To prevent possible contamination of local water supplies, the
Board of Supervisors approved an effort to force the cleanup of the
New Idria area.
The Board unanimously approved a measure Tuesday calling on the
Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board to issue and
enforce an order for the cleanup and abatement of reported
pollution discharge from the New Idria mine area.
To prevent possible contamination of local water supplies, the Board of Supervisors approved an effort to force the cleanup of the New Idria area.
The Board unanimously approved a measure Tuesday calling on the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board to issue and enforce an order for the cleanup and abatement of reported pollution discharge from the New Idria mine area.
In its heyday at the turn of the century, the New Idria mines were a plentiful source of mercury throughout the region and the Northern Hemisphere.
two years of planning, is expected to be officially approved by each of the four local agencies by the end of the year. The most recent update of a local Groundwater Management Plan occurred in 1998.
Other agencies involved include the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista, the Sunnyslope Water District, along with the county water district. They all make up what is known as the Water Resources Association. Two consultants – environmental and technical – were also hired for the project
The Groundwater Management Plan features a number of programs and policies for local water districts to follow during the next two decades, along with a list of goals for the future.
“When agencies want to do something (in the future), they must use tools in a toolbox,” said Hollister Public Works Director Clint Quilter, of the document’s 22 programs.
In general, officials hope the plan leads to improved water for drinking and agricultural uses, along with the recycling of wastewater.
Gregg said the districts must also address another widespread issue in the county – high groundwater level, which often causes plant roots to seep into the water supply.
The list of programs that make up the plan includes existing projects and several new ones, such as a program to blend groundwater and imported surface water to produce “qualities more appropriate for urban use,” Gregg said.
Ultimately, officials are confident the Groundwater Management Plan update is the answer to the area’s long-standing water issues.
“We believe that we can (improve the water), and this plan sets forth a series of activities to do that,” Gregg said.
He said northern San Benito County has always had water problems, much of them caused by nature and some by human habitation and rapid growth.
For one, the salt content in the area’s groundwater has been inherently high. Gregg said it generally ranges between 600 and 700 total dissolved salts (TDS). In some parts of Hollister and the Sunnyslope Water District, he said it can reach 800-900 TDS.
According to the state’s standards, any level higher than 500 TDS should be grounds for the involved jurisdiction to develop a program to alleviate the problem, Gregg said. And anything higher than 1,000 TDS demands more extraordinary mitigation.
Plus, according to officials, the cooperative effort shows a digression from a historic acrimony among some of the agencies.
“It’s a very big thing,” said Brian Yamaoka, general manager of the Sunnyslope Water District, “that agencies are sitting down and talking together on how to manage groundwater in this area.”
