BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) – On April 12, 2021, Governor Newsom issued California Executive Order N-7-22, directing cities and counties to implement new water conservation measures.

Butte County Public Health’s (BCPH) Environmental Health Division, along with other County departments and Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA), are reviewing this order to establish new permitting processes for wells that are not to be used for drinking water.

This executive order was prompted by the Governor following the driest three months in what is typically California’s rainy season. Nearly all of California, including Butte County, is under severe or extreme drought conditions. Both the Sierra snowpack and reservoir levels are approaching new lows.

Prior to issuing new permits, Environmental Health must ensure the following: Cannot approve a permit for a groundwater well or an alteration of an existing well without obtaining written verification from the GSA. This does NOT apply to small diameter, residential drinking water wells. Determine that groundwater extraction is not likely to harm existing nearby wells and infrastructure. Determine groundwater pumping is not likely to cause land subsidence (i.e., gradual settling or decline in earth’s surface) that would adversely impact or damage nearby infrastructure. No permanent (inelastic) land subsidence has been recorded in Butte County to date.

To comply with the Executive Order, BCPH’s Environmental Health Division is temporarily not accepting well permit applications for any non-drinking water well while these processes are established.

Important links:

• California Executive Order N-7-22 (tinyurl.com/2yeyueus)

• Butte County Public Health, Division of Environmental Health (www.buttecounty.net/ph/Environmental-Health)

• Butte County Water and Resource Conservation (www.buttecounty.net/waterresourceconservation)

• Department of Water Resources (https://water.ca.gov/)