IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
For the first time ever, California will regulate pumping of its groundwater.
Gov. Brown signed legislation Tuesday that requires some local jurisdictions and water districts to manage their wells, while giving state water agencies power of enforcement – including water meters and fines – if those wells aren’t managed properly, according to multiple reports.
The legislation isn’t expected to impact the Inland Empire, except for some added reporting requirements, because rights to most of the region’s groundwater have already been established in court.
California is now in line with other western states, all of which have strict regulations regarding how much groundwater they allow to be pumped. Since its earliest days as a state, California has allowed property owners virtually unlimited access to water beneath their land, according to reports.
