Title
Receive report from EAA staff on pending compliance settlement offers to registered well owners who failed to submit 2018 groundwater use reports.
Body
STAFF RECOMMENDED MOTION:
None. This item is for informational purposes only.
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this agenda item is for the Permits/Enforcement Committee to receive a report from EAA staff regarding pending settlements to registered well owners who failed to file an Annual Groundwater Use Report for either a permitted well, or a limited production well (LPW) for their 2018 use. The proposed settlements are being offered consistent with new EAA General Manager Compliance and Settlement Guidelines, considered in the previous agenda item.
Groundwater use reporting is an instrumental part of the EAA permitting system and supports important aquifer management programs. Except for volunteers in the automated meter reading program, groundwater use reporting relies exclusively on the well owner to report required meter readings to the EAA. In addition to completing and returning a reporting form mailed to each well owner by EAA staff, well owners can also report their annual use on-line through the EAA website, or with the EAA Meter Matters smartphone application.
2018 Groundwater Use Reporting
On December 14, 2018, EAA staff mailed annual use reporting forms to 917 permitted users, and 134 LPW owners. By the January 31, 2019, reporting deadline, staff received 808 permitted, and 107 LPW groundwater use reporting forms. EAA staff reached out to non-reporting owners during the month of February to solicit these late reports. At the end of February, EAA meter staff began visiting non-reporting wells to obtain meter readings to estimate 2018 usage. If usage was observed, or if the well could not be visited, a ‘violation’ file was created.
EAA staff created 28 annual groundwater use non-reporting violations; 24 violations for permitted users and four (4) violations for LPW owners for the 2018 re...
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