Executive Director's Report - California State Water ...

State Water Resources Control Board May 19, 2020 ? Item 11 Executive Director's Report

DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY

Virtual International Water Research Summit on Environmental Surveillance of COVID-19 Indicators in Sewersheds: On April 27 and 30, 2020, Division of Water Quality staff participated in a work group with international collaborators convened by the Water Research Foundation to develop recommendations for the Virtual International Water Research Summit on Environmental Surveillance of COVID-19 Indicators in Sewersheds. The summit brought together researchers and other wastewater utility experts from around the world to develop and share recommendations for best practices and research recommendations regarding: 1) standardized procedures for collection, preservation, and archiving of wastewater samples; 2) use of molecular genetics tools to identify the concentration of indicators of COVID-19 in wastewater samples; 3) use of indicator concentrations to inform trends and estimates of community prevalence of COVID-19; 4) and how to communicate environmental surveillance results with the public health community, elected officials, wastewater workers and the public. The Division of Water Quality staff participated in the communications work group.

This summit is related to ongoing research projects in the Division of Water Quality's Recycled Water Research Program, "Measure Pathogens in Wastewater" (DPR-2) and "Investigate the Feasibility of Collecting Pathogens in Wastewater During Outbreak" (DPR-3) (described in last month's Executive Director Report), including monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) in samples archived since November 2019 from five wastewater treatment facilities. In addition to the projects the Water Board is funding, staff are coordinating influent sample collection at municipal wastewater treatment facilities across the state for Stanford researchers conducting similar analyses.

Sewershed monitoring, including for pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, is a promising tool that could be developed with additional research and implemented with other data (e.g., clinical data) in the future to assess community infection, trends or changes in infection, risk exposure, and viral evolution. The Water Research Foundation's webpage for more information on the Virtual International Water Research Summit on Environmental Surveillance of COVID-19 Indicators in Sewersheds: .

Attached is the Water Board's factsheet describing how our drinking water, wastewater, and recycled water treatment systems ensure our water is safe from the COVID-19 virus: California's Recycled Water and Treated Wastewater Is Safe from the COVID-19 Virus:

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Deadline Extension for Volumetric Annual Reporting of Wastewater and Recycled Water: The State Water Board Executive Director granted recycled water and wastewater permittees a 60-day extension on the deadline to report volumetric data from April 30 to June 30, 2020. Order No. WQ 2019-0037-EXEC (As Amended on January 14, 2020) requires volumetric annual reporting of wastewater and recycled water by April 30 of each calendar year. This extension provides agencies flexibility during the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and will assist agencies in completing their volumetric annual reports.

The reporting module in GeoTracker Electronic Submittal of Information (ESI) is open for the 2019 volumetric annual report and will remain open for data entry until June 30, 2020. As soon as possible, permittees should follow guidance on the Water Quality Control Policy for Recycled Water (Recycled Water Policy) Volumetric Reporting webpage ( tric_annual_reporting.html) to create a Responsible Party GeoTracker ESI account. This will provide the State Water Board with current email contact information and will facilitate future communication regarding these reporting requirements.

As of April 24, 2020, 235 of 820 volumetric annual reports were submitted in GeoTracker. Staff will review submitted data to ensure quality and continue to assist permittees with data entry. A training webinar, help guide, and frequently asked questions fact sheet are available for permittees on the Volumetric Reporting webpage ( tric_annual_reporting.html).

Draft Supplemental Vapor Intrusion Guidance: The public comment period for the Draft Supplemental Guidance: Screening and Evaluating Vapor Intrusion (Draft Supplemental Guidance) ends on June 1, 2020. The CalEPA Vapor Intrusion Workgroup (Workgroup) posted technical and general overview presentations for the Draft Supplemental Guidance to the Water Board and Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) YouTube websites in early May 2020. Additionally, the Workgroup hosted a live Question and Answer Session through BlueJeansTM video conferencing software on May 14, 2020 and will host an additional session on May 19, 2020 for stakeholders and the public, to answer questions related to the presentations, the Draft Supplemental Guidance, or other vapor intrusion related topics. Information regarding the presentations, the Question and Answer sessions, and the Draft Supplemental Guidance can be found on both the DTSC and State Water Board vapor intrusion websites:

Department of Toxic Substances Control Vapor Intrusion Website: .

State Water Resources Control Board Vapor Intrusion Website: ntrusion/.

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Stakeholder Workshop for Proposed Statewide Suction Dredge Mining Permit:

On May 12, 2020, the State Water Board issued a draft statewide General Permit to regulate discharges from suction dredge mining, for a 45-day public comment period; written public comments are due by noon on Monday, June 29, 2020.

On Thursday, May 28, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., staff will hold an online informational Stakeholder Workshop to present the draft General Permit and explain the public permit development process to stakeholders and interested parties. Please register in advance to participate in the meeting through the following link: Meeting Registration. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The draft General Permit and corresponding information are available on the State Water Board Suction Dredge Mining NPDES Program page at: waterboards.water_issues/programs/npdes/suction_dredge_mining.html.

The State Water Board will hold a public hearing for the proposed General Permit at its June 17, 2020 Board meeting that starts at 9:30 a.m. Additional information regarding the public hearing is located on the State Water Board Calendar page at: .

To receive further updates regarding the permit development process, please subscribe to the State Water Board Lyris list at: . Select the "Suction Dredge Mining" under the "Water Quality" heading.

Statewide Consistency in Permitting Non-Potable Recycled Water: The State Water Board adopted the Water Quality Control Policy for Recycled Water (Recycled Water Policy) on December 11, 2018, which took effect April 8, 2019, upon approval from the Office of Administrative Law pursuant to Government Code section 11353. The Recycled Water Policy directs the regional water boards to transition any enrollees under regional water board general orders for the use of non-potable recycled water to Order No. WQ 2016-0068-DDW, Water Reclamation Requirements for Recycled Water Use (Statewide Water Recycling Requirements), or another order as appropriate, to provide statewide consistency in permitting non-potable recycled water projects. The transition to the Statewide Water Recycling Requirements must be done by April 8, 2020 for any regional water board general order enrollees with current (issued after January 1, 2001) Title 22 Engineering Reports. All other enrollees must transition by April 8, 2022, when all existing regional water board general orders for non-potable recycled water uses will terminate.

San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board Transition: The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board Executive Officer issued a Notice of Applicability to transition 22 enrollees from Order No. R2-1996-0011, Regional General Water Reuse Water Requirements for Municipal Wastewater and Water Agencies, to the Statewide Water Reclamation Requirements on April 8, 2020. Four enrollees remain under Order No. R2-1996-0011 with outdated Title 22

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Engineering Reports and staff is working to remediate those to transition all enrollees from Order No. R2-1996-0011 by April 8, 2022.

Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board Transition: The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board Executive Officer issued a Notice of Applicability to the two enrollees under Order No. R4-2009-0049 on April 7, 2020, and presented Order No. R4-2009-0049 for termination to the Los Angeles Regional Board on May 14, 2020.

Update on Water Board Investigations for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): State Water Board Division of Drinking Water staff issued Letters of Intent to public water systems with supply wells that have reported PFAS detects and added supply wells within a one-mile a radius. The letters inform the public water systems of expected orders under AB 756 for PFAS sampling intended to commence in July 2020.

Division of Water Quality staff is drafting the next phase of statewide investigative orders for PFAS sampling at publicly owned treatment works with an anticipated issuance in Summer 2020. Data received from the PFAS sampling efforts at airports and landfills is 80 percent complete and projected to be 100 percent complete at the end of 2020. Preliminary data suggests that PFAS is present in groundwater monitoring wells outside of the older unlined landfills that do, and do not have partial leachate collection systems. In addition, landfills with some of the highest concentrations reported do not have public water supply wells within a two-mile radius. The Water Boards will conduct further analysis to understand the locations of domestic wells that may be downgradient of these landfills. PFAS is also detected at airports in soil and groundwater due to use of aqueous-film forming foam required for training or at aircraft incidents. The Regional Water Boards are working with the airports and the landfills to further address the extent of the impacts.

The State Water Board granted 74 individual chrome plating facilities who are members of the Northern and Southern California Associations of Metal Finishers a 60-day extension on the deadline for Work Plan submittals due to the COVID-19 state of emergency. Additional individual requests for extensions were sent directly to the regional boards.

PFAS Information and data can be accessed through the Water Board's PFAS webpage at .

Wetlands Policy Update: Since the Wetlands Policy adoption in April 2019, Division of Water Quality staff developed staff training and worked with stakeholders to develop implementation guidance for potential applicants. Staff trainings took place in February and March of 2020. Staff posted the Implementation Guidance on April 21, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 emergency, staff cancelled previously scheduled public trainings, and will instead provide the training via webinar format on May 7, 2020. The Wetlands Policy becomes effective on May 28, 2020.

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Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program Update: The Irrigated Lands Regulatory reports are included in Appendix A of this report.

Cannabis Cultivation Regulatory Programs: The Cannabis Cultivation Regulatory Program reports are included in Appendix B of this report.

Statewide Policies and Significant General Permits: The Statewide Policies and Significant General Permits report (Policies & Permits Table) is included in Appendix C of this report.

DIVISION OF WATER RIGHTS

Permitting and Enforcement Branch

Delta, Hearings, and Special Projects Branch El Sur Ranch Hearing Project - Ruling Letter: In July 1992, El Sur Ranch (ESR) filed Application 30166 with the State Water Board's Division of Water Rights (Division) for the appropriation of water from the subterranean flow of the Big Sur River to maintain irrigated pasture on the ranch. The application currently requests a total maximum diversion volume of 1,320 acre-feet per year with other various limitations based on season, diversion rate, and other conditions, that cumulatively adds up to 5.4 acre-feet per acre. Several parties, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) protested the application based on the impact of the diversions on flows in the Big Sur River and habitat for the federally endangered species South Central California steelhead and other protected species.

On April 15, 2020, Hearing Officer Doduc issued a ruling letter finding that Water Code section 1004 applies to the irrigation of pastureland. Water Code section 1004 establishes an annual limit of 2.5 acre-feet of water per acre on uncultivated areas of land not devoted to cultivated crops. The ruling letter directed the Applicant to submit an interim plan of operation and a schedule for completing the remaining procedural steps necessary for the State Water Board to act upon the application. The applicant has until June 15, 2020, to submit the required schedule and interim plan of operation.

Delta Conveyance - Notice of Preparation (NOP) Comment Letter: On April 15, 2020, State Water Board staffsubmittedcomments on the Department of WaterResources' (DWR) NOP of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) on its proposed Delta Conveyance Project.

The proposed Delta Conveyance Project would construct and operate new conveyance facilities in the Delta that would add to the existing State Water Project infrastructure. New intake facilities as points of diversion would be located in the north Delta along the Sacramento River between Freeport and the confluence with Sutter Slough. The new conveyance facilities would include a single tunnel to convey water from the new intakes to the existing Banks Pumping Plant and potentially the federal

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