Our View: Water committee should wrap it up

We’re not sure if we should use our hands to applaud the Water Advisory Committee’s work or stifle a yawn. The committee is set to make its recommendation to the Stanislaus Board of Supervisors on groundwater use Wednesday. But we fear the recommendation has been so watered down that it will do little to assuage the fears of residents that our aquifers will be pumped dry – especially in the east side of the county. As the WAC’s discussions have carried on for nearly nine months, the county has issued pumping permits at an altogether startling pace – nearly three times faster than at any time in the past. Further, as The Bee reported Tuesday, the WAC’s plan would exclude water districts – the area’s most prolific pumpers – from any rules. Worse, it would also exempt the “ratepayers” of those districts, freeing them to pump – sometimes while leasing district pumps – without regard to their neighbors. The recommendation from the WAC’s 21 members would have to be passed by the supervisors. We hope that any groundwater ordinance passed by the county would include two provisions: one, to fund the ongoing research that will be required to meet the requirements of the new state groundwater law; and two, to get help for those whose wells continue to go dry.

This story was originally published October 28, 2014 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Our View: Water committee should wrap it up."