Penalties for well and meter registration were waived until after Aug 31, 2026 (March 31 due date unchanged; staff asked for forms by July 31). Billing will use estimated pumping through Aug 31, then switch to AMI data starting Sept 1. Preliminary FY2027 budget assuming $120/AF was information-only; final/Prop 218 on Apr 8, 2026.
Board approved a $50,000 purchase order for well metering endpoints and authorized staff to develop administrative interpretations of technical requirements, with formal policy revisions planned for the March 11 meeting. Only 16 of approximately 250 wells have submitted registration paperwork ahead of March 31 deadline, prompting a March 12 assistance open house. Board also asked for a future agenda item to discuss testing requirements for agricultural well backflow prevention devices.
The March 31st deadline for agricultural well registration and meter installation is approaching, with non-compliant growers facing maximum rate charges. Groundwater levels are recovering well from recent rainfall, with most monitoring wells showing seasonal peaks at or above previous years. Lake Cachuma spilled following December storms, allowing the district to exclusively use spill water and keep groundwater wells offline for basin recovery.
GSA’s FY 2024-25 audit identified a challenge in assessment revenue recognition from a prior year, but the agency still received an unmodified opinion and ended with net position of about $868,000. The auditor confirmed GSA should be reported as a blended component unit of the water district. A grower raised transparency concerns, asking for clearer separation of private pumper and district finances.
District is pushing for agricultural well meter installations by March 2026 with minimal farmer response, prompting approval of a $9,000 consultant to boost outreach efforts. Unmetered wells will face significantly higher penalty fees based on conservative usage estimates to incentivize compliance. Board also reviewed agreements for a major $55+ million advanced water purification facility that will require specialized staffing and provide critical water supply reliability for the valley.
