Chowchilla Subbasin Nitrate Control Program

This is an overview of the first public meeting for the Chowchilla Management Zone that took place on October 16, 2020 via Zoom.

LSCE

What is the Nitrate Control Program and how does it impact me?

A new State Regulation to help with the Nitrate Problem:

1.Provide safe drinking water supplies.

2.Reduce nitrate impacts to water supplies.

3.Restore groundwater quality, where reasonable and feasible.

Chowchilla formed a Management Zone to solve the nitrate problem.

Who we are:

Many small communities rely on groundwater wells for drinking water.

Some communities cannot safely use groundwater for drinking when nitrate levels are high.

Safe drinking water is paramount to managing the Chowchilla Groundwater Subbasin.

The key points of contact in the Chowchilla Management Zone are Christina Beckstead and Sarah Woolf  (https://www.maderacountywater.com/cv-salts/) .

Their team of consultants are led by Vicki Kretsinger Grabert (LSCE,  https://lsce.com/ ) and Richard Meyerhoff (GEI,  https://www.geiconsultants.com/ ).

What is nitrate?

- Chemical found in most fertilizers, manure, and septic tanks.

- Contaminant that can make drinking water unsafe for drinking when above a certain level.

- You can not see, smell, or taste nitrate in water, and you can't boil it out either.

- Rain or irrigation water can carry nitrate down through the soil into groundwater.

What is a drinking water standard?

- Legal limit on the amount of a substance allowed in a public water system ( US EPA  and  California state regulatory requirement ).

Most people do not know if their water contains unsafe levels of nitrate. The only way to know for sure is to have your well tested.

Public Supply vs. Private Domestic Wells

- Public Supply Wells provide water to customers and are tested regularly.

- Public Supply Wells can have treatment to make sure the water is safe for drinking before it reaches homes.

- Private domestic wells are typically owned by a homeowner and provide water to their own home or homes on their property.

- Once a private well is tested, there is no action unless the well owner does something.

- Private domestic wells can have treatment (point-of-use).

Well Structure

−Groundwater is produced from water-bearing deposits beneath the land surface.

−Proper well construction helps reduce contaminants from being introduced at the land surface.

The Chowchilla Management Zone supports a vision that realistically manages nitrate for the local economy and community.

The Chowchilla Management Zone will provide safe drinking water using local input from stakeholders and the public on a short-term and long-term basis.

Local knowledge will be used to lower nitrate levels and the cost of nitrate management will be shared.

Who needs to be involved?

The Public: YOU!

Dischargers (People who have a permit to Discharge Nitrate):

- Dairies, chicken farms, irrigated land, wastewater facilities, food processors, wineries, composting facilities, etc.

Others:

- Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, water management agencies, county and community government offices, Non-Government Organizations, etc.

What are we doing to find affected drinking water?

As of October, 2020, we were at the data gathering stage. Knowing is better than not knowing.

We are trying to determine where groundwater has been detected to be unsafe for drinking due to high nitrate levels.

The Chowchilla Management Zone was:

- Collecting well data

- Locating areas where unsafe levels of nitrate are in drinking water

- Locating domestic wells

- Finding existing water systems that treat for nitrate

Preliminary map is for demonstrative purposes only.

What is the solution?

The Chowchilla Management Zone will:

Work with the public to prepare an Early Action Plan that describes how to best provide safe drinking water to residents.

What this might look like:

- Free centrally-located filling stations that provide clean water.

- Delivery of bottled water, where appropriate.

- Point of Use treatment installed in a residence.

- Connecting to a Public Water System that treats for nitrate.

- Something else….

The first step in solving the nitrate problem is to develop an Early Action Plan.

How can I help?

1. Provide data

Do you own a well? Do you know the nitrate level in your well?

2.  Provide input

Review Management Zone documents, especially the Early Action Plan, and provide comments.

We would love to hear from you, the public! If you have had your well tested, please provide us with that important data by contacting Christina Beckstead (559)674-8871  cbeckstead@maderafb.com .

How is the Chowchilla Management Zone Doing Public Outreach?

The Chowchilla MZ is partnered with Self-Help Enterprises to communicate with communities within our Subbasin.

Self-Help Enterprises provides a number of other services to these communities. For additional information, click below.

Key Dates and Deadlines

The Nitrate Control Program enforces a tight schedule to complete the Preliminary Management Zone Proposal and Early Action Plan documents (March 8, 2021), but this is just the beginning of implementation and future work.

These are the important dates:

•Groundwater Quality Characterization Completed in October/November 2020.

Public Outreach Meetings: July 29, 2020; August 26, 2020; September 11, 2020; October 16, 2020; December 11, 2020; January 29, 2021; and February 26, 2021.

•Admin Draft Preliminary Management Zone Proposal December 31, 2020.

•Stakeholders Opportunity to Review Draft Proposal January 15, 2021.

•Public Draft posted for initial public comment and review on January 29, 2021.

•Final PMZP and EAP Submittal to the Regional Board March 8, 2021 for official written comment period (until April 14, 2021).

Contacts for More Information  

•Christina Beckstead

Executive Director, Madera County Farm Bureau

•Sarah Woolf  

(559)341-0174  sarahwoolf@me.com 

Please reach out if you have any questions or want to be more involved!

Questions about your well: Contact Madera County Environmental Health or Self-Help Enterprises

Access the full presentation file of this meeting  HERE .

Thank You!

Keep scrolling for an interactive map display that shows preliminary maximum nitrate across the subbasin. Type in your address to find out what nitrate conditions have been near you.

Interactive Preliminary Draft Map of Maximum Nitrate in the Chowchilla MZ Area (1931-2020)

Use the magnifying glass icon in the top left corner of the map below to search for a street address and zoom directly to it. Access the legend by clicking on the bottom left icon in the map to view the range of values. Zoom in or out with the "+" and "-" symbols in the bottom right corner.

Disclaimer: this is a preliminary map of MAXIMUM nitrate levels ever measured in wells and this map is solely for the purpose of discussion at this time.

Interactive Preliminary Draft Map: Where has drinking water been affected? Disclaimer: This is a preliminary map for discussion purposes only.