Division sets EAR release and technical reporting order dates; brown-bag and WBKey webinars planned

State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water staff announced the schedule for the 2026 Electronic Annual Report and related training at an input forum and said a technical reporting order and support sessions will be posted before EAR opens.

The technical reporting order — the agency document that sets EAR reporting requirements — is scheduled for release on 01/01/2026, according to staff. The EAR portal is expected to open on 02/01/2026, and staff said the submission deadline will be 60 days after the EAR opens.

To help reporters, the Division plans brown-bag training sessions during February and March, scheduled on Tuesdays through Thursdays as requested in a post-forum survey. Staff said sessions will run about an hour to 90 minutes and will cover navigation, data-entry demos for sections and troubleshooting.

Staff also said an EAR reporter Excel worksheet (a question template) will be posted no later than early January to let water systems review questions before entering them in the portal. WBKey webinars focused on registration and account management will be scheduled in January to help users create and associate WBKey accounts before EAR opens.

Survey results shared at the forum showed broad interest in the trainings: in a follow-up survey of 31 respondents, 58% said they planned to attend brown-bag sessions and 91% asked for a full demo of all sections. Staff said they will use those responses to plan session topics and timing.

The Division urged reporters to subscribe to GovDelivery notices for EAR and related topics to receive event notices and posted materials.