Senate Bill 552
Requirements

County Drought and Water Shortage Plan

The County of El Dorado and El Dorado Water Agency are developing a County Drought and Water Shortage Plan to help better prepare for droughts and water shortages. Being prepared helps reduce hardships and improves our community’s water supply resiliency.

To assist small water systems and domestic well owners in El Dorado County navigate persistent drought-related challenges, we first identified risks and concerns that need to be addressed by conducting a survey in the fall of 2022. The survey allowed us to seek input on what we can do to better support and prepare for future drought and water shortage-related risks.

The responses received will be used to inform a County Drought and Water Shortage Plan (required by Senate Bill 552) that will address the diverse range of risks that domestic well users in El Dorado County face. This plan will include county- and water system-specific response actions (enacted during drought or water shortage conditions) that address the specific needs of affected residents.


Senate Bill 552 Requirements for Small Water Suppliers and Rural Communities

In September 2021, Senate Bill (SB) 552 was signed by Governor Newsom and enacted into law. SB 552 includes new responsibilities and requirements at both the state and local levels to help small water suppliers and rural communities reduce their risk of inadequate water supply during a water shortage event. Under the directive of the Board of Supervisors, the County of El Dorado requested the assistance of El Dorado Water Agency to meet SB 552 requirements in coordination with the County’s Environmental Management Department—which oversees the small water systems as the Local Primacy Agency—and the County Public Health Officer—which oversees state small water systems with 5 to 14 service connections.




What Are the New Requirements?

SB 552 imposes new drought planning requirements on certain small water systems in El Dorado County and the County of El Dorado. These requirements include:

  • Community water systems serving 1,000-2,999 service connections and nontransient noncommunity water systems that are schools will:
    • Develop and maintain an abridged Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) no later than July 1, 2023
    • Report annually specified water supply condition information to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board)
    • Implement certain resiliency measures outlined in the legislation as early as January 1, 2023.

  • Community water systems serving 15-999 service connections will:
    • Add drought planning elements to Emergency Response or Notification Plans and update every 5 years or after significant changes
    • Report annually specified water supply condition information to the State Water Board

  • For state small water systems and domestic wells within the County's jurisdiction, the County of El Dorado will:
    • Establishing a standing Drought and Water Shortage Task Force by January 1, 2022
    • Developing a County Drought Plan that includes potential drought and water shortage risks and proposed interim and long-term solutions



SB 552 Implementation in El Dorado County Updates

This section provides updates on the status of the two county-required SB 552 activities:

  • Drought and Water Shortage Task Force – Information on the Task Force can be found here (El Dorado County Water Agency El Dorado County Drought Information (edwateragency.org)) and will be updated as meetings occur.
  • County Drought and Water Shortage Plan – The County of El Dorado and El Dorado Water Agency are developing a County Drought and Water Shortage Plan. The draft and final plans, once available, will be posted here. A draft plan is anticipated spring 2023.

SB 552 Resources