Area experts know the issues with water in Hollister: It’s too
salty and the supply is too low. But now, with the help of what
officials call their
”
toolbox,
”
they plan to fix it.
Local officials involved with the recently completed draft of
the Groundwater Management Plan update
– a 400-page document that includes an environmental impact
report – said it could be a gigantic step toward improving the
local water supply.
Area experts know the issues with water in Hollister: It’s too salty and the supply is too low. But now, with the help of what officials call their “toolbox,” they plan to fix it.
Local officials involved with the recently completed draft of the Groundwater Management Plan update – a 400-page document that includes an environmental impact report – said it could be a gigantic step toward improving the local water supply.
“It’s basically setting forth a vision of what can be done over the next 20 years,” said John Gregg, executive director of the San Benito County Water District, the lead agency on the project.
The update, that involvedtwo 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.”
