PRIORITY AREAS FOR ATTENTION:
1: Water imported
2: Volume from own sources
3: Customer metering inaccuracies
AWWA Free Water Audit Software:
Reporting Worksheet
2022 1/2022 - 12/2022
City of Hollister (3510001)
2.932
<----------- Enter grading in column 'E' and 'J' ----------> Based on the information provided, audit accuracy can be improved by addressing the following components:
$/100 cubic feet (ccf)
Default option selected for unauthorized consumption - a grading of 5 is applied but not displayed *** YOUR SCORE IS: 55 out of 100 ***
A weighted scale for the components of consumption and water loss is included in the calculation of the Water Audit Data Validity Score Default option selected for Systematic data handling errors - a grading of 5 is applied but not displayed Average length of customer service line has been set to zero and a data grading score of 10 has been applied Are customer meters typically located at the curbstop or property line? ?
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? Click to access definition
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Please enter data in the white cells below. Where available, metered values should be used; if metered values are unavailable please estimate a value. Indicate your confidence in the accuracy of the input data by grading each component (n/a or 1-10) using the drop-down list to the left of the input cell. Hover the mouse over the cell to obtain a description of the grades ?
?
?
?
?
?
(length of service line, beyond the property
boundary, that is the responsibility of the utility)
Use buttons to select
percentage of water
supplied
OR
value
Click here: ?
for help using option
buttons below
?
?
?
?
+
+ Click to add a comment
WAS v5.0
+
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+
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+
+
American Water Works Association.
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+
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+
+
+
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+ Use Customer Retail Unit Cost to value real losses
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To select the correct data grading for each input, determine the highest grade where AWWA Free Water Audit Software v5.0 Reporting Worksheet 1 Water Audit Report for:
Audit Year:
All volumes to be entered as: MILLION GALLONS (US) PER YEAR WATER SUPPLIED choose entry option:
VOS Volume from Own Sources: n g 6 857.540 MG/Yr n g 8 percent MG/Yr under-registration VOSEA WI Water Imported: n g 6 210.279 MG/Yr n g 4 percent MG/Yr select….. WIEA WE Water Exported: n g 6 65.250 MG/Yr n g 4 percent MG/Yr select….. WEEA 1,002.569 MG/Yr
.
AUTHORIZED CONSUMPTION
BMAC Billed Metered: n g 5 931.659 MG/Yr
BUAC Billed Unmetered: n g n/a 0.000 MG/Yr
UMAC Unbilled Metered: n g n/a 0.000 MG/Yr choose entry option:
UUAC Unbilled Unmetered: n g 3 2.329 MG/Yr 0.25% default MG/Yr Default option selected for Unbilled Unmetered, with automatic data grading of 3 933.988 MG/Yr
WATER LOSSES 68.581 MG/Yr
Apparent Losses
Default option selected for Systematic Data Handling Errors, with automatic data grading of 3 choose entry option:
SDHE Systematic Data Handling Errors: n g 3 2.329 MG/Yr 0.25% default MG/Yr CMI Customer Metering Inaccuracies: n g 1 14.188 MG/Yr 1.50% percent MG/Yr under-registration UC Unauthorized Consumption: n g 3 2.329 MG/Yr 0.25% default MG/Yr Default option selected for Unauthorized Consumption, with automatic data grading of 3
18.846 MG/Yr
Real Losses
49.735 MG/Yr
68.581 MG/Yr
NON-REVENUE WATER
70.910 MG/Yr
SYSTEM DATA
Lm Length of mains: n g 10 115.0 miles (including fire hydrant lead lengths) Nc Number of service connections: n g 10 7,861 (active and inactive) Service connection density: 68 conn./mile main
Yes
Lp Average length of (private) customer service line: n g 10 ft (average distance between property line and meter) AOP Average Operating Pressure: n g 7 65.0 psi
COST DATA
CRUC Customer Retail Unit Charge: n g 7 $8.40
VPC Variable Production Cost: n g 8 $275.77 $/Million gallons $/yr (optional input) WATER AUDIT DATA VALIDITY TIER:
go to
dashboard
PRIORITY AREAS FOR ATTENTION TO IMPROVE DATA VALIDITY: KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR TARGETS:
Based on the information provided, audit reliability can be most improved by addressing the following components: OPTIONAL: If targets exist for the operational performance indicators, they can be input below:
1: Volume from Own Sources (VOS) Unit Total Losses: gal/conn/day 2: Billed Metered (BMAC) Unit Apparent Losses: gal/conn/day 3: Customer Metering Inaccuracies (CMI) Unit Real LossesA: gal/conn/day Unit Real LossesB: gal/mile/day
If entered above by user, targets will display on KPI gauges (see Dashboard) Are customer meters typically located at the curbstop/property line? AWWA Free Water Audit Software:
Worksheet
City of Hollister
Jan 01 2023 - Dec 31 2023
Water Supplied Error Adjustments
2023 Calendar
Real Losses:
WATER LOSSES:
Average length of customer service line has been set to zero and a data grading of 10 has been applied A weighted scale for the components of supply, consumption and water loss is included in the calculation of the Water Audit Data Validity Score *** The Water Audit Data Validity Score is in Tier III (51-70). See Dashboard tab for additional outputs. *** $/100 cubic feet (ccf)
$4,974,960
Total Annual Operating Cost
go to start page
NON-REVENUE WATER:
If entering an
Error Adjustment,
select under- or overregistration
WATER SUPPLIED:
AUTHORIZED CONSUMPTION:
Apparent Losses:
Click 'g' to determine data validity grade
Click 'n' to add notes
FWAS v6.0
American Water Works Association.
To access definitions, click the input name
To edit water system info:
AWWA Free Water Audit Software v6.0 Worksheet 1
Water Audit Report for:
Reporting Year:
All volumes to be entered as: MILLION GALLONS (US) PER YEAR Master Meter and Supply Error Adjustments
WATER SUPPLIED Pcnt: Value:
Volume from own sources: 3 1,123.851 MG/Yr 4 MG/Yr
Water imported: 3 9.455 MG/Yr 6 MG/Yr
Water exported: 3 202.098 MG/Yr 5 MG/Yr
Enter negative % or value for under-registration
WATER SUPPLIED: 931.208 MG/Yr Enter positive % or value for over-registration .
AUTHORIZED CONSUMPTION
Billed metered: 5 870.456 MG/Yr
Billed unmetered: n/a 0.000 MG/Yr
Unbilled metered: n/a 0.000 MG/Yr Pcnt: Value:
Unbilled unmetered: 6 7.583 MG/Yr 1.25% MG/Yr
AUTHORIZED CONSUMPTION: 878.039 MG/Yr
WATER LOSSES (Water Supplied - Authorized Consumption) 53.169 MG/Yr Apparent Losses Pcnt: Value:
Unauthorized consumption: 2.328 MG/Yr 0.25% MG/Yr
Customer metering inaccuracies: 4 8.792 MG/Yr 1.00% MG/Yr Systematic data handling errors: 6 2.176 MG/Yr 0.25% MG/Yr Apparent Losses: 13.297 MG/Yr
Real Losses (Current Annual Real Losses or CARL)
Real Losses = Water Losses - Apparent Losses: 39.872 MG/Yr WATER LOSSES: 53.169 MG/Yr
NON-REVENUE WATER
NON-REVENUE WATER: 60.752 MG/Yr
= Water Losses + Unbilled Metered + Unbilled Unmetered
SYSTEM DATA
Length of mains: 8 85.0 miles
Number of active AND inactive service connections: 9 6,593 Service connection density: 78 conn./mile main
Yes
Average length of customer service line: ft
Average operating pressure: 5 72.0 psi
COST DATA
Total annual cost of operating water system: 10 $8,100,000 $/Year Customer retail unit cost (applied to Apparent Losses): 9 $6.32 Variable production cost (applied to Real Losses): 5 $300.00 $/Million gallons WATER AUDIT DATA VALIDITY SCORE:
PRIORITY AREAS FOR ATTENTION:
1: Volume from own sources
2: Billed metered
3: Customer metering inaccuracies
Default option selected for Systematic data handling errors - a grading of 5 is applied but not displayed Average length of customer service line has been set to zero and a data grading score of 10 has been applied Are customer meters typically located at the curbstop or property line? AWWA Free Water Audit Software:
Reporting Worksheet
7.583
2020 7/2020 - 6/2021
Sunnyslope County Water District (CA3510003)
<----------- Enter grading in column 'E' and 'J' ----------> Based on the information provided, audit accuracy can be improved by addressing the following components:
$/100 cubic feet (ccf)
Default option selected for unauthorized consumption - a grading of 5 is applied but not displayed *** YOUR SCORE IS: 52 out of 100 ***
A weighted scale for the components of consumption and water loss is included in the calculation of the Water Audit Data Validity Score ?
?
?
?
?
? Click to access definition
?
?
?
?
?
?
Please enter data in the white cells below. Where available, metered values should be used; if metered values are unavailable please estimate a value. Indicate your confidence in the accuracy of the input data by grading each component (n/a or 1-10) using the drop-down list to the left of the input cell. Hover the mouse over the cell to obtain a description of the grades ?
?
?
?
?
?
(length of service line, beyond the property
boundary, that is the responsibility of the utility)
Use buttons to select
percentage of water supplied
OR
value
Click here: ?
for help using option
buttons below
?
?
?
?
+
+ Click to add a comment
WAS v5.0
+
+
+
+
+
+
American Water Works Association.
?
?
?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Use Customer Retail Unit Cost to value real losses
?
To select the correct data grading for each input, determine the highest grade where the utility meets or exceeds all criteria for that grade and all grades below it.
AWWA Free Water Audit Software v5.0 Reporting Worksheet 1
San Benito Urban Area UWMP 2025
SAN BENITO URBAN AREA UWMP 2025
Appendix D
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan
SAN BENITO URBAN
AREA
WATER SHORTAGE
CONTINGENCY PLAN
May 18th, 2026
1301 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 320
Alameda, CA 94501
510.747.6920
ww.toddgroundwater.com
SIGNATURE PAGE
Maureen Reilly, P.E.
Principal Engineer
San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan i TODD GROUNDWATER
Table of Contents
1. Water Shortage Contingency Plan 2026........................................................................... 1
1.1. Shortage Response Actions....................................................................................... 2
1.1.1. Locally Appropriate demand reduction by stage.............................................. 4
1.1.2. Locally Appropriate Supply Augmentation..................................................... 11
1.1.3. Catastrophic Supply Interruption.................................................................... 14
1.2. Communication Protocols....................................................................................... 15
1.2.1. Stage 1 and Prior Communication .................................................................. 15
1.2.2. Stage 2 Communication.................................................................................. 16
1.2.3. Stage 3 Communication.................................................................................. 16
1.2.4. Stage 4............................................................................................................. 17
1.2.5. Stage 5............................................................................................................. 18
1.2.6. Stage 6............................................................................................................. 18
1.2.7. Frequently Asked Questions by Target Audience........................................... 19
1.3. Compliance and Enforcement................................................................................. 20
1.3.1. Demand Reduction Through Public Outreach ................................................ 20
1.3.2. Warning and Citation Protocols...................................................................... 21
1.4. Legal Authorities..................................................................................................... 21
1.5. Financial Consequences Of WSCP........................................................................... 22
1.6. Monitoring, Reporting, And WSCP Refinement Procedures .................................. 22
1.7. Special Water Feature Distinction .......................................................................... 23
1.8. Adoption, Submittal, And Availability..................................................................... 23 San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan ii TODD GROUNDWATER
List of Tables
Table 1-1 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Levels......................................................... 2 Table 1-2 Demand Reduction Actions .............................................................................. 3 Table 1-3 Supply Augmentation and Other Actions....................................................... 12 List of Figures
Figure 1-1 Six Stages of WSCP..............................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appendices
Appendix G: Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Appendix H: Water Shortage Emergency Response
San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan 1 TODD GROUNDWATER
1. WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN 2025
Each urban water supplier must develop and adopt a Water Shortage. Contingency Plan (WSCP) as part of its Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) every five years. The District, the City of Hollister, Sunnyslope, and the City of San Juan Bautista have developed a joint UWMP for the San Benito Urban Area (SBUA) for 2025. In addition, the SBUA agencies have updated the Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP). This Plan serves as a guide for adjusting supply and demand in response to a water shortage.
The original WSCP was developed in 2016 as part of the 2015 Urban Water Management Plan and provides details on how to reduce demand in the event of a water supply shortage.
In response to the 2012-2016 drought, a new WSCP mandate required WSCPs to provide a more detailed analysis of supply and demand contingency actions and plan implementation for the 2020 WSCP. The retailers responded by updating the documentation of plan procedures and implementation, standardization of water supply stages of action for the water supply plan, and quantification of contingency action effects on supply and demand.
Updates to the WSCP for the 2025 UWMP planning cycle focus on the inclusion of the City of San Juan Bautista and the WSCP is now a stand alone document. Per DWR’s guidelines, the WSCP will be adopted in a Public Hearing along with the 2025 UWMP for all the agencies.
Pursuant to Water Code Section 10632(a)(3), all WSCPs must include a six-stage plan corresponding to shortage stages of up to 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, and greater than 50 percent of water supply. During the 2012-2016 drought years, differences in state and local definitions led to uncertainty in public communication and state policy. The standardization is meant to aid communication and response action implementations across the state.
Water Code Section 10632(a)(3)(B) allows suppliers to retain existing water shortage response plan stages if the existing stages are directly related to the specified six stages. The four stages identified by the previous WSCP translate to the six new stages, as shown in Table 1-1. For the new Stage 1, up to 10 percent reduction, the voluntary measures for the previous stage 1 (up to 15 percent) are applicable. For both 10 to 20 percent and 20 to 30 percent reductions, Stage 2 restrictions are applicable, aiming for 25 percent reduction. For 30 to 40 percent and 40-50 percent reductions, Stage 3 is applicable, which aims for 35 percent reductions. Finally, for greater than 50 percent reductions, the Stage 4, is applicable for over 50 percent reduction.
San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan 2 TODD GROUNDWATER
Table 1-1 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Levels
Standard
Shortage
Levels
Percent
Shortage
Range
Suppliers
Shortage
Levels
Percent
Shortage
Range
1 Up to 10% 1 0-10
2 Up to 20% 2 10-20
3 Up to 30% 3 20-30
4 Up to 40% 4 30-40
5 Up to 50% 5 40-50
6 >50% 6 50-100
1.2. SHORTAGE RESPONSE ACTIONS
Water shortages can be met by augmenting the supply and/or decreasing the water demand. Each response action must be implementable. In this section and in section 8 of the UWMP, the response actions for each stage are outlined, along with the methodology for calculating action effectiveness. Table 1-2 summarizes each demand reduction action, the stages in which they are implemented, and the estimated percent by which they can decrease demand.
San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan 3 TODD GROUNDWATER
Table 1-2 Demand Reduction Actions
In response to the WSCP guidelines, the effectiveness of each action has been quantified for SBUA using the best available data. It should be noted that the effectiveness of many shortage response actions have not been studied and effectiveness can vary by region.
These estimates are best used as guidelines to inform decision makers which actions may contribute most to demand reductions. The methods for calculating the effectiveness of each action are outlined in the UWMP, Appendix G. In addition to the methods outlined as part of the WSCP, further demand reductions (particularly with indoor residential water use) are expected due to outreach, education, and social pressures.
The effectiveness of each action was estimated based on the observed water demand reduction during the 2014-2016 drought, studies and literature reviews examining the effectiveness of individual and combined response actions, and calculations of demand decreases scaled to the regional population. These estimates reflect best available data; however, it should be noted that the estimates are also uncertain. Historical data on demand reductions during drought, both within SAN BENITO URBAN AREA and in case studies, are a result of combined demand restrictions, public education, and social pressures. There are very few studies of the effect of individual actions. In addition, a variety of assumptions are used in calculations of water demand as reduced by a given action. For example, estimating the money saved by restricting at-home carwashes involved assumptions about how many Hollister Urban Area residents would wash their car at home in a non-drought month, how many of those carwashes would use a hose with a nozzle, and how much water each wash would use. Furthermore, several restrictions rely on postponing Shortage
Level
Supply Augmentation Methods
and Other Actions by Water
Supplier
How much is this going to reduce
the shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or
Reference
Volume or
Percentage
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(AF)
2,3,4,5,6 Other Actions (describe) Percentage 0-20%
Increase proportion of
groundwater in potable
water
2,3,4,5,6 Stored Emergency Supply Percentage 0-10%
Imported water stored in San
Justo Reservoir for drought
reserves
San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan 4 TODD GROUNDWATER
actions or implementing large water-use projects, such as filling up a new pool, removing a single-pass cooling systems, or receiving a large new water permit.
1.2.2. Locally Appropriate demand reduction by stage
Implementation of restrictions and prohibitions on end users is based on a fundamental prioritization of domestic supply for human health and safety over non-essential uses, including landscape irrigation. In the event of a water shortage, water service may be restricted or prohibited for non-essential uses, recognizing that certain end users may be required to save more water than others because of their specific use. Prohibitions on end uses will affect user types differently:
• For urban residential users (who typically rely on SAN BENITO URBAN AREA agencies for domestic supply), water service will continue during a shortage with restrictions on outdoor water use in Stages 1 through 5 and prohibitions in Stage 6. • Rural residential users of CVP M&I water would also be subject to restrictions and prohibitions on outside water features and landscape irrigation. • Landscape irrigators (e.g., golf courses, dedicated irrigation meters) are subject to the restrictions listed below for Stages 1 through 5 and the prohibition in Stage 6. • Commercial businesses are subject to all restrictions in Stages 1 through 5 and prohibitions in Stage 6.
Stage 1
The first stage applies voluntary actions to reach the demand reduction goal of 10 percent, with a focus on outdoor irrigation demand reduction.
1. Recommended Watering Hours: Watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water is discouraged between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard/Daylight Savings Time.
2. Recommended Limit on Watering Duration: Watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water using a landscape irrigation system or a watering device that is not continuously attended is recommended to be limited to no more than three days a week with a duration of fifteen (15) minutes watering per water day per station. This subsection does not apply to landscape irrigation systems that exclusively use very low-flow drip type irrigation systems when no emitter produces more than two (2) gallons of water per hour and weather-based controllers or stream rotor sprinklers that meet a 70 percent efficiency standard. The use of recycled water is exempt from this prohibition.
3. Eliminate Excessive Water Flow or Runoff: Watering or irrigating of any lawn, landscape or other vegetated area in a manner that causes or allows excessive water San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan 5 TODD GROUNDWATER
flow or runoff onto an adjoining sidewalk, driveway, street, alley, gutter, or ditch is strongly discouraged.
4. Discourage Washing Down Hard or Paved Surfaces: Washing down hard or paved surfaces, including but not limited to sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts, patios or alleys, is discouraged except by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container, a hand-held hose equipped with a positive self-closing water shutoff device, a low-volume, high-pressure cleaning machine equipped to recycle any water used, or a low-volume high-pressure water broom.
5. Fix Leaks, Breaks or Malfunctions: Excessive use, loss or escape of water through breaks, leaks or other malfunctions in the water user's plumbing or distribution system for any period of time after such escape of water should have reasonably been discovered and corrected are encouraged to be corrected as soon as practical.
6. Recirculating Water for Water Fountains and Decorative Water Features: Operating a water fountain or other decorative water features that uses recirculated water is encouraged.
7. Washing Vehicles: Using water to wash or clean a vehicle, including but not limited to any automobile, truck, van, bus, motorcycle, boat, or trailer, whether motorized or not is discouraged, except by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container or a hand-held hose equipped with a positive self-closing water shut-off nozzle or device.
Washing vehicles at commercial conveyor car wash systems with re-circulating water systems is recommended.
Drinking Water Served Upon Request: Eating or drinking establishments, including but not limited to a restaurant, hotel, cafe, cafeteria, bar, or other public place where food or drinks are sold, served, or offered for sale, are encouraged to providing drinking water to any person only when expressly requested.
8. Commercial Lodging Establishments Encouraged to Provide Guests Option to Decline Daily Linen Services: Hotels, motels and other commercial lodging establishments are encouraged to provide customers the option of not having towels and linen laundered daily. Commercial lodging establishments are encouraged to prominently display notice of this option in each bathroom using clear and easily understood language.
9. Installation of Single Pass Cooling Systems: Installation of single pass cooling systems is discouraged in buildings requesting new water service.
10. Installation of Non-recirculating Water System in Commercial Car Wash and Laundry Systems: Installation of non-recirculating water systems is discouraged in new commercial conveyor car wash and new commercial laundry systems.
11. Restaurants Encouraged to Use Water Conserving Dishwash Spray Valves: Food preparation establishments, such as restaurants or cafes, are encouraged to use water conserving dish wash spray valves.
San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan 6 TODD GROUNDWATER
12. Commercial Car Wash Systems: All commercial conveyor car wash systems are encouraged to install operational re-circulating water systems.
13. Pool Covers: It is recommended that all existing pools use a pool cover or solar blanket to reduce water loss due to evaporation.
Stage 2
The second stage seeks a 10 to 20 percent reduction of future supplies, and uses restricted building permits, mandatory rationing, and reduction by customer types. The shortage response actions in Stage 2 are derived from the 25 percent reduction stage established in the 2016 WSCP. Stage 2 continues the voluntary reductions in Stage 1. In addition, the following reduction requirements become mandatory:
1. Limits on Watering Hours: Watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water is prohibited between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard/Daylight Savings Time on any day, except by use of a handheld bucket or similar container, a hand-held hose equipped with a positive selfclosing water shut-off nozzle or device, or for very short periods of time for the express purpose of adjusting or repairing an irrigation system. The use of recycled water is exempt from this prohibition.
2. Limit on Watering Duration: Watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water using a landscape irrigation system or a watering device that is not continuously attended is limited to no more than fifteen (15) minutes watering per designated water day per station. This subsection does not apply to landscape irrigation systems that exclusively use very low-flow drip type irrigation systems when no emitter produces more than two (2) gallons of water per hour and weather based controllers or stream rotor sprinklers that meet a 70 percent efficiency standard. The use of recycled water is exempt from this prohibition.
3. Limits on Watering Days: Watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water is limited to three days per week from April through October.
The watering days are designated depending upon house address (odd house and no house address Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, even house address Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday). During the months of November through March, watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water is limited to no more than one day per week (odd house and no house address - Monday, even house address - Tuesday). This provision does not apply to landscape irrigation zones that exclusively use very low flow drip type irrigation systems when no emitter produces more than two (2) gallons of water per hour. This provision also does not apply to watering or irrigating by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container, a hand-held hose equipped with a positive self-closing water shut-off nozzle or device, San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan 7 TODD GROUNDWATER
or for very short periods of time for the express purpose of adjusting or repairing an irrigation system.
4. No Excessive Water Flow or Runoff: The application of water is prohibited to outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes runoff such that water flows onto adjacent property, non- irrigated areas, private and public walkways, driveway, street, alley, gutter, ditch, parking lots, or structures.
5. No Washing Down Hard or Paved Surfaces: Washing down hard or paved surfaces is prohibited, including but not limited to buildings, structures, sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts, patios, or alleys.
6. Obligation to Fix Leaks, Breaks or Malfunctions: All leaks, breaks, or other malfunctions in the water user's plumbing or distribution system must be repaired within seventy-two (72) hours of notification by the city unless other arrangements are made with the city.
7. Recirculating Water Required for Water Fountains and Decorative Water Features:
Operating a water fountain or other decorative water feature that does not use recirculated water is prohibited.
8. Limits on Washing Vehicles: Using water to wash or clean a vehicle is prohibited, including but not limited to any automobile, truck, van, bus, motorcycle, boat, or trailer, whether motorized or not, except by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container or a hand-held hose equipped with a positive self-closing water shut-off nozzle or device. This subsection does not apply to any commercial car washing facility.
9. Drinking Water Served Upon Request Only: Eating or drinking establishments, including but not limited to a restaurant, hotel, cafe, cafeteria, bar, or other public place where food or drinks are sold, served, or offered for sale, are prohibited from providing drinking water to any person unless expressly requested.
10. Commercial Lodging Establishments Must Provide Guests Option to Decline Daily Linen Services: Hotels, motels and other commercial lodging establishments must provide customers the option of not having towels and linen laundered daily.
Commercial lodging establishments must prominently display notice of this option in each bathroom using clear and easily understood language.
11. No Installation of Single Pass Cooling Systems: Installation of single pass cooling systems is prohibited in buildings requesting new water service.
12. No Installation of Non-re-circulating in Commercial Car Wash and Laundry Systems:
Installation of non-re-circulating water systems is prohibited in new commercial conveyor car wash and new commercial laundry systems.
13. Commercial Car Wash Systems: Within one year of passage of this Ordinance, all commercial conveyor car wash systems must have installed operational re-circulating water systems, or must have secured a waiver of this requirement from the city.
San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan 8 TODD GROUNDWATER
14. Pool Covers and Refilling of Existing Pools: All new pools shall be required to have a pool cover or solar blanket to reduce water loss through evaporation. Refilling of existing private pools is prohibited, except to maintain water levels, unless the pool is in imminent danger of failure.
Stage 3
The third stage seeks a 20 to 30 percent reduction of water demand. During this stage, the shortage response actions for Stages 1 and 2 will be in place. The shortage response actions for this stage are derived from the 25 percent reduction stage established in the 2016 WSCP. Stage 3 contains the same response actions as Stage 2. SAN BENITO URBAN AREA may choose to increase response action monitoring and enforcement in Stage 3, as well as encouraging water users to adopt additional voluntary conservation measures.
Stage 4
Stage 4 aims for a 30 to 40 percent reduction. It allows the agencies to restrict water uses to priority needs and the prohibited or limited uses of water become more restrictive. These restrictions are derived from the 35 percent reduction stage in the 2016 WSCP.
1. Limits on Watering Days: Watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water is limited to two days per week from April through October.
The watering days are designated depending upon house address (odd house and no house address - Monday and Thursday, even house address - Tuesday, and Friday).
During the months of November through March, watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water is limited to no more than one day per week (odd house and no house address - Monday, even house address - Tuesday). This provision does not apply to landscape irrigation zones that exclusively use very low flow drip type irrigation systems when no emitter produces more than two (2) gallons of water per hour. This provision also does not apply to watering or irrigating by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container, a hand-held hose equipped with a positive self-closing water shut-off nozzle or device, or for very short periods of time for the express purpose of adjusting or repairing an irrigation system.
Use of recycled water for irrigation is exempt from these restrictions.
2. Irrigating Within 48 Hours of Rainfall: The applications of potable water to outdoor landscapes during and within 48 hours following measurable rainfall is prohibited.
3. Irrigation outside Newly Constructed Homes: The irrigation with potable water outside of newly constructed homes and buildings in a manner inconsistent with regulations or other requirements established by the California Building Standards Commission is prohibited.
4. Installation of New Turf: Adding new turf landscaping is prohibited.
San Benito 2025 UWMP
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan 9 TODD GROUNDWATER
5. Prohibition against Watering Turf in Medians: The irrigation with potable water of ornamental turf on public street medians, including roundabouts is prohibited.
6. Obligation to Fix Leaks, Breaks or Malfunctions: All leaks, breaks, or other malfunctions in the water user's plumbing or distribution system must be repaired within forty- eight (48) hours of notification by the city unless other arrangements are made with the city.
7. Limits on Filling Ornamental Lakes or Ponds: Filling or re-filling ornamental lakes or ponds with potable water is prohibited, except to the extent needed to sustain aquatic life, provided that such animals are of significant value and have been actively managed within the water feature prior to declaration of a supply shortage level under this section.
8. New Pools: Installation and filling of new private pools are prohibited.
9. Dust Control: The use of potable water for construction and dust control is prohibited.
10. Drought Water Rates: Each agency may consider adopting rate structures and other mechanisms to maximize water conservation. These rates should be consistent with Prop 218 requirements.
11. Any of the SAN BENITO URBAN AREA agencies reserve the right to restrict water use for priority uses.
Stage 5
Stage 5 aims for a 40 to 50 percent reduction. The water shortage response actions in this phase are the same as those in Stage 4. Enforcement and monitoring may be increased during this stage to assist in decreasing water demand.
Stage 6
1. Stage 6 seeks at least a 50 percent reduction. This stage adds flow restrictions and a per capita allotment by customer type. The prohibited or limited uses of water in the previous stages are continued or made more restrictive. No Watering or Irrigating. Watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water is prohibited. This restriction does not apply to recycled water.
Exceptions are limited to the following:
2. Maintenance of vegetation, including trees and shrubs, that are watered using a hand-held bucket or similar container, hand-held hose equipped with a positive selfclosing water shut-off nozzle or device;
3. Maintenance of existing landscape necessary for fire protection;
4. Maintenance of existing landscape for soil erosion control; San Benito 2025 UWMP
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5. Maintenance of plant materials identified to be rare or essential to the well-being of protected species;
6. Maintenance of landscape within active public parks and playing fields, day care centers, golf course greens, and school grounds, provided that such irrigation does not exceed two (2) days per week for no more than fifteen (15) minutes watering per designated water day per station and is prohibited between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard/Daylight Savings Time.
7. Actively irrigated environmental mitigation projects.
8. Obligation to Fix Leaks, Breaks or Malfunctions. All leaks, breaks, or other malfunctions in the water user's plumbing or distribution system must be repaired within twenty four (24) hours of notification by the city unless other arrangements are made with the water retailer.
9. Limits on New Potable Water Service: Upon declaration of a Level 4 Water Shortage Emergency condition, the agency may limit the issuance of new potable water services, temporary meters and/or statements of immediate ability to serve or provide potable water service (such as, can and will-serve letters, certificates, or letters of availability), except under the following circumstances:
10. A valid, unexpired building permit has been issued for the project; or
11. The project is necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare; or
12. The applicant provides substantial evidence of an enforceable commitment that water demands for the project will be offset prior to the provision of a new water meter(s) to the satisfaction of the agency providing service.
13. This provision does not preclude the resetting or turn-on of meters to provide continuation of water service or the restoration of service that has been interrupted for a period of one year or less.
14. Limits on Building Permits. Upon declaration of a Stage 4 Water Supply Shortage Emergency condition, the City Administrator is authorized to implement a program in his or her discretion to limit or withhold the issuance of building permits which require new or expanded water service, except to protect the public health, safety and welfare, or in cases which meet the city's adopted conservation offset requirements.
15. No New Annexations. Upon the declaration of Stage 4, the agencies may suspend consideration of annexations to its service area. This subsection does not apply to boundary corrections and annexations that will not result in any immediate increased use of water.
16. Each of the SAN BENITO URBAN AREA agencies reserves the right to restrict flow in water lines.
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1.2.3. Locally Appropriate Supply Augmentation
During a water shortage emergency, the SBUA Agencies may choose to augment the water supply by increasing the proportion of groundwater in delivered water. Groundwater can make up for any decrease in CVP allocation during a drought. SBUA potable water is a mix of CVP water and groundwater to meet aesthetic standards. The average proportion of the supply that is CVP water was 61 percent over the past five years. The proportion of groundwater can be temporarily increased if the CVP supply is limited or insufficient to meet demand. The preferred ration of groundwater to imported water is 20:80, but this proportion may temporarily increase during periods of water shortage. Decreasing the proportion of potable water that is CVP is at the discretion of the SAN BENITO URBAN AREA agencies and may be enacted during stages 2 through 6. In Table 1-3, augmenting the supply through increasing the proportion of groundwater in potable water is estimated to enhance the supply by up to 20 percent. Drought reserves in San Justo Reservoir can also augment supply during a water shortage emergency. However, these supplies are managed as exchanges or transfers (UWMP Section 6.7) and not as part of the WSCP.
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Table 1-3 Supply Augmentation and Other Actions
Shortage
Level Demand Reduction Actions
How much is this going to reduce
the shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
Volume or
Percentage
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(AF)
1,2,3,4,5,6
Landscape - Restrict or
prohibit runoff from
landscape irrigation
Percentage
5% reduction
mandatory, 2%
reduction voluntary
Excess runoff is discouraged under Stage 1
and profited for Stage 2 and above.
1,2,3,4,5,6
Landscape - Limit
landscape irrigation to
specific times
Percentage
5% reduction
mandatory, 2%
reduction voluntary
Irrigation is discouraged between the hours
of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in Stage 1 and
prohibited for Stage 2 and above.
2,3,4,5,6
Landscape - Limit
landscape irrigation to
specific days
Percentage
10% for 3x a week
restrictions, 20%
for2x a week
restrictions
Irrigation is limited to three days a week in
Stage 2 and reduced to two days a week in
Stage 4.
4,5,6
Landscape - Prohibit
certain types of landscape
irrigation
Percentage 2%
Irrigation outside new homes or on medians
is prohibited in Stage 4. No new turf is
allowed in Stage 6.
6 Landscape - Prohibit all
landscape irrigation Percentage 40%
All Watering or irrigation of lawn, landscape,
or other vegetated areas with potable water
is prohibited in stage 6
4,5,6
Landscape - Other
landscape restrictions or
prohibition
Percentage <1% Irrigation within 48 hours after rainfall is prohibited in Stage 4, 5, and 6.
1,2,3,4,5,6,
Landscape - Other
landscape restrictions or
prohibition
Percentage
5% reduction
mandatory, 2%
reduction voluntary
Duration of irrigation is suggested to be no
more than 15 minutes per watering in stage
1. This limit is required in Stage 2
1,2,3,4,5,6 CII - Other CII restriction or
prohibition Percentage <1%
Commercial car washes are required to have
recirculating systems. Recirculation is
encouraged in Stage 1 and required in Stage
2 and above
1,2,3,4,5,6
CII - Lodging establishment
must offer opt out of linen
service
Percentage <1% Hotel programs are encouraged in stage 1 and required for Stage 2 and above
1,2,3,4,5,6 CII - Restaurants may only
serve water upon request Percentage <1% Drinking water by request is encouraged in Stage 1 and required for Stage 2 and above.
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Shortage
Level Demand Reduction Actions Volume or Percentage
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(AF)
Shortage Level
1,2,3,4,5,6 CII - Other CII restriction or
prohibition Percentage 1%
Installation of Single Pass Cooling Systems
are discouraged in Stage 1 and prohibited for
Stage 2 and above
1,2,3,4,5,6 CII - Other CII restriction or
prohibition Percentage <1% Restaurants encouraged to use water conserving dishwash spray valves
1,2,3,4,5,6 CII - Other CII restriction or
prohibition Percentage <1%
Stage 1 recommends washing a vehicle with
a hose with a shut valve. In Stage 2 and
above, a hose with a shut value is mandatory.
1,2,3,4,5,6
Water Features - Restrict
water use for decorative
water features, such as
fountains
Percentage 1%
Recirculating water features are encouraged
at all stages. In Stage 2 and beyond,
operating a decorative water feature that
does not use recirculated water is prohibited.
4,5,6
Water Features - Restrict
water use for decorative
water features, such as
fountains
Percentage 1% Filling or refilling ornamental lakes and ponds are prohibited in Stages 4, 5, 6
1,2,3,4,5,6 Pools and Spas - Require
covers for pools and spas Percentage <1%
All pools should have a pool cover, this is
encouraged in Stage 1 and required in Stage
2 and above
4,5,6
Pools and Spas - Other
water feature or swimming
pool restriction
Percentage <1% The installation and filling of new pools are prohibited
2,3,4,5,6
Pools and Spas - Other
water feature or swimming
pool restriction
Percentage 1% Existing pools should not be refilled in Stage 2 and above, except to maintain water levels.
1,2,3,4,5,6
Other - Customers must
repair leaks, breaks, and
malfunctions in a timely
manner
Percentage 2%
Fixing leaks is encouraged under stage 1.
Leaks must be fixed with 72, 48 and 24 hours
in Stages 2 & 3, 4 & 5 and 6, respectively
1,2,3,4,5,6
Other - Prohibit use of
potable water for washing
hard surfaces
Percentage <1% Washing hard surfaces is discouraged in
Stage 1 and prohibited in all other stages.
1,2,3,4,5,6
Other - Prohibit vehicle
washing except at facilities
using recycled or
recirculating water
Percentage <1% Voluntary in Stage 1, mandatory in Stage 2 and above.
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Shortage
Level Demand Reduction Actions Volume or Percentage
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(AF)
Shortage Level
4,5,6
Other - Prohibit use of
potable water for
construction and dust
control
Percentage 1% Potable water use for dust control is
prohibited during Stage 4 through Stage 6.
6 Other Percentage 2% Limits on new water service, building permits, and annexation
4,5,6 Other Percentage Variable
Any HUA Agencies reserve the right to
restrict water for priority uses in Phases 4,5,
and 6
4,5,6 Other Percentage 3% Agencies may consider drought rates, if applicable in Stages 4,5, and 6.
1.2.4. Catastrophic Supply Interruption
Hollister, Sunnyslope, and the District also have water shortage emergency response plans in place. Sunnyslope and the City have a general Emergency Disaster Response Plan as well as a Power Failure Emergency Response Plans. The plans include steps to be taken during and after a disaster and the use of the Standard Emergency Management System (SEMS).
Copies of these plans are included in the UWMP, Appendix H. The District relies on their current Water User’s Handbook and County emergency plans.
These plans develop the procedures for each agency before and during a disruption of water supply during a natural disaster. In 1999, the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) published Emergency Planning Guidance for Public and Private Water Utilities to improve coordination among water utilities and other emergency response agencies and to assist water utilities in developing or revising emergency plans and procedures. It is recommended that ongoing coordination between the City, Sunnyslope, and the District take place to ensure these water supply emergency plans remain consistent and meet the goals provided in the guidance documents. With these plans in place, the retailers in the SAN BENITO URBAN AREA can adequately handle a water supply shortage due to a natural disaster or another interruption of the water supply (Cal EMA 1999).
The agencies’ emergency shortage plans meet the requirements for the WSCP to include a seismic risk assessment and mitigation plan to assess the vulnerability of each water facility.
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1.3. COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS
Effectively implementing any stage of the water shortage contingency plan requires clear and timely communication with the public, stakeholders, key decisionmakers, and local, regional, and state governments. The WSCP Communication protocols allow agencies to efficiently communicate any current or predicted water shortages and the response actions that are triggered. Communication protocols are outlined for each stage. In order to ensure consistency, each agency is encouraged to develop scripted responses to commonly asked questions when each stage goes into effect and as information changes throughout a water shortage crisis.
1.3.1. Stage 1 and Prior Communication
Stage 1 contains voluntary measures meant to reduce water demand by up to 10 percent.
The SAN BENITO URBAN AREA agencies aim to communicate water conditions when a water shortage condition exists or is anticipated. During this stage, or when SAN BENITO URBAN AREA is expected to enter Stage 1 soon, the following communication protocols are recommended:
• The District, Hollister, Sunnyslope, SJB must communicate to establish consistent Stage 1 implementation and unified message in response to commonly asked questions (UWMP Section 8.5)
• Communication in both English and Spanish of voluntary actions with customers, residents, and businesses through social media, radio, websites, newspaper, television coverage, newsletters, and bill stuffers.
• Notification to stakeholders, elected officials, and other decision-makers regarding water shortage conditions, projections, actions to be taken, demand reduction goals, and implementation.
• Monthly reports will be sent to the Hollister and SJB City Council and the Sunnyslope Board of Directors. If reduction goals are not met, the respective managers will notify the governing board of each agency that additional action is required. • Direct contact (via telephone or email) with local media about conditions and response actions.
• Daily production figures will be reported to the Water Supervisor of each agency. • The Supervisor will compare the weekly production to the target weekly production to verify that the reduction goal is being met. Weekly reports will be forwarded respectively to the General Manager of Sunnyslope, the Public Works Director at the City of Hollister, San Juan Bautista City Manager and to the Program Manager of the Water Resource Association (WRA).
• Communication with public about potential for mandatory stages.
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• Increased information about voluntary programs, like home surveys and leak repairs.
1.3.2. Stage 2 Communication
Stage 2 contains voluntary measures meant to reduce water demand by 10-20 percent.
During this stage, the following communication protocols are recommended:
• The District, Hollister, and Sunnyslope must communicate to establish consistent Stage 2 implementation and unified message in response to commonly asked questions (UWMP Section 8.5)
• Communication in both English and Spanish of mandatory actions and penalties with customers, residents, and businesses through social media, radio, websites, newspaper, television coverage, newsletters, and bill stuffers. • Notification to stakeholders, elected officials, and other decision-makers regarding water shortage conditions, projections, actions to be taken, demand reduction goals, and implementation.
• Direct contact (via telephone or email) with local media about conditions and new mandatory response actions.
• Direct contact (via telephone or email) to chamber of commerce and businesses directly affected by restrictions (hotels and carwashes, for example) • Monthly reports will be sent to the City Council and the Sunnyslope Board of Directors. If reduction goals are not met, the respective managers will notify the governing board of each agency that additional action is required. • Daily production figures will be reported to the Water Supervisor of each agency. • The Supervisor will compare the weekly production to the target weekly production to verify that the reduction goal is being met. Weekly reports will be forwarded respectively to the General Manager of Sunnyslope, the Public Works Director at the City of Hollister and to the Program Manager of the WRA. • Education about continued voluntary conservation actions with public. • Increased information about voluntary programs, like home surveys and leak repairs, particularly within context of adhering to Stage 2 mandatory restrictions.
1.3.3. Stage 3 Communication
Stage 3 seeks to reduce water demand by 20-30 percent but includes the same mandatory actions as Stage 2. During this stage, increased communication about water conditions can lead to a decrease in demand.
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• The District, Hollister, and Sunnyslope must communicate to establish consistent Stage 3 implementation and unified message in response to commonly asked questions (UWMP Section 8.5)
• Increased communication of mandatory actions with customers, residents, and businesses through social media, radio, websites, newspaper, television coverage, newsletters, and bill stuffers.
• Notification to stakeholders, elected officials, and other decision-makers regarding water shortage conditions, projections, actions to be taken, demand reduction goals, and implementation.
• Daily production figures will be reported to the Water Supervisor of each agency. • The Supervisor will compare the weekly production to the target weekly production to verify that the reduction goal is being met. Weekly reports will be forwarded respectively to the General Manager of Sunnyslope, the Public Works Director at the City of Hollister and to the Program Manager of the WRA. • Monthly reports will be sent to the City Council and the Sunnyslope Board of Directors. If reduction goals are not met, the respective managers will notify the governing board of each agency that additional action is required. • Direct contact (via telephone or email) with local media about conditions. • Warnings of increased water use monitoring and stricter mandatory restrictions if SAN BENITO URBAN AREA enters Stage 4.
1.3.4. Stage 4
Stage 4 implements stricter mandatory management actions to achieve a 30-40 percent reduction.
• The District, Hollister, and Sunnyslope must communicate to establish consistent Stage 4 implementation and unified message in response to commonly asked questions (UWMP Section 8.5)
• Communication in English and Spanish of mandatory actions and penalties with customers, residents, and businesses through social media, radio, websites, newspaper, television coverage, newsletters, and bill stuffers. • Notification to stakeholders, elected officials, and other decision-makers regarding water shortage conditions, projections, actions to be taken, demand reduction goals, and implementation.
• Daily production reports will be provided to the General or City Manager of each agency.
• Direct contact (via telephone or email) with local media about conditions and new mandatory response actions.
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• Direct contact (via telephone or email) to chamber of commerce and businesses directly affected by restrictions (construction or landscaping companies, for example).
• Monthly reports will be sent to the City Council and the Sunnyslope Board of Directors. If reduction goals are not met, the respective managers will notify the governing board of each agency that additional action is required. • Increased information about voluntary programs, like home surveys and leak repairs, particularly within context of adhering to Stage 4 mandatory restrictions.
1.3.5. Stage 5
Stage 5 seeks to reduce water demand by 40-50 percent but includes the same mandatory actions as Stage 4. During this stage, increased communication about water conditions can lead to a decrease in demand.
• The District, Hollister, and Sunnyslope must communicate to establish consistent Stage 5 implementation and unified message in response to commonly asked questions (UWMP Section 8.5.7)
• Increased communication of mandatory actions and penalties with customers, residents, and businesses through social media, radio, websites, newspaper, television coverage, newsletters, and bill stuffers.
• Notification to stakeholders, elected officials, and other decision-makers regarding water shortage conditions, projections, actions to be taken, demand reduction goals, and implementation.
• Daily production reports will be provided to the General or City Manager of each agency.
• Direct contact (via telephone or email) with local media about conditions • Monthly reports will be sent to the City Council and the Sunnyslope Board of Directors. If reduction goals are not met, the respective managers will notify the governing board of each agency that additional action is required. • Warnings of increased water use monitoring and stricter mandatory restrictions if SAN BENITO URBAN AREA enters Stage 5.
1.3.6. Stage 6
Stage 6 is the most severe stage, seeking to reduce demand by at least 50 percent. The District, Hollister, and Sunnyslope must communicate to establish consistent Stage 5 implementation and unified message in response to commonly asked questions (UWMP Section 8.5.7).
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• Increased communication of mandatory actions and penalties with customers, residents, and businesses through social media, radio, websites, newspaper, television coverage, newsletters, and bill stuffers.
• Notification to stakeholders, elected officials, and other decision-makers regarding water shortage conditions, projections, actions to be taken, demand reduction goals, and implementation.
• Daily production reports will be provided to the General or City Manager of each agency.
• Direct contact (via telephone or email) with local media about conditions. • Monthly reports will be sent to the City Council and the Sunnyslope Board of Directors. If reduction goals are not met, the respective managers will notify the governing board of each agency that additional action is required.
1.3.7. Frequently Asked Questions by Target Audience
It is recommended that the District, Hollister, and Sunnyslope collaborate to develop a unified response to the following commonly asked questions:
Customers and Community:
• When will water supply return to normal?
• What are the restrictions, and when will restrictions be lifted? • What will you give me to compensate for any damages to my property? • How will you prevent a water shortage in the future?
News Media:
• What are the current water conditions?
• What is the status of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan? • What is the estimated loss?
• How will you prevent this from happening again?
• Who is responsible?
Government Regulators:
• When did water shortage happen?
• What are the environmental, health, and safety impacts of this water shortage? Elected officials:
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• How does this water shortage affect the environment, the economy, and public safety?
• How many employees are affected?
• When will the situation return to normal?
Employees:
• Will this water shortage affect my job?
• Will I get paid during times of reduced operation?
1.4. COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT
1.4.1. Demand Reduction Through Public Outreach
During the most recent drought (2014-2016), public outreach was expanded by 200 percent, and a 25 percent reduction was achieved by both Hollister and Sunnyslope. These programs are discussed in more detail in Section 9 of the UWMP. The specific public outreach measures listed below are intended to reduce demand during a drought or water supply interruption:
• Expand Public Information Campaign – Newsletter and other flyers in both English and Spanish were used to publicize programs and explain the importance of drought conservation.
• Improve Customer Billing – Customers with higher than average bills were contacted and possible water savings were recommended.
• Offer Water Use Surveys – Both residential and landscape surveys help high water users to identify areas of potential conservation.
• Provide Rebates or Giveaways of Plumbing Fixtures and Devices – Rebates and plumbing retrofits are available at all times but are publicized more during drought conditions. Plumbing retrofits including hose nozzles, faucet aerators, and shower heads are available at no cost to customers. Rebates are available for low flow toilets and high efficiency washing machines.
• Provide Rebates for Landscape Irrigation Efficiency – There is currently a landscape efficiency rebate program that provides rebates for landscape conversion, lowvolume sprinkler heads, rain sensors, hose timers, and includes customized sprinkler schedules.
• Increase Water Waste Patrols – Examples include: Implement a Water Waste Patrol program; Increase staffing for Water Waste Patrol; Increase authority of Water Waste Patrol.
• Moratorium or Net Zero Demand Increase on New Connections – The agencies have added a no new connection element to their WSCP that is triggered in Stage 4.
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• Implement or Modify Drought Rate Structure or Surcharge –a drought rate structure may be implemented in future droughts.
In addition to these measures, SAN BENITO URBAN AREA agencies offer ongoing educational programming, classes, and community outreach. Section 9 of the UWMP contains more detailed descriptions of these programs.
1.4.2. Warning and Citation Protocols
Enforcement is applicable at any water shortage stage. Any customer violating the regulations and restrictions on water use set forth in the “No Waste" Ordinances will receive a written warning for the first violation. A second violation within 12 months of the first violation results in a $100 penalty. On the third violation, the customer will be charged a $250 fine and the retailer may install a flow-restrictor. If a flow-restrictor is placed, the violator will pay the cost of installation and removal. After a fourth violation, a $500 penalty is issued. If water service is disconnected, it will be restored only upon payment of a reconnection charge. These penalties apply at any time but are likely to be more closely adhered to during drought periods.
Any willful violation occurring subsequent to the issuance of the second written warning will constitute a misdemeanor and may be referred to the City/County District Attorney’s office for prosecution pursuant. Misdemeanor convictions could include imprisonment and/or fines. The length of time for imprisonment and the magnitude of the fine vary between Hollister and Sunnyslope. If water service is disconnected, it will be restored only upon payment of a reconnection charge. These penalties apply at any time but are likely to be more closely adhered to during drought periods. In addition to fines, the City, Sunnyslope or the District, after written notice, may install a flow restrictor device or discontinue service to consumers who willfully violate provisions of this WSCP.
A person or property can apply for a waiver to the requirements in the WSCP. This hardship waiver is applicable at any stage of the WSCP. The written request must be submitted to one of the SAN BENITO URBAN AREA agencies with supporting documentation (photographs, maps, drawings, and any other information as appropriate). The waiver may be granted or conditionally granted only upon a written finding of the existence of facts demonstrating an undue hardship to a person using water or to property upon which water is used. The Agency that receives the waiver must act upon any completed application no later than ten days after submittal and may approve, conditionally approve, or deny the waiver. The applicant requesting the waiver must be promptly notified in writing of any action taken.
1.5. LEGAL AUTHORITIES
In the event of a water shortage, the SAN BENITO URBAN AREA Agencies shall declare a water shortage emergency in accordance with Water Code Chapter 3 Division 1.
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Water Code Chapter 3 Division 1, Section 350 Declaration of water shortage emergency condition.
The governing body of a distributor of a public water supply, whether publicly or privately owned and including a mutual water company, shall declare a water shortage emergency condition to prevail within the area served by such distributor whenever it finds and determines that the ordinary demands and requirements of water consumers cannot be satisfied without depleting the water supply of the distributor to the extent that there would be insufficient water for human consumption, sanitation, and fire protection.
The SBUA agencies shall coordinate with the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista and San Benito County for the possible proclamation of a local emergency, as defined in the California Government Code, California Emergency Services Act (Article 2, Section 8558).
1.6. FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF WSCP
During periods of water shortage, revenue of the SBUA agencies may be reduced as the WSCP is implemented. Decreased water demand will lead to decreased revenue at the normal billing rate. The WSCP calls for an increase in water demand reduction programs, such as expanded public information campaigns, water use surveys, rebates, and water waste patrols, which may result in increased spending and staff costs.
The SAN BENITO URBAN AREA agencies proactively prepare for periodic revenue shortages and periods of increased spending. All surplus revenues that the District, Hollister, and Sunnyslope collect are currently reinvested into the water supply system in preparation for potential revenue reduction during water shortages.
Based on projected and observed declines in revenue during shortages, the entities determined that rate increases may be needed in Stage 2 through 6. In Stage 1, no additional water purchases and no rate increases are required. For Stages 2 & 3, 4 & 5, and 6, rate increases may be needed if the agencies decide to maintain the same revenue over this period.
1.7. MONITORING, REPORTING, AND WSCP REFINEMENT
PROCEDURES
Under normal water supply conditions, potable water production values for Hollister and Sunnyslope are recorded daily and reported monthly to the Water Supervisor. Water use will be monitored and analyzed through billing data. During a Stage 1, Stage 2, or Stage 3 water shortage, daily production figures will be reported to the Water Supervisor of each agency. The Supervisor will compare the weekly production to the target weekly production to verify that the reduction goal is being met. Weekly reports will be forwarded respectively to the General Manager of Sunnyslope, the Public Works Director at the City of Hollister and to the Program Manager of the WRA. During a Stage 4, 5, or 6 water shortage, the daily production report will be provided to the General or City Manager of each agency. In Stages San Benito 2025 UWMP
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1 through 6, monthly reports will be sent to the City Councils of Hollister and SJB and the Sunnyslope Board of Directors. If reduction goals are not met, the respective managers will notify the governing board of each agency that additional action is required.
The WSCP implementation can be refined and updated at any point. During a water shortage, the Agencies may make changes as needed to best fit the emergency and communicate these changes with the public and stakeholders. After a water shortage emergency has passed, the Agencies are encouraged to evaluate the plan’s effectiveness and may choose to adjust the WSCP to enhance its success, clarity, and feasibility.
1.8. SPECIAL WATER FEATURE DISTINCTION
Per Water Code Section 10632 (b) the SBUA Agencies shall define and analyze water features that are artificially supplied with water, such as ponds, places, waterfalls, and fountains, separately from swimming pools and spas. Water features that are not pools or spas may use recycled water, while potable water must be used in pools and spas for health and safety purposes.
1.9. ADOPTION, SUBMITTAL, AND AVAILABILITY
The initial WSCP adoption coincided with the 2015 UWMP adoption. The WSCP will be adopted again along side of the UWMP for the 2025 cycle. In accordance with section 10642 of the Water Code and section 6066 of the Government Code, each agency held a public hearing prior to adoption of the Plan.
San Benito Urban Area UWMP 2025
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Appendix E
Water Shortage
Emergency
Response
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
1 Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
PWS 3510003
Revision Date: May 13, 2011
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
2 Table of Contents
1. Introduction
Objective
2. Planning Group Partners
3. Water System Information
Emergency Water Supply
City of Hollister/Sunnyslope CWD Inter-ties
Zone Map
Designated Responsible Personnel
Inventory of Resources
4. Standardized Emergency Management System/National Incident Management System (SEMS/NIMS)
Five Principle Functions of SEMS/NIMS
Management
Operations
Planning/Intelligence
Logistics
Finance/Administration
Water Utility Emergency Operations Center
City of Hollister Personnel
Drinking Water Field Operations Branch - Chain of Command Emergency Operations Center
Personnel Accountability
Response Procedures
Other Agency Coordination
5. Initial Notifications
First Responders
Local Police and Sheriffs
Fire and Hazmat
Drinking Water Primacy Agency
Federal Agencies
USEPA
County Health Department
County Environmental Health Departments
County and State Offices of Emergency Services
Hospital and Critical Care Facilities
Customers
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
3 6. Response Procedures
7. Public Notice Procedures
Consumer Alert During Water Outages or Periods of Low Pressure Boil Water Order (BWO)
Unsafe Water Alert (UWA)
Unsafe Water Alert (UWA)
Media Notification
Cancellation of Public Notification
8. Water Quality Sampling
Laboratory Resources
CDPH Laboratory
California Mutual Aid Laboratory Network (CAMAL Net)
Chemical Analysis Classification
Biological Analysis Classification
Natural Disaster
Terrorist Event/Contamination Event
Emergency Water Quality Sampling Kit
Sample Collection
Laboratory
Sample Transport
Sample Analysis
9. Restoration and Recovery
Initial Recovery Activities
Long Term Recovery Activities
10. Emergency Response Training
Exercises and Drills
11. Resume Normal Operations
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
4 1. Introduction
Objective
To continue minimum service levels and mitigate the public health risks from drinking water contamination that may occur during a disaster or other emergency events and in order to provide reliable water service and minimize public health risks from unsafe drinking water during those events, the City of Hollister proposes the following plan that defines how it will respond to emergencies and/or disasters that are likely to affect its operation.
Disasters/emergencies that are likely to occur in the water system’s service area that are addressed are: earthquake, major fire emergencies, water outages due to loss of power, localized flooding, water contamination, and acts of sabotage.
2. Planning Group Partners
City of Hollister has established emergency planning partnerships with other parties who have agreed to help the utility in an emergency situation. A list of these agencies and brief description of their emergency capabilities is provided in section “COH Telephone List”
3. Water System Information
System Identification Number PWS 3510003
System name and address
City of Hollister
375 Fifth Street
Hollister CA 95023
Connections/Population Served 6,050 service connections 22,500 population Type of Source 6 Groundwater Wells 1 Surface Water Treatment Plant Type of Treatment Provided
Disinfection treatment is provided using Sodium Hypochlorite 12.5% at Wells and LESSALT Surface Water Treatment Plant in addition adds Sodium Hydroxide 25% (Caustic Soda) for pH control.
Number of Storage Tanks 3 Treated Water Tanks totaling 7,500,000 gallons Emergency Water Supply
Average Water Demand 2.7 mgd
Max Water Demand 5.0 mgd
Max Water Production 5.5 mgd
Max Emergency Electrical
Generator Water Supply Capacity SSCWD Supply 4.55 mgd City of Hollister Supply 5.6mgd Days of Emergency Supply Unlimited at Average Demand Unlimited at Max Demand City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
5 Typical residential water usage in the United States is on the order of 300 to 500 gallons per residence per day, or 100 to 150 gallons per capita per day. Although these amounts can typically be significantly reduced during crisis situations, City of Hollister has found it useful to develop an estimate for the quantity of supplemental water required for a number of potential outage scenarios. These estimates are as follows:
Outage Period Number of Customers (service
connections) Affected
Quantity of water needed
1 hour 5300 connections 6000 110,416 gph
12 hours 5300 connections 6000 1,324,999 g/12hr
1 day 5300 connections 6000 2,650,000 gpd
2 days 5300 connections 6000 5,300,000 g/2days
1 week 5300 connections 6000 18,550,000 gpw
CITY OF HOLLISTER/SUNNYSLOPE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT INTER-TIES COH/SSCWD Inter-tie
Location Description Flow Direction (GPM Range)
Actual
Santa Ana & La Baig
Pressure Reduction Valve
Water meters & totalizer
2” & 6” Meter
Flow to the COH
Only
(0 - 1000 GPM)
250 - 600 GPM
Hillcrest & Memorial
Booster Station
Pressure Reduction Valve,
2 Booster Pumps,
Water meter & totalizer
8” Mag Meter
Flow to the COH
can be pumped
to SSCWD
(0 - 1000 GPM)
250 - 600 GPM
Sunnyslope & Memorial Water meter & totalizer
8” Mag Meter
Flow to the COH
can be pumped
to SSCWD
(0 - 1000 GPM)
150-250 GPM
Sunset Dr. & Memorial
Water meter & totalizer
8” Mag Meter
Flow to the COH
can be pumped
to SSCWD
(0 - 1000 GPM)
150-250 GPM
San Benito County Public
Works Yard
Pressure Reduction Valves
Water meters & totalizers
2” & 6”
Flow to COH
Only
(0 – 1000 GPM)
150-250 GPM
The Sunnyslope County Water District maintains a potable community water system that is capable of supplying water to City of Hollister during an emergency.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
6 During Normal operations the exchange of water is as required by demand and metered through a series of five inter-ties between the City of Hollister and the Sunnyslope County Water Distribution Systems. This exchange includes the routine daily transfer of the City of Hollister’s share of water from the LESSALT Water Treatment Plant. Additional flows to and from the Sunnyslope Distribution System are based on seasonal water supply demands.
These inter-ties typically involve pressure reduction valves, water meters and a booster pump station at one location with associated appurtenances.
A higher water pressure in the Sunnyslope County Water District Distribution System results in Hollister’s share of LESSALT surface water to flow through the Sunnyslope Fairview Pressure Zone primarily through the Santa Ana and Hillcrest Pressure Reducing Valve Inter-ties. Flows can vary from 0 to 1000 GPM but typically are between 400-600 gallons per minute (GPM) range at Santa Ana and 100-300 GPM range at Hillcrest, Sunset and Sunnyslope. Seasonal demands also allow Sunset and Sunnyslope inter-ties to provide LESSALT water to the City.
Water can be transferred into the Sunnyslope system using the City of Hollister’s booster pump station at Hillcrest and Memorial Drive or Airline Highway City Well #6 to pump water against the pressure gradient. The demand in the City’s sub system west of Memorial Drive is first met then surplus water will flow back to the Sunnyslope system through the Sunset, Sunnyslope and Hillcrest inter-tie connections.
The San Benito County Public Works Inter-tie provides water from the Sunnyslope Ridgemark Water Pressure Zone though a series of pressure reducing valves to the City of Hollister Cienega Pressure Zone. Transfer at this site typically falls within the 0-300 GPM range depending on seasonal demands.
Zone Map
A map of the City of Hollister which identifies water well sources, inter-ties with the City of Hollister water distribution system, pressure zones, booster pumps, pressure reducing stations, and District owned wastewater facilities and also establishes emergency response zones. See section “Sunnyslope County Water District Zone Map”.
Designated Responsible Personnel
For designated responsible personnel, chain of command, identified responsibilities, and additional resources see section” COH Employee Phone List.” Inventory of Resources
Equipment and system resources that are used for normal operations and available for emergencies; including maps and schematic diagrams of the water system, emergency equipment, equipment suppliers, mutual aid with planning group partners, repair parts and equipment are located at the City of Hollister Utility Division Office. Additional equipment and resources available include:
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
7 Electrical generators
Backhoe
Air compressor
High pressure hydro flushing equipment
Utility vehicles equipped with tool, valve turners, lift gate, air compressor. Dump trailer
Utility trailer containing repair equipment and supplies Welder and cutting torch
Cell phones, two way radio communications
Shop vacuums
Pumps
Emergency spill kits
Mutual aid with the Sunnyslope County Water District, San Benito County Water District, San Benito County Public Works
The City of Hollister has established procedures for equipment maintenance. See Operation and Maintenance Procedures.
4. Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS/NIMS) The Standardized Emergency Management System/National Incident Management System (SEMS/NIMS) is the system required by Government Code §8607 (a) for managing response to multi-agency and multi-jurisdiction emergencies in California. The system was created for several purposes. First it allows rapid and effective coordination at the field level using the Incident Command System (ICS) to manage multi-agency response to an incident. Secondly, SEMS/NIMS create a common management structure at all levels of response, which allows entities to work with common terminology, staffing organizations, and facilities for more efficient interagency coordination. Thirdly, it creates an ordering process for requesting resources from the field through local government, to the County (Operational Area) to the state and eventually the federal government. It also allows each level of organization to track requests and resources that are dispatched to the incident or necessary for support. Local public agencies (cities, counties, special districts) must use SEMS/NIMS to be eligible for State funding of certain response-related personnel costs resulting from a disaster. State agencies are required by the law to utilize SEMS/NIMS during emergencies.
NOTE: Depending on the circumstances of the incident, when a request is made by the water system to local first response agencies, such as Fire or Law Enforcement, ICS will be implemented by these first response agencies to manage the resources at the site. Water system personnel that will interface with this response agency personnel, in the field, should understand their role in the ICS structure. Water systems can and will provide tactical and precautionary measures through their Emergency Operations Center or the Water Utility Emergency Response Manager (WUERM). It will be important to coordinate these activities with the field (Incident) through an Agency Representative or Technical Specialist in the ICS structure.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
8 Water System Personnel may function in the ICS structure (Field Level) as an Agency Representative or Technical Specialist.
Five Principle Functions of SEMS/NIMS
Management - In a Water System Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the EOC Director has overall responsibility for all emergency functions. This person may initially be designated as the Water Utility Emergency Response Manager (WUERM) prior to the activation of an EOC. The EOC Director may retain and/or delegate authority for functions listed below.
In the field, under ICS, an Incident Commander or Unified Command is established depending on statutory authorities for the Incident. The Incident Commander's responsibility is the overall management of the incident.
Operations - The Operations Section is responsible for the management of all operations directly applicable to the primary mission established for the response. The Operations Section Chief activates and supervises organization elements in accordance with the Incident Action Plan and directs its execution.
For water utilities, coordinates emergency response activities at the water utility EOC level and implements the priorities established by management or the Incident Command.
Operation Section staff include field coordinators, as necessary, linked to water utility personnel at other fixed facilities or assigned to incidents within the water utility. The field coordinator should receive and pass information up the chain of command, as well as, receive and coordinate requests for services and support.
Planning/Intelligence - Oversees the collection, evaluation, verification, and display of current information related to the emergency. This section is also responsible for preparing action plans and maintaining documentation related to the emergency. The information collected is needed to 1) understand current situation 2) predict probable course of the incident events 3) prepare alternative strategies and control operations for the incident.
Logistics - Provides facilities, services, and material in support of the Incident. Oversees the acquisition, storing, and distribution of essential resources and support services needed to manage the emergency. It tracks the status of resources. Logistics provides services to all field units in terms of obtaining and meeting their personnel, materials and equipment needs including communications.
Finance/Administration - The Finance/Administration Section is responsible for all financial, administrative and cost analysis aspects of the incident. Finance/Administration prepares vendor contracts, maintains records of expenditures for personnel and equipment, and maintains records and processes claims. It also provides preliminary estimates of damage costs and losses.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
9 General Staff - Each function listed above should have a delegated Chief to manage the Section. Depending on the nature and scope of the emergency each Section can have several branches, divisions, groups, or units.
Command Staff - These positions report directly to and are directly subordinate to the Incident Commander or EOC Director. They are the Public Information, Liaison and Safety Officers.
Water Utility Emergency Operations Center
Depending on the Magnitude of the Incident, Water Utilities may have to establish an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to manage its resources and coordinate with outside entities. An EOC is a physical location from which support for centralized emergency management can be performed. The essential functions necessary in the Water Utility EOC are described below:
Establish an EOC Director to manage the Operations, Planning/Intelligence, Logistics, Finance/Administration Sections, and related sub-functions. Setting Priorities and developing Action Plans
Coordination and support of all field level incident activities within the utility service area.
Information gathering, processing, and reporting within the utility service area and to other levels of SEMS/NIMS
Coordination with local government, operational areas, or regional EOCs as appropriate.
Requesting Resources from higher SEMS/NIMS levels
Note: In general, at any level of activation, the Water Utility Emergency Response Manager (WUERM) should be aware of the following incident management principles:
Establishing objectives and priorities for the incident Establish an Incident Action Plan (written or verbal) Awareness of his or her responsibility for the 5 primary functions of SEMS/NIMS Management, Operations, Planning, Logistics and Finance/Administration Ensure an effective span of control (only supervise 5-7 staff directly on an incident) Delegate authority and activate organizational elements within an Incident Command Structure only as necessary
Provide for personnel accountability and a safe environment for staff Ensure effective communications
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
10 Section Leader Assignments
SECTION PRIMARY ALTTERNATE
Incident Manager City Manager or Director of Community Services Water Utility Emergency Response Manager
(WUERM)
Operations Utilities Supervisor Ray Rojas
Planning/Assessment Director of Community Services Senior Engineer Logistics/Resources City Engineer Senior Engineer
Administration Admin. Manager Accounting Personnel Administrator Human Resources
COMMAND STAFF PRIMARY ALTERNATE
Public Information Public Education Coordinator Customer Service Admin.
Advisory Support Safety Coordinator Assistant Safety Coordinator Incident Manager
(Water Utility
Emergency
Response Manager
(WUERM)
Public Information Advisory Support
Incident
Manager
Legal Counsel
Board Policy
Safety Risk
Employee Family
News Media
Customer
Information
Operations Planning/Assessm
ent
Logistics/Resource
s
Administration
Distribution System
Water Quality
Distribution
Maintenance
Communication
Systems
Damage Assessment
EOC Operations
Interagency Liaison
Engineering Support
Personnel
Equipment
Materials
Other Supplies
Cost Accounting/Financial
Audit
FEMA Documentation
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
11 City of Hollister Personnel
Name and title Responsibilities during an emergency
WUERM Overall management and decision making for the water/wastewater system.
WUERM is lead for managing the emergency and contacting the regulatory agencies.
WUERM contacts the public and news media
All communications to external parties are approved by the WUERM In charge of operating the water/wastewater system.
Performs inspections, maintenance, sampling of the system and relaying critical information to the WUERM.
Assess facilities, and provides recommendations to the WUERM. In charge of running water treatment plant
Performs inspections, maintenance, sampling of the WTP and relaying critical information to the WUERM.
Assess WTP facilities and treatment provided and provides recommendations to the WUERM.
In charge of collecting samples, having samples analyzed by certified labs, receiving the results.
Determines the quality of the water being served meets all drinking water and public health requirements.
Responsible for administrative and financial functions in the office. Cost accounting and tracking during emergencies.
Oversee customer phone calls and maintains a log of complaints and calls.
In an emergency, could provide a standard carefully pre-scripted message for customers who call with general questions.
Delivers water quality notices or door hangers
Provides backup to water system operator.
Conducts site inspections of all facilities.
Coordinate with all the other agencies PIOs.
Report and work with the joint information center (JIC) if more than one agency is involved.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
12 Drinking Water Field Operations Branch - Chain of Command The primary contact for the water system during any emergency is their District Engineer. Water Systems should contact their District Engineer in the event of any emergency. From the District Engineer, authority moves up the line to the Regional Engineer, Branch Chiefs, Assistant Division Chief, to finally the Chief of the Division.
Emergency Operations Center
The City of Hollister Police Department has been designated as the communication network Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The designated backup location is the City’s Corporation Yard at 1321 South Street All City water utility vehicles contain copies of the COH Emergency Response Plan & Operation and Maintenance Procedures Manual. Emergency contact information for equipment suppliers is located in section “COH Employee Phone List” of this manual. The telephone and FAX will be the primary mode of communication in an emergency.
Personnel Accountability
The COH Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is designated as the personnel assembly area.
During catastrophic emergency situations outside of working hours all personnel will first respond to personal emergencies then will report to the Emergency Operations Center. During working hours personnel will communicate with the Emergency Operations Center to report their status and receive instructions. If an employee fails to report their status an investigation into the location and safety of that employee will be initiated.
Family members are urged to contact the EOC for personnel updates and assistance.
Response Procedures
Personnel will, as quickly as possible, assess damage to water and wastewater system facilities, provide logistics for emergency repairs, monitor progress of repairs and restoration efforts, communicate with health officials and water users according to the “Emergency Notification Plan” on file with the regulatory agency (i.e., Department of Health Services (DHS) and document damage and repairs.
Other Agency Coordination
Coordination procedures with governmental agencies for health and safety protection; technical, legal, and financial assistance, and public notification procedures are continually being developed and updated through regulation and experience and will be added as necessary to this plan.
During an emergency it is important to contact and notify all the appropriate agencies and stakeholders that will be affected by the emergency. Some agencies will need to be notified City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
13 immediately while others may be needed later in the incident, depending on the event. The following is a list of agencies and stakeholders that a water system should have updated contact information. Since this list has many contact names and phone numbers, this information should be reviewed annually to ensure that current information is provided.
The initial notification response to any emergency should be to “911” for the needed first responder and then to the Department of Health Services-Drinking Water Program. The Department of Health Services – Drinking Water Program is the Drinking Water Primacy Agency in California and has regulatory jurisdiction over all public water systems in the state.
Contact to the CDPH-DWP should be to their District Engineer. If the water system is unable to contact the District Engineer (or one of their staff), the water system should use the California Office of Emergency Services (OES) Warning Center Phone Number: 1-800-852-7550, which is a 24/7 phone number. A second phone number for the OES Warning Center is 916-845-8911. A duty officer will answer the CA OES Warning Center phone call and refer to statewide emergency phone numbers. In order to assist the duty officer-it will expedite response if you request the California Department of Health Services (CDPH) duty officer. The CDPH duty officer will then call management staff in the Drinking Water Program to respond to the emergency.
Depending on the magnitude of the event, the following state agencies may also need to be contacted:
Office of Emergency Services (OES) Warning Control Center. Department of Water Resources.
Department of Fish and Game.
Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Department of Toxic Substances Control.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
USEPA
Local County Health Department
County Health Department
County Environmental Health Departments
Local Agencies/Facilities
County and State Offices of Emergency Services
Hospital and Critical Care Facilities
Water District Customers
5. Initial Notifications
First Responders
911 - If the situation is an emergency that needs response from local fire, law enforcement, medical or hazardous materials team (HAZMAT), calling 911 should be the first immediate call.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
14 Water system staff should be aware of where and how they are calling 911. If the water system staff calls “(831) 636-4100” from a cell phone, then the call is routed to the nearest California Highway Patrol Office, which may be in another city or county, and not in the immediate local 911 area. Typically a direct phone number for the local 911 can be provided to the water system-contact your local first responders to get this phone number for cell phones.
Local Police and Sheriffs
Water systems should establish an ongoing relationship with the local police and sheriff offices that serve their service area. It is good practice to get them familiar with water system facilities.
If they are called out to an incident, they will then be familiar with some basic aspects of the water system. Water systems that have large service areas that cover several cities or large areas should have contacts for each police and sheriff agency in their service area.
Fire and Hazmat
If the emergency incident involves an unknown substance and possible contamination of the water system, the first responders will more likely be the local fire department and/or HAZMAT team. Most Hazmat teams are part of the local fire department, but some may be special teams under county or city jurisdiction.
Like law enforcement agencies, water systems should know all the fire departments and/or HAZMAT teams that serve their service area and maintain contacts with those agencies. Contact your local county Office of Emergency Services to obtain the local HAZMAT teams that have jurisdiction in your area.
Drinking Water Primacy Agency
California Department of Public Health Drinking Water Program has regulatory jurisdiction for public water systems and should be one of the first agencies to be contacted in almost all emergency events. Contact should be to the District Engineer. In most emergency events, it is not appropriate to leave a message on the District Engineers voicemail. If the water system is not able to contact the District Engineer-they should call the State Warning Center 24/7 phone number as described in Section 6.3. The District Engineer will be able to assist the water system in:
Inspections of water treatment plants, storage facilities, watersheds (chemical contamination, sewage spills, erosion, and drainage diversions). Water Quality Sampling.
Consulting with water system staff/operators.
Providing technical assistance.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
15 Documenting the disaster’s effect on the water system through photographs and reports.
Keeping local officials advised of the current drinking water situation. Review plans and specifications for reconstruction projects, and issue amended permits as needed.
Laboratory Sampling Analysis
a. Depending the magnitude of the event, the following state agencies may also need to be contacted:
Office of Emergency Services (OES) Warning Control Center. Department of Water Resources.
Department of Fish and Game.
Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Department of Toxic Substances Control.
Federal Agencies
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - If the event is a known terrorist incident or a direct written or phone threat against the water system, the FBI is to be contacted as soon as possible.
There are four regional offices that have Key Asset Coordinators/Special Agents that should be contacted. The water system should report an emergency by calling the 24/7 phone numbers, which are listed below for each of the four regional offices in California. A link to the regional offices is also provided to allow water systems to check what region they should report an event.
San Francisco - (415) 553-7400 http://sanfrancisco.fbi.gov/ Los Angeles - (310) 477-6565 http://losangeles.fbi.gov/ Sacramento - (916) 481-9110 http://sacramento.fbi.gov/
San Diego - (858) 565-1255 http://sandiego.fbi.gov/
USEPA
The US Environmental Protection Agency Drinking Water Program is not a direct response agency. US EPA, through its “Superfund Response Program” has emergency response resources for incidents related to environmental chemical releases. These resources are not “first response” resources and should be requested through the SEMS/NIMS process.
County Health Department
The County Public Health Officer is responsible for all public health issues within their county.
They should be notified of any event that could affect public health within their county. In the event of an emergency that will require financial and technical assistance through the CA Mutual Aide System, the County Public Health Officer will be one of the officials that can declare a “State of Emergency” and request assistance from the Regional and State OES. The County City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
16 Public Health Officer also will have access to disease surveillance data within the county. If you do not have the contact information of the current County Health Officer, contact your District Engineer.
County Environmental Health Departments
Many County Environmental Health Departments have been delegated primacy for the small water systems serving less than 200 service connections within the county. The Environmental Health Departments have contacts with the Department of Health Services as well as many county HAZMAT teams. If you do not have the contact information of the current County Director of Environmental Health Department, contact your District Engineer.
County and State Offices of Emergency Services
The County and State Offices of Emergency Services (OES) provide support and coordination of resources during an emergency. Water systems should work with their County OES to establish requesting protocols for State OES resources utilizing SEMS/NIMS. If additional or specialized resources are needed during an emergency, OES should be able to dispatch those resources to the emergency.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
17 San Benito County
Operational Area Emergency Organization
MANAGEMENT
INCIDENT COMMANDER
(County Administrative Officer)
Overall management and coordination of the
County emergency response
PUBLIC INFORMATION
(County Clerk/Deputy CAD)
Gathers and releases information
to the public through the media
LEGAL ADVISOR
(County Council)
Provides legal advice and
documents relating to the
emergency
EMERGENCY SERVICES MGR
Advises and assists County
Executive with command of
Emergency response
OPERATIONS SECTION
(County Fire Chief/CDF)
Coordinates the “front line”
Responses to major
emergency
FIRE & RESCUE
(Calif. Dept. of Forestry)
Firefighting hazardous
material rescue
LAW ENFORCNEMT
(Sheriff)
Law enforcement evacuation,
traffic & perimeter control
Corner- collects, identifies,
stores or buries the dead
Communications
(Undersheriff)
Manages Communications
MEDICAL
(EMS Coordinator)
Triage, emergency medical
treatment
CONSTRUCTION &
ENGINEERING
(Public Works Dept.)
Debris Removal:
Inspection, repair,
construction
UTILITIES
(PG&E, Water, Telephone)
Restores Public Utilities
Planing section
(Planning Director)
Gathers and analyzes
Information
Monitors resources status
LOGISTICS SECTION
(Undersheriff)
Supports emergency
response efforts
FINANCE SECTION
(Asst. County Auditors)
Manages the finance
Aspects of the emergency
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Intelligence
Damage Assessment
EOC Status Boards
RESOURCES STATUS
Track personnel,
equipment and supplies
SUPPLY
(Director of
CAA/ETO)
Provide Supplies
PUBLICMENTAL HEALTH
(Mental Health Dir./Health
Officer)
Disease Prevention and Control
Hazardous materials;
Psychological aid
TRANSPORTATION
(Ag Comm.)
Coordinates vehicles
and drives
PERSONNEL
(Personnel
Director/Technical)
Provides volunteers
and County staff;
Assist with EOC
message control
CARE & SHELTER
(HAS Director)
Assists Red Cross with
shelters, food water,
clothing
SCHOOLS
(Office of Education)
Assist superintendent;
Provide school status
resources
COST UNIT
Tracks all cost of
disaster response
and recovery
TIME UNIT
Payroll
timekeeping
CLAIMS UNIT
Files claims to
recover costs of
disaster
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
18 Hospital and Critical Care Facilities
It is important to know location and contact information for all the critical care facilities and hospitals in your service area. An emergency or contamination event in the water system can effect the operations of these facilities.
Customers
It is important that a water system be able to communicate with their customers. All means of communication need to be explored to effectively communicate with customers. The Water Quality Emergency Notification Plan (WQENP), as required under Section 116460, California Health and Safety Code, is a significant part of a water system plan to communicate with their customers. The WQENP should be included in the Appendix of the ERP. The WQENP is a standard form that contains specific information for the CDPH District Engineer and the County.
Contact your District Engineer for the current WQENP form.
6. Response Procedures
Personnel will, as quickly as possible, determine the status of other employees, assess damage to water and wastewater system facilities, provide logistics for emergency repairs, monitor progress of repairs and restoration efforts, communicate with health officials and water users according to the “Emergency Notification Plan” on file with the regulatory agency (i.e., Department of Health Services (DHS) or Local Primacy Agency (LPA)), and document damage and repairs.
7. Public Notice Procedures
Public notice procedures should be developed before the disaster and not during the event.
Public notices are a significant part of communicating with customers. Standard public notifications for water outage/low pressure problems, Boil Water Order (BWO), Unsafe Water Alert (UWA) or Do Not Drink Notices have been developed by CDPH for use during an emergency. Each utility will need to modify the standard forms with specific contact information and guidance to customers depending on the nature of the emergency event. In addition, water systems need to have copies of public notices in the appropriate languages used in their service areas.
A BWO, UWA or Do Not Drink Notice can be issued by one, or a combination of the following agencies:
CDPH – Drinking Water Program (Designated personnel-District Engineer, Regional Engineer or Branch Chief).
Local County Health Department (Designated personnel-County Health Officer or Director of Environmental Health Department for small water systems under county jurisdiction).
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
19 Affected Water System (Designated personnel-responsible person in charge of the affected water system, i.e., Director of Water Quality, Manager, Director of Water Department, Director of Public Works, Owner, etc. The water systems ERP should identify the designated personnel in their ERP).
All public notifications (BWO, UWA or Do Not Drink Notices) should be coordinated with the CDPH District Engineer, County Environmental Health Department and the County Health Officer prior to issuing a public notice. However, any one of the three agencies should act immediately to issue a BWO or UWA, if delays will jeopardize public health and safety. The CDPH District Engineer or the water system must notify the County Health Department and the County Health Officer prior to or immediately after issuing a public notice. Notice must be given to a person, a message left on voicemail is not sufficient. Coordination of this notification should be identified in the ERP. Whenever a BWO/UWA has been issued, the CDPH DWP also needs to notify two other CA Department of Health Services Agencies- DHS Food and Drug and DHS Licensing and Certification. The CDPH DWP District Engineer will notify the other two CDPH agencies of the BWO/UWA issued.
The following standard public notices are provided in the Appendix of this manual.
Consumer Alert During Water Outages or Periods of Low Pressure If a water system is experiencing power outages, water outages or low pressure problems, a consumer alert may be issued to the public. The notice provides consumers information on conserving water and how to treat the water with household bleach if the water quality is questionable.
Boil Water Order (BWO)
A BWO should be issued when minimum bacteriological water quality standards cannot be reasonably assured. To assure public health protection a BWO should be issued as soon as it is concluded by the designated personnel that the water supply is or may be biologically unsafe.
Examples of these situations include:
1. Biological contamination of water supply system, including but not limited to:
Positive total or fecal coliform bacteriological samples; Prolonged water outages in areas of ruptured sewer and/or water mains; Failed septic tank systems in close proximity to ruptured water mains; Ruptured water treatment, storage, and/or distribution facilities in areas of known sewage spills
Known biological contamination;
Cross-connection contamination problems;
Illness attributed to water supply.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
20 2. Unusual system characteristics, including but not limited to:
Prolonged loss of pressure;
Sudden loss of chlorine residual;
Severe discoloration and odor;
Inability to implement emergency chlorination.
3. Implemented due to treatment inadequacies.
Unsafe Water Alert (UWA)/“Do Not Drink”
In the event a water quality emergency due to known or suspected chemical (nonbacteriological) contamination to a water system a UWA or “Do Not Drink” should be issued.
Water should not be used for drinking and cooking, but may be used for sanitation purposes.
Examples of these situations include:
1. Known or suspected widespread chemical or hazardous contamination in water supply distribution, including but not limited to:
Ruptured water distribution system (storage tanks, mains) in area of known chemical spill coupled with loss of pressure;
Severe odor and discoloration;
Loss of chlorine residual;
Inability of existing water treatment process to neutralize chemical contaminants prior to entering the distribution system.
2. Threatened or suspected acts of sabotage confirmed by analytical results, including but not limited to:
Suspected contamination triggered by acts of sabotage or vandalism.
3. Emergency use of an unapproved source to provide a supplemental water supply.
Unsafe Water Alert (UWA)/“Do Not Use”
In the event a known or suspected contamination event to a water system, where the contaminate may be chemical, biological or radiological a UWA or “Do Not Use” should be issued. Water should not be used for drinking, cooking, or sanitation purposes. Examples of these situations include:
1. Known or suspected widespread chemical or hazardous contamination in water supply distribution, including but not limited to
Terrorist contamination event.
The public information officer for a water system needs to be assigned before an emergency occurs. The water system public information officer (PIO) will need to coordinate with all the other agencies PIOs. If more than one agency is involved in an emergency, a joint information center (JIC) will probably be established. If a BWO or UWA is issued, the water system should notify the PIOs in the EOC immediately.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
21 Media Notification
Dealing with and notifying the media is one of the most significant communication tasks. Any dealing with the media during an emergency should come from one unified source-typically from the EOC. If more than one source communicates with the media, there will be conflicting information that will give the appearance all the agencies involved in the emergency do not know what they are doing. The media is a good way to communicate with water system customers. Boil Water Orders, Unsafe Water Alerts, and other public notices can be distributed through the media. Again this is only effective if the information is coordinated through one source (the JIC) and one message is delivered to the public.
Cancellation of Public Notification
Once a BWO/UWA is issued, the only agency that can rescind the public notice is the drinking water primacy agency. CDPH DWP will not lift the BWO until two rounds, collected one day apart, of coliform bacteria samples have been analyzed and the results are negative. The two sets of sample results should be faxed to the CDPH DWP District Office for final approval before rescinding the BWO. Special chemical sampling will be required to rescind an UWA, please contact the CDPH DWP District Office to determine required sampling. See SSCWD public notices in Section “Public Notification” of this Manual.
8. Water Quality Sampling
NOTE: Laboratory protocols and procedures identified are still under development by Federal and State Agencies. This section will continue to evolve and updates will be provided as necessary.
During an emergency, there are several types of water quality sampling that may need to be analyzed depending on the actual event. If it is natural disaster, flood or power outage, sampling will probably only include bacteriological samples, turbidity and chlorine residual samples if the system is chlorinated. However, if the event is a terrorist act or contamination event, the sampling will include a full scan of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) chemical, radiological and microbiological (unless the actual contaminant used is known).
Laboratory Resources
In general there are four different types or ownership of laboratory facilities in California that can analyze drinking water samples, which are listed below:
1. Commercial/private laboratories
2. County Public Health Laboratories
3. State Department of Health Services Laboratories
4. Research Facility/Specialty Laboratories
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
22 In general, laboratories are grouped into two broad categories – chemical or biological.
Chemical laboratories include: general environmental chemistry laboratories, radiological laboratories, and specialty laboratories that may be able to handle and analyze exotic contaminants, such as chemical weapons and radionuclides. Biological laboratories include:
environmental microbiology laboratories and the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) that typically analyze clinical samples for pathogens and select biotoxins.
CDPH Laboratory
The CDPH Sanitation and Radiation Laboratories Branch (SRLB) is organized within the Division of Drinking Water and Environmental Management (DDWEM). SRLB is the State’s primary drinking water quality testing laboratory and is the only State laboratory capable of measuring environmental radiation. Its primary mission is to provide analytical services, reference measurements and technical support pertaining to the State’s Drinking Water and Radiologic Health Programs.
SRLB has two laboratories. The Southern California Section is located in Los Angeles and performs microbiological, inorganic and organic testing in various water matrices. The Northern California Section, located in Richmond, carries out inorganic and organic analyses in water, and radiochemical testing in various environmental matrices in addition to water. The SRLB in conjunction with the CDPH Microbial Disease Laboratory (MDL) does microbiological analyses including biotoxins.
California Mutual Aid Laboratory Network (CAMAL Net)
The CDPH SRLB, in conjunction with the water utilities, USEPA Region IX laboratory in Richmond, Lawerence Livermore National Laboratory, and the California Department of Water Resources, have formed a laboratory network, CAMAL Net, to address laboratory capacity issues associated with possible drinking water related contamination events. CAMAL Net establishes a triage system to process samples when water systems or commercial laboratory methods are not available or the water system lacks capacity within their own lab. The CAMAL Net system will not handle any samples where field screening indicates that the sample may contain a CDC listed WMD agent. The list of WMD agents can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/. Any request for analysis through the CAMAL Net system needs to be approved by the CDPH DWP District Engineer in your jurisdiction prior to collection of water quality samples to be processed.
Chemical Analysis Classification
The CDPH along with its stakeholders and federal partners are in the process of developing an algorithm to assist California water systems, public health agencies, law enforcement, and first responders with the identification of possible chemical agents in drinking water contamination events. A draft version has been developed and it is anticipated that a final version will be released in the near future. The final version will become an appendix to this document.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
23 Biological Analysis Classification
The LRN for Bioterrorism has ranked laboratories (Level A, B, C or D) based on the type of safety procedures they practice.
Level A Lab uses a Class II biosafety (BSL) cabinet
Level B Lab is a BSL-2 facility + BSL-3 safety practices Level C Lab is a BSL-3 facility
Level D Lab is a BSL-4 facility
Level A Labs are used to rule out and forward organisms. Level B Labs are used for limited confirmation and transport. Level C Labs are used for molecular assays and reference capacity. Level D Labs are used for the highest level of characterization.
Currently, in California there are: 28 Level A labs, 10 Level B labs, 2 Level C labs. The two Level C laboratories are the LA County Public Health Laboratory, Los Angeles, CA and the CDPH MDL in Richmond, CA. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is also a Level C laboratory, but access to them is restricted. The only Level D laboratories available in the LRN are the national laboratories, such as those at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Defense. These laboratories test and characterize samples that pose challenges beyond the capabilities of the Level A, B, and C reference labs, and provide support for other LRN members during a serious outbreak or terrorist event. The most dangerous or perplexing pathogens are handled only at the Bio-Safety Level 4 laboratories at CDC and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).
Natural Disaster
During a natural disaster, flood, earthquake, fire etc., sample collection and analysis will be available to the water system by their normal laboratory resources. Sampling will primarily consist of regulatory bacteriological samples and turbidity to show that the system has been flushed out. The water system may also be collecting chlorine residual samples throughout the system with a field chlorine test kit.
Terrorist Event/Contamination Event
Once a threat warning has occurred and the utility has deemed the threat confirmed, it will be necessary to collect water quality samples. The decisions made from the time of the threat warning to the time the threat is confirmed is specific to each individual event. This “credibility stage” as referred to in the EPA Response Toolbox may take the utility between 2 – 8 hours and should involve consultation with local first responders, CDPH DWP (Drinking Water Primacy Agency), local Health Department and regional FBI office.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
24 Assuming the threat is confirmed and credible enough to warrant water quality sampling, several state and federal agencies are involved to collect samples, transport the samples to appropriate laboratory and analyze the samples. The water system’s first step in this process is to contact the CDPH-District Engineer so they can notify the CDPH-SRLB of the incoming samples. The following steps are described in more detail below:
Emergency Water Quality Sampling Kit (EWQSK)
Sample Collection
Laboratory Required for Analysis
Sample Transport
Sample Analysis
Emergency Water Quality Sampling Kit
Contains sample bottles needed for chemical, radiological and microbiological analysis (that could be split into 3 complete sample sets). The original sample kit was developed by Metropolitan Water Department to be used during a terrorist or contamination event. EPA reviewed the sample kit and provided a list of the sample bottles in the EPA Toolbox. The California Mutual Aid Laboratory Network (CAMAL Net) has also reviewed this kit and made some minor changes that will allow water quality samples to be collected under all conditions.
The CAMAL Net version of the sample kit has been finalized for deployment. This kit will continue to evolve as the US EPA develops sampling protocols for these new constituents in drinking water. The estimated cost of one kit is approximately $200. The EWQSK should remain sealed before the sample is collected. Since some of the sample bottles contain reagents that expire, the bottles in each kit should be replaced annually.
CDPH-DWP will purchase the supplies to create enough EWQSK to supply 2-3 in each DWP District Office. If water systems do not want to purchase and maintain their own kits, then the DWP will provide one of these kits in the event of an emergency. Requests for these kits should be made to the District Engineer when the water system reports the incident. Travel time from the District Office to the water system should be incorporated in the water system’s emergency response plan.
Sample Collection
Several types of samples may need to be collected depending on the event. The FBI will collect samples for the crime scene investigation. The water system needs to collect samples for public health to determine if the water is safe for consumption using the EWQSK for public health. The Department does not recommend that water system staff collect samples for the EWQSK due to liability issues. Several responding agencies are available for EWQSK sample collection – local HAZMAT, FBI, California National Guard Civilian Support Team (CST) or USEPA. Each agency has the proper personal protection material to minimize exposure to any possible agent.
In addition, each agency has field screening kits that will provide a preliminary screen for several WMD agents that will help identify the required laboratory resources needed.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
25 Laboratory
Depending on the results of the field screening and actual event, the required laboratories need to be notified and prepared to accept the samples. If an EWQSK (supplied by water system or CA DHS DWP) is used, the CAMAL Net and the LRN need to be notified and involved in the process for laboratory selection. The first step in this process is for the District Engineer working with the water system to contact SRL.
Sample Transport
Depending on the responding agencies, field screening, the ICS will decide how the samples will be transported to the appropriate lab. Since the samples may be used for the crime investigation, proper chain-of-custody must be maintained. The possible agencies and field screening, depending on the event, are: local HAZMAT, CHP, FBI, CST, or US EPA.
Sample Analysis
Once the samples are delivered to the appropriate laboratory, they may be split for analysis to different laboratories. The transport and laboratory testing protocols will be handled by the CDPH SRLB laboratory. Sample results will be shared through the ICS. Please note that sample analysis may take days to weeks to complete depending on the complexity of analysis.
9. Restoration and Recovery
The CA OES “Emergency Planning Guidance, Public and Private Water Utilities”, Section 12 is a good reference for restoration and recovery. The following excerpt was taken from the "Emergency Planning Guidance for Public and Private Utilities", March 1999. The entire document can be found on the Governor's Office of Emergency Services Website at:
http://www.oes.ca.gov/oeshomep.nsf/all/WaterUtilities/$file/H2o_.pdf The recovery process begins during the response phase. It is important to start damage inspections, reporting, and recordkeeping as soon as the plan is activated. The items below may assist the water utility in recovery activities.
Initial Recovery Activities
Designate a disaster recovery coordinator (may or may not be EOC director) and notify all appropriate regulatory agencies.
Complete detailed evaluations of all affected water utility facilities and determine priorities for permanent repair, reconstruction, or replacement at existing or new locations.
Begin repair activities design and make bids for contractor services. Make necessary repairs to the system and untag repaired facilities and equipment.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
26 Restore all telecommunications, data processing, and similar services to full operation.
Complete assessment of losses and costs for repair and replacement, determine approximate reimbursements from insurance and other sources of financial assistance, and determine how residual costs will be financed by the water utility. Define needs for additional staff, initiate recruitment process, and adopt temporary emergency employment policies as necessary.
Execute agreements with vendors to meet service and supply needs. Reevaluate need for maintaining the emergency management organization; consider returning to the normal organizational structure, roles, and responsibilities when feasible.
Collect cost accounting information gathered during the emergency and prepare request for Emergency Disaster Funds (follow FEMA and State OES requirements). Debrief staff to enhance response and recovery efforts in the future by identifying lessons learned, developing action plans and follow-up mechanisms, and providing employee assistance programs if needed.
Prepare After-Action Reports as required. Complete reports within six months of the event (90 days for public utilities which are part of a city or county government.). Identify recommendations
Long Term Recovery Activities
Initiate permanent reconstruction of damaged water utility facilities and systems. Restore water utility operations and services to full pre-event levels. Continue to maintain liaison as needed with external agencies.
Assistance Programs - The State of California Office of Emergency Services administers several programs designed to assist victims of a disaster. They include Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, and Hazard Mitigation Public Assistance (PA) administers state disaster relief programs under the Natural Disaster Assistance Act, and federal disaster assistance programs under various federal laws and regulations, including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 93-288 as amended), the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and the State Administrative Manual. These regulations designate the State of California as “grantee” for all federal public assistance funding available to agencies of state government, local governments, and certain private non-profit organizations that provide essential services of a governmental nature to the general public, including water utilities. As grantee, the state is responsible for the processing of sub-grants to public assistance applicants in accordance with 44 CFR, parts 13, 14, and 206, and its own policies procedures. PA works closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to process Damage Survey Reports. It dispatches inspection teams and conducts applicant briefings. This unit is led by OES, with support drawn from other state agencies. Under the Public Assistance Program, public and private non-profit water utilities may be eligible for public assistance to reimburse the work and associated costs of responding to and recovering from a disaster if the costs:
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
27 Are a direct result of the declared event and not a pre-disaster condition or result of some other event;
Are located within the area designated by FEMA as eligible for assistance; Are the legal responsibility of the eligible applicant; and Are not eligible for assistance under another federal program (this applies to permanent restoration work only).
Hazard Mitigation - Following a presidential disaster declaration, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is activated. The program’s purpose is to fund projects which are cost-effective and which substantially reduce the risk of future damage, hardship, loss, or suffering from a major natural disaster. Virtually all types of hazard mitigation projects are eligible provided they benefit the declared disaster area and meet basic project eligibility requirements. Types of eligible projects will be identified from those mitigation measures identified in the State Hazard Mitigation Plan, hazard mitigation team reports, and issues unique to the disaster event. The priorities of funding will be established and the program administered by OES.
Expenditure Documentation - One of the critical aspects of any major emergency or disaster is collecting information on the costs related to response and recovery. The ability of the utility to recover costs or receive disaster assistance from the state and federal governments is predicated on its eligibility and ability to document its costs.
10. Emergency Response Training
Training provides the means for staff involved in a response to acquire the skills necessary for them to fulfill their role during an emergency. Not only is training on the water utility's emergency response plan critical for effective implementation, individual training to perform certain functions expected in the plan is just as important. It is important for Water Utility management to create a training policy that emphasizes plan implementation, emergency management, and employee health and safety. The training policy can be an independent policy or part of an overall emergency preparedness policy for the utility. Individual roles established in the emergency response plan should dictate the type and level of training that is necessary.
Exercises and Drills
As a part of City of Hollister Water Department overall emergency preparedness periodic review of COH Emergency Response Plan & Operations and Maintenance Procedures Manual which includes routine training drills, cross trained personnel, routine emergency equipment maintenance operation and testing. All key players are included in the exercises so everyone is familiar with emergency policies and procedures.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
28 11. Resume Normal Operations
The steps that will be taken to resume normal operations and to prepare and submit reports to appropriate agencies will include identifying the nature of the emergency (e.g., earthquake causing water outage/leaks, fire or power outage causing water shortage/outage, sabotage resulting in facility destruction or water contamination). a. Leaks or service interruption (result of earthquake, etc.) Isolate leak. Turn power or flow off, if necessary, to control leak. Repair or isolate break to allow service to the maximum system population possible. Disinfect as per attached AWWA Standards; increase system disinfectant residual as precaution, until normal service is resumed. Do bacteriological sampling until 3 good consecutive samples are confirmed. Reestablish normal service.
b. Low pressure (result of earthquake, fire, storm)
Increase production, if possible, to maximize system output. Increase disinfection residual as precaution to potential contamination. c. Power outage
Place emergency generator online to provide minimum water pressure to system.
Increase disinfectant residual as precaution to potential contamination. d. Contamination
Identify location and source of contamination.
If contamination is from system source, isolate or treat source. If contamination is an act of sabotage, take appropriate action based on nature of contamination. Immediately contact local law enforcement and your regulatory agency (DHS or LPA). Actions should be taken in consultation with the regulatory agency and could include shutting off water until all contaminants are identified.
e. Physical destruction of facility (sabotage)
Immediately contact local law enforcement and regulatory agency for consultation.
All significant water outages (widespread and lasting more than eight hours) or disinfection failure will be reported to the California Department of Health Services (CDPH) District Office or Local Primacy Agency (LPA) by telephone or equally rapid means. All emergencies will be documented along with action taken, and kept in the files of the water system office. Acts of sabotage will be reported to the local law enforcement agency.
City of Hollister Water System
Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
(SEMS-NIMS)
29 A Utility Guide for Security Decision Making
These guidelines are deigned to assist utilities in determine the level of security concern if a break-in or threat occurs at the water system and to assist the utility in appropriate decision making and response actions.
These various steps and actions can be adjusted to meet the needs of specific situations and to comply with individual state requirements. Specific actions should be undertaken in consultation with your State Drinking Water Primacy Agency. Technical assistance is available from you state drinking water primacy agency and state rural water association for prevention initiatives such as vulnerability assessments, emergency response planning, and security enhancements.
Don not disturb evidence. Document what you see. Keep notes and take photos as you go.
Collect samples for future analysis and store them appropriately.
Alert other officials as appropriate and keep the public informed (designate one spokesperson).
Use the expertise in public drinking water supplies and public health in the decision making process.
Preventive measures are the best practice to prevent such an incident.
Prior communication with local law enforcement authorities and local emergency response entities prevents confusion and defines who has responsibility for what, when an incident occurs.
SYSTEM
Upon discovery of vandalism, receipt of a
threat, or knowledge of a potential
contamination event;
In consultation with your State Drinking
Water Primacy Agency and local law
enforcement, evaluate and determine whether
the incident is vandalism or a potential threat
and/or possibility of contamination.
Vandalism/Prank
Precautionary Options
Continue monitoring for residuals.
Conduct additional testing as recommended by
your State Drinking Water Primacy Agency.
Take any suspicious activity or evidence of vandalism or sabotage seriously. Prevention is the best practice. Conduct a security vulnerability assessment. Develop and practice your Emergency Response Plan.
Establish relationships with local law enforcement and emergency response entities before an incident occurs.
Notify local law enforcement. Notify your State Drinking Water Primacy Agency if there is any indication or a potential of contamination. Make decisions in consultation with your State Drinking Water Primacy Agency and local law enforcement. Technical Assistance is available from them and your State rural water association.
Look at chlorine residuals, visually inspect the damage or physical evidence, determine whether there is a change in turbidly, odor color, or pH. Establish the incident in relation to critical system components.
Evaluate any customer complaints.
Possibility of Contamination
Options
Implement Emergency Response Plan.
Isolate portion of system or back flush.
Issues boil order (if appropriate).
Issue: “Do Not Drink” notification (if appropriate).
Shut down system if obvious or verified contamination
warrants.
Conduct actions and testing as recommended by State Drinking Water Primacy Agency and those with water expertise.
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan
Administrative Final
Prepared with funding from the:
California Department of Water Resources
Prepared for:
San Benito County
Prepared by:
Stantec Consulting Services Inc. February 25, 2026
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan
February 2026
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Table of Contents
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan i
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................................1-1
1.1 Document Organization .........................................................................................................1-1
1.2 Legislative Requirements.......................................................................................................1-2
1.2.1 County Agency Requirements .........................................................................................1-3
1.2.2 State Agency Involvement and Implementation.............................................................1-3
1.3 San Benito County Overview..................................................................................................1-4
1.3.1 Demographics..................................................................................................................1-6
1.3.2 Geography........................................................................................................................1-6
1.3.3 Water Landscape ...........................................................................................................1-10
2.0 County Drought and Water Shortage Task Force ..................................................................2-1
2.1 Task Force...............................................................................................................................2-1
2.2 Purpose...................................................................................................................................2-1
2.3 Task Force Structure...............................................................................................................2-1
2.4 Drought Task Force Responsibilities.......................................................................................2-2
2.5 Task Force Meetings...............................................................................................................2-2
2.6 Decision-Making Structure.....................................................................................................2-2
2.6.1 Drought Task Force..........................................................................................................2-3
2.6.2 Project Coordination Team..............................................................................................2-3
2.6.3 Board of Supervisors........................................................................................................2-3
2.7 Communication and Public Engagement ...............................................................................2-3
3.0 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment.....................................................................3-1
3.1 Terminology............................................................................................................................3-1
3.2 Risk Assessment Approach.....................................................................................................3-1
3.3 Hazards in San Benito County ................................................................................................3-2
3.3.1 Drought............................................................................................................................3-2
3.3.2 Climate Change................................................................................................................3-3
3.3.3 Water Quality...................................................................................................................3-4
3.4 Risk Assessment .....................................................................................................................3-7
3.4.1 Physical Vulnerability.......................................................................................................3-7
3.4.2 Social Vulnerability ........................................................................................................3-18
3.5 Risk Assessment Results.......................................................................................................3-21 Table of Contents
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan ii
3.6 Risk Assessment Gaps ..........................................................................................................3-24
4.0 Short-Term Response Actions..............................................................................................4-1
4.1 Legislative Direction ...............................................................................................................4-1
4.2 San Benito County Short-Term Response Actions .................................................................4-1
4.2.1 Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Supplies............................................................4-3
4.2.2 Permit Streamlining and Coordination............................................................................4-8
5.0 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions.......................................................................5-1
5.1 Legislative Direction ...............................................................................................................5-1
5.2 San Benito County Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions.........................................5-1
5.2.1 Domestic Well Drinking Water Mitigation Programs......................................................5-4
5.2.2 System Consolidation ......................................................................................................5-6
5.2.3 Regional Water Infrastructure Investment....................................................................5-11
5.2.4 Data Gaps.......................................................................................................................5-11
6.0 Implementation Considerations..........................................................................................6-1
6.1 Legislative Direction ...............................................................................................................6-1
6.2 Implementation Roadmap .....................................................................................................6-2
6.2.1 Monitoring and Collaboration .........................................................................................6-2
6.2.2 Oversight, Timeline, and Resource Needs.......................................................................6-4
6.3 Regional Planning Alignment for Implementation.................................................................6-7
6.3.1 Adaptive Management for the Drought Resilience Plan ...............................................6-12
6.4 Funding Opportunities and Assistance Programs................................................................6-12
7.0 References..........................................................................................................................7-1 List of Figures
Figure 1-1. San Benito County Overview ...................................................................................................1-5 Figure 1-2. Topography of San Benito County...........................................................................................1-7 Figure 1-3. Land Use Management Within San Benito County .................................................................1-9 Figure 1-4. Hydrologic Subregions Within San Benito County.................................................................1-11 Figure 1-5. North San Benito Subbasin....................................................................................................1-15 Figure 1-6. San Benito County Groundwater Basins................................................................................1-16 Figure 1-7. Location of Groundwater Monitoring Wells and Groundwater Levels.................................1-17 Figure 1-8. Locations of Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems in San Benito County............1-18 Figure 3-1. Occurrence of Drought in San Benito County..........................................................................3-3 Table of Contents
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan iii
Figure 3-2. Locations of Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems.................................................3-6 Figure 3-3. Geology Indicator Showing Fractured Rock Area in San Benito County................................3-12 Figure 3-4. Wildfire Hazard Potential as Defined by the U.S. Forest Service ..........................................3-13 Figure 3-5. SAFER Water Quality Risk Assessed in 2024..........................................................................3-14 Figure 3-6. Physical Vulnerability to Drought and Water Supply Shortage in San Benito County ..........3-16 Figure 3-7. Intersection of Physical Vulnerability and Density of Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems in San Benito County .........................................................................................3-17 Figure 3-8. Social Vulnerability Scores by Census Block Group in San Benito County.............................3-20 Figure 3-9. Summary of Risk Assessment Findings Showing Regions with Water Shortage Vulnerability and Domestic Wells/State Small Water Systems in San Benito County ...............3-23 Figure 5-1. Small Community Water System Consolidations with Sunnyslope Water District .................5-7 Figure 5-2. Areas with Opportunity for Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems Consolidation ..............................................................................................................................5-10 List of Tables
Table 1-1. Summary of Groundwater Basins, Domestic Wells, and State Small Water Systems in San Benito County.......................................................................................................................1-19 Table 3-1. Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer Indicators Used in the Development of Physical Vulnerability Score........................................................................................................................3-8 Table 3-2. Summary of Observed Conditions for Physical Vulnerability Indicators in San Benito County.........................................................................................................................................3-10 Table 3-3. Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer Indicators Used in the Development of Social Vulnerability Score......................................................................................................................3-18 Table 3-4. Summary of Risk Assessment Findings in San Benito County.................................................3-22 Table 4-1. San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Short-Term Response Actions.............................4-2 Table 4-2. San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Plan ...........................................................................................................................4-7 Table 5-1. San Benito County Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions............................................5-2 Table 5-2. Community Water Systems with Domestic Wells and/or State Small Water Systems Likely Within Their Service Area ...................................................................................................5-8 Table 5-3. Areas with Opportunity for Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems Consolidation ................................................................................................................................5-9 Table 6-1. San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Monitoring and Collaboration Activities.............6-3 Table 6-2. San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Implementation Matrix.......................................6-5 Table 6-3. San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Policy Alignment and Integration........................6-8 Table of Contents
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan iv
Table 6-4. Regional Water Projects with Applicability to Domestic Wells and/or State Small Water Systems............................................................................................................................6-11 Table 6-5. Funding Opportunities and Assistance Programs for Drought Resilience Plan Implementation ..........................................................................................................................6-14 Table of Contents
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan v
Acronyms and Abbreviations
°F degrees Fahrenheit
CDAG County Drought Advisory Group
CPOD Community Points of Distribution
County San Benito County
CVP Central Valley Project
CWC California Water Code
DRP Drought Resilience Plan
DWR California Department of Water Resources
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
GSA Groundwater Sustainability Agency
GSP Groundwater Sustainability Plan
HSC Health and Safety Code
HUC Hydrologic Unit Code
NGO non-government organization
OES San Benito County Office of Emergency Services
OSWCR Online System of Well Completion Report
PCT Project Coordination Team
PLSS Public Land Survey Section
SAFER Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience SB Senate Bill
SBCWD San Benito County Water District
SGMA Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
State State of California
State Water Board California State Water Resources Control Board Task Force Drought and Water Shortage Task Force
TDS total dissolved solids
WRA Water Resources Association
WRASBC Water Resources Association of San Benito County Table of Contents
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan vi
WSVE DWR Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer
1 Introduction
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 1-1
1. Introduction
The San Benito County (County) Drought Resilience Plan (DRP) documents how County, its Drought and Water Shortage Task Force (Task Force) members, and other entities with water supply and drought management responsibilities will address water supply vulnerabilities for two types of systems in the County: domestic wells, as defined in California Health and Safety Code (HSC) Section 116681(i) and California Water Code (CWC) Section 10609.51(d) and state small water systems, as defined in HSC Section 116275(n) and CWC Section 10609.51(l). The County DRP was prepared pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 552: Drought Planning for Small Water Suppliers, State Small Water Systems, and Domestic Well Communities (Hertzberg; see Section 1.2 for additional detail). This County DRP was developed by the County with funding and technical support provided by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Drought Resilience Planning Assistance Program. Implementation of the County DRP is led by the County Office of Emergency Services (OES) in close coordination with other departments and County entities, including the County Department of Public Works the County Department of Environmental Health, and the San Benito County Water District (SBCWD).
1.1 Document Organization
Organization of this document draws from the California DWR’s March 2023 County Drought Resilience Guidebook (DWR 2023a), a resource for counties to use to develop a County DRP specifically for state small water systems and domestic wells. Consistent with the guidebook, the County DRP is organized into six chapters, as follows:
• Chapter 1: Introduction provides an overview of the legislation relating to SB 552 and the development of the County DRP. This chapter also includes background on County demographics, geography, and an overview of domestic wells and state small water systems within the County’s jurisdiction.
• Chapter 2: County Drought and Water Shortage Task Force provides an overview of the Task Force, including its development process and charter, membership, roles, purpose, and meeting frequency.
• Chapter 3: Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment characterizes the vulnerability of domestic wells and state small water systems within the County to drought and water shortage.
This chapter also presents the approach and data used to assess vulnerability. It highlights areas within the County that have a higher risk of drought and water shortage where domestic wells and state small water systems are present. Additionally, data gaps are identified to help inform potential long-term strategies.
• Chapter 4: Short-Term Response Actions details the proposed short-term response actions for emergency and interim drought solutions, including specific actions, local response triggers, and public engagement.
• Chapter 5: Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions details the proposed long-term mitigation strategies and actions for improving the water supply resilience of domestic wells and state small water systems.
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• Chapter 6: Implementation Considerations presents a roadmap for implementing short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies/actions consistent with the mission and authority of involved agencies. This includes identifying agencies and entities responsible for implementation, the status of implementation, funding, authorization for implementation, and the anticipated schedule. This section also summarizes the level of multi-agency collaboration identified by agencies to support implementation.
• Chapter 7: References provides a list of references used in this plan.
1.2 Legislative Requirements
Signed into law September 2021 by Governor Gavin Newsom, SB 552 (Hertzberg)1 obligated the State of California (State) and local governments to share the responsibility in preparing for and responding to a water shortage event. These new requirements are expected to improve the ability of Californians to manage future droughts and help prevent catastrophic impacts on drinking water for communities vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The bill outlines the new requirements for small water suppliers, county governments, DWR, and the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to implement more proactive drought planning and be better prepared for future water shortage events or dry years.
SB 552 also implements legislation on Water Conservation and Drought Planning (SB 606 [Hertzberg] and Assembly Bill 1668 [Friedman], as amended; collectively referred to as the “2018 Legislation”) passed by the State Legislature. The 2018 Legislation provides a new framework for urban water use efficiency; directives for eliminating water waste; additional requirements for strengthening local drought resilience for urban areas, vulnerable small water suppliers, and rural communities; and recommendations for improving agricultural water use efficiency and drought planning.
Water users protected under SB 552 include the following:
• Small Water Supplier: A community water system serving 15 to 2,999 service connections, inclusive, and that provides less than 3,000 acre-feet of water annually (CWC Section 10609.51(k)).
• Community Water System: A public water system that serves at least 15 service connections used by yearlong residents or regularly serves at least 25 yearlong residents of the area served by the system, as defined in HSC Section 116275(i) and CWC Section 10609.51(a). • State Small Water System: A system for the provision of piped water to the public for human consumption that serves at least five, but not more than 14, service connections and does not 1 In 2018, DWR convened a County Drought Advisory Group (CDAG) to assist in a vulnerability assessment and to develop recommended actions for improving drought planning for small water suppliers and rural communities.
The CDAG consisted of representatives from counties and other local agencies, small water systems, tribes, academics, non-profit organizations, and other interested parties. The CDAG’s recommendations were provided to the Legislature in March 2021 and served as the basis for SB 552. DWR has also established a standing drought and water shortage interagency task force, in coordination with the State Water Board and other relevant state agencies, to facilitate proactive state planning and coordination for pre-drought planning, emergency response, and post-drought management, consistent with SB 552. The interagency task force, called the Drought Resilience Interagency and Partners Collaborative, serves as a public forum with state and non-state agency members to advance drought strategies and continue building resilience to the increasingly arid conditions California faces.
More information is available at: https://water.ca.gov/drip. 1 Introduction
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regularly serve drinking water to more than an average of 25 individuals daily for more than 60 days out of the year, as defined in HSC Section 116275(n) and CWC Section 10609.51(l). • Domestic Well: A groundwater well used to supply water for the domestic needs of an individual residence or a water system that is not a public water system and that has no more than four service connections, as defined in HSC Section 116275(n) and CWC Section 10609.51(d).
• Nontransient Noncommunity Water System: A public water system that is not a community water system and that regularly serves at least 25 of the same persons over six months per year, as defined in HSC Section 116275(k) and CWC Section 10609.51(f).
For the water users protected under SB 552, this County DRP addresses water shortage vulnerabilities for domestic wells and state small water systems. Other water users protected under SB 552 not included in this County DRP have separate requirements to address water shortage vulnerabilities.
1.2.1 County Agency Requirements
This plan fulfills County requirements for preparation of a plan that includes potential drought and water shortage risk and proposed interim and long-term solutions for domestic wells and state small water systems stems within the County’s jurisdiction (CWC Section 10609.70). While measures to protect small water suppliers and nontransient noncommunity water systems are not within the scope of this document, this plan considers integration opportunities consistent with the intent of SB 552.
Applicable County requirements are:
• Establish a standing County Drought and Water Shortage Task Force (CWC Section 10609.70(a)) • Develop a plan that considers, at a minimum, each of the following (CWC Section 10609.70(b)):
1) Consolidations for existing water systems and domestic wells 2) Domestic well drinking water mitigation programs
3) Provision of emergency and interim drinking water solutions 4) An analysis of the steps necessary to implement the plan 5) An analysis of local, state, and federal funding sources available to implement the plan
1.2.2 State Agency Involvement and Implementation
SB 552 defined a series of requirements for the State Water Board and DWR. These include the following:
State Water Resources Control Board (CWC Section10609.70(c)):
The state board shall work with counties, groundwater sustainability agencies, technical assistance providers, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, and the public to address state small water system and domestic well community drought and emergency water shortage resiliency needs, including both of the following:
(1) Proactive communication to domestic well communities before a drought occurs, such as information on local bottled water and water tank providers. 1 Introduction
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(2) Funding for installation of basic drought and emergency water shortage resiliency infrastructure, such as well monitoring devices.
California Department of Water Resources (CWC Section 10609.80):
(a) The department shall take both of the following actions to support implementation of the recommendations of its County Drought Task Force:
(1) Maintain, in partnership with the state board and other relevant state agencies, the risk vulnerability tool developed as part of the County Drought Advisory Group process and continue to refine existing data and gather new data for the tool, including, but not limited to, data on all of the following:
(A) Small water suppliers and nontransient noncommunity water systems serving a school.
(B) state small water systems and rural communities.
(C) Domestic wells and other self-supplied residents.
(2) Update the risk vulnerability tool for small water suppliers and rural communities periodically, by doing all of the following:
(A) Revise the indicators and construction of the scoring as more data becomes readily available.
(B) Make existing and new data publicly available on the California Open Data internet web portal.
(C) In consultation with other relevant state agencies, identify deficits in data quality and availability and develop recommendations to address these gaps.
(b) (1) The department, in collaboration with the state board and relevant state agencies, shall establish a standing interagency drought and water shortage task force to facilitate proactive state planning and coordination, both for predrought planning and post-drought emergency response, to develop strategies to enhance collaboration between various fields, and to consider all types of water users. (2) The interagency drought and water shortage task force shall include representatives from local governments, community-based organizations, nonprofit technical assistance providers, the public, and experts in land use planning, water resiliency, and water infrastructure.
1.3 San Benito County Overview
The County covers almost 1,400 square miles and is situated in the Central Coast region of California, within the Central Coast Ranges. The center of the County is located approximately 130 miles southeast of San Francisco and parallels the eastern portion of Salinas Valley. The County contains two cities, Hollister and San Juan Bautista, and several unincorporated communities, including Aromas, Tres Pinos, Ridgemark, Panoche, Paicines, and Bitterwater.
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Figure 1-1. San Benito County Overview
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1.3.1 Demographics
Selected demographics of the County are summarized below per the 2022 American Community Survey (US Census Bureau 2022).
• Population: As of 2022, the County had a population of 64,753 people. There was a 2.25 percent increase in the population between 2021 and 2022.
• Age: The County has a median age of 35.7 years. Around 25.3 percent of the population is under 18 years old, while 13.5 percent is 65 years and over.
• Ethnicity: The five largest ethnic groups in the County are White (Non-Hispanic) (31 percent), multiracial (Hispanic) (23.6 percent), White (Hispanic) (22.8 percent), Other (Hispanic) (12.9 percent), and multiracial (Non-Hispanic) (3.28 percent). • Household Income: The median household income of San Benito is $104,451. The household median household income grew from $95,606 to $104.451; this is a 9.25 percent increase between 2021 and 2022.
• Education: The County has a lower average percentage of residents with an education level of a bachelor's degree or higher at around 26.9 percent, compared to 35.9 percent for California overall.
• Poverty Level: About 7.51 percent of the County’s population live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5 percent. The largest demographic living in poverty are females ages 25 to 34, followed by females ages 35 to 44, and then males ages 25 to 34. The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in the County is Hispanic, followed by White.
1.3.2 Geography
The County spans the California Coast Ranges and is known for its agricultural productivity, natural amenities, and diverse vegetation. Notably, the County is home to Pinnacles National Park, a popular
41.6-square-mile destination renowned for its dramatic rock formations.
1.3.2.1 Topography
The County’s topography varies significantly, characterized by a diverse mix of flat valleys, hills, canyons, and mountainous areas. Its elevation ranges from a minimum of 0 feet to a maximum of 5,240 feet above sea level. The County is home to the Diablo Range, a large mountain range spanning much of its eastern and southern boundaries. The Gabilan Range spans the County’s western portion. The County’s lower-lying regions feature the Hollister Valley and the San Juan Valley, both fertile areas conducive for agriculture. Pinnacles National Park is located along the western boundary of the County in the Gabilan Range; it is known for its towering rock formations and deep canyons. These topographic features define the County’s landscape.
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Figure 1-2. Topography of San Benito County
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1.3.2.2 Geology
The County features diverse geology, shaped by tectonic activity, volcanic formations, sedimentary deposits, and faulting. Two major faults run through the County: the San Andreas Fault runs almost 750 miles through the County, while the Calaveras Fault runs 76 miles through Hollister. The Diablo Range on the eastern side of the County was formed by the accretion of ocean crust along a convergent boundary. It consists mostly of remnants of an old volcanic arc plus a mixture of serpentinite and greywacke sandstone of the Franciscan formation. This ocean crust material also underlies the sediments that form the San Benito River valley. The western portion of the County, including part of Pinnacles National Park, was transported by the lateral motion of continental crust along the San Andreas fault. Geothermal fields are found near Hollister.
The County encompasses all, or portions of, 13 groundwater basins as defined by DWR Bulletin 118 (DWR). Most of the basins within the County consist of unconsolidated alluvial deposits including sands, gravels, silts, and clays; these are bound by various geologic formations or structures. The North San Benito Subbasin, part of the Gilroy–Hollister Valley Groundwater Basin and largest basin in the County, consists of alluvial, nonmarine terrace, and nonmarine deposits. The County’s basins rely on infiltration of local streamflow and precipitation for recharge (SBCWD and Valley Water 2021). Additional detail on groundwater basins is described in Section 1.3.3.6 “Groundwater” below.
1.3.2.3 Land Use
The County hosts a diverse mix of land uses including urban/suburban areas, farmland, federal lands, and Tribal lands as shown in Figure 1-3. The County’s urban and suburban areas are predominantly located in its northern portions, specifically in the City of Hollister and San Juan Bautista. The County’s local economy is driven by a robust agricultural industry, predominantly centered around row crops, orchards, and livestock production (San Benito County 2010). Agricultural land is concentrated in areas with fertile soils, primarily surrounding the communities of Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Tres Pinos, and Paicines. There are pockets of land owned by federal agencies, including the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM National Data 2024). 1 Introduction
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Figure 1-3. Land Use Management Within San Benito County 1 Introduction
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1.3.3 Water Landscape
SBCWD is responsible for managing water supplies throughout the County. The County’s water supply landscape, including precipitation, hydrology, water supply, use, and management are described below.
1.3.3.1 Precipitation
Due to its proximity to the Central Coast, the County typically experiences a Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Rainfall is often more abundant in its coastal foothills and mountainous areas, particularly in the western regions, which receive higher precipitation from Pacific storms compared to the drier and flatter eastern sections of the County (San Benito County 2010). Precipitation within the County is highly seasonal. Most of the precipitation occurs between November and April, with almost no precipitation occurring during the summer. The County reports an annual average precipitation of approximately 12.66 inches. However, this precipitation can be highly variable from year to year. The County’s annual precipitation was 15.48 inches in 2023, 20.34 inches in 2022, and 9.36 inches in 2021 (SBCWD 2024).
1.3.3.2 Hydrology
The Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) system, created by the U.S. Geological Survey, is a hierarchical land classification system that classifies and identifies hydrologic units, meaning the area of the landscape that drains to a portion of the stream network, based on topography. The County is divided into several HUC 8 watersheds, including portions of the Pajaro River Watershed, Salinas River Watershed, Panoche Creek Watershed, Upper San Benito Watershed, and the Diablo Range Watershed.
The County includes several significant bodies of water and rivers. Most notable is the San Benito River, a 109-mile-long stream flowing northwest between the Diablo and Gabilan Range. This river starts in the southeasternmost part of the County, and ends in the northwestern areas of the County, serving as a tributary to the Pajaro River. Tres Pinos Creek is a major tributary of the San Benito River and the Pajaro River forms part of the northern boundary of the County. 1 Introduction
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Figure 1-4. Hydrologic Subregions Within San Benito County 1 Introduction
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1.3.3.3 Water Supply
The County relies on a variety of water sources to meet its domestic, industrial, and environmental needs. The following sections outline the key supplies and systems that support each of these uses across the region.
• Groundwater: Groundwater is the primary source of the County’s water. The County encompasses whole or parts of 13 groundwater basins as defined by DWR Bulletin 118, as discussed in more detail below, as well as fractured rock regions, whose supply is dependent on atmospheric conditions.
• Surface Water: Local surface water is derived from two reservoirs along the San Benito River:
the Hernandez Reservoir and Paicines Reservoir. Both reservoirs are operated by SBCWD. The County is also home to three surface water reservoirs: the Hernandez Reservoir (approximately 18,000 acre-feet), the San Justo Reservoir (approximately 10,300 acre-feet), and the Paicines Reservoir approximately 2,000 acre-feet) (DWR 2024). These reservoirs play a significant role in the County’s water supply for agricultural and municipal use. Imported Water: The County receives a limited amount of water from the Central Valley Project (CVP), a federal water system operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. In the northern portion of the County, the Hollister Conduit pressurized underground pipeline carries water from the San Luis Reservoir (approximately 8 miles northeast of the County boundary) to the San Justo Reservoir and to be delivered to municipal water providers and agricultural customers.
• Recycled Water: Collaborative effort between the City of Hollister and the SBCWD and primarily used for agricultural irrigation. Recycled water is only available in the Hollister Management Area.
1.3.3.4 Water Use
Water is used across various sectors in the County, including agriculture, urban areas, industry, environmental conservation, and recreation. Effective management is crucial to balance the needs of each industry and ensure sustainability. Primary water uses in the County are summarized below. • Agriculture: Agriculture is the largest industry in the County and, consequently, the County’s largest water user. The County contains over 500,000 acres of farmland, with most of it used for pastureland and cropland. The main type of crop production in the County consists of spinach, lettuce, wine grapes, broccoli, peppers, and miscellaneous vegetables and fruits. SBCWD’s contract maximum for imported water supplies is up to 35,550 acre-feet for agriculture (City of Hollister, et al. 2023).
• Domestic Water Supplies: Domestic use includes water for residential purposes such as drinking, cooking, bathing, and landscaping. According to the State Water Board’s Division of Drinking Water dataset of public water systems in California, there are 31 community water systems, 17 noncommunity systems, and four non-public water systems in the County (State Water Board 2020). The largest urban water suppliers, those that provide water for municipal purposes to 3,000 or more customers within San Benito County, include: SBCWD, the City of Hollister, and Sunnyslope County Water District.
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• Industrial: Industries in the County use water for manufacturing processes, cooling, cleaning, and other operational purposes. This is sourced by imported water (SBCWD and Valley Water 2021).
1.3.3.5 Water Management Actions
The County has adopted a coordinated approach to managing its water resources to support long-term sustainability. This helps address challenges such as drought, wildfire risk, and the demands of a growing population. The following is a list of water management actions currently underway in the County, as identified in the SBCWD Annual Groundwater Report (SBCWD and Valley Water 2025). • Conjunctive Use Programs: Management of the North San Benito Subbasin involves the percolation of local surface water, wastewater, and CVP water. SBCWD also plays a key role in regional planning efforts that support conjunctive use programs, including the Urban Water Management Plan and Agricultural Water Management Plan, the San Benito Urban Areas Water and Wastewater Master Planning Project, the City of San Juan Bautista Regional Water and Wastewater Solution, the Accelerated Drought Response Project, the Zone 3 Operations Planning Tool, and Water Recycling with the City of Hollister. • Water Conservation Programs: Water conservation initiatives in the County are carried out by the Water Resources Association (WRA). The WRA represents a collaborative partnership involving SBCWD, the City of Hollister, the City of San Juan Bautista, and the Sunnyslope County Water District. These programs incentivize efficient water use through turf removal, rebates, education, and improved irrigation practices.
• Monitoring Program and Data Management System: SBCWD is carrying out a preliminary study to evaluate the remote sensing solutions provided by OpenET, which employs satellite technology to calculate water usage of crops and other vegetation. The data management system enhancements also include cross-referencing monitoring sites in relation to location and monitoring regional groundwater levels and quality.
• Monitoring Well Network: The district added new monitoring wells to address data gaps of wells throughout the basin. Shallow monitoring wells are used to gauge water table depth in areas where riparian habitats may be affected by pumping. Response Plans: The SBCWD prepared an action plan to address wells that fall below the minimum threshold supply level and prepares the County in the event of any significant issues. • Water Quality Improvement Programs: SBCWD has partnered with various organizations and agencies to decrease the load of nitrates and salts as a result of agricultural activities, as well as to regulate water softeners and the treatment and disposal of wastewater. • Long-term Funding: SBCWD has been pursuing grant funding to continue to support water management activities.
1.3.3.6 Groundwater
Groundwater is a critical resource in the County, being the primary water source for domestic well and state small water system communities. The County’s groundwater basins are areas underlain by permeable materials capable of storing and supplying significant amounts of water to wells. 1 Introduction
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Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
Passed in 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) represents a statewide framework to protect groundwater resources over the long-term. SGMA led local public agencies, pursuant to CWC Section 10721(n), to form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) in high- and medium-priority basins and to develop Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) to avoid undesirable results and mitigate overdraft within 20 years. Bulletin 118, California’s official publication on groundwater, provides detailed information about the boundaries, conditions, and characteristics of these basins. The GSPs identify management actions to strengthen groundwater sustainability, including enhanced monitoring, agricultural efficiency improvements, groundwater trading system development, and aquifer recharge.
SBCWD is responsible for managing surface water and groundwater across the County. This involves the management and monitoring of water levels and quality in the basin, salt and nutrient levels in the water, groundwater recharge, and reporting. Analysis completed by DWR to support implementation of the SGMA classified thirteen Bulletin 118 Subbasins within the County, as identified in Figure 1-5. They are listed below with related GSA and GSP information:
• High Priority:
Corralitos–Pajaro Valley (DWR Basin Number 3-002.01): This critically overdrafted basin is managed by the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency Basin Management Plan Update, February 2014, was approved as an alternative to a GSP in 2019 (DWR 2019).
• Medium Priority:
North San Benito Groundwater Basin (DWR Basin Number 3-003.05): This basin was formed by consolidating the Bolsa, Hollister, and San Juan Bautista Subbasins of the Gilroy–Hollister Basin and the Tres Pinos Basin. It provides the largest portion of groundwater for the County. Approved by DWR in 2023, the North San Benito Subbasin GSP (2021) was prepared to ensure sustainable management of the basin’s groundwater supply. SBCWD and Santa Clara Valley Water manages the North San Benito Basin. The North San Benito GSP divided the basin into four management areas to support implementation (Figure 1-5). • Low Priority:
Santa Ana Valley (DWR Basin Number 3-022)
Quien Sabe Valley (DWR Basin Number 3-024)
San Benito River Valley (DWR Basin Number 3-028)
Dry Lake Valley (DWR Basin Number 3-029)
Bitter Water Valley (DWR Basin Number 3-030)
Peach Tree Valley (DWR Basin Number 3-032)
Hernandez Valley (DWR Basin Number 3-031)
Panoche Valley (DWR Basin Number 5-023)
Vallecitos Creek Valley (DWR Basin Number 5-071)
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The remainder of County groundwater supplies are in fractured rock regions (DWR 2024a).
Source: SBCWD and Valley Water 2021.
Figure 1-5. North San Benito Subbasin
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Figure 1-6. San Benito County Groundwater Basins
As required by the SGMA, each GSA is required to “develop a monitoring network capable of collecting sufficient data to demonstrate short-term, seasonal, and long-term trends in groundwater and related surface conditions, and yield representative information about groundwater conditions as necessary to evaluate Plan implementation” (California Code of Regulations Title 23 Section 354.34). There are 66 monitoring wells within the County, with most located in the northern portion of the North San Benito Subbasin. The monitoring wells measure groundwater level, subsidence, or streamflow measurements; this data is collected by the respective GSAs throughout their GSP for submittal to DWR through the SGMA Portal’s Monitoring Network Module. Figure 1-7 shows the location of the groundwater monitoring wells within the County and their current groundwater levels as of September 2025.Wells shown in the map and graph are classified by percentile, based on a comparison of the latest water level measurement at each well with measurements from the same month over the past decade. Blue and purple indicate above-average groundwater levels, and red or brown denote below-average conditions. 1 Introduction
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Source: DWR 2025a.
Figure 1-7. Location of Groundwater Monitoring Wells and Groundwater Levels
1.3.3.7 Water Systems Within San Benito County’s Jurisdiction California Water Code Section 10609.70 requires a County DRP that includes domestic wells and state small water systems. Figure 1-8 shows the location of domestic wells and state small water systems within the County, and Table 1-1 summarizes how many domestic wells and state small water systems are in the Bulletin 118 basins and fractured rock areas. In addition, the figure and table show domestic wells that are outside the County but still within groundwater basins that are within the County. 1 Introduction
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Figure 1-8. Locations of Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems in San Benito County 1 Introduction
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Table 1-1. Summary of Groundwater Basins, Domestic Wells, and State Small Water Systems in San Benito County
Bulletin 118
Basin ID
Groundwater
Basin Name
SGMA
Priority
Domestic
Wells Drilled
After 19771
Domestic
Wells Drilled
Before 19771
State Small
Water
Systems
Domestic Wells
in Basin but
Outside County
3-002.01
Corralitos - Pajaro
Valley (Critical
Overdraft)
Partial 73 38 0 1,300
3-003.05
Gilroy–Hollister
Valley - North San
Benito
Partial 435 146 14 17
3-022 Santa Ana Valley Full 2 2 0 0
3-023 Upper Santa Ana
Valley Full 0 0 0 0
3-024 Quien Sabe Valley Full 0 0 0 0
3-028 San Benito River
Valley Full 13 7 0 0
3-029 Dry Lake Valley Full 1 0 0 0
3-030 Bitter Water Valley Partial 4 0 0 0
3-031 Hernandez Valley Full 3 0 0 0
3-032 Peach Tree Valley Partial 1 0 0 0
5-022.07
San Joaquin Valley
- Delta-Mendota
(Critical Overdraft)
Partial 0 0 0 2,653
5-023 Panoche Valley Partial 4 1 0 0
5-071 Vallecitos Creek
Valley Full 0 0 0 0
N/A Fractured Rock
Aquifer Wells N/A 190 59 0 N/A
Total 726 253 14 3,970
Note: 1 Information presented in this table and figure are based on Well Completion Reports. Geographic information on Well Completion Reports may be inaccurate and/or place the well not at the actual well location. As a result, the number of domestic wells may be overestimated, and the placement of wells may not reflect actual locations.
Key: N/A = Not available SGMA = Sustainable Groundwater Management Act 2 County Drought and Water Shortage Task Force
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2. County Drought and Water Shortage Task Force
The County, through its OES, has established a Task Force for state small water systems and domestic wells as an alternative process to comply with CWC Section 10609.70. This alternative process is intended to facilitate drought and water shortage preparedness for state small water systems and domestic wells within the County.
2.1 Task Force
Counties are required to establish a task force or other alternative process to facilitate “drought and water shortage preparedness” for state small water systems and domestic wells (Water Code section 10609.70(a)(1) and (2)). Water Code Section 10609.70(a)(2) provides, in pertinent part:
a county may establish an alternative process that facilitates drought and water shortage preparedness for state small water systems and domestic wells within the county's jurisdiction. The alternative process shall provide opportunities for coordinating and communicating with the state and other local governments, community-based organizations, local water suppliers, and local residents on a regular basis and during drought or water shortage emergencies.
2.2 Purpose
In compliance with the State law and as the regulatory agency for domestic wells and state small water systems in the County OES established the Task Force. The purpose of the Task Force is to:
• Facilitate development of a County DRP that supports drought and water shortage preparedness and responsiveness for domestic wells and state small water systems within the County’s jurisdiction
• Facilitate coordination and communication on a regular basis as well as during drought or water shortage emergencies among the staff of relevant County departments, local water agencies, local water suppliers, groundwater sustainability agencies, and others representing the concerns of state small water systems and domestic wells
• Support implementation of drought and water shortage actions as identified in the County DRP
2.3 Task Force Structure
The Task Force consists of representatives from government agencies that have roles in drought condition monitoring, emergency services, hazard assessment, planning, operations, information coordination, or water resources management. The Task Force effort also includes a Project Coordination Team (PCT) subgroup, comprised of County OES staff, which oversees the Task Force and leads County DRP development and implementation.
The Task Force was established in 2024 and chaired by the County OES, who serve as the Task Force's primary contact lead. The membership of the Task Force includes representatives from the following entities:
• Aromas Water District
• City of San Juan Bautista
• City of Hollister: Environmental Programs, Public Works, Fire Department 2 County Drought and Water Shortage Task Force
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• County Environmental Health, OES, Public Works, Agriculture • County Board of Supervisors
• SBCWD
• Sunnyslope County Water District
2.4 Drought Task Force Responsibilities
The Task Force is an advisory body and does not have decision-making authority. It is intended to review and advise the PCT on the development of the County DRP and to assist in guiding its implementation.
Task Force members are and were expected to:
• Attend scheduled Task Force meetings
• Review progress on the development of the County DRP, review and make recommendations on the Draft County DRP, and assist in the County DRP’s subsequent implementation once adopted • Review potential drought and water shortage risk, identify drought-related issues that may impact County residents, and provide input regarding short-term actions and long-term strategies to address identified issues
• Disseminate Task Force findings and recommendations to their respective agencies and organizations, as well as seeking feedback that can be shared during Task Force meetings • Review current drought conditions and facilitate coordination and communication during drought or water shortage emergencies
The PCT, a subgroup of the Task Force that is comprised of County OES, is responsible for preparing and implementing the County DRP. The PCT convenes and serves as staff to the Task Force. The PCT also consults with other County departments, GSAs, state agencies, other local government and agency staff, community-based organizations, and the public, as needed to prepare the County DRP.
2.5 Task Force Meetings
The Task Force met regularly during the development of the County DRP and will continue to meet at least annually.
During development of the County DRP, the Task Force met four times to discuss the risk assessment, propose short-term action and long-term mitigation strategies, and review the Draft County DRP. The meetings were scheduled with advance notification to the Task Force members and included distribution of agendas and related materials for each meeting.
After the development and adoption of the County DRP, the Task Force is intended to meet annually for action planning, coordination, collaboration, or problem-solving needs, unless drought conditions necessitate more frequent meetings.
2.6 Decision-Making Structure
The decision-making structure for the County development and implementation of the County DRP is summarized below.
2 County Drought and Water Shortage Task Force
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2.6.1 Drought Task Force
The Task Force is an advisory body and does not have decision-making authority. The Task Force provided input to the PCT in the development of the County DRP.
2.6.2 Project Coordination Team
The PCT, led by County OES staff, makes recommendations on the Draft County DRP to the Board of Supervisors and leads implementation of the adopted County DRP.
2.6.3 Board of Supervisors
The Board of Supervisors is the decision-making body of the County. The Board of Supervisors is the appropriate body to adopt the County DRP and amend it if needed in the future.
2.7 Communication and Public Engagement
To assist in disseminating and collecting information to prepare the County DRP, the County implemented a variety of communication and engagement actions, including establishing a public-facing website to gather community input on the Draft County DRP. The webpage2 provided background information on SB 552, an overview of the DRP development process, and access to the Draft County DRP for public review and comment. To broaden outreach efforts, the County also created and distributed an informational flyer to encourage additional feedback and participation from interested parties. Outreach tools and activities on the County DRP website can continued to be used to engage interested parties and the public during the implementation of the County DRP, including providing a mechanism for long-term engagement and assisting the County in responding to water shortage events. 2 https://www.sanbenitocountyca.gov/departments/office-of-emergency-services-oes-and-emergency-medicalservices/county-drought-resilience-plan 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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3. Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
A drought and water shortage risk assessment (referred to as a risk assessment) was prepared in development of the County DRP as directed in CWC Section 10609.70(b). This risk assessment evaluated how potential hazards intersect with the County’s domestic well, state small water system, and other community assets to characterize the vulnerability of domestic wells and state small water systems to water supply shortage. The outcomes from the risk assessment helped inform response plans which short-term actions to employ when a water supply shortage occurs, as well as long-term mitigation strategies and actions that reduce the vulnerability to water shortages. This chapter presents the risk assessment results for the County.
3.1 Terminology
The County Drought Resilience Plan adapted the following definitions from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Local Mitigation Planning Handbook (FEMA 2023) within the context of drought and water shortage planning:
3 • Community Assets: The people, structures, facilities, and lifelines that have value to the community. The minimum assets considered as part of the SB 552 plan must include state small water systems and domestic wells, as well as the populations reliant on them. • Hazard: A source of harm or difficulty created by a meteorological, environmental, geological, other event, or by hydrological and/or other environmental conditions. In the context of SB 552, hazards are the natural, human-made, and social processes that can lead to water shortages in the County.
• Impact: The consequences or effects of a hazard on the community and its assets related to drought and water shortages.
• Risk: The potential for damage, loss, or other impacts (e.g., water shortage) created by the interaction of hazards with community assets and their physical and social vulnerabilities. • Risk Assessment: Product or process that collects information and assigns values to risks for the purpose of informing priorities, developing or comparing courses of action, and informing decision-making.
• Vulnerability: A description of which assets, including structures, systems, populations, and other assets within locations identified to be hazard prone, are at risk from the effects of the identified hazard(s). This includes both physical vulnerability and social vulnerability.
3.2 Risk Assessment Approach
The nature and severity of hazards that can cause water shortages vary at regional and local scales due to differences in conditions, such as precipitation patterns, groundwater levels, topography, geology, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks. Communities lacking access to reliable water sources are most vulnerable to water shortage caused by such hazards. To address this, a thorough risk assessment 3 While this County Drought Resilience Plan could make the County eligible for FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs, this risk assessment does not replace FEMA’s regulatory requirements. 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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was completed that considered many physical and social hazard indicators. The results and findings of that risk assessment were then used by the County and Task Force to develop actions and strategies to address water shortages (see Chapters 4 “Short-Term Response Actions” and 5 “Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions”).
The risk assessment was completed using the following approach:
1. Describe Major Hazards: The first step in the risk assessment was to describe the hazards in the County, which in the context of SB 552 are the natural, human-made, and social processes that can lead to water shortages in the County. For this risk assessment, drought, climate change, and water quality hazards were summarized and described. Indicators used in the risk assessment were developed in 2018 by the County Drought Advisory Group (CDAG) hosted by DWR. CDAG also assigned weight to each physical indicator to capture how some conditions impact drought versus others.
2. Define the Scope and Community Assets: This step identified the scope and objectives for asset protection for drought resilience planning purposes, and inventoried the associated assets.
3. Conduct Risk Assessment using DWR Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer: The DWR Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer (WSVE) Tool was used to identify areas within the County where domestic wells and state small water systems are vulnerable to water supply shortages and to characterize the hazards driving that vulnerability. This information was provided for County and Task Force review, feedback, and identification of data gaps for incorporation into the risk assessment.
4. Summarize Risk Assessment Results: The County's total physical and social vulnerability scores were used to identify the regions of water supply shortage vulnerability. Findings from the revised risk assessment were used by the Task Force to develop short-term actions and longterm strategies to improve water supply sustainability (Chapter 4 “Short Term Response Actions” and Chapter 5 “Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions.”
3.3 Hazards in San Benito County
This section summarizes the recent drought, projected climate change, current water quality, and groundwater hazards in the County. Section 3.4 provides more detail on the vulnerabilities related to these hazards.
3.3.1 Drought
Drought data for the County in the twenty-first century (as shown in Figure 3-1) was derived from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Figure 3-1 shows that the County has experienced extended periods of exceptional drought, most notably between 2014 and 2017. Since 2007, the County has fluctuated between severe or exceptional drought and drought-free conditions, sometimes within a one- or two-year period. These patterns and frequency of drought periods highlight the County’s vulnerability to drought. While the County is currently not in a drought, there are examples of drought rapidly onsetting, as shown in in the extreme and exceptional drought levels occurring in 2022 and 2023. 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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Source: National Drought Mitigation Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2024.
Figure 3-1. Occurrence of Drought in San Benito County
3.3.2 Climate Change
According to the California Fourth Climate Change Assessment Central Coast Region Report (Langridge 2018), climate change has increased both average temperatures and the frequency and intensity of heat waves or extreme heat events. While global temperature increases are between 1.8 and 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), local observed increases that affect neighborhoods and ecosystems are far more variable and often of greater magnitude. The climate assessment predicted changes over this century to include higher average temperatures with more warming in the summer than the winter and greater warming inland than in coastal regions. These expected changes translate into an annual average maximum temperature increase in the County of up to 8.2 °F by the end of the century (2070 to 2099), relative to the historical period (1961 to 1990).
Droughts in California are triggered by a lack of large winter storms (i.e., atmospheric rivers), and water shortages are further exacerbated by high temperatures that increase the evaporative loss of water from soils, rivers, canals, and reservoirs. Drought conditions, particularly when persisting for several years, can cause mental and physical stress on people, reduce the number of workable farm-labor days, and lead to deteriorated air and water quality (Greene 2018, Barreau et al. 2017). Historical data show that daily precipitation extremes have intensified in most areas of the country, including California. As the atmosphere warms, extreme precipitation events could become more frequent since storms can hold about 6 to 7 percent more water for each 1.8°F of warming. Climate model simulations that consider such effects suggest that this trend will continue. Simulations of future climate trends indicate only modest changes in annual precipitation accumulation with some shifts in the seasonality of precipitation that may be relevant for water management, e.g., less precipitation during November through January, and possibly more during February through May. Precipitation in the County is projected to increase slightly, but variability is expected to increase substantially. Projections also show that the wettest day of the year will become wetter relative to historical conditions. 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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There is also strong evidence that anthropogenic climate change—especially rising temperatures and periodic droughts—have made substantial contributions to the increase in acreage burned by wildfires in the American West.
3.3.3 Water Quality
As identified in the County General Plan, the County faces various water quality concerns across both its surface and groundwater resources. Groundwater quality in the County and its subbasins is highly mineralized and of marginal quality for drinking and agricultural purposes (San Benito County 2015).
Threats to water quality as identified by the County are summarized below:
• Regulated Facilities: The Regional Water Quality Control Board oversees more than 123 facilities within the basin that have soil and groundwater contamination. Forty-five of the 123 facilities are active sites currently in or adjacent to the North San Benito Subbasin (44 in the County and one in Santa Clara County). These facilities include leaking underground storage tanks and soil and groundwater cleanup operations that require regular monitoring and reporting (SBCWD and Valley Water 2021).
• Septic Systems: Many homes and businesses in unincorporated areas of the basin use onsite wastewater treatment systems. These systems contribute to salt and nutrient levels in groundwater and may also introduce other contaminants.
• Oil and Gas: The Hollister Oil and Gas Field covers areas near Bolsa and San Juan in the basin.
Hydrocarbons lie about 600 feet below the freshwater base and pose little threat to drinking water. The County approved a fracking ban in 2014, prohibiting hydraulic fracturing and related petroleum operations.
• Non-Point Sources: Non-point source pollution refers to contamination that does not come from regulated point sources. Instead, it arises from diffuse sources such as rain carrying pollutants to surface water or contaminants percolating into groundwater. For instance, nitrate loading from agricultural or landscaping activities can impact groundwater. Key Constituents of Concern identified in the 2021 North San Benito GSP include total dissolved solids (TDS); there are high levels of TDS throughout the basin. The average TDS concentration exceeds 500 milligrams per liter, the secondary maximum contaminant limit for drinking water. • Nitrate: Agricultural and local wastewater disposal activities have contributed to high levels of nitrate throughout the basin, posing health risks and impacting drinking water quality. • Perchlorate and Selenium: Although low in concentration, perchlorate and selenium identified in the basin are attributed to regulated facilities related to manufacturing and waste disposal. • Hardness: Most of the groundwater throughout the basin is considered to be hard to very hard.
Hardness, measured as total hardness (calcium carbonate) indicates elevated levels of calcium and magnesium ions in the water. Although it is naturally occurring, it can be influenced by human-induced sources that introduce calcium or magnesium into the groundwater. Hardness is indirectly connected to the rise in groundwater salinity in specific areas, which is a result of using water softeners.
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• Boron: Boron is a natural element found in the basin, linked with marine clays and thermal springs. It evaporates from closed basins. Boron can originate from human-induced sources, since it is used in the production of glass, soaps, detergents, and flame retardants. • Metals: Metals that naturally occur in the North San Benito Subbasin include iron, manganese, arsenic, and chromium. Long-term exposure to these metals can impact drinking water quality.
3.3.3.1 Community Assets
The scope of the County Drought Resilience Plan risk assessment is, at a minimum, to protect those reliant on domestic wells, local small water systems, and state small water systems. Figure 3-2 shows the locations of domestic wells and state small water systems within the County.
Domestic well data has been obtained from the Online System for Well Completion Reports, DWR’s well database drilled throughout the state (DWR 2025b). CWC Section 13751 requires anyone who constructs, alters, or destroys a water well, cathodic protection well, groundwater monitoring well, or geothermal heat exchange well to file a report of completion to DWR within 60 days of the completion of the work. State small water system data was obtained from the California State Water Resources Board Division of Drinking Water.
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Figure 3-2. Locations of Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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3.4 Risk Assessment
This risk assessment was developed using DWR’s WSVE Tool (DWR 2024a). It summarizes where water shortages associated with domestic wells, local small water systems, and state small water systems may be more likely to occur and characterizes the hazards driving vulnerability. 4 The WSVE Tool, developed
by DWR in collaboration with CDAG,
5 is an online geospatial application that quantifies drought and water shortage risk using physical and social indicators, as described below. These indicators were selected by DWR and CDAG to reflect the hazards that could make a domestic well or state small water system vulnerable to water supply shortage. DWR periodically revises the WSVE Tool to incorporate improved data and/or updated methodology. The 2024 version of the WSVE Tool was used to complete the risk assessment for this County DRP. The detailed methodology is available on the WSVE Tool website: https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/SB-552/SB-552-Tool.
3.4.1 Physical Vulnerability
The total physical vulnerability score was calculated at the Public Land Survey Section6 (PLSS) scale by normalizing the indicator value between 0 and 1, with 1 representing the highest possible vulnerability.
Normalized scores were multiplied by a weighting factor from 1 to 5 that was assigned by DWR and CDAG to capture how some indicators contribute more to water shortage vulnerability than others, as shown in Table 3-1. The indicators that are weighed most heavily are fractured rock areas (RC2c), dry domestic well susceptibility in basins (RC3a), domestic well density in fractured rock areas (RC3c), and reported household outage on domestic well (RC5a). Other important indicators impacting overall physical vulnerability scores include wildfire hazard potential (RC2b), water quality aquifer risk (RC2i), saltwater intrusion (RC2e), chronic declining water levels (RC2g), and surrounding land use (RC2j). The remaining indicators are not weighed as heavily and thereby have less influence on the physical vulnerability score.
4 The detailed methodology that describes the WSVE indicators and corresponding values, data sources, and weighting factors is available on the WSVE website: https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/SB552/SB-552-Tool. 5 DWR organized a CDAG in 2018 to assist DWR in the vulnerability assessment and development of recommended actions for improving drought planning for small water suppliers and rural communities. CDAG consisted of representatives from counties and other local agencies, small water systems, tribes, academics, non-profit organizations, and other interested parties. In addition to drought planning, CDAG efforts include addressing financial challenges faced by small water systems and encouraging collaboration between water systems to streamline water management efforts and resources. 6 A Public Land Survey Section is a geographic delineation of an area equivalent to 1 square mile. 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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Table 3-1. Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer Indicators Used in the Development of Physical Vulnerability Score
Indicator Name1 Indicator Description Indicator
Weight
Climate Change Projections
Temperature Shift (RC1a) Projected change in maximum temperatures by mid-century 1 Projected Saltwater Intrusion in
Coastal Groundwater (RC1b)
Spatial extent of projected 1-meter sea level rise by 2040 into coastal aquifers 1
Wildfire Risk (RC1c) Projected area burned by 2035–2064 1 Current Environmental Conditions and Events
Current Year’s Precipitation (RC2a) 2024 water year precipitation as percent of normal (compared to 70 percent of normal) 2
Multiple Dry Years (RC2aa) Count of dry years within the last five water years 2 Wildfire Risk (RC2b) 2023 USFS wildfire hazard potential 3 Fractured Rock
Area (RC2c)
Fractured rock basin within the PLSS 3
Water Quality Aquifer Risk (RC2i) SAFER Needs Assessment 2024 water quality composite score 3 Subsidence (RC2d) Amount of subsidence as measured by remote sensing since 2015 2 Saltwater Intrusion (RC2e) Presence of saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifer 3 Overdrafted Basin (RC2f) SGMA critically overdrafted groundwater basin 2 Chronic Declining Water Levels
(RC2g) Amount of declining groundwater levels 2003–2024 3 Amount of Irrigated Agriculture
(RC2j) Proportion of irrigated agriculture in PLSS (2022) 3 Infrastructure Susceptibility
Dry Domestic Well Susceptibility in
Basins (RC3a) Dry well susceptibility 5
Domestic Well Density in Fractured
Rock Areas (RC3c) Density of Well Completion Reports 5
Record of Shortage
Reported Household Outages on
Domestic Well (RC5a) Presence of 1 or more households with reported outages in PLSS 5 Source: DWR 2024b.
Notes:
1 Abbreviations are included next to Indicator Name (i.e., “RC1a”) which align with WSVE Tool methodology Key:
PLSS = Public Land Survey Section
SAFER = Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience Program SGMA = Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
USFS = US Forest Service
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3.4.1.1 Physical Vulnerability Indicators
The risk assessment summarizes where water shortages associated with domestic wells and state small water systems may be more likely to occur. This section describes factors that are driving water shortage risk in greater detail. Identifying and characterizing these drivers of physical vulnerability help the County and the Task Force develop effective short-term actions and long-term strategies, along with their associated implementation.
Within the County, the indicators driving physical vulnerability are different depending on if the area is in an alluvial basin or a fractured rock basin. A majority of the domestic wells and state small water systems are located within the North San Benito Groundwater Basin, an alluvial basin located in the northwestern portion of the County. The vulnerability drivers in this area are water quality aquifer risk.
Most of the remaining domestic wells are within fractured rock basins in the Gabilan and Diablo mountain ranges, where fractured rock geology and wildfire exacerbate risk.
Table 3-2 summarizes all physical vulnerability indicators within the County. The subsequent sections describe the three most significant contributors to physical vulnerability throughout the County (geology, wildfire risk, and water quality aquifer risk) in greater detail. 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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Table 3-2. Summary of Observed Conditions for Physical Vulnerability Indicators in San Benito County Physical Vulnerability Indicator1 Observed Conditions
Climate Change
Temperature Shift (RC1a)
Projected change in the maximum temperature by mid-century shows a 2.4°F (northwestern portion of the County, close to the water bodies) to 3°F (central/eastern portions) increase in average temperature throughout the County. Increased temperatures could increase water supply demands from users, evapotranspiration, and others, thereby increasing vulnerability to drought and/or water shortage impacts.
Saline Intrusion Projected (RC1b) The County is not susceptible to sea level rise, due to its inland location.
Wildfire Risk (RC1c)
County projections show a significant increase in wildfire risk by 2064 throughout the County. Projected (future) increased wildfire frequency and severity heightens water source contamination, degrades watershed health, and damages water infrastructure, disrupting water supply and quality, thereby increasing vulnerability.
Current Environmental Conditions and Events
Current Year’s Precipitation (RC2a)
A dry water year depletes surface reservoirs and groundwater, reducing water supply and increasing vulnerability to water shortages. Precipitation data from the most recent water year’s survey (2024) indicated that the County did not experience a dry year.
Multiple Dry Years (RC2aa)
Data show that most of County has been experiencing only one dry year in the last 5 years. Several small pockets in the northern and southern parts of the County have experienced 2 dry years. Multiple dry water years depletes surface reservoirs and groundwater, reducing the available water supply and increasing vulnerability to water shortages.
Wildfire Risk (RC2b)
Most of the western, central, and southern parts of the County are assigned the ‘High’ and ‘Very High’ USFS Wildfire Hazard Potential. As these groups show the current risk of wildfire, research shows that a higher risk contributes to higher physical vulnerability for water sources. Increased current risk of wildfire frequency and severity heightens water source contamination, degrades watershed health, and damages water infrastructure, disrupting water supply and quality, thereby increasing vulnerability.
Fractured Rock Area (RC2c)
Fractured rock is present across the central, south, and western parts of the County. Water availability in fractured rock areas is more difficult to monitor and therefore more uncertain for those relying on it as a source of water. Areas with fractured rock are considered due to high susceptibility to drought impacts. 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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Physical Vulnerability Indicator1 Observed Conditions
Water Quality Aquifer Risk (RC2i)
This index shows that potential groundwater contamination based off on existing water quality reports by water systems throughout the State. Areas of higher risk are indicated where concentrations of constituents are above regulatory thresholds. Some regulated constituents are scattered throughout the County that could increase physical vulnerability for different communities. Impaired groundwater quality limits its usability for drinking, agriculture, and industrial purposes, requiring costly treatment and reducing water availability, thereby increasing water shortage vulnerability.
Subsidence (RC2d)
Subsidence is the gradual sinking or settling of the ground, often caused by excessive groundwater pumping. Land subsidence increases vulnerability due to its ability to lower the water table and reduce well productivity. The County is not currently experiencing land subsidence, and no significant subsidence had been reported in the region.
Saltwater Intrusion (RC2e) The County is not located along a coastline and therefore is not anticipated to experience saltwater intrusion.
Overdrafted Basin (RC2f)
The Corralitos–Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin is a critically overdrafted basin in the County. An overdrafted basin depletes groundwater reserves, increasing water shortage vulnerability by reducing available supply and stressing surface water sources.
Chronic Declining Water Levels (RC2g)
The County has seen slight groundwater decline (a score of 0.75, which indicates groundwater level decreases of up to 2.5 feet) within the Panoche Valley Groundwater Basin. Declining levels in groundwater indicate increased vulnerability due to the reduced available groundwater supply and imposed stress on surface water sources.
Amount of Irrigated Agriculture (RC2j)
The County is primarily farmed in its northern parts, as well as small areas in the south. The presence of agricultural activities could indicate competing demands on groundwater suppliers, as well as water quality concerns, both of which could create higher vulnerability for domestic wells and state small water systems, especially during a drought or water shortage event.
Infrastructure Susceptibility
Dry Domestic Well Susceptibility in
Basins (RC3a)
This factor analyzes locations where there are many wells susceptible to going dry if the current groundwater trends in the County continue. Data show an overall low likelihood of dry well susceptibility in the County even in the medium/high priority groundwater basin in the northern portion of the County.
Record of Shortage
Reported Household Outage on
Domestic Well (RC5a)
Areas that have already experienced outages are more likely to experience them during future dry years, due to combinations of aquifer sensitivity/fluctuations and shallow wells. There have been no household outages in the County as of September 2025.
Source:DWR 2024b.
Notes: 1 Abbreviations are included next to Indicator Name (i.e., “RC1a”) for clarity regarding the underlying methodology.
Key: °F = degrees Fahrenheit USFS WHP = US Forest Service Wildfire Hazard Potential 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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Geology (Fractured Rock Areas)
Fractured rock areas increase water supply vulnerability. Water supplies in these areas are complex to monitor and, as such, introduce uncertainty for those depending on them as a primary water source.
The intricate network of fractures makes it difficult to gauge water quantity and sustainability accurately. This necessitates sophisticated monitoring approaches and comprehensive water management strategies to address uncertainties and enhance resilience in fractured rock environments.
Domestic wells and state small water systems may not have the resources to implement these measures effectively.
Figure 3-3 shows the portions of the County within a fractured rock basin as a dark shaded area.
Source: DWR 2024a.
Figure 3-3. Geology Indicator Showing Fractured Rock Area in San Benito County 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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Wildfire Risk
The susceptibility of an area to wildfires based on topographic and ecological features can characterize the risk of a wildfire occurring. Wildfires damage or destroy natural infrastructure such as watersheds and natural reaches, as well as built infrastructure (e.g., pipelines and reservoirs). Wildfire impacts can adversely impact watersheds, leading to increased sedimentation, altered water quality, and potential contamination. The heightened risk contributes to the physical vulnerability of water sources, including groundwater.
Figure 3-4 shows the wildfire hazard potential in 2024 as recognized by United States Forest Service; darker shades indicate higher wildfire risk. A majority of the County has relatively high wildfire risk.
Areas with very high wildfire hazard potential are primarily concentrated in the western, central, and southern areas of the County, which are more forest dense.
Source: DWR 2024a.
Figure 3-4. Wildfire Hazard Potential as Defined by the U.S. Forest Service 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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Water Quality Aquifer Risk
The presence of regulated constituents elevated at levels exceeding the prescribed thresholds increases the physical vulnerability of a water supply system. Such contaminants can compromise the safety and potability of the water, rendering it unfit for human consumption and various domestic uses. The contaminants may also impact the environment, such as affecting aquatic ecosystems, vegetation, and soil quality, cause infrastructure corrosion, reduce the reliability and longevity of water supply systems, and require costly repairs and maintenance efforts. These factors can all compound to render a domestic well or state small water system unable to deliver safe drinking water.
The groundwater water quality risk within the County was characterized using the 2024 Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) Needs Assessment results. Established by the State Water Board as a result of the 2018 Budget Act, the SAFER Needs Assessment is an annual study that assesses California’s water systems, with a particular focus on smaller water systems and domestic wells. This SAFER Needs Assessment evaluated the 20-year average (long-term) and 5-year average (recent conditions) of groundwater quality data to identify areas with potential contaminants. A PLSS was assigned a high water quality risk score if the long-term average or recent conditions for any potential contaminant was above the comparison concentration for any contaminant. A comparison concentration refers to a threshold value used to evaluate the potential impact of contaminants on water quality. The area was assigned a medium water quality risk score if the data was between 80 percent to 100 percent of the comparison concentration. Below 80 percent was assigned a low water quality risk score.
Figure 3-5 shows the potential groundwater water quality risk in the County based on the 2024 assessment, which was used to determine the vulnerability score. High water quality risk areas are concentrated around the north central area with some pockets in the central parts of the County.
Source: DWR 2024a.
Figure 3-5. SAFER Water Quality Risk Assessed in 2024
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3.4.1.2 Total Physical Vulnerability
Total physical vulnerability scores within the County are shown in Figure 3-5, with darker shaded areas (or PLSSs) indicating higher physical vulnerability scores. If an area is not shaded, it means there are no domestic wells or state small water systems within the PLSS, and physical vulnerability was not scored.
Higher physical vulnerability scores are concentrated near the northwestern portion of the County within the North San Benito Subbasin, including the areas surrounding Grass Valley and the cities of San Juan Bautista and Hollister. South of this region, there are also notable indications of physical vulnerability near Slacks Valley, Pinnacles National Park, and the Diablo Range.
Figure 3-7 shows how physical vulnerability within the County intersects with the location of domestic wells and state small water systems. Darker shades indicate a higher presence of domestic wells within an area with high physical vulnerability. Orange areas have a higher physical vulnerability, but minimal domestic wells, and blue areas have a high presence of domestic wells but low physical vulnerability.
This figure shows where short-term actions and long-term mitigation strategies are most likely to be needed. These areas are in the northern region of the County, notably around the cities of San Juan Bautista and Hollister.
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Source: DWR 2024a.
Figure 3-6. Physical Vulnerability to Drought and Water Supply Shortage in San Benito County Grass Valley
San Juan Bautista
City of Hollister
Antelope Valley
Diablo Range
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Source: DWR 2024a.
Figure 3-7. Intersection of Physical Vulnerability and Density of Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems in San Benito County Grass Valley
San Juan Bautista City of Hollister
Antelope Valley
Diablo Range
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3.4.2 Social Vulnerability
Social vulnerability is also an important factor in assessing the risk of water supply shortage and the need for mitigation through short-term actions and long-term strategies as certain communities and individuals may lack access to resources or services during a drought. The WSVE Tool’s total social vulnerability score was calculated at the Census Block Group7 scale by normalizing the indicator value between 0 and 1 and summing the values together without additional weighting. The WSVE Tool results present a spatial representation of social and economic factors, as listed in Table 3-3, that can affect water shortage vulnerability in the County. It should be noted that the social vulnerability score only includes data availability from the U.S. Census and therefore does not represent the full extent of populations that are often understood to be at higher vulnerability (DWR 2024b).
Table 3-3. Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer Indicators Used in the Development of Social Vulnerability Score
Indicator Name Indicator Description
Socioeconomic Status
Poverty Level Percent of persons below two times the poverty level Unemployment Percent of persons aged 16 years of age or older that are unemployed Per Capita Income Per capita income
Language and Education
Education Attainment Percent of persons without a high school diploma English Language Proficiency Percent of persons who speak little to no English Demographics
Elderly Population Percent of persons 65 years of age or older Non-Adult Population Percent of persons 17 years of age or younger Disability Percent of persons 5 years of age or older with a disability Single-Parent Households Percent of single-parent households Housing and Transportation
Multi-Unit-Housed Population Percent of households that are multi-unit structures Mobile Home–Housed Population Percent of housing units that are mobile homes Crowded Conditions Percent of households with “crowded” conditions No Vehicle Access Percent of households with no vehicle available Group Quarters Percent population living in group quarters Race and Ethnicity
Persons of Color Percent of persons that identify with a race other than White or identify ethnically as Hispanic or Latino
7 A Census Block Group is a geographic unit with a population between 600 and 3,000 people that is the smallest geographical unit that the U.S. Census Bureau publishes data collected from a fraction of households. 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
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3.4.2.1 Total Social Vulnerability Score
Total social vulnerability scores in the County are depicted in Figure 3-8, with darker shaded areas indicating higher vulnerabilities. Comparing the social vulnerability scores in Figure 3-8 with the physical vulnerability scores in Figure 3-6 helps characterize how social vulnerability may overlap with the physical vulnerability of domestic wells and state small water systems. 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 3-20
Source: DWR 2024a.
Figure 3-8. Social Vulnerability Scores by Census Block Group in San Benito County 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 3-21
3.5 Risk Assessment Results
In consideration of the County’s physical and social vulnerability scores, and coordination with the County and the Drought Task Force, regions with high physical vulnerability and domestic well density were identified and delineated (Figure 3-9). Dark brown shades indicate a higher presence of domestic wells within an area with high physical vulnerability. Blue areas have a higher physical vulnerability but minimal domestic wells, and orange areas have a high presence of domestic wells but low physical vulnerability. State small water system locations are represented as blue diamonds. Additional information about these regions is summarized in Table 3-4 This section summarizes the risk assessment results, including the County's total physical and social vulnerability scores, followed by discussions of the individual indicators driving physical vulnerability. Figure 3-9 and Table 3-4 were used to develop short-term actions and long-term strategies that can be applied to address water shortage vulnerability across the County.
• A. Communities within the North San Benito Basin and Santa Ana Valley Basin: There is a high presence of domestic wells and 14 state small water systems that are vulnerable to water supply shortage within the North San Benito and Santa Ana Valley Groundwater Basins in the rural agricultural communities surrounding Hollister, San Juan Bautista, and Grass Valley. Water quality issues are primarily driving vulnerability due, in large part, to the significant agricultural operations in the region. These areas also have a mix of medium-to-high social vulnerability. • B. Communities within the Corralitos–Pajaro Valley Basin: Located near the unincorporated community of Aromas, the northwestern corner of the County is characterized by a high concentration of domestic wells. The region faces significant groundwater challenges, primarily due to the overdraft conditions in the Corralitos–Pajaro Valley Basin. This chronic overdraft, in addition to poor water quality and high wildfire risk, contributes to the region’s heightened vulnerability. This part of the County has a medium-low social vulnerability score. • C. Western fractured rock basins in the western portion of the County within the Gabilan Range: There is a large cluster of domestic wells vulnerable to water supply shortage along the western edge of the County. This can be attributed to the complexities of the fractured rock basin within the Gabilan Range, which poses challenges to groundwater storage and extraction.
This area’s high susceptibility to wildfires also strains water supply systems and exacerbates vulnerability. It is also important to note that this region has medium-low to medium social vulnerability.
• D. East-central fractured rock basins near Antelope Valley and Las Aguilas Canyon. There is a significant cluster of domestic wells located within a fractured rock basin in the east-central part of the County. Similar to its western counterparts in the County, the higher vulnerability score in this region is also driven by high wildfire and water quality aquifer risks. These areas have a medium-low social vulnerability score.
• E. South-central portion of the County within the Diablo Range and the Hernandez Valley Basin: South-central San Benito County, within the Diablo Range, also contains a number of domestic wells vulnerable to water supply shortage. Vulnerability in this region is primarily driven by fractured rock geology and high wildfire risk. Notably, this area of the County is more prone to temperature increases and has experienced three to four multiple dry years over the past five years. These areas also have medium-low social vulnerability. 3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 3-22
Table 3-1. Summary of Risk Assessment Findings in San Benito County Area with Water Shortage
Vulnerability and Domestic
Wells/State Small Water Systems
Physical Vulnerability Indicators Social Vulnerability
Score
A. Communities within the North San
Benito Basin and Santa Ana Valley Basin
• Water quality aquifer risk
• Presence and amount of irrigated
agriculture
• High wildfire risk
Medium to High
B. Communities within the Corralitos–
Pajaro Valley Basin
• Overdrafted basin
• Water quality aquifer risk
• High wildfire risk
Medium-Low
C. Western fractured rock basins in the
western portion of the County within the
Gabilan Range
• High wildfire risk
• Fractured rock basin
Medium to MediumLow
D. East-central fractured rock basins near
Antelope Valley and Las Aguilas Canyon
• High wildfire risk
• Fractured rock basin
• Water quality aquifer risk
Medium-Low
E. South-central portion of the County
within the Diablo Range and the Hernandez
Valley Basin
• Fractured rock basin
• High wildfire risk
• Temperature increase
Medium-Low
3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 3-23
Figure 3-9. Summary of Risk Assessment Findings Showing Regions with Water Shortage Vulnerability and Domestic Wells/State Small Water Systems in San Benito County
3 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 3-24
3.6 Risk Assessment Gaps
Understanding gaps in the risk assessment (1) helps identify physical and social vulnerabilities that may exist but are not effectively captured using the methodology applied and data available, (2) focuses future efforts to improve future risk assessments, and (3) allows communities to develop long-term continuous monitoring and improvement plans. This proactive approach helps build resilience over time.
The County, the Task Force, and other stakeholders during the development of the County DRP identified that the domestic well locations in DWR’s Online System of Well Completion Report (OSWCR) database is used in the WSVE Tool may have discrepancies. Domestic well entries are filtered to display wells constructed after 1977. Although the WSVE Tool filters out wells that have been replaced or abandoned in the analysis, there may still be discrepancies since changes in well status are not always reported to the State.
4 Short-Term Response Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 4-1
4. Short-Term Response Actions
The risk assessment presented in Chapter 3, “Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment,” provided insight into regions within the County supplied by domestic wells and state small water systems that may be susceptible to droughts and water shortages, and the potential underlying causes. Based on the outcomes of that assessment, the County OES, SBCWD, Sunnyslope Water District, Aromas Water District, and Hollister Water District identified the following short-term response actions to help address the effects during the early stages and ongoing drought conditions and water shortage events that could occur in the County. In the context of this County DRP, short-term response actions are defined as actions taken during and after a water shortage emergency to reduce the impacts of existing and ongoing drought and water shortage impacts, often addressing immediate and basic public safety needs.
This section describes the short-term response actions included in the County DRP and the Drought and Water Shortage Emergency Response Process developed as part of the County DRP to assist with implementing short-term response actions.
4.1 Legislative Direction
SB 552 requires that each County develop a drought and water shortage plan that includes proposed interim solutions for state small water systems and domestic wells, per CWC Section 10609.70 (emphasis added as related to short-term response actions and this section of the County DRP):
(b) A county shall develop a plan that includes potential drought and water shortage risk and proposed interim and long-term solutions for state small water systems and domestic wells within the county’s jurisdiction. The plan may be a standalone document or may be included as an element in an existing county plan, such as a local hazard mitigation plan, emergency operations plan, climate action plan, or general plan. A county shall consult with its drought task force or alternative coordinating process as established by this section in developing its plan. A county shall consider, at a minimum, all of the following in its plan:
(1) Consolidations for existing water systems and domestic wells. (2) Domestic well drinking water mitigation programs.
(3) Provision of emergency and interim drinking water solutions. (4) An analysis of the steps necessary to implement the plan. (5) An analysis of local, state, and federal funding sources available to implement the plan
4.2 San Benito County Short-Term Response Actions
Short-term response actions are summarized in Table 4-1 and further described in this section. The short-term response actions provide emergency and interim drinking water supplies and streamline permitting and coordination for new or replacement wells during a water shortage event. The identified short-term response actions are not exhaustive and may be modified in the future as needed. 4 Short-Term Response Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 4-2
Table 4-1. San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Short-Term Response Actions Identification Category Title Description
Lead and
Supporting
Agencies
STRA-01
Emergency and
Interim Drinking
Water Supplies
Dedicated Water
Filling Stations
County staff should identify existing public facilities (e.g., fire stations, public institutions, parks, etc.) that can allow domestic well and state small water systems users to fill water in the event of a water shortage emergency.
County OES (Lead)
County Public Health
Services (Support)
STRA-02
Emergency and
Interim Drinking
Water Supplies
Packaged and
Bottled Water
Supplies
In the event of a state or federally declared water shortage emergency or by direction of the County Board of Supervisors, County staff should distribute packaged or bottled water to domestic wells and state small water system users at existing CPOD locations.
County OES (Lead)
County Public Health
Services (Support)
STRA-03
Emergency and
Interim Drinking
Water Supplies
Partnerships and
Mutual Aid
Agreements
County staff should coordinate with non-governmental organizations, nonprofit/community-based organizations, cities, water districts, and school districts to provide packaged and bottled water supplies for bulk water distribution during a water shortage event.
County OES (Lead)
County Public Health
Services (Support)
STRA-04
Permit
Streamlining and
Coordination
Expedited New or
Replacement
Well Approval
During Water
Shortage
SBCWD staff should, within its jurisdiction, continue to implement expedited permit authorization for construction of replacement wells in the event of a water shortage emergency.
SBCWD (Lead)
County OES
(Support)
Key:
County = San Benito County
County DRP = San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan
CPOD = Community Points of Distribution
OES = Office of Emergency Services
STRA = Short-Term Response Action
4 Short-Term Response Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 4-3
4.2.1 Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Supplies
Providing emergency and interim drinking water supplies includes the provision of temporary water supplies until a longer-term, more permanent water supply is secured or the water shortage emergency ends. Emergency and interim drinking water supplies are used during water shortage emergencies to meet basic health and safety needs. These services can be provided on a local level through local government and/or through non-governmental organizations (NGO) and community groups, if applicable.
4.2.1.1 Dedicated Water Filling Stations (STRA-01)
In response to acute water shortages impacting domestic well and state small water system users, the County should identify and establish dedicated water filling stations through strategic partnerships and agreements with local agencies and public facilities to ensure timely and equitable access to emergency water supplies. Once identified, these locations should be clearly communicated to the public through online platforms and other accessible channels. These stations should be strategically identified to ensure equitable access across affected areas, especially regions that are more susceptible to water shortage. Clear signage, public communication, and logistical support, such as water containers and transportation assistance (if and when funding is available), could also accompany the deployment of these stations to increase their effectiveness and accessibility.
Ideal sites should be accessible, secure, and already equipped with basic infrastructure that provides potable water. Potential options, subject to further discussion and approval by the County, may include, but are not limited to, the following:
• County or City Halls: These locations often have water infrastructure and can function as a dedicated water filling station.
• Fire Stations: Fire stations are well distributed and have water access, especially in more rural parts of the County.
• Community or Recreation Centers: These locations are familiar to residents, have ample space for vehicles, and can support large-scale operations.
• Public Institutions: Libraries or school campuses typically have parking, restrooms, and water access.
• Parks with Potable Water Access: Some parks have water hookups and can serve as temporary sites for dedicated water filling stations.
The facilities described above would be activated for emergency water supplies using the process described in the “Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Plan.” Locations, operating hours, and other information regarding these dedicated water filling stations would be communicated using the process described in the Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Plan.
4.2.1.2 Packaged or Bottled Water Supplies During a Drought and Water Shortage Emergency (STRA-02)
This short-term response action outlines the process for distributing emergency and interim drinking water supplies to affected domestic well users and state small water system communities. These activities are anticipated for events lasting up to four weeks. Unless otherwise noted, implementation of these activities is subject to declaration of a State or federal emergency consistent with the County DRP 4 Short-Term Response Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 4-4
or by direction of the County Board of Supervisors. The following sections outline the drought or water shortage conditions that initiate the activation of the Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Plan and describe the procedures for distributing water to physically vulnerable domestic well and state small water system communities.
Drought or Water Shortage Stages
Declaring a drought or water shortage is important as it communicates a potential or ongoing emergency, activates mutual aid agreements, and is the first step in accessing State and federal resources that may be available to assist the County in implementing short-term response actions.
Federal and State authorities have their own processes for declaring a drought or water shortage emergency, and County staff should understand current processes and be aware of potential revisions.
A federal disaster declaration may make resources from FEMA available. The state can also make an emergency declaration which makes State resources available. An emergency declaration by federal or State authorities influences the implementation of the short-term response actions identified in this County DRP. In the event of a federal or State disaster declaration, the County should consider how to leverage additional resources to activate the short-term response actions identified in this County DRP.
This County DRP outlines a process for classifying water shortage stage, detailed in Appendix A “Water Shortage Emergency Response Process.” This process uses indicators of water supply (Appendix A, Table A-1) with defined criteria that place the County in one of three water shortage stages: Readiness, Alert, and Emergency. These indicators and activation considerations were used to develop actions to address a water shortage. The information in the table is not exhaustive and is intended to show potential indicators of water supply conditions.
• In the Readiness Stage, there is no major drought or potential for water shortage. In this stage, County staff completes its County DRP adaptive management planning described in Section 6.2 “Implementation Roadmap.”
• In the Warning Stage, drought or the potential for water shortage exists, but there is no active water shortage emergency. In this stage, County staff increases communication and outreach activities and initiates coordination with other entities. County staff may consider recommending that the Task Force and/or the County Board of Supervisors activate the County's water conservation policies outlined in the Water Shortage Contingency Plan. • If a State or federally declared water shortage emergency is imminent or actively occurring, the County is in the Emergency Stage. In this stage, County staff, in coordination with the Task Force and County Board of Supervisors, would declare a water shortage emergency and activate the Water Distribution Plan described in the following section, “Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Plan.”
Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Plan
The Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Plan outlines the process for distributing emergency and interim drinking water supplies to affected domestic well users and state small water system communities. This includes the following steps: Activation, Notification, Distribution, and Information Collection. Unless otherwise noted, implementation of these activities is subject to declaration of a state or federal emergency consistent with the County DRP or by direction of the County Board of Supervisors.
4 Short-Term Response Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 4-5
1. Activation: Activation of the Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Plan is subject to recommendation by County OES and approval by the Board of Supervisors. Activation is informed by an assessment conducted by County OES that includes:
Cause of the water shortage emergency
Affected geographic area and demographics of the affected population Emergency and interim water supply type(s)
Estimated duration of need
County OES, following review of the assessment, may authorize activation administratively, through the County Board of Supervisors, or other applicable authorities.
2. Notification: County OES will serve as the lead agency managing notification to the affected community on how and where to get emergency water supplies. Depending on the demographics of the affected community, information, materials, and other notifications should be required for non-English speaking communities. The notification method may vary depending on the cause of the water shortage emergency (climate-influenced, wildfire, etc.). Anticipated notification methods may include:
Agency website (https://www.sanbenitocountyca.gov/departments/office-of-emergencyservices-oes-and-emergency-medical-services) Email
U.S. Mail
Broadcast media (radio/television)
County Alert (SBCAlert)
Door hangers, fliers, information kiosks
Public outreach meetings and other existing meetings
Notification methods may include coordination/collaboration with other partner agencies and organizations, such as:
Neighborhood associations
Nonprofit organizations
Schools and religious or community groups
3. Distribution: In areas where the other emergency and interim drinking water supplies are unavailable, the County should provide packaged or bottled water (i.e., 1- to 5-gallon jugs and individual bottled waters) to affected domestic well and state small water system users during a State or federally declared water shortage emergency. Typically, the County would partner with local grocery stores (e.g., Safeway, Grocery Outlet) to distribute packaged or bottled waters. All vendors must be approved by the California Department of Public Health Food and Drug Branch as commercial bottled water vendors. Packaged or bottled water would be distributed at existing Community Points of Distribution (CPOD) locations throughout the County in areas that 4 Short-Term Response Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 4-6
were identified as vulnerable listed below in Table 4-2. These sites were selected based on their geographic distribution and their capacity to accommodate large numbers of people accessing commodities by truck, car, or bus.
4 Short-Term Response Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 4-7
Table 4-2. San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Plan Regions with Water
Shortage
Vulnerabilities
Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Cooperating Organizations
A. Communities
within the North San
Benito Basin and
Santa Ana Valley Basin
San Juan Bautista:
• Bulk water delivery and packed water distribution at Anzar High School (2000 San Juan Highway, San Juan Bautista, CA 95045) or San Juan School (100 Nyland Drive, San Juan Bautista, CA 95045)
• Dedicated water filling stations as identified by the County (STRA-01) Hollister:
• Bulk water delivery and packed water distribution at the County Workforce Development Office (1161 San Felipe Road, Hollister, CA 95023), San Benito Public Health (351 Tres Pinos Road, Hollister, CA 95023) or San Benito High School (1220 Monterey Street, Hollister, CA 95023)
• Dedicated water filling stations as identified by the County (STRA-01) • Anzar High School
• San Benito County
Public Health
• San Benito County OES
• County Workforce
Development
• Other locations as
identified by the
County
B. Communities within
the Corralitos–Pajaro
Valley Basin
• Bulk water delivery and packed water distribution at Aromas School (365 Vega Street, Aromas, CA 95004)
• Dedicated water filling stations as identified by the County (STRA-01) • Aromas School
C. Western fractured
rock basins in the
western portion of the
County within the
Gabilan Range
• Bulk water delivery and packed water distribution at the San Benito County Fairgrounds/Bolado Park (9000 Airline Highway, Tres Pinos, CA 95075) • Dedicated water filling stations as identified by the County (STRA-01) • San Benito County
Public Health
• San Benito County OES
D. East-central
fractured rock basins
near Antelope Valley
and Las Aguilas
Canyon
• Bulk water delivery and packed water distribution at the San Benito County Fairgrounds/Bolado Park (9000 Airline Highway, Tres Pinos, CA 95075) • Dedicated water filling stations as identified by the County (STRA-01) • San Benito County
Public Health
• San Benito County OES
E. South-central
portion of the County
within the Diablo
Range and the
Hernandez Valley
Basin
• Bulk water delivery and packed water distribution at any of the locations described above (depending on location[s] of water shortage[s])
• San Benito County
Public Health
• San Benito County OES
Key: OES = Office of Emergency Services
4 Short-Term Response Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 4-8
4.2.1.3 Partnerships and Mutual Aid Agreements (STRA-03) In previous water shortage emergencies, County staff have partnered with NGOs, including the American Red Cross and the Community Water Center to assist with providing interim drinking water supplies to domestic well users and state small water system communities. In some instances, NGOs may provide direct assistance to affected domestic well users and state small water system communities without assistance from County staff. In these circumstances, County staff would coordinate with the NGOs to track coverage and needs. County staff could also consider coordinating with nonprofit/community-based organizations, cities, water districts, and school districts by establishing formal mutual aid agreements to streamline emergency response efforts, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and ensuring timely access to shared resources during water shortage events.
4.2.2 Permit Streamlining and Coordination
As drought or water shortage conditions worsen and the production or quality of water at domestic wells or state small water systems declines, well owners may be able to install a new well or rehabilitate an existing one to ensure continued water supply reliability. Streamlined permitting allows counties and agencies to quickly implement emergency water solutions. Delays in permitting can hinder timely access to water for domestic well users and state small water system communities.
4.2.2.1 Expedited New or Replacement Well Approval During Water Shortage (STRA04) SBCWD oversees the well permit process and ensures that all new or modified wells comply with local and state groundwater protection standards. SBCWD also works in coordination with County Environmental Health and other regulatory bodies to align permitting with groundwater sustainability goals.
SBCWD has already implemented a streamlined well permitting process during water shortage emergencies and can usually approve new or rehabilitated well permits within a few days of submission under this process. SBCWD also provides clear procedures and contact information for applicants, helping streamline the process for residents seeking well permits. Since SBCWD is the lead agency for reviewing and approving well permits in the County, it reduces the need for applicants to navigate multiple agencies independently. SBCWD’s streamlining process does not relax permitting criteria related to water supply, such as proximity to other wells or water quality requirements—not appropriately considering water supply criteria could worsen a water supply shortage for other groundwater users or exacerbate an ongoing water shortage. 5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-1
5. Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
The risk assessment presented in Chapter 3, “Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment,” demonstrates potential localized and regional water supply concerns, including the density of domestic wells in fractured rock areas as well as wildfire and water quality risks. While risks that impact the basic public health and safety of residents can be addressed through short-term response actions, long-term mitigation strategies and actions mitigate and potentially prevent the conditions that lead to water shortage emergencies. Long-term mitigation strategies and actions aim to reduce drought and water shortage vulnerabilities for domestic well and state small water system communities. When implemented, long-term mitigation strategies and actions can reduce the extent and cost of emergency response actions but cannot eliminate the need for emergency response actions.
5.1 Legislative Direction
SB 552 requires that each County develop a drought and water shortage plan that covers long-term solutions for state small water systems and domestic wells, per CWC Section 10609.70 (emphasis added as related to long-term mitigation strategies and actions and this section of the County DRP):
(b) A county shall develop a plan that includes potential drought and water shortage risk and proposed interim and long-term solutions for state small water systems and domestic wells within the county’s jurisdiction. The plan may be a standalone document or may be included as an element in an existing county plan, such as a local hazard mitigation plan, emergency operations plan, climate action plan, or general plan. A county shall consult with its drought task force or alternative coordinating process as established by this section in developing its plan. A county shall consider, at a minimum, all of the following in its plan:
(1) Consolidations for existing water systems and domestic wells. (2) Domestic well drinking water mitigation programs.
(3) Provision of emergency and interim drinking water solutions. (4) An analysis of the steps necessary to implement the plan. (5) An analysis of local, state, and federal funding sources available to implement the plan
5.2 San Benito County Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions As shown in Table 5-1, eight long-term mitigation strategies and actions have been identified and are organized into four categories: domestic well drinking water mitigation programs, system consolidation, regional water infrastructure investment, and data gaps. Each long-term mitigation strategy and action category and their ability to help address domestic well and state small water system vulnerabilities will be described in the subsequent sections following Table 5-1. 5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-2
Table 5-1. San Benito County Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions Identification Category Title Description
Lead and
Supporting
Agencies
LTMSA-01
Domestic Well
Drinking Water
Mitigation
Programs
Drought and Water
Shortage Risk
Assessment
County staff should review and consider as-needed updates to the County DRP Risk Assessment to incorporate updated information and revisions to the WSVE Tool.
County OES
(Lead)
LTMSA-02
Domestic Well
Drinking Water
Mitigation
Programs
Water Shortage
Prevention: Assistance
with State Small Water
Systems and Domestic
Wells
SBCWD staff should provide well drillers with information to assist in determining location and depth, including depths below minimum thresholds if necessary, as defined in the GSP and connect them to GSA resources. For communities outside the GSA, County Water District staff could help facilitate access to well sampling vendors to ensure consistent water quality monitoring
SBCWD (Lead)
County
Environmental
Health
(Support)
LTMSA-03
Domestic Well
Drinking Water
Mitigation
Programs
Communication and
Outreach: Enhance
Access to Resources
and Support
SBCWD staff should explore opportunities to partner with other County departments and water districts to expand the WRASBC website to consolidate water-shortage-related information and resources, including educational workshop opportunities, for domestic well or state small water systems users.
SBCWD (Lead)
Misc. County
Departments
(Support)
LTMSA-04
Domestic Well
Drinking Water
Mitigation
Programs
Shallow Well
Replacement
SBCWD Staff should assist domestic well and state small water system communities by providing informational resources on replacing shallow wells that have run dry in the past or may do so in the future.
SBCWD (Lead)
LTMSA-05
Domestic Well
Drinking Water
Mitigation
Programs
Drinking Water
Supplies: Water
Hauling and Storage
Tanks
As funding becomes available, County staff should explore acquiring equipment to establish programs to provide temporary, mobile bulk water hauling and storage tanks for domestic well and state small water system users that currently lack these resources during water shortage emergencies.
County OES
(Lead)
SBCWD
(Support)
LTMSA-06 System
Consolidation
Potential System
Consolidation
Opportunities
County staff should continue to support domestic well and state small water system communities by monitoring and evaluating the feasibility of additional system consolidations and identifying funding opportunities as needed.
County Public
Works (Lead)
SBCWD
(Support)
5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-3
Identification Category Title Description
Lead and
Supporting
Agencies
LTMSA-07
Regional Water
Infrastructure
Investment
Regional Water Project
Integration
During development project approval, SBCWD staff should consider opportunities for more coordinated regional planning to help strengthen water supply resilience for domestic wells and state small water systems.
SBCWD (Lead)
LTMSA-08 Data Gaps Dry Well Reporting and
Abandonment
In order to better track wells that have gone dry, SBCWD staff should revise the permitting process so that new well permits feature an additional field to identify replacement wells for domestics wells and state small water systems, along with reason for well replacement.
SBCWD (Lead)
Key:
County = San Benito County
DWR = California Department of Water Resources
GSA = Groundwater Sustainability Agency
LTMSA = Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
OES = Office of Emergency Services
WRASBC = Water Resources Association of San Benito County 5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-4
5.2.1 Domestic Well Drinking Water Mitigation Programs
Based on hydrologic conditions and increased demand for groundwater resources in dry and drought years, certain relatively shallow groundwater wells or groundwater wells in certain locations may be more susceptible to water shortage conditions, given that these wells could run dry more frequently. In some instances, GSPs include domestic well drinking water mitigation programs to protect drinking water access for vulnerable communities. The North San Benito GSP and the Corralitos–Pajaro Valley GSP Alternative did not conduct a vulnerable well analysis or establish domestic well drinking water mitigation programs.
CWC Section 10609.70 (b)(2) requires counties to consider domestic well drinking water mitigation programs.
8 The intention of these domestic well drinking water mitigation programs is to establish the necessary protocols and processes to ensure that residents within the County’s jurisdiction have access to resources to reduce water shortage risks or mitigate the impacts of dry wells.
This County DRP groups domestic well drinking water mitigation programs into four main categories, adapted from the guidance in DWR’s County Drought Resilience Guidebook (DWR 2023a). These categories include: (1) identifying wells that may be impacted by means of a thorough drought and water shortage risk assessment; (2) developing proactive strategies to prevent water shortages, (3) establishing options for mitigation such as shallow well replacement; (4) and enhancing drinking water supply.
5.2.1.1 Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment (LTMSA-01) The drought and water shortage risk assessment documented in Chapter 3, “Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment,” is a key component of a drinking water mitigation program. It helps define the areas and populations with domestic wells and small water systems with higher vulnerabilities to water shortage. It also characterizes what conditions may be driving water shortage vulnerabilities. Both can help inform the components of a domestic well drinking water mitigation program.
The risk assessment completed and documented in Chapter 3, “Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment,” was used to help select the components of the domestic well drinking water mitigation program documented in this County DRP. County staff should periodically review and update the risk assessment as needed to incorporate the latest data, evolving drought conditions, and enhancements to tools including the WSVE Tool. These updates can help ensure that vulnerability analyses remain accurate and actionable, particularly for domestic well and state small water system communities.
5.2.1.2 Water Shortage Prevention: Assistance with State Small Water Systems and Domestic Wells (LTMSA-02)
Accurate siting and depth selection are essential to prevent premature well failure, avoid drilling into zones with poor water quality, and ensure compliance with GSP requirements. While the GSP establishes minimum thresholds for drilling new wells, exceptional circumstances, such as prolonged drought or localized groundwater decline, may require drilling below these minimum thresholds to ensure access to reliable water supply. By proactively sharing this information with well drillers, SBCWD can help domestic well owners and promote long-term groundwater reliability across the basin. 8 CWC Section 10609.70(b)(2) uses the term, “domestic well drinking water mitigation programs.” For the purposes of this County DRP, these programs are considered to be inclusive of both domestic wells and state small water systems.
5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-5
SBCWD staff can also assist domestic well communities by providing other GSA resources, such as groundwater reports, data on water levels and quality trends, and guidance on interpreting these findings. This information can help domestic well and state small water system users better understand local groundwater conditions.
5.2.1.3 Communication and Outreach: Enhance Access to Resources and Support (LTMSA-03)
Educational outreach to domestic well users and state small water systems in San Benito County plays a key role in preventing water shortages and promoting long-term groundwater sustainability. While SBCWD plays a vital role in managing groundwater and supporting water resilience across the region, it is equally important that the services and resources they provide are widely known and accessible to the public. Many domestic well and state small water system users may not be aware of the tools, data, and support available to them through SBCWD. This lack of awareness can leave communities vulnerable during droughts, water shortages, or even contamination events. Improving public awareness through targeted outreach, clear communication, and accessible platforms can help ensure that residents are informed, engaged, and able to take advantage of available resources and programs.
Centralizing water shortage information and expanding access to technical or financial resources helps ensure that all residents, especially those in rural or underserved areas, can respond effectively to water challenges. SBCWD should explore partnerships to expand the Water Resources Association of San Benito County (WRASBC) website as a centralized hub for water shortage information. This could include maps of CPOD and water filling stations, water quality testing options, and point-of-use treatment guidance. Educational workshop opportunities on topics such as emergency preparedness and water conservation can also be published on the WRASBC website. For communities outside the GSA, SBCWD should continue to serve as a connector to link domestic well and state small water system users with sampling vendors, technical assistance providers, and funding opportunities. By consolidating these resources, SBCWD can empower residents to take proactive steps in managing their water supply and mitigate the risk of water shortage.
5.2.1.4 Shallow Well Replacement (LTMSA-04)
Shallow well replacement directly mitigates water shortage vulnerabilities that are likely to occur.
Although the County has not historically experienced widespread issues with wells running dry, it is still important to proactively consider resources to support shallow well replacement as part of its domestic well drinking water mitigation strategy. Shallow domestic wells are inherently more vulnerable to groundwater level fluctuations caused by over pumping, prolonged drought, or climate change impacts.
For this long-term mitigation strategy and action, SBCWD should consider the following actions to support shallow well replacement:
1. Provide informational resources on replacing shallow wells that have run dry in the past or may do so in the future. This can include conditions to monitor failing wells, who to contact in the event of a well failure, and a list of vendors that can help drill a new well.
2. Assist with acquiring financial support via grants for drilling a replacement well by connecting domestic well or state small water system communities to potential grants or other financial resources.
3. Provide well drillers with guidance on the appropriate drilling depth based on groundwater information using GSP groundwater data.
5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-6
5.2.1.5 Drinking Water Supplies: Water Hauling and Storage Tanks (LTMSA-05) As funding becomes available, the County should explore acquiring equipment to establish a program for temporary, mobile bulk water hauling to support domestic well users and state small water systems.
A mobile water hauling program can serve as a critical resource during water shortage emergencies.
Essential equipment for a bulk water hauling program would include potable water trucks, pumping and transfer equipment, storage areas, disinfection and monitoring tools, and a centralized dispatch system for coordinating deliveries and emergency response. On the receiving end, some domestic well users and state small water systems may lack adequately sized water storage tanks to receive hauled water.
As such, the County should also explore options to assist these users in obtaining or upgrading storage capacity, either through direct support, partnerships, or grant programs. By investing in specialized mobile bulk water hauling equipment and infrastructure, the County can proactively address water insecurity and reduce emergency response costs.
5.2.2 System Consolidation
System consolidation is the physical or managerial joining of two or more water systems. This section identifies potential consolidation opportunities for domestic wells and state small water systems. The County has already taken steps to explore system consolidation options to improve water reliability and operational efficiency, particularly with small community water systems. Sunnyslope County Water District, in partnership with SBCWD, is currently leading a major system consolidation initiative supported by $17 million in State funding (DWR 2023b). This funding, provided through DWR, is aimed at addressing critical water quality and reliability issues in underrepresented communities. Of the total funding, $13.2 million has been allocated specifically to the County to support the consolidation of four failing small water systems, as described below. The remaining funds are designated for similar efforts in neighboring Monterey County. The consolidation will improve access to clean reliable drinking water, replace aging infrastructure, and strengthen regional water resilience in the face of ongoing drought and groundwater depletion.
1. Best Road Mutual Water Company: Best Road Mutual Water Company is a small water utility company in the City of Hollister serving the Heatherwood, Fox Hills Estates, and Fischer subdivisions. This consolidation effort will allow Sunnyslope County Water District to succeed Best Road Mutual Water Company and supply potable water to 48 existing customers of the Best Road Mutual Water Company. System consolidation was driven by failing wells, poor water quality, and low production in drought years.
2. Venture Estates Mutual Water Company: Venture Estates Mutal Water Company serves the Harben Way area in Hollister. While Ventura Estates serves 18 residences, making it larger than a state small water system, it is small enough that it falls under state oversight for community water systems.
3. Stonegate Subdivision (County Service Area #31): The Stonegate Subdivision falls within County Service Area 31 and comprises 74 residential parcels. The well historically delivers poor water quality and lacks the reliability needed to support the community’s long-term water needs, particularly during periods of drought or increased demand.
4. Tres Pinos Water District: The Tres Pinos Water District serves 121 parcels, with eight being commercial, in the community of Tres Pinos in the County. Tres Pinos Water District has faced 5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-7
challenges with aging infrastructure and limited water supply, especially during drought conditions.
Figure 5-1 provides a visual overview of how the small systems will be integrated, showing how the separate service areas will be unified with a water service network aimed at improving reliability, water quality, and operational efficiency. System consolidation is underway, with construction anticipated to be completed by October 2026.
Figure 5-1. Small Community Water System Consolidations with Sunnyslope Water District
5.2.2.1 Potential System Consolidation Opportunities (LTMSA-06) In the context of domestic wells and state small water systems, these systems can be consolidated with each other and/or a larger water system. System consolidation can improve water supply reliability by broadening water supply sources and/or the numbers of users. With more users in a singular system, operating and maintaining that system can be more cost effective compared to smaller or individual systems.
There are opportunities for system consolidation involving domestic wells and state small water systems in San Benito County, particularly where these systems fall within or near the service boundaries of existing community water systems. While a community water system is not required to provide water service to domestic well and state small water system communities, their proximity may increase the feasibility of system consolidation. Consolidation in these areas could improve water quality and 5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-8
reliability by connecting often under-resourced systems to more comprehensive infrastructure. Policy or institutional hurdles may be less onerous if domestic wells and state small water systems are in an existing service area. Identifying these opportunities, especially in areas that are more vulnerable to water shortages or contamination risks, can help the County advance long-term water security goals.
Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems in Community Water System Service Areas Table 5-2 presents community water systems that likely have domestic wells and/or state small water systems in their service areas. Due to the uncertainty of the domestic well location data, this table may not reflect all community water systems with domestic wells or state small water systems in their service areas. The information in this table highlights where outreach and additional analysis by County Public Works staff with these community water systems may be most effective.
Table 5-2. Community Water Systems with Domestic Wells and/or State Small Water Systems Likely Within Their Service Area
Community Water Systems with Domestic Wells
Likely in Their Service Areas1, 2
Approximate
Domestic
Well Count
Number of State Small
Water Systems Likely in
Their Service Areas2
Aromas Water District 51–100 0
Tres Pinos Water District 0–50 0
City of Hollister 26–50 2
City of San Juan Bautista 0–25 0
Dunneville Estates County Service Area #50 0–25 0
McCloskey Road LLC 0–25 1
Sunnyslope County Water District 26–50 1
Casa de Fruta Orchards 0–25 1
Ashford Highlands Mutual Water Company 0–25 1
Rancho San Joaquin Mutual Water Company 0–25 1
McMahon Road Mutual Water Company 0–25 1
San Justo Mutual Water Company 0–25 1
Union Heights Mutal Water Company 0–25 0
Creekbridge Mutual Water Company 0–25 0
San Juan Oaks Mutual Water Company 0–25 0
Notes:
1 The number of domestic wells within a community water system’s service area are presented as a range, since the exact number may be inaccurate due to unknown or unverified well locations. 2 Domestic wells and state small water systems within a community water system’s service area are based on the established service area boundary are do not reflect the proximity to existing water delivery infrastructure. Additional analysis would be needed to determine the proximity of domestic wells and state small water systems to existing water delivery infrastructure.
Groupings of Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems near Community Water Systems The proximity of domestic wells and state small water systems to service areas of community water systems was also evaluated to identify system consolidation opportunities. Domestic wells and state small water systems that are within 1 mile of a community water system are highlighted as potential consolidation opportunities (Figure 5-2). Table 5-3 summarizes those areas of consolidation opportunity, including the number of domestic wells and state small water systems in each area and the nearby 5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-9
community water systems. Note that some of the areas of system consolidation opportunity highlighted in Figure 5-2 may also overlap with domestic wells and state small water systems within a community water system’s boundary as described above.
Additional system consolidation opportunities may exist beyond the areas outlined below. County staff will remain engaged and responsive to all emerging opportunities as they arise.
Evaluating Consolidation Opportunities in the County
With additional resources, County staff, in collaboration with other water districts, should work with domestic well owners, state small water systems, and community water systems to further evaluate the opportunity or develop a plan for physical system consolidation, where appropriate. This evaluation could include outreach to the above systems areas to better understand the system consolidation opportunities (e.g., interest in and willingness to consolidate, water supply availability and water quality constraints, water delivery infrastructure (distance to, components and capacities, etc.), potential for funding and financing for a system consolidation study and infrastructure, points of contact, and other considerations).
Table 5-3. Areas with Opportunity for Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems Consolidation Area of
System
Consolidation
Opportunity
Approximate
Number of
Domestic
Wells
Number of
State Small
Water
Systems
Community Water Systems that Could Be
Involved in Consolidation with Domestic
Wells or State Small Water Systems
Physical
Vulnerability
Score
Area A:
Communities
around Spring
Grove Road
82 2
Rancho San Joaquin Mutual Water Company
McMahon Road Mutual Water Company
Springwood Estates Mutual Water Company
Comstock Mutual Water Company
High
Area B:
Communities
near North
Hollister
64 4 City of Hollister
Sunnyslope County Water District
Medium-High
Area C:
Communities
south of
Hollister
20 3
Creekbridge Mutual Water Company
Sunnyslope County Water District
San Justo Mutual Water Company
Medium-High
5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-10
Figure 5-2. Areas with Opportunity for Domestic Wells and State Small Water Systems Consolidation 5 Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 5-11
5.2.3 Regional Water Infrastructure Investment
Many regional and County planning efforts intersect with the County DRP, creating a coordinated framework for addressing water scarcity, climate adaptation, and infrastructure resilience. These efforts include integrated groundwater management under SGMA, climate action planning, and long-range planning policy that address future growth. Together, they reinforce the County DRP’s goals to build long-term drought resilience across the County. The long-term mitigation strategies and actions in this section describe how County and SBCWD staff could integrate into regional planning and regional water infrastructure to help enhance the water supply reliability of domestic well and state small water system communities. Additional information on the near-term integration into regional planning or water infrastructure is included in Chapter 6.
5.2.3.1 Regional Water Project Integration (LTMSA-07)
During the development project approval process, particularly for proposals involving new or independent water systems, SBCWD staff should actively identify opportunities for coordinated regional water planning. This may include recommending that state small water systems or domestic wells be interconnected with larger, more established systems when feasible. Such integration can improve operational efficiency, enhance water supply reliability, and reduce long-term maintenance and compliance challenges for domestic well and state small water system users. By promoting regional connectivity and shared infrastructure, SBCWD can help ensure sustainable water management and strengthen resilience against drought and other supply disruptions.
5.2.4 Data Gaps
The content in this County DRP used available data to support (1) evaluation of the vulnerability of domestic wells and state small water systems to water shortages, and (2) development and alignment of effective short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions. Access to new or more accurate/complete data, along with continued discussion with the Task Force, would help improve future planning efforts, including updates to the risk assessment. This section details the long-term mitigation strategies and actions, as identified in Table 5-1, that would provide new or improved data for use in future planning efforts.
5.2.4.1 Dry Well Reporting and Abandonment (LTMSA-08)
The risk assessment in Chapter 3, “Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment,” considers the presence of any dry domestic wells located within a particular block group. While the risk assessment and discussion with the Drought Task Force indicate that the County is not highly susceptible to dry wells, it remains essential to document and monitor this risk. Reporting dry wells supports proactive water resource planning and helps safeguard domestic well and state small water system communities.
DWR’s OSWCR allows domestic well communities to report problems with their wells that impact water supplies (DWR 2025b).
However, not all domestic well and state small water systems users may report when their wells run dry, leaving the original dry well unreported and excluded from official records. To address this gap, SBCWD should consider integrating dry well reporting into the well permitting process, both for new wells and replacements. This would allow for systematic tracking of dry well occurrences, helping to identify drought impacts and inform proactive mitigation strategies. Such data could also support regional planning efforts, including updates to the GSP, hazard mitigation planning, and coordination with state small water systems that may be experiencing similar impacts 6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-1
6. Implementation Considerations
The short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions identified and described in Chapter 4, “Short-Term Response Actions,” and Chapter 5, “Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions,” represent the range of in-progress and proposed activities. Implementation of these short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions often (1) falls under the authorities and jurisdictional responsibilities of SBCWD and multiple County departments and other local and State public agencies, and (2) requires the involvement of other interested parties. To implement these short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions, and contribute to continued improvement of water supply reliability for domestic well and state small water system communities, this section describes the implementation steps designed to assist the County with:
• Ongoing water supply monitoring and interagency collaboration • Outlining short-term response action and long-term mitigation strategy and action implementation responsibility, status, and resource needs • Identifying opportunities to align the County DRP with other County policy and County and regional planning documents
• Incorporating adaptive management
• Identifying funding opportunities
6.1 Legislative Direction
SB 552 requires the County to develop a drought and water shortage plan that analyzes the steps to implement the plan and funding sources available to support implementation, per CWC Section 10609.70 (emphasis added as related to plan implementation and this section of the County DRP):
(b) A county shall develop a plan that includes potential drought and water shortage risk and proposed interim and long-term solutions for state small water systems and domestic wells within the county’s jurisdiction. The plan may be a standalone document or may be included as an element in an existing county plan, such as a local hazard mitigation plan, emergency operations plan, climate action plan, or general plan. A county shall consult with its drought task force or alternative coordinating process as established by this section in developing its plan. A county shall consider, at a minimum, all of the following in its plan:
(1) Consolidations for existing water systems and domestic wells. (2) Domestic well drinking water mitigation programs.
(3) Provision of emergency and interim drinking water solutions. (4) An analysis of the steps necessary to implement the plan. (5) An analysis of local, state, and federal funding sources available to implement the plan
6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-2
6.2 Implementation Roadmap
The County DRP describes existing and proposed short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions that, when executed, help the County meet its objectives under CWC Section 10609.70 (b) (1), (b) (2), and (b) (3). Implementing these short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions will require resources and clear roles and responsibilities. The identified short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions include existing or new activities to be implemented under existing authorities and funding of County departments as well as activities that are dependent on appropriation of funds from local, State, or federal resources.
This section presents the implementation roadmap for this County DRP; identification of ongoing monitoring and collaboration with County and SBCWD staff; and conduct of management oversight, prioritization, and resource identification needs. Many identified short-term response actions and longterm mitigation strategies and actions have funding and resource requirements beyond what is currently available to the County.
6.2.1 Monitoring and Collaboration
Supply monitoring and interagency collaboration support County DRP implementation by evaluating water supply reliability and maintaining ongoing coordination and collaboration among County departments, related organizations, and the Task Force. County and SBCWD staff may regularly conduct a variety of monitoring activities, as outlined in Table 6-1. These activities may be superseded by the activities described in Section 4.2.1.2 “Packaged or Bottled Water Supplies During a Drought and Water Shortage Emergency” if a drought or water shortage emergency has occurred. 6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-3
Table 6-1. San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Monitoring and Collaboration Activities Activity Description Lead Agency Timing
Task Force
Meeting
County staff to schedule and facilitate a minimum of one Task Force meeting annually to review current drought conditions, coordinating response efforts, and evaluating the implementation and progress of short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions. Discussion shall support County staff, in collaboration with its Task Force, with identifying potential activation of water shortage response measures as described in this plan if deemed necessary.
County OES Once a year
Water Supply
Monitoring and
Coordination
SBCWD to monitor physical risk factors and water supply conditions as associated with domestic well and state small water system communities SBCWD As needed GSA Coordination
County staff to meet with SBCWD and the Pajaro Valley Management Agency prior to the GSA’s release of the basin/subbasin GSP Annual Report (Water Code Section 10728). May include additional coordination based on water supply conditions.
SBCWD Once a year
GSA Coordination
County staff to engage, where applicable, with SBCWD, Pajaro Valley Management Agency , and other technical groups/committees where those activities assist to inform or implement actions that complement the County DRP.
County OES As needed
County DRP
Website Update
County OES to update the website content and resource materials. This includes any contact info, list of resources (vendors, links to external websites, etc.), and other website content. Website to be hosted on OES webpage within County website.
County OES
Once a year prior to
Task Force meeting,
and as water supply
conditions merit
Key:
DRP = Drought Resilience Plan
GSA = Groundwater Sustainability Agency
GSP = Groundwater Sustainability Plan
OES = Office of Emergency Services
SBCWD = San Benito County Water District
6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-4
6.2.2 Oversight, Timeline, and Resource Needs
Table 6-2 details the implementation of the County DRP short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions, including the responsible and coordinating entities, implementation priority and status, and resource requirements. The identified short-term response actions and longterm mitigation strategies and actions have been assigned to County departments and agencies pursuant to each agency’s regulatory and policy authorities. For the short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions that fall outside of the County’s regulatory and policy authorities, County OES, as lead agency of the County DRP, should provide administrative oversight and act in a collaborative role to ensure the implementation of these activities, as appropriate. The information in Table 6-2 may change outside the County DRP process and should be regularly updated. 6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-5
Table 6-2. San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Implementation Matrix Action and/or Strategy Identification and Title Lead
Agency
Supporting
Agency
Activation
Timeline1 Status2
Additional Resource
Requirements3
Staff
Time
County
Budget
Outside
Funds
STRA-01: Dedicated Water Filling Stations County OES County Public Health Services Near-Term Available Yes No No
STRA-02: Packaged and Bottled Water Supplies County OES County Public Health Services Mid-Term In
Progress Yes No No
STRA-03: Partnerships and Mutal Aid Agreements County OES County Public Health Services Mid-Term In
Progress Yes No No
STRA-04: Expedited New or Replacement Well
Approval During Water Shortage SBCWD County OES Near-Term InProgress Yes No No LTMSA-01: Drought and Water Shortage Risk
Assessment County OES Long-Term Proposed Yes No No
LTMSA-02: Water Shortage Prevention: Assistance
with State Small Water Systems and Domestic Well
Monitoring
SBCWD
County
Environmental
Health
Mid-Term In
Progress No No No
LTMSA-03: Communication and Outreach: Enhance
Access to Resources and Support SBCWD Misc. CountyDepartments Near-Term Proposed Yes Yes No LTMSA-04: Shallow Well Replacement SBCWD Mid-Term In
Progress Yes No No
LTMSA-05: Drinking Water Supplies: Water Hauling
and Storage Tanks County OES SBCWD Long-Term Proposed Yes Yes No LTMSA-06: Potential System Consolidation
Opportunities
County
Public Works SBCWD Long-Term Proposed Yes Yes Yes
LTMSA-07: Regional Water Project Integration SBCWD Long-Term Proposed Yes No No LTMSA-08: Dry Well Reporting and Abandonment SBCWD Near-Term Available Yes No No Notes
1 The activation timeline column represents the anticipated timeline for the action or strategy to start and includes:
• Near-term: Action or strategy is already in progress or anticipated to begin within the next two years. • Mid-term: Action or strategy is predicted to begin within two to five years. • Long-term: Action or strategy is projected to begin five or more years in the future. 6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-6
2 The status column is intended to represent implementation status and is categorized as follows:
• Available: Action or strategy may be available for implementation due to near-term timeline and availability of required resources. • In progress: Action or strategy is currently being implemented. • Proposed: Action or strategy is proposed for future implementation, either due to timeline or resourcing. 3 The resource requirement column identifies anticipated additional resource requirements such as additional staff time, County budget, and/or outside funds (e.g., grants, financing, federal funding, and future State funding) beyond what the County currently has available to implement the identified actions and strategies.
Key:
OES = Office of Emergency Services
SBCWD = San Benito County Water District
6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-7
6.3 Regional Planning Alignment for Implementation
Coordination by County and SBCWD staff within these other regional and County planning efforts will support implementation and also help ensure these plans and projects consider domestic wells and state small water systems. The information and actions contained in this document provide mutual benefits towards realizing goals and objectives of other County and regional planning efforts that may impact domestic well and state small water communities. Table 6-3 describes recommended policy alignment and/or integration actions that promote implementation of short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions identified in this County DRP through coordinated efforts with other related County and regional planning efforts. 6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-8
Table 6-3. San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Policy Alignment and Integration Related Planning
Effort Status Lead Agency Intersection with the County DRP Policy/Integration Action County and City
General Plans
Adopted
between 2015
and 2023
County Planning
Department, City
of Hollister
Planning
Department, City
of San Juan
Bautista Planning
Department
The County DRP builds on the County and municipal
General Plans by identifying drought vulnerabilities in areas planned for growth and ensuring water supply
reliability aligns with future development. Future
growth, land use, and infrastructure policies should be informed by areas not served by centralized public
water systems.
County and City Planning
Departments to review risk
assessment and consider ShortTerm Response Actions and LongTerm Mitigation Strategy and Actions for future General Plan
updates
San Benito County
Multi-Jurisdictional
Hazard Mitigation
Plan
Adopted
February 2023 County OES
The County DRP complements the plan by offering
water-specific mitigation strategies that can be
integrated into broader hazard response efforts.
Strategies for drought resilience, emergency response,
and long-term water security should account for the
unique vulnerabilities and needs of communities served
by domestic wells and state small water systems.
County OES to review risk
assessment and identify any gaps in
planning, coordination, or resources
to strengthen future mitigation
strategies.
Emergency
Operations Plan
Adopted
January 2023
County Office of
Emergency
Services
The County DRP supports operational response
readiness by identifying actions to take during a
water shortage emergency. Areas with a high
concentration of domestic wells and state small
water systems should be prioritized in planning
efforts due to their heightened vulnerability to water
supply disruptions and drought impact.
County OES to incorporate the
Emergency and Interim Drinking
Water Distribution Plan into the
Emergency Operations Plan
North San Benito
Groundwater GSP
Adopted
November
2021
San Benito County
Water District
There is a high concentration of domestic wells
located in the North San Benito Groundwater Basin.
The County DRP involved collaboration with the
Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SBCWD) to help
bridge planning efforts between emergency response
and long-term sustainability.
County OES to continue
coordination with SBCWD for
management of shared
groundwater supplies and ensure
consistency with other water
management plans
6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-9
Related Planning
Effort Status Lead Agency Intersection with the County DRP Policy/Integration Action San Benito Urban
Area Water Supply
and Treatment
Master Plan
Adopted
October 2023
City of Hollister,
City of San Juan
Bautista, San
Benito County,
SBCWD,
Sunnyslope County
Water District
The County DRP identifies vulnerable areas and
populations at risk from drought. The San Benito
Urban Areas Water Supply and Treatment Master Plan
Update identifies long-term water supply deficits during drought periods and recommends infrastructure
improvements. It also includes climate change
adaptation strategies/ emergency response planning
that could support domestic wells and state small water systems.
Each agency to review areas of
vulnerability, with a focus on
domestic wells and state small
water systems
Hollister Urban Area
Water Management
Plan
Adopted July
2021
City of Hollister,
Sunnyslope County
Water District,
SBCWD
The County DRP aligns drought preparedness,
groundwater sustainability, and emergency water
supply strategies to support long-term reliability for
both urban systems and vulnerable rural
communities.
Each agency to review areas of
vulnerability, with a focus on
domestic wells and state small
water systems
Pajaro River
Watershed
Integrated Regional
Water Management
Plan
Memorandum
of
Understanding
established
2004
Pajaro Valley
Water
Management
Agency, SBCWD,
Santa Clara Valley
Water District
The County DRP complements watershed-scale
climate adaptation initiatives by addressing water
resilience at a County level.
Each agency to review drought and
water shortage emergencies for
domestic and state small water
system communities as a
component of IRWMP
Pajaro Valley
Subbasin
Groundwater
Sustainability Plan
Alternative
Adopted 2021
Pajaro Valley
Water
Management
Agency
A significant concentration of domestic wells is
located within the Pajaro Valley Basin portion of the
County, where groundwater levels and water quality
are increasingly impacted by drought conditions.
The County DRP supports long-term groundwater
sustainability, reduces overdraft drifts, and supports
coordinated regional efforts to protect domestic well
and state small water system communities.
Pajaro Valley Water Management
Agency to review vulnerability data
on domestic well and state small
water system communities to
inform monitoring and project
prioritization
Key:
DRP = Drought Resilience Plan
IRWMP = Integrated Regional Water Management Plan
OES = Office of Emergency Services
SBCWD = San Benito County Water District
6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-10
In addition to aligning with regional policy, integration of domestic wells and state small water systems into regional water infrastructure projects is also essential to support implementation. Table 6-4 summarizes current projects and assesses each project’s potential to enhance supply reliability for domestic wells and state small water systems, as well as the entities involved in their development and implementation. While these projects represent efforts to enhance water supply reliability, this is not an exhaustive list; additional opportunities may exist or arise. County and SBCWD staff should continue monitoring regional planning efforts for other coordinated water infrastructure opportunities. 6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-11
Table 6-4. Regional Water Projects with Applicability to Domestic Wells and/or State Small Water Systems Regional Water
Infrastructure
Projects
Project Description
Applicability to
Domestic Wells and
State Small Water
Systems
Lead Agency
North County Project1
Test wells drilled in March 2021 as part of the North County Project have been incorporated into the North San Benito GSP’s monitoring network for groundwater levels and quality. Detailed data collection is underway, including ground surface elevation, screened intervals, and baseline hydrogeologic conditions, to support longterm basin management and sustainability assessments.
Moderate: Improves
groundwater
monitoring
SBCWD
ADRoP2
ADRoP includes the construction of aquifer storage and recovery wells, which enhance groundwater reliability during droughts. The project also expands the West Hills Water Treatment Plant and builds transmission pipelines, improving regional water supply resilience.
High: Increases
groundwater storage
SBCWD
City of San Juan
Bautista Regional
Water and
Wastewater Solution3
This project involves importing water from the West Hills Water Treatment Plant to San Juan Bautista to replace groundwater use.
Low: Indirectly offsets
groundwater demand
San Juan
Bautista
City of Hollister
B.F. Sisk Dam Raise4 This project consists of raising the B.F. Sisk Dam to address seismic concerns and increase water storage capability in the San Luis Reservoir.
Low: Indirectly offsets
groundwater demand
US Bureau of
Reclamation
DWR
Source:
1SBCWD and Valley Water 2025. 2 SBCWD 2025. 3San Juan Bautista 2025. 4 Reclamation 2025.
Key:
ADRoP = Accelerated Drought Response Project
DWR = California Department of Water Resources
GSP = Groundwater Sustainability Plan
SBCWD = San Benito County Water District
6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-12
6.3.1 Adaptive Management for the Drought Resilience Plan The County DRP will be updated periodically or in response to updated information or changing conditions to ensure findings, short-term response actions, and long-term mitigation strategies and actions are appropriate and relevant. At a minimum, this County DRP will be reviewed and updated by County staff every five years, depending on the availability of funding. The County DRP may also be revisited after major droughts, water shortage events, changes in GSA status, as well as when new data, strategies, policies, or requests from the Task Force arise. The County OES is responsible for initiating and coordinating any County DRP updates.
Updates to the County DRP may include: (1) reviewing the risk assessment findings in light of new and improved information that characterizes water supply vulnerability, (2) evaluating progress on shortterm response action and long-term mitigation strategy and action implementation, (3) updating any communications and outreach materials and information, (4) updating Task Force details, and (5) revising the County DRP content to incorporate any changes.
6.4 Funding Opportunities and Assistance Programs
County DRP implementation could involve a variety of activities both for County staff and for community partners including plan administration, management, and updates; submitting funding applications and administering agreements; outreach and communications; coordination with other agencies and entities; Task Force engagement; managing assistance programs; development and construction of infrastructure and associated operations; and other efforts. Those activities require funding—both short-term for projects with a finite schedule and long-term for ongoing activities. As SB 552 does not provide funding for implementation activities, this County DRP analyzed local, State, and federal funding sources available to implement the plan.
A combination of funding and support sources could be used to support County DRP implementation with various agencies and entities involved in securing and administering each source. These might include grants, loans, agency staff time, services provided by others (e.g., in-kind work, technical or training assistance through a State or federal agency). The availability of these internal and external funding sources will impact the success and timeliness of the County DRP implementation.
Tracking and applying for grants or other funding sources to implement short-term response actions or long-term mitigation strategies and actions typically require additional staff time and resources that may not always be available. County OES staff are currently identifying, tracking, analyzing, and applying for potential grant opportunities. However, additional support and resources could be beneficial to help secure adequate funding to implement the short-term response actions or long-term mitigation strategies and actions.
Domestic well, state small water system, and domestic surface water user communities are also limited in their ability to access reliable funding due to limited staff, reserves, and flexibility. They may find that it is cost- and resource-prohibitive to implement drought or water shortage solutions by themselves, that solutions frequently require participation or involvement of other entities, and that it is challenging to prepare for, navigate, apply for, and administer the various local, State, and federal funding mechanisms that could be available at any given time. These system owners/operators may need assistance. Note that the County does not have the authority to require domestic well, state small water system, or domestic surface water user communities to implement any actions to enhance their resilience.
6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-13
Table 6-5 provides a compilation of funding opportunities and assistance programs that may be available to assist in the implementation of the short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions identified for the County, as listed in Section 4.2, “San Benito County Short-Term Response Actions” and Section 5.2, “San Benito County Long-Term Mitigation Strategies and Actions.” Table 6-5 may be used as a basis for developing future funding strategies, but it is neither a complete list nor an exhaustive one. Additionally, as available funding sources are constantly changing, funding needs, timing, and potential opportunities must be evaluated and balanced prior to commitment to implementation.
6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-14
Table 6-5. Funding Opportunities and Assistance Programs for Drought Resilience Plan Implementation Agency Program Description
County General Fund
The County General Fund is primarily supported by discretionary revenues such as sales and property taxes. Allocation of these funds is subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors, allowing flexibility to support a range of County priorities and services.
California State
Library
California Grants Portal
(https://www.grants.ca.gov/)
Searchable webpage with information on State funding opportunities (input and updated by State administering agencies and departments). Grants Portal hosts State funding opportunities offered on a competitive or first-come basis (other types of grants are not listed).
State Water Board
County-wide and Regional Funding
Programs (SAFER)
(https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/saf
er/funding_solicitation.html)
Grant funding to implement regional programs that address drought-related and/or contamination issues for domestic wells and state small water systems serving DACs and low-income households.
State Water Board
Small Community Funding Program
(https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/wa
ter_issues/programs/grants_loans/su
stainable_water_solutions/)
Funding and assistance to help DACs providing drinking water service to less than 10,000 people and having a median household income of less than 80% of the statewide median household income with technical assistance needs, interim water supplies, and implement eligible drinking water capital improvement projects.
State Water Board
Domestic Water Wells and State
Smalls Program
(https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/wa
ter_issues/programs/grants_loans/dri
nking_water_well.html)
Assistance to disadvantaged individuals or households served by a domestic well or state small water systems with a water quality issue.
State Water Board
Drinking Water SRF
(https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/dri
nking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/fu
ndingincentives.html)
Drinking Water SRF webpage specific to funding and incentives for consolidation and regionalization projects.
State Water Board
Financial Assistance Funding: Grants
and Loans Website
(https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/wa
ter_issues/programs/grants_loans/)
Information on grant and loan programs (State Water Board and other agencies).
California DWR
Technical Assistance
(https://water.ca.gov/Work-WithUs/Technical-Assistance) Technical guidance and assistance resources to local and regional organizations through 4 regional offices.
6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-15
Agency Program Description
California
Department of
Water Resources
Grants and Loans
(https://water.ca.gov/Work-WithUs/Grants-And-Loans)
Information on grant and loan programs that support integrated watershed management activities addressing environmental stewardship, water supply reliability, flood risk, groundwater sustainability, drought, and more.
California Financing
Coordinating
Committee
California Financing Coordinating
Committee Funding Information
(https://www.cfcc.ca.gov/)
Information on grants, loans, and bond financing for infrastructure projects from 4 State agencies (State Water Board, DWR, CA Department of Housing and Community Development, CA Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank) and 2 federal agencies (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, USDA Rural Development) also has information on and links to the California Rural Water Association and Rual Community Assistance Corporation and tabs for funding fairs, infrastructure funding programs, and additional funding programs.
California Governor's
Office of Land Use
and Climate
Innovation
Integrated Climate Adaptation and
Resiliency Program
(https://lci.ca.gov/climate/icarp/)
Information on planning and implementation of grant programs, technical assistance, and other resources to support planning for and adapting to climate change.
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric
Administration,
National Integrated
Drought Information
System
Funding Opportunities
(https://www.drought.gov/droughtin-action/funding-opportunities) Information on and links to funding offered by the National Integrated Drought Information System and its partners related to drought early warning research across many sectors and fields including science, education, and technology. Webpage also includes links to other drought-related federal funding opportunities.
Federal Emergency
Management Agency
Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants
(https://www.fema.gov/grants/prepa
redness)
Funding for eligible long-term solutions that reduce the impact of disasters in the future. Information on many funding/assistance opportunities.
U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Rural
Development
Rural Utilities Service Water and
Environmental Programs: Water and
Environmental Grant and Loan
funding
(https://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/water-environmentalprograms) Technical assistance, training, and financing to develop drinking water and waste disposal systems in rural communities (populations of 10,000 or less). 6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-16
Agency Program Description
U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Rural
Development
Emergency Community Water
Assistance Grants
(https://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/water-environmentalprograms/emergency-communitywater-assistance-grants) Funding to prepare for or recover from an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water.
U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Rural
Development
Water and Waste Disposal Loan and
Grant Program
(https://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/water-environmentalprograms/water-waste-disposal-loangrant-program) Funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and stormwater drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas; for qualified applicants not otherwise able to obtain commercial credit on reasonable terms.
Key:
DAC = disadvantaged community
DWR = California Department of Water Resources
SAFER = Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience SRF = State Revolving Fund
6 Implementation Considerations
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 6-17
In analyzing potential funding sources, this County DRP identified the issues, topics, questions, and suggestions listed below:
• Administration and Coordination: County OES may serve as the lead coordinating agency for implementation. Additional support from other County departments and partner agencies (e.g., SBCWD, Environmental Health) will be needed to strengthen capacity and ensure cross-agency collaboration.
• Staffing and Capacity Needs: Dedicated staff are essential to track funding opportunities, manage applications, and administer awarded grants. This includes developing a funding strategy for short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions and identifying/securing resources to implement and periodically update that strategy. These costs may be covered through grant reimbursements, local cost-share agreements, or separate funding sources. SBCWD may also need additional capacity to track and monitor existing water resources beyond the GSA basin.
• Funding Constraints and Strategy: Many State and federal programs are competitive and income based. Given limited resources and competing priorities, successful pursuit of funding for short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions will require active engagement from cross-agency coordination and the Task Force to develop compelling proposals.
• Adaptability and Strategic Alignment: Short-term response actions and long-term mitigation strategies and actions should remain flexible to account for climate variability, population shifts, and evolving grant criteria. Aligning projects with funding agency priorities and forming strategic partnerships will enhance competitiveness and long-term resilience. 7 References
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 7-1
7. References
Barreau, T., D. Conway, K. Haught, R. Jackson, R. Kreutzer, A. Lockman, M. Sharon, R. Roisman, D. Rozell, S. Smorodinsky, D. Taofya, and A.J. Wilken. 2017. Physical, Mental, and Financial Impacts From Drought in Two California Counties, 2015. American Journal of Public Health 107(5):783–790.
Accessed May 10, 2024.
California Department of Water Resources (DWR). 2019. Statement of Findings Regarding the Approval of the Pajaro Valley Subbasin Alternative. Available: https://cawaterlibrary.net/wpcontent/uploads/2024/07/PajaroValley_ALT2017_Determination.pdf. Accessed May 10, 2024. _______. 2023a. County Drought Resilience Guidebook. Available: https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWRWebsite/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/Urban-Water-Use-Efficiency/SB552/DWR_Final_Guidebook_20230313_ADA_508_v5.pdf. Accessed September 10, 2025. _______. 2023b. California Expedites Over $17 Million in Emergency Funding to Deliver Clean Drinking Water to Central Coast Communities. Available: https://water.ca.gov/News/NewsReleases/2023/April-23/California-Expedites-Over-17-Million-in-Emergency-Funding-to-DeliverClean-Drinking-Water. Accessed September 4, 2024. _______. 2024a. Water Shortage Vulnerability Tool. https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Water-Use-AndEfficiency/SB-552/SB-552-Tool. Accessed May 10, 2024. _______. 2024b. Water Shortage Vulnerability Technical Methods. Available:
https://data.ca.gov/dataset/water-shortage-vulnerability-technical-methods. Accessed August 1, 2025.
_______. 2025a. California’s Groundwater Live: Groundwater Levels. Available:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b3886b33b49c4fa8adf2ae8bdd8f16c3. Accessed September 12, 2025.
_______. 2025b. Well Completion Reports. Available: https://water.ca.gov/Programs/GroundwaterManagement/Wells/Well-Completion-Reports. Accessed: September 12, 2025. _______. 2025c. Grants and Loans. Available: https://water.ca.gov/Work-With-Us/Grants-And-Loans.
Accessed September 10, 2025.
_______. 2025d. Technical Assistance. Available: https://water.ca.gov/Work-With-Us/TechnicalAssistance. Accessed September 10, 2025.
California Financing Coordinating Committee. 2025. California Financing Coordinating Committee Funding Information. Available: https://www.cfcc.ca.gov/. Accessed September 10, 2025.
California Governor’s Office of Land Use. 2025. Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program.
Available: https://lci.ca.gov/climate/icarp/. Accessed: September 10, 2025.
California State Library. 2025. California Grants Portal. Available: https://www.grants.ca.gov/. Accessed September 10, 2025. Available: https://lci.ca.gov/climate/icarp/. Accessed September 10, 2025. 7 References
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 7-2
City of Hollister, City of Juan Bautista, San Benito County, San Benito County Water District (SBCWD), Sunnyslope County Water District. 2023. San Benito Urban Areas Water Supply and Treatment Master Plan. Available: https://sbcwd.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SBUA-WST-MasterPlan-Update_Final_20231025.pdf. Accessed: May 10, 2024.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 2023. Local Mitigation Planning Handbook. Available:
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_local-mitigation-planninghandbook_052023.pdf. Accessed May 10,2024. _______. 2024. Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants. Available:
https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness. Accessed September 10, 2025.
Greene, Christina. Broadening Understandings of Drought: The Climate Vulnerability of Farmworkers and Rural Communities in California (USA) (Revised and Resubmitted, 2018). Environmental Science & Policy. Accessed May 3, 2024.
Langridge, Ruth. 2018. Central Coast Summary Report. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment.
University of California, Santa Cruz. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-006. Accessed May 3, 2024.
National Drought Mitigation Center, U.S. Department Agriculture, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2024. US Drought Monitor (USDM). Available:
https://www.drought.gov/data-maps-tools/us-drought-monitor. Accessed August, 10, 2024.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Integrated Drought Information System. 2025. Funding Opportunities. Available: https://www.drought.gov/drought-in-action/fundingopportunities. Accessed September 10, 2025.
San Benito County. 2010. General Plan Background Materials and Historic Documents. Available:
https://www.sanbenitocountyca.gov/departments/resource-management-agency/buildingplanning/general-plan/2035-general-plan-background-materials-and-historical-documents.
Accessed May 3, 2024.
_______. 2015. 2035 General Plan. Available:
https://www.sanbenitocountyca.gov/departments/resource-management-agency/buildingplanning/general-plan. Accessed May 3, 2024.
San Benito County Water District (SBCWD). 2024. San Benito County Rainfall Data. Available:
https://sbcwd.ca.gov/rainfall-data/. Accessed April 30, 2024. San Benito County Water District (SBCWD). 2025. The Accelerated Drought Response Project (ADRoP). Available:
https://sbcwd.ca.gov/accelerated-drought-response-project/. Accessed September 10, 2025.
San Benito County Water District (SBCWD) and Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water). 2021.
North San Benito Groundwater Sustainability Plan. Available: https://sbcwd.ca.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2021/11/PUBLICDRAFTNorthSanBenitoGSP_Final.pdf. Accessed April 30, 2024. _______. 2025. North San Benito Annual Groundwater Report 2024. March. Available:
https://sbcwd.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-Annual-GroundwaterReport.pdf#:~:text=North%20County%20Project.%20Test%20wells%20drilled%20in,screened%2 7 References
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 7-3
0intervals%2C%20and%20baseline%20conditions)%20are%20currently. Accessed September 10, 2025.
San Juan Bautista. 2025. Water & Wastewater Updates. Available: https://san-juanbautista.ca.us/departments/water___wastewater_updates.php. Accessed September 10, 2025.
State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board). 2020. Water Systems. Available:
https://sdwis.waterboards.ca.gov/PDWW/JSP/SearchDispatch?number=&name=&county=mont erey&WaterSystemType=All&WaterSystemStatus=A&SourceWaterType=All&action=Search+For +Water+Systems. Accessed September 10, 2025.
_______. 2023. County-wide and Regional Funding Programs. Available:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/safer/funding_solicitation.html. Accessed September 10, 2025.
_______. 2024. Domestic Water Wells and State Smalls Program. Available:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/drinking_water_well.ht ml. Accessed September 10, 2025.
_______. 2025a. Small Community Funding Program. Available:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/sustainable_water_solu tions/. Accessed September 10, 2025.
_______. 2025b. Funding and Incentives for Consolidation and Regionalization Projects. Available:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/fundingincentives.html.
Accessed September 10, 2025.
_______. 2025c. Financial Assistance Funding-Grants and Loans. Available:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/. Accessed September 9, 2025.
U.S. Census Bureau. 2022. American Community Survey. Available:
https://data.census.gov/profile/San_Benito_County,_California?g=050XX00US06069. Accessed April 30, 2024.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. n.d. Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants. Available:
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-environmental-programs/emergencycommunity-water-assistance-grants. Accessed September 10, 2025. _______. n.d. Rural Utilities Service Water and Environmental Programs: Water and Environmental Grant and Loan Funding. Available: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/waterenvironmental-programs. Accessed September 10, 2025. _______. n.d. Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. https://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/water-environmental-programs/water-waste-disposal-loan-grant-program. Accessed September 10, 2025.
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 2024. National Data Viewer.
Available: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/9a89ee80c604431e8f8d939a186fbdbb.
Accessed April 30, 2024.
7 References
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan 7-4
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). 2025. B.F. Sisk Dam Safety of Dams Modification Project. Available: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/sod/projects/sisk/. Accessed September 30, 2025.
Appendix A: Water Shortage Emergency Response Process
Appendix A: Water Shortage Emergency Response Process
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan Appendix A-1
Water Shortage Emergency Response Process
Appendix A outlines the Water Shortage Emergency Response Process, which is designed to help the County monitor water supply conditions that affect domestic wells and state small water systems. The purpose of this process is to identify actions appropriate for each stage of a water shortage, helping to mitigate potential impacts on these vulnerable water sources.
The emergency response process defines three stages of water shortage: Readiness, Warning, and Emergency. Table A-1 presents key indicators related to water supply conditions and activation considerations used to assess the current status. While the table provides examples of potential indicators and considerations, it is not exhaustive. The County may rely on additional indicators not listed in Table A-1.
To support each water shortage stage, the County has aligned specific actions and designated lead agencies, as shown in Table A-2. Further details on these actions can be found in Chapter 4 “Short-Term Response Actions” of the County Drought Resilience Plan. The County retains discretion to implement additional activities beyond those listed in Table A-2 and will determine the most appropriate strategies based on the nature of the shortage.
Table A-3 includes contact information for agencies that may be involved in the emergency response process.
Appendix A: Water Shortage Emergency Response Process
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan Appendix A-2
Table A-1. Water Shortage Indicators and Activation Considerations in San Benito County Indicator
Name Indicator Description Warning Stage Indicators and Activation Considerations
Emergency Stage Indicators and
Activation Considerations
U.S. Drought
Monitor1
The U.S. Drought Monitor is a map updated
weekly that shows location and intensity of
drought across the country, and uses a 5-
category system, from Abnormally Dry (D0)
conditions to Exceptional Drought (D4). The
County can use this resource to understand the
prevalence and severity of drought within the
County and surrounding areas.
If U.S. Drought Monitor classification reaches
Severe Drought (D2) or worse within the
County, initiate Warning Stage review.
Combine with other indicators before
activation.
If classification reaches Extreme (D3) or
Exceptional (D4) drought, heighten
monitoring of all other indicators; the
County is to activate Emergency Stage only
if corroborated by supply or impact data.
An Extreme or Exceptional drought
classification may not solely indicate that a
water shortage emergency is occurring or
imminent.
Public Water
System
Shortage
Stage
Public water system is required to maintain a
Water Shortage Contingency Plan (or have one
within an Urban Water Management Plan) that
specifies stages of water shortage tied to
projected water supply shortfalls. The Drought
Stages that public water systems use may be a
proxy for overall drought conditions within the
County.
Public water system’s water shortage stage
could alert the County to consider whether
the Warning Stage is warranted for domestic
wells, local small water systems, and state
small water systems. Public water systems
that use the same groundwater supplies are a
better direct proxy than those that rely on
different types of water supplies.
Water Shortage Contingency Plans include
an Emergency Stage that is only used when
water supply shortages are imminent. If a
public water system in the County is in an
Emergency Stage, especially if the system
uses the same groundwater supplies as
domestic wells, local small water systems,
or state small water systems, this should be
an Emergency Stage activation
consideration.
Water
Quality
Water quality data from water systems available
to the County could indicate water quality
issues. The presence of potential water quality
issues that may result in water supplies being
unusable can be used to establish a water
shortage stage. Note that other hazards such as
droughts or wildfires can exacerbate poor water
quality conditions and should also be considered
in combination with this indicator.
Indicators include water quality observations
that are noted as being of concern (for
unregulated chemicals or those without an
established water quality level) or measured
water quality that is outside of established
standards (maximum contaminant levels,
primary or secondary standards, etc.) without
a boil-water notice or other intervention
limiting use in place will initiate Warning
Stage review.
Observed water quality that is outside
public health standards (maximum
contaminant levels, primary or secondary
standards, etc.) and/or a boil-water notice
or intervention limiting use is in place will
activate the Emergency Stage.
Appendix A: Water Shortage Emergency Response Process
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan Appendix A-3
Indicator
Name Indicator Description Warning Stage Indicators and Activation Considerations
Emergency Stage Indicators and
Activation Considerations
Applications
for
Replacement
Well Permits
Water quality data from water systems available
to the County could indicate water quality
issues. The presence of potential water quality
issues that may result in water supplies being
unusable can be used to establish a water
shortage stage. Note that other hazards such as
droughts or wildfires can exacerbate poor water
quality conditions and should also be considered
in combination with this indicator.
If the County is in a drought condition (U.S.
Drought Monitor, Public Water System, or
others) and there is an increase in
replacement well permit applications, then
the County should evaluate if the new
applications are due to water shortages for
domestic wells, local small water systems,
and state small water systems and initiate
Warning Stage.
If after evaluating the dry well reports, the
County finds that the features of the dry
well (e.g., depth, age) are consistent with
other wells in the area, that may indicate
the potential for widespread water
shortages; consider Emergency Stage
activation
Dry Well
Reports
California has a dry well reporting system that
well owners or operators can use to report a dry
well. The County can use this to help identify
where a water shortage is occurring.
Any dry well reports submitted within the
County should activate evaluation of the
cause of the water shortage to determine if
the cause is due to an isolated issue (e.g.,
very shallow well, aging infrastructure, etc.)
and if the cause was exacerbated by drought.
If consistent with area-wide well
characteristics and drought impacts, initiate
Warning Stage.
If after evaluating the dry well reports, the
County finds that the features of the dry
well (e.g., depth, age) are consistent with
other wells in the area, that may indicate
the potential for widespread water
shortages; consider Emergency Stage
activation
GSA
Monitoring
GSAs in SGMA priority basins are required to do
regular monitoring (typically in October and
April) of groundwater conditions as part of their
reporting. The County can use data from these
monitoring programs, if available to the County,
to inform a water shortage stage.
If monitoring or analysis by a GSA indicates a
decline in groundwater levels below an
established threshold (such as a MT or
Measurable Objective, as defined in the
associated GSP) that could cause water
supply issues, then initiate Warning Stage
review.
Consider Emergency Stage if monitoring or
analysis by a GSA that results in the GSA
implementing response actions to avoid
water shortages, and domestic wells, local
small water systems, or state small water
systems supplies could be impacted in that
area.
Non-Drought
Hazards
Other hazards that could result in a water
shortage include wildfires, earthquakes, floods,
and power outages (either planned or
unplanned), and the County should monitor
conditions following a hazard event. Water
supply impacts of some of these hazards can be
worsened by drought conditions, and such
events can also influence other indicators such
as water quality.
Initiate Warning Stage review if hazards
temporarily interrupt domestic well, local
small water system, or state small water
system supplies for up to 2 days.
Activate Emergency Stage if hazards
interrupt domestic well, local small water
system, or state small water system
supplies for an extended period (3 or more
days), including public safety power
shutoffs.
Appendix A: Water Shortage Emergency Response Process
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan Appendix A-4
Source: National Drought Mitigation Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2024.
Key:
GSA = Groundwater Sustainability Agency
GSP = Groundwater Sustainability Plan
MT = Minimum Threshold
NGO = Non-Governmental Organization
SGMA = Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
U.S. Drought Monitor = United States Drought Monitor
Appendix A: Water Shortage Emergency Response Process
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan Appendix A-5
Table A-2. Water Shortage Emergency Response Process
Water
Shortage
Stage
Description San Benito County Actions1 Lead Agency
Readiness No major drought or
potential water shortage
Annual Drought Task Force Meeting to discuss County DRP Implementation and review water supply health OES
Proactive long-term mitigation strategy communications and outreach OES, SBCWD Conduct annual water supply assessment SBCWD
Annual website update OES
Warning
Drought or other hazard
occurring could cause a
water shortage
As-needed Drought Task Force Meeting OES
Conduct outreach related to voluntary water conservation strategies SBCWD Conduct outreach to share available resources for water shortage mitigation SBCWD As needed, coordinate with relevant organizations: SBCWD, water districts, other County departments, NGOs County OES
Emergency Water shortage is
occurring or is imminent
Initiate Drought Task Force Meeting County OES
Activate Emergency and Interim Drinking Water Distribution Process for area(s) experiencing water shortage Couty OES
Notes: 1 Not all short-term response actions identified by the County are explicitly listed in this table as some may be grouped together. All short-term response actions are described in the San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan Chapter 4.
Key:
NGO = Non-Government Organization
OES = San Benito County Office of Emergency Services
SBCWD = San Benito County Water District
Appendix A: Water Shortage Emergency Response Process
San Benito County
Drought Resilience Plan Appendix A-6
Table A-3. Contact Information for Agencies Involved in the Emergency Response Process Agency Name/Role Contact Information
Office of Emergency
Services
Kris Mangano, Emergency
Services Manager
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (831) 636-4168
San Benito County
Water District Dana Jacobson, General Manager
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (831) 637-8218
Hollister Fire
Department Charlie Bedolla, Fire Marshall Email: [email protected] Phone: (831) 636-4300
Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Email: [email protected]
Phone: (831) 636-4080
San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan
Administrative Final
Prepared for:
San Benito County
Prepared by:
Stantec Consulting Services Inc. February 25, 2026
San Benito Urban Area UWMP 2025
SAN BENITO URBAN AREA UWMP 2025
Appendix F
SBCWD Ordinance
No. 2015-04
1 RESOLUTION NO. 2015-04
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
THE SAN BENITO COUNTY WATER DISTRICT
DECLARING A WATER SHORTAGE EMERGENCY AND
IMPLEMENTING THE DISTRICT’S WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLANS The San Benito County Water District Board of Directors does hereby resolve as follows:
PURSUANT to California Water Code Section 350 et seq., the Board of Directors has conducted duly noticed public hearings to establish the criteria under which a water shortage emergency may be declared.
WHEREAS,
The District is a water purveyor to the City of Hollister and the Sunnyslope County Water District for municipal purposes and to agricultural customers in San Benito County for irrigation purposes; and
WHEREAS,
Much of California experienced record dry conditions in January 2014 through January 2015, registering historic lows on the Northern Sierra, Upper Sacramento River and San Joaquin precipitation indices; and
WHEREAS,
The Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in him by the state Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, section 8625 of the California Government Code proclaimed a State of Emergency to exist in the State of California due to current drought conditions; and
WHEREAS,
The District receives water from the Central Valley Project (CVP) as a federal contractor and it has been projected by the Bureau of Reclamation that south of the Delta contractors will receive a zero allocation for agricultural water users and Municipal and Industrial (M&I) customers will only receive 25% of historical allocations this year;
WHEREAS,
The demand for water service is not expected to lessen;
WHEREAS,
As stated in the Hollister Urban Area Water Management Plan 2010, when the combined total amount of water supply available to the District from all sources falls at or below the Stage II triggering levels, the District will declare a water 2 shortage emergency. The water supply would not be adequate to meet the ordinary demands and requirements of water consumers without depleting the District’s water supply to the extent that there may be insufficient water for human consumption, sanitation, fire protection, and environmental requirements. These conditions are likely to exist until precipitation and inflow dramatically increases.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ORDERED by the Board of Directors of the San Benito County Water District that a water shortage emergency condition exists that threatens the adequacy of the water supply, until the water supply is deemed adequate. The Board of Directors hereby implements the following interim Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
1. Interim Overuse Policies Applicable to Agricultural and M&I San Felipe Customers (Contract and Small Parcel): Overuse of water will result in a reduction of water available to other users who are entitled to their allocation and will require that the District locate and purchase water on the open market to compensate for the overused water. If an Agricultural or M&I customer overuses their applicable water allocation, the District shall discontinue water service by closing the customer’s valve. The customer will be billed their applicable water rate and power rate for usage in addition to a minimum regulatory conservation charge up to $2,000/Acre-Foot). This charge is not imposed upon a parcel as an incident of property ownership but is a regulatory charge on water users who choose to overuse water allocations. The charge is intended to recover the District’s costs for locating and purchasing water in the open market to back-fill the District’s supplies so that other District customers’ allocations will not be impacted.
2. Changing Account Service Type: Customers will not be allowed to change account service type. However, the District has the discretion to authorize changing of account service type when such is deemed justified under the circumstances.
3. Transfer of Water from Agricultural Contract Customers to Agricultural Small Parcel Customers: Agricultural Contract customers will be allowed to transfer 2014-2015 rescheduled water and 2015-2016 water to small parcel customers. Transfers will only be allowed to agricultural small parcel customers with permanent crops (e.g. trees and vines) who meet either of the following criteria:
1) parcels are designated “high boron”, 2) customer has no access to well water.
4. Voluntary Conservation: While the conditions at present warrant a Stage II action, the District is initially implementing a Stage I voluntary conservation action with a Demand Reduction Goal of 20 percent. As the District continues to 3 monitor the water supply and conditions, the Board may choose to modify the action level.
5. Miscellaneous: Any and all provisions of the Water User’s Handbook that are in conflict with the provisions of this Resolution are hereby suspended during the term of this interim Resolution. This Resolution shall be reviewed periodically but not later than the first meeting in March, 2016, to determine whether a water shortage condition and emergency exists and whether the policies set forth herein should continue in effect. In the event a court of law determines that any provision of this Resolution is invalid, such determination shall not invalidate the remaining provisions of this Resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Directors shall periodically conduct proceedings to determine additional restrictions and regulations which may be necessary to safeguard the adequacy of the water supply for domestic, sanitation, fire protection, and environmental requirements.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the President of the Board is authorized to sign this Resolution on behalf of this Board and District.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of the San Benito County Water District this 1st day of April, 2015, by the following vote:
AYES: DIRECTORS: Tonascia, Flores, Tobias, Bettencourt & Huenemann NOES: DIRECTORS: None
ABSENT: DIRECTORS: None
ABSTAIN: DIRECTORS: None
/s/Joseph A. Tonascia
Joseph A. Tonascia
President
ATTEST: /s/Sara Singleton
Sara Singleton
Assistant Manager
San Benito Urban Area UWMP 2025
SAN BENITO URBAN AREA UWMP 2025
Appendix G
Water
Conservation Plan
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