Central Valley Salts update: regional boards, management zones and NGOs outline drinking-water, salt and nitrate next steps

Central Valley regulators, management-zone representatives and environmental justice groups gave a joint update on Oct. 21 on the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV‑SALTS) program, the basin‑scale effort to manage salt and nitrate in groundwater and protect drinking water.

The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Valley Water Board) said the salt-control program is in Phase 1, supporting a prioritization and optimization (P&O) study to identify where salt‑management projects will be required; staff and the Central Valley Salinity Coalition presented early results from two archetype areas. For nitrates, the board and management zones reviewed implementation of early-action drinking-water programs, monitoring and deadlines for management zone implementation plans (MZIPs).

Why it matters: Salt and nitrate accumulation in Central Valley groundwater threaten drinking water, crop viability and ecosystem health. The CV‑SALTS Basin Plan Amendment (adopted by the Central Valley board in 2018 and partially approved by the State Water Board in 2019) created an implementation framework that now moves from planning and enrollment into targeted monitoring, pilot projects and permit-level actions.

Salt-control work: P&O study, archetypes and next steps Rachel Gray of the Central Valley Salinity Coalition said the P&O study is in year four. The study uses watershed and groundwater tools to define salinity planning targets for “applied water quality” — the blended water used for irrigation and drinking in local systems — and to identify areas likely to exceed those targets under future conditions.

Gray presented preliminary, local-area “archetype” analyses in the Delta Mendota and the western Kings subbasins. The results show spatially varied outcomes: some districts are projected to meet salinity targets under multiple scenarios while groundwater‑dependent areas could exceed targets in 50–100 years without new management actions. Gray said the coalition will finalize targets, refine tools (including a comparative analysis using the transient CUVHM2 model) and consider pilot studies for preferred projects. She emphasized that brine treatment and disposal technologies will be central to long‑term project design.

Nitrate-control work: Management zones, drinking-water programs and schedule Central Valley staff said that roughly 85% of active nitrate‑program permittees in priority 1 and 2 areas are participating in management zones, and about 14% of permittees required to comply are currently considered noncompliant. The regional board described a phased schedule: priority 1 areas completed MZIPs and early action plans earlier; priority 2 areas (Valley Water Collaborative, Kings Water Alliance, Kern Water Collaborative) began well testing and replacement‑water programs in 2024–25.

Several management zone representatives described local implementation: • Tess Dunham (Valley Water Collaborative) and Maureen Thompson (Valley Water Collaborative operations director) reported that priority‑2 onboarding (begun in February 2025) produced hundreds of applications and hundreds of wells tested, and that food-bank events, postcards and fill stations are being used for outreach. Valley Water Collaborative reported more than 400 wells sampled and nearly 180 households receiving bottled water in priority 2 basins since the February launch. • Deborah Dunn (Kings Water Alliance) described 1,300 well tests in the Kings/Tulare area and delivery of bottled water to more than 800 locations; Kings operates three public fill stations and has applied for SAFER grant funding to support bottled‑water and kiosk services. Kings’ Cutler/PUD outreach focuses on short‑term deliveries for vulnerable households while consolidation and long‑term infrastructure solutions are evaluated. • Charlotte Scholl (Kaweah Water Foundation) described targeted efforts in Lemon Cove and Yokel, where bottled water deliveries are in place and long‑term project design has advanced to 90% engineering plans for some sites.

Regulatory process, exceptions and monitoring Regional board staff said MZIPs serve as applications for a limited exception to meeting the nitrate water-quality objective; exceptions require board action and must include enforceable permit amendments and milestones. Staff said the Modesto MZIP will be the first to be brought forward for a regional‑board resolution and permit amendments, with a public‑hearing process expected in early 2026. Exceptions generally should be “as short as practicable” and are subject to five‑year reviews; the Basin Plan allows exceptions up to 35 years in narrow circumstances.

Staff also described the CV‑SALTS Surveillance and Monitoring Program (SAMP) and said the program will compile ambient groundwater trend analyses for total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity and nitrate. The SAMP work plan was approved by the board in 2023; staff said permit fees to support the SAMP will be collected beginning next year and a first groundwater assessment report is anticipated in 2031.

Enforcement and noncompliance Central Valley staff reported noncompliance in both programs. They said notices of violation have been issued to permittees that failed to enroll or to pay required fees, and that enforcement prioritization is underway. For the confined animal facilities program, NOVs were issued for both salt and nitrate noncompliance and follow‑up coordination with the Office of Enforcement is in process.

Community and NGO perspective Environmental justice and community groups including Community Water Center, Clean Water Action and local advocates participated in outreach and urged faster milestones and tighter interim metrics. Community speakers who addressed the board described illness, infant and prenatal risks associated with nitrate exposure and asked the state and regional boards to prioritize drinking‑water delivery and source accountability. NGOs asked the boards to require short, front‑loaded interim milestones so progress can be measured and corrected early in multi‑decade exception periods.

What’s next • The Regional Board will prepare a draft resolution and permit amendments for the Modesto MZIP as a first exception consideration in early 2026. • The coalition will finalize P&O study targets and may select pilot areas for further analysis and possible demonstrations. • Management zones will continue well testing, bottled‑water deliveries, kiosk deployment, and coordination with SAFER funding and local GSAs for potential recharge or other restoration projects.

Bottom line CV‑SALTS is moving from plan development to implementation: stakeholders reported hundreds of interim drinking-water actions (bottled water and fill stations) while regional staff advance exception and permitting steps meant to provide enforceable milestones for multi‑sector nitrate reductions and long‑term salt management.