Governor’s Executive Order N-7-22 (March 28, 2022)
On March 28, 2022 Governor Newsom issued Drought Executive Order N-7-22 that included new well permitting requirements for local agencies to prepare for and lessen the effects of drought conditions (Action 9). These requirements do not apply to permits for wells that provide less than two acre-feet of water per year for domestic use (a typical home uses less than two acre-feet per year) or for wells that provide water to public water supply stems.
Well Permits in Sacramento County
In Sacramento County, the County’s Environmental Management Department’s Wells Program is responsible for oversight of the construction, modification, repair, inactivation, and destruction of wells, pursuant to Chapter 6.28 of the Sacramento County Code and Section 13801 of the California Water Code. This includes regulations of Water Supply Wells, Monitoring Wells, Exploratory Soil Borings, Geothermal Heat Exchange Wells, Cathodic Protection Wells, and other special use wells. Any well constructed in Sacramento County must have a permit from the Environmental Management Department prior to the start of construction unless it is specifically exempted in the Code.
The Environmental Management Department has created new procedures for implementing the new requirements under Drought Executive Order N-7-22. For all non-exempt wells, applicants must provide:
- A report signed, by a California licensed professional, such as a Professional Geologist with a Certified Hydrogeologist specialty certification or a Professional Engineer, the concludes both that extraction of groundwater from the well is not likely to interfere with the production and functions of existing nearby wells and is not likely to cause subsidence that would adversely impact or damage nearby infrastructure. (See Action 9(b) of Executive Order N-7-22)
- If the well’s location is within the North American, South American, Cosumnes, or Solano Subbasins, written concurrence that the proposed well would not be inconsistent with any applicable Groundwater Sustainability Plan adopted by the applicable Groundwater Sustainability Agency and would not decrease the likelihood of achieving a sustainability goal for the Subbasin. (See Action 9(a) of Executive Order N-7-22)
If you need support obtaining a well permit in the County of Sacramento, please feel free to contact CGA Staff and your local GSA (find which GSA you belong to on the SGMA GSA Map Viewer).
Relevant Resources
Well Permits in Amador County
More information coming soon! Please contact the Amador County Environmental Health Department’s Water Well Program.