Water Quality and Supply Issues Monthly Update-MAY 2024
Hello to everyone working in the California construction industry, welcome to the May 2024 water supply and water quality issue update from the Construction Industry Coalition on Water Quality. May finds us focusing once again on our state’s effort to create a reliable and sustainable water supply for all Californians by creating a modern public works project construction and delivery roadmap, which helps guide us to a more water secure future.
Following up on the April 2024 release of the California Water Plan Update 2023, the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) has published and is taking comments on a series of draft resource management strategies to support the Plan Update. Notable for our readership are specific recommendations to capture more urban stormwater runoff (Good!). Read more below about the Plan Update and Draft Management Strategies and also check out the new positive DWR water supply allocation for the State Water Contractors.
Finally, we want to continue to keep you up to date on a new regional storm water runoff collection permit proposed for the Santa Ana region, in southern California. The Santa Ana regional board has released a Draft of a regional municipal permit for stormwater runoff within the Santa Ana River watershed, located in the Inland Empire of southern California. The watershed is home to one of California’s largest urban groundwater storage basins used for drinking water supply and a world-renown, multi-agency supported, recycled water treatment and aquifer storage and recovery system. The proposed permit is an integral part of ensuring the quality and sustainability of the region’s water supply.
MAY NEWSWORTHY ITEMS
California Department of Water Resources - Urban Stormwater Runoff Capture and Management Strategy
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is accepting public comments on a series of draft resource management strategies that have been developed in support of California Water Plan Update 2023. The Plan Update was released to the public in final version in early April 2024.
DWR has updated eleven strategies, including urban stormwater runoff capture and management, flood management, and watershed management the support the Plan Update. The strategy published by DWR for Urban Stormwater Runoff Capture and Management is notable, providing 12 recommendations to attempt to increase the pace of project construction. CICWQ has long supported construction of regional, multi-benefit stormwater capture projects in urban areas wherever feasible.
For interested stakeholders, a reviewer’s guide, with instructions on submitting comments, is available in the draft Introduction to the Resource Management Strategies for California Water Plan Update 2023. Comments can be submitted by using an online comment form or via email. The comment period runs through Friday, May 31.
California Department of Water Resources – State Water Project Contractor Allocation Increases to 40%
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced that public water agencies are now expected to receive 40% of contracted water supplies from the State Water Project this year. The increase, up from 30% in March 2024, comes on the heels of DWR’s April 1 snow survey, which recorded a statewide snowpack at 110% of the average — a significant improvement compared to 28% of the average in January of this year.
Proposed Santa Ana River Watershed Regional MS4 Permit - Released for Public Review and Comment and Additional Workshop Scheduled
The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board released a draft tentative permit for regulating discharges of pollutants in stormwater and urban runoff from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties on a regionwide basis. The permit is the first of its kind in the Santa Ana region, where previously each county maintained individual, county-wide permits.
The new regional permit structure proposes mandatory preparation of watershed management plans by each of the three-county permittee groups, with specific requirements common to all counties. Several new changes are also proposed for the Planning and Land Development section of the permit, which impacts the building and construction industry tasked with design and installation of post-construction stormwater runoff controls.
A Board workshop is scheduled for Thursday June 6, 2024, where the Board members will receive an updated presentation from the Board staff and receive additional input from interested stakeholders. The public comment period deadline for the draft regional MS4 permit is July 3, 2024.
39th Annual Tri-State Seminar – August 5-8, 2024 – Las Vegas, Nevada
Hosted by AZ Water Association, California Water Environment Association, and Nevada Water Environment Association, the 2024 Tri-State Seminar brings together the best in people and products for the water, wastewater, and storm water management professions.
This year CICWQ--represented by Mark Grey, Robert Patterson and Russ Foster—will be presenting an hour-long review of the new California Construction General permit (CGP) for stormwater and its first year of full implementation. The presentation includes updates on important new compliance requirements and a review of state enforcement actions.
And, there is so much more at the four days of Tri-State Seminar activities, including comprehensive ½-day workshops on an array of public works topics and availability each day for accumulating Continuing Education Units (CEU) by attending classes and presentations. Many of our readers must keep up with CEUs for professional certifications, including construction stormwater professionals working under the CGP.
