Merced County ordinance would regulate groundwater

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- An ordinance that would regulate the sale and transfer of groundwater in Merced County is one step closer to being approved.

In a drought, there's money to be made in the sale of water. It's a hot topic for people hurting in the Central Valley.

"Earlier this year the county came to a tension about water concerns and a transfer of water out of our community," said Merced County Supervisor Hub Walsh.

He's talking about two private Merced County landowners, who proposed a $46 million sale of groundwater to Stanislaus County in May. That sale is still pending; however, it sparked a county-wide debate about how to prevent similar transactions in the future.

"It will bring into question future transfers out of the basin," said Walsh.

A recently proposed ordinance has to be reviewed at least one more time before it can be approved. But as it stands now, it would regulate out-of-county groundwater transfers through a review process, where the county would evaluate each sale individually. It would also create a permit system for anyone wanting to add or make changes to their wells.

"If you're causing damage by your activities, they're going to prohibit that kind of thing because they have police powers. So that's what they're attempting to do today," said Sarge Green of the Fresno State California Water Institute.

Merced County is one of the only counties in the Central Valley that doesn't have some form of groundwater regulation. Supervisor Walsh says there was pushback from some residents when officials presented the ordinance.

"I think initially the concern is why is the county getting involved, but over time, manage better our groundwater resources," said Walsh.

If enacted, the county's environmental health division would be the department in charge of the ordinance. The next reading of the ordinance is December 9.