Madera-area GSAs outline $35,000 cap for new domestic well mitigation program under SGMA

John Davids, a consultant for Davids Engineering, told the City Council that the new domestic well mitigation program—developed in coordination with Madera Irrigation District and Madera Water District—aims to mitigate impacts to household wells as groundwater levels change under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The program applies only to properties located inside the geographic boundaries of MID, the City of Madera, or Madera Water District, and the applicant must be the owner of record.

Davids said the program is designed as one-time mitigation: eligible applicants may receive funding to drill a new domestic well or to connect an existing property to a community water system where feasible. The maximum award is $35,000; applicants must use a pre-approved driller and pay a $100 nonrefundable application deposit. The program requires an initial well assessment, typically completed by a pre-approved driller within 45 days of application, and the landowner is responsible for inspection costs.

Davids described efforts to make the program durable, noting that connecting to a community water system is preferred where it is practical and cost-effective. He said the program is administered by Davids Engineering in coordination with Ludorf & Scalmanini and that the program documents—including the application, mitigation agreement and pre-approved driller agreements—are available in English and Spanish on the Madera Irrigation District website.

Council members pressed staff on local exposure. Keith (public works/engineering staff) and Davids said only a handful of dry-well reports have originated within the city in the past year and that most recent dry-well reports have come from county areas outside city limits. Davids estimated the initial well inspection cost to the property owner might be on the order of several hundred dollars and said the free market and competition among pre-approved drillers could hold inspection prices down. He also said Self-Help Enterprises, a state-funded nonprofit, might be able to help bridge cost gaps when project costs exceed the $35,000 cap.

Davids described project administration details: an RFQ produced seven submissions and four pre-approved drillers (Arsenal Well Services, CR Well Drilling, Bradley & Sons and Valley Well Drilling) were selected. Program rules reserve the GSAs’ right to terminate drillers for noncompliance; prevailing wage, insurance and reporting requirements are built into driller agreements. The program began implementation in early April and will hold standing inspection days the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Council members asked that staff be proactive in identifying at-risk wells and noted economies of scale when several adjacent wells require work.

Council members supported the program’s goals while asking staff to monitor costs and to pursue partnerships that could reduce the out-of-pocket burden for homeowners. Davids said the program is expected to be adaptive as the GSAs learn from early cases.

The council did not take a formal vote on program guidelines during the presentation; staff invited residents with potentially affected wells to contact the program administrators for application details and inspection schedules.