Board of Supervisors approves Well Ordinance update

The Board of Supervisors today voted to approve amendments to the county’s Well Ordinance, creating a new regulatory process for approving well permits.

Under the amendments, before a well permit may be approved, potential adverse impacts on public trust resources in navigable waterways, such as the Russian River, will now be analyzed and mitigated to the extent feasible. The amendments were created to reflect the county’s responsibilities under California’s public trust doctrine regarding natural resources such as waterways.

A current moratorium on new, non-emergency well permits, which the board established in October 2022 to allow staff time to update the ordinance, will now expire in 30 days on May 18.

The board also directed Permit Sonoma to return in with a funding and implementation plan for development of a longer-term program to enhance how the county fulfills its public trust duty, including completing comprehensive studies, identifying needed funding and staffing resources.

The amended ordinance defines an area referred to as the Public Trust Review Area where groundwater pumping has potential to impact natural resources, such as endangered Coho salmon. Within this area, unless exempt, well applications will undergo review to determine impacts to public trust resources and issued permits will be conditional based on the need to mitigate any impacts. Visit the Well Ordinance Update - Online Viewer to see the proposed Public Trust Review Area.

The amended ordinance also requires water conservation measures for all new wells, regardless of their location, and heightened water conservation measures for wells permitted within the public trust review area. Basic conservation measures would include requiring efficient faucets and showerheads, water efficient landscaping, disconnecting rainwater downspouts from storm drain or creek connections and other measures.

The amended ordinance also includes requirements for well meter installation and water use reporting for new wells. However, residential wells that draw 2 acre-feet or less per year, or roughly 650,000 gallons, are exempt from monitoring.

Wells requiring monitoring would need to have a meter installed and to annually report monthly well meter records. Property owners with new wells using more than 5 acre-feet per year, or roughly 1.6 million gallons, would also need to report water level measurements annually and how their water conservation plan has been implemented.

For more information about the well ordinance and changes implemented today visit the well ordinance update webpage.

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Media Contact: 
Stuart Tiffen, Communications Specialist  
stuart.tiffen@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-1860
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403