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Madera County GSA committee recommends MOU with Valley Water Collaborative for domestic-well testing and replacement water
Summary
The committee voted 2–0 to recommend that the Madera County GSA board enter into an MOU with Valley Water Collaborative to coordinate domestic-well water quality testing and replacement water in the Delta Mendota Subbasin and to avoid duplication of effort while sharing data and planning future funding agreements.
Justine DeGavrall, a water resource specialist with Madera County GSA, presented a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Valley Water Collaborative, a nonprofit, and the 23 GSAs in the Delta Mendota Subbasin to coordinate domestic well water‑quality testing and replacement water supplies. The MOU is intended to avoid duplication, share data, strengthen the Delta Mendota domestic well mitigation policy and lay the groundwork for future funding agreements.
DeGavrall said the 23 GSAs adopted a single subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan in 2024; that plan includes a domestic well mitigation policy currently under review by the State Water Resources Control Board. She said the county GSA’s Delta Mendota area has no domestic wells located on lands covered by the Madera County GSA Delta Mendota and currently has no funding sources available through the county GSA for well mitigation.
DeGavrall explained the Valley Water Collaborative administers programs that provide nitrate and other contaminant testing and, where contaminant levels exceed state maximum contaminant levels, can provide replacement water deliveries. The MOU includes terms to develop future agreements with Valley Water Collaborative regarding funding for domestic well testing and replacement water, and to coordinate implementation of management zone plans.
Public commenter Ralph Pistoresi urged careful development of mitigation programs and involvement of funders in administration and qualification decisions. "Mitigation is just a movement in the direction of sustainability," Pistoresi said, and urged loan‑style approaches, local participation in administration and low administrative overhead.
After questions about whether the county was the last of the 23 GSAs to sign on, committee members moved and seconded to recommend that the board enter into the MOU. Director McCauley and Director Gonzales both voted yes; the motion passed 2–0. The committee’s recommendation will go to the Madera County GSA board for final action.
