Board reviewed its 5-year Groundwater Sustainability Plan update, which revises minimum thresholds based on actual domestic well depths and ecosystem needs rather than historical drought levels, resulting in an average 9-foot threshold adjustment across monitoring wells. The long-awaited Sacramento Regional Water Bank Project secured almost $700,000 in federal funding to complete environmental analysis without additional local costs.
The board approved a one-year $110,625 contract for AI predictive modeling technology to help prioritize pipeline repairs and reduce service disruptions. Staff discovered a significant billing error where AT&T was overcharged approximately $411,000 over four years due to incorrect meter readings. Critical infrastructure projects in the Butterball area face delays and increased costs due to county requirements for full street repaving when utilities make repairs.
The Board approved a major overhaul of the water banking system, reducing previously banked water credits to just 53% of historical amounts due to basin losses, while implementing a new Water Accounting System. Staff announced plans to update the Groundwater Sustainability Plan by early 2027, potentially revising groundwater level thresholds as some western areas have exceeded current limits. Agricultural water use accounts for two-thirds of the basin's 303,000 annual acre-feet of...
