of Financial Assistance.