Members of the State Water Resources Control Board's SAFER Advisory Group on Dec. 11 gathered in Salinas and by video to press for clearer, easier-to-navigate support for owners of private domestic wells.

Advisory-group discussion centered on three recurring problems: inconsistent application and eligibility rules across mitigation programs, language and information-access barriers, and the need to bring residents into planning and outreach. Multiple participants urged the State Water Board to catalog existing programs, identify models that work and publish standard eligibility and enrollment procedures so households know where and how to apply.

Panelists and community advocates described cases in which households qualified for interim assistance but were turned away because another mitigation program already existed in the subbasin. One participant said that paperwork and differing application formats can delay or block access to bottled water or well-repair assistance even when funds exist.

SAFER staff reiterated that interim assistance (for example bottled water) is typically expected to cover about two years but can be extended when a long-term solution or consolidation will take longer. Advisory members pushed for more consistent documentation and a single, searchable way for residents to find local assistance — for example an address-based lookup or an APN search tool that shows available programs and eligibility.

The group also emphasized outreach and trust-building: several TA providers recommended more in-person engagement, including door-to-door contact and regional “roadshow” events in affected communities, plus translated materials and simplified one-page intake forms. Participants said those steps help increase participation when consolidation or other long-term projects are proposed.

Next steps: SAFER staff said the input will be folded into future advisory meetings and into the domestic-well strategy under development; several presenters encouraged piloting a clearinghouse or address-search tool for local program discovery.

Ending: The advisory-session discussion closed with agreement to return these recommendations to staff for incorporation into subsequent SAFER materials and to continue community-based outreach during planned field visits and technical-assistance work.