Delano water bottling plant prompts concerns over exporting native groundwater

Photo: This sign greets motorists in Delano. Felix Adamo/ The Californian

News of the new Niagara Bottling plant going up in Delano hit the local groundwater agency with surprise and alarm.

The plant is permitted to use 1.6 million gallons of groundwater per day, according to a will-serve letter issued by the city in August 2022. That works out to 1,788 acre feet per year, assuming full operation for 365 days.

Even with downtime, the plant will create a substantial pull on the already overdrafted aquifer, said Roland Gross, General Manager of the Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District (SSJMUD), which also acts as the area’s groundwater sustainability agency (GSA).

“A year ago, we heard a rumor about it and met with the city,” Gross said of the plant. “We expressed our concerns to the City Engineer and the Niagara engineer. We told them we’d be opposed to any exports of groundwater from this basin, which is already in deficit.

“Next thing is, we’re reading an article about it in the paper.” He referred to a Bakersfield Californian article published this past Nov. 25.-

Because the plant will be drawing water straight from the city’s system –  not a new well – approval from SSJMUD wasn’t needed, according to Delano Mayor Joe Alindajao.

“Niagara is not pumping new water or putting in a new well,” he said. There may have been confusion over a new well because Delano is repairing one of its existing wells, he added.

Niagara did not respond to emails or voice messages.

Regardless of whether the water comes from a new well, Gross said, the fact is that the region is in deficit, “And frankly, Delano makes up most of that debt.”

He said while agricultural water districts, such as SSJMUD, pay to bring in surface water, Delano is totally reliant on groundwater.

Under the groundwater plan that covers Delano, that means the city’s groundwater allotment is 1.2 acre feet of water per acre of land, based on yearly rainfall. The city’s will-serve letter says the Niagara plant is 35 acres, which works out to 51 acre feet of water per acre of land, assuming full operation 365 days a year, Gross said.

“The entire subbasin is looking at this,” Gross said of other groundwater agencies in Kern County. “If a city can sign a paper and just give away the water, what are the issues under SGMA? We’re supposed to be working together.”

He noted this also comes at a time when the state has deemed Kern’s groundwater plan “inadequate.” That has put Kern in the cross hairs of the Water Resources Control Board, SGMA’s enforcement arm. The board has scheduled a hearing […]

Full article: sjvwater.org