Governor’s office sets measurable water goals, urges expedited permitting and groundwater recharge

The governor’s office and CalEPA told the State Water Resources Control Board’s Water Quality Coordinating Committee that the administration is using objectives and key results (OKRs) to focus the final years of the term on measurable water outcomes.

Deputy cabinet secretary Bianca Sievers (governor’s office) outlined targets intended to guide the administration’s work through 2026, including numeric goals for returning failing community and school drinking water systems to compliance and broader counts for systems coming into compliance with federal and state standards. She emphasized climate adaptation projects — including the Bay‑Delta Plan update, the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program, the Delta Conveyance Project and Sites Reservoir — and said the governor is working to remove permitting and litigation barriers where legally possible.

Why it matters: The governor’s office said it wants “shovel‑ready” projects that will increase climate resilience for water supplies, tackle failing drinking water systems and accelerate groundwater recharge where appropriate. The administration’s level of engagement heightens political attention and could accelerate policy and permitting timelines.

Key points and targets: Sievers described an internal accountability framework that identifies near‑term, measurable outputs for the administration. Among the figures she cited: a goal to return 42 community and school water systems to compliance in 2025 and an additional 40 in 2026; a mid‑range target that translates to bringing roughly two‑thirds of the state’s failing water systems into compliance; and a focus on expanding groundwater recharge by streamlining temporary recharge permitting where advisable.

Project priorities: The governor’s office highlighted the Bay‑Delta Plan update and support for the Delta Conveyance Project as major climate‑adaptation priorities. Officials also described Sites Reservoir (quoted capacity of about 1,500,000 acre‑feet in the panel) as an important structural storage project and cited recently enacted measures for judicial streamlining under CEQA (the panel referenced SB 149) intended to reduce litigation delays.

CalEPA and appointments: Megan Mekelberg (deputy appointments secretary) emphasized the mechanics of reappointments and encouraged regional boards to share candidate names and diversity‑focused recommendations; she said the appointments office is tracking reappointments and would help ensure continuity. Anna Neymarck, deputy secretary and special counsel for water policy at CalEPA, thanked regional leaders for wildfire and HAB response work, described secretarial powers to grant regulatory suspensions under an emergency proclamation for wildfire fuel projects, and stressed coordination across state response and recovery programs.

Where policy and permitting interact: Officials said they are examining opportunities to expedite temporary groundwater‑recharge permits and to align water rights and permitting processes to permit more rapid responses to storm events and water capture. They said the administration is trying to balance process reduction with appropriate scientific and environmental safeguards.

Ending: Committee members heard that the administration expects to press its agenda in the near term toward measurable outcomes on safe drinking water, Bay‑Delta management and climate adaptation. Staff and board members were urged to continue close cross‑agency coordination to deliver projects before the administration’s term ends.