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Del Norte County adopts SB 552 drought resilience plan, directs staff to seek funding
Summary
The board adopted a county Drought Resilience Plan required by Senate Bill 552 covering domestic wells and small state systems, directed staff to pursue funding and to convene a task force for annual monitoring and consolidation planning.
Del Norte County’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt a Drought Resilience Plan prepared under Senate Bill 552 and directed staff to pursue funding and implementation steps.
Environmental Health staff presented the plan, which focuses on state small water systems (those with up to 15 service connections) and domestic wells (individual wells or up to four service connections). The presentation noted the county’s inventory shows a little over 1,100 domestic wells based on State Water Board well-completion reports and identified drivers of vulnerability including fractured rock areas, wildfire risk, power outages and water-quality issues. As the presenter summarized: "So senate, bill, 5 5 2 initiated the drought resilience plan requirement, which aims to improve California's long term drought resilience, protect vulnerable rural communities and drinking water supplies." (Environmental Health staff).
Board members pressed staff on implementation and ongoing monitoring costs and whether the county would rely on existing staff time. Heidi (county staff) said the plan will be implemented primarily with existing staff time unless outside funding is found and that staff are tracking monthly Department of Water Resources funding webinars for opportunities. Supervisor Howard urged attention to consolidation options for scattered small community systems and to budgeting for ongoing monitoring and interagency collaboration. Supervisor Starkey moved to adopt the plan and direct staff to pursue funding; the motion was seconded and approved by the full board.
The plan sets short-term response actions (emergency drinking-water supplies and contracts to provide portable water) and long-term mitigation strategies (outreach, groundwater monitoring, well rehabilitation, consolidation with larger water districts where feasible), assigns primary responsibility to Community Development Department/Environmental Health, and calls for task-force meetings at least annually. Staff said the full plan (about 84 pages) is available on the county website under Environmental Health.
