UCLA reported that about 12% of assessed wastewater facilities and collection systems were at risk. Agricultural land use helped predict inadequacy among WDR facilities, but the association does not establish causation. Sacramento State outlined proposed modeled solutions while cost curves remain in development. Very preliminary costs may be available in January 2027; final cost and funding-gap results are planned for April.
On Oct. 29, the State Water Resources Control Board considered Bay-Delta Plan amendments and a final staff report. The proposed plan pairs a default 55% unimpaired-flow regulatory pathway, subject to adjustments, with a Healthy Rivers and Landscapes alternative. Water agencies raised supply concerns; tribal, fishing and environmental speakers opposed the alternative. Members sought language on tribal engagement, local solutions, science governance and Trinity River protections.
The State Water Resources Control Board considered Sacramento–Delta plan amendments with regulatory and voluntary flow-and-habitat pathways. Solano Irrigation District said applying proposed criteria to 25 years of data would have yielded zero Lake Berryessa allocation in one of five years, not an actual allocation change. Water users sought clarity on developing rights; tribal, environmental justice, and fishing speakers challenged the voluntary pathway. No final vote was taken.
The State Water Resources Control Board unanimously adopted a utility wildfire order effective October 20, 2027, and certified its programmatic environmental impact report. Staff will return with a proposed erosivity pathway and pesticide-reporting recommendations. Water Year 2026 tied for the warmest on record, with a potentially very strong El Niño ahead. Parts of the Scott River went dry; statewide performance target achievement improved in fiscal year 2025–26.
The State Water Resources Control Board adopted Proposition 4 stormwater grant guidelines, reviewed salinity risks in 25 Central Valley areas and 2025 recycled-water results, and workshopped a draft drinking-water fund plan. Staff projected a SAFER-wide funding gap exceeding $1 billion over three years. The draft proposes reserving $61.6 million for future project demand; no fund-plan vote was taken.
