Water Quality and Supply Issues Monthly Update-May 2022
May 2nd marked the deadline for written comments on the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWB) final draft of the Construction General Permit (CGP) for stormwater. Released on March 30 for stakeholder and public comment, this permit directly impacts CICWQ’s member companies and workforce building projects in California.
The CGP is administered by the SWB in Sacramento and enforced regionally by one of nine California Regional Water Quality Control Boards.
Many thanks to the thousands of you who have accessed our digital connection to comment on the final draft CGP and to view information and updates on our website and industry news blog. We appreciate your interest and engagement with us!
As we have pointed out before, the final draft CGP contains many new proposed actions and job site monitoring and reporting activities that will increase the compliance burden and cost to comply.
Most concerning, the draft CGP contains numeric effluent limits, which if exceeded cause a permit violation triggering enforcement by the State, and exposure to 3rd party citizen lawsuits. Unless the SWB accepts our comments and recommendations, the construction industry can expect many lawsuits.
Access the very latest information on the final draft CCP and read the construction industry’s detailed comment letter in our updated industry news blog Construction General Permit – Final Draft Updates.
And, learn more about the development of the CGP over the past two years by visiting the CICWQ industry news blog on the California Construction General Permit.
WATER ISSUES WORTH YOUR TIME IN MAY
1) Renewal of the State of California Construction General Permit for Stormwater
The State of California Water Resources Control Board released a final revised Draft construction general permit (CGP) on March 30, 2022. The CGP still includes Numeric Effluent Limits for pollutants in construction site runoff in some areas in California, which is a major concern of the construction industry. Technologies don’t exist to meet permit conditions, and if a NEL is exceeded, it triggers an enforcement action and potential 3rd party litigation. CICWQ and our construction industry partners just submitted a detailed comment letter to the SWB on May 2nd.
2) Pacific Institute Releases Report on Urban Water Conservation
Read about "The Untapped Potential of California’s Urban Water Supply: Water Efficiency, Water Reuse, and Stormwater Capture", just published by the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California.
While California has made strides in implementing water efficiency, water reuse, and stormwater capture strategies, this study quantifies the opportunity to greatly expand these efforts. It finds that California could reduce urban water use by 30%-48% through investments in water efficiency measures.
3) California Snowpack and Record Low
April 2022 marked a low point for California’s Sierra Nevada mountain snowpack, with record low levels measured by the California Department of Water Resources. Check out the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s General Manager’s statement on the record low California Snowpack.
