California Water Views from Nossaman LLP

Trump Administration Announces Billions in Funding for Water Systems - Part II

Willis Hon, Matt Menezes, Alexander Van Roekel — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 09:00:01 -0400

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will distribute billions of dollars in grants for PFAS treatment infrastructure and to educate communities and water systems about how to make the most of these resources and position themselves for compliance with its new proposed PFAS regulations. These investments mark the latest in the Trump administration’s pattern of environmental federalism, limiting federal regulation and enforcement while emphasizing state and local government actions to manage environmental hazards like PFAS.

PFAS OUT Initiative

On April 14, 2026, EPA ...

Trump Administration Proposes Two New PFAS Rules – Part I

Willis Hon, Matt Menezes, Alexander Van Roekel — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:00:02 -0400

On May 18, 2026, following through on its May 2025 announcements, the Trump administration, through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), proposed two new PFAS rules. The proposed rules are in keeping with the deregulatory spirit of the proposed rule narrowing PFAS reporting requirements proposed in November 2025. One proposed rule establishes a process for water systems to obtain an extension on compliance with the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) established in 2024 for PFOA and PFOS. The other rescinds drinking water standards for six other PFAS pending further ...

Capitalizing on California’s $3.8 Billion Water Resilience Funding

Willis Hon, Ashley Walker — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:00:03 -0400

With the rollout of Proposition 4 funding entering its next critical phase in the second quarter of 2026, California water providers have a historic opportunity to secure financial backing for vital infrastructure and climate resilience projects. Passed by voters in November 2024, the $10 billion climate bond earmarks $3.8 billion explicitly for safe drinking water, drought preparedness and flood resilience. The State’s current 2025-2026 spending plan has authorized roughly $1.2 billion of the total water allocation, serving as a primary lifeline for water providers amid ...

New Court Decision Reinforces Water Agencies’ Authority to Conduct Early Project Studies

Alexander Van Roekel — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:00:04 -0400

A new California Court of Appeal decision – Department of Water Resources Cases (March 26, 2026) --- Cal.Rptr.3d ----, 2026 WL 835863 (Case No. C103207) – provides important clarity for water agencies planning major infrastructure projects. The ruling confirms that agencies with eminent domain authority may temporarily access private property to conduct environmental and technical studies before a project is fully approved or funded.

For water agencies tasked with long‑term planning amid uncertainty, the decision reinforces a practical and legally sound ...

DWR Releases Bulletin 118 – Update 2025

Alexander Van Roekel — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:00:05 -0400

On March 12, 2026, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced via press release and bulletin the release of its California Groundwater: Bulletin 118 – Update 2025 (2025 Update). Bulletin 118 represents “the State’s official and most comprehensive report of groundwater monitoring, conditions, and management across California.”

The 2025 Update is the third Bulletin 118 issued by DWR under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), with DWR publishing an interim update in 2016 and the first full update under SGMA in 2020. Pursuant to Water Code § 12924, DWR ...

Details on Upcoming Reporting and Other Deadlines for Tulare Lake Subbasin and Tule Subbasin Groundwater Extractors

Alexander Van Roekel — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:06 -0400

On March 12, 2026, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) issued a bulletin announcing that the State Water Resources Control Board’s (State Water Board) Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) reporting system is now open. That system is called the Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS) and is available online. The deadline for the initial submission of groundwater extraction reports is May 1, 2026. The reporting requirements only apply to groundwater extractors in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins, as those are the only two basins currently under ...

Details on EPA’s New Real Water Technical Assistance Initiative

Alexander Van Roekel — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:00:07 -0500

On March 4, 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the launch of its the Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) initiative. The press release highlights that the goal of the RealWaterTA initiative is to refocus on “public health and compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act” largely through “align[ing] all technical assistance for drinking water and wastewater systems with tried-and-true services, such as engineering and design expertise, operational support, workforce development, and financial management.” The ...

California Water Plan 2028: What to Know for Water Providers

Willis Hon, Ashley Walker — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:00:08 -0500

On February 25, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom launched the California Water Plan 2028, initiating a comprehensive, multi-year effort to modernize the State's water planning framework. Dubbed the “most ambitious water plan in California history,” the initiative arrives at a critical juncture as the State continues to grapple with extreme hydrological whiplash—swinging from historic droughts to record-breaking atmospheric rivers.

For water agencies, agricultural stakeholders, and local municipalities, the launch marks a significant shift in California’s water ...

The Impact of Governor Newsom’s Proposed Budget on Water Projects

Alexander Van Roekel — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:00:09 -0500

On January 9, 2026, Governor Newsom announced his 2026-2027 $348.9 billion budget proposal. Contrary to his 2025 proposal, this proposal includes a deficit. However, this proposal’s deficit is only $2.3 billion, substantially less than in 2023 and 2024, and the press release calls this projected deficit both “modest” and “solved”. The budget proposal’s deficit projection stands in contrast with the Legislative Analyst’s Office November 19, 2025 report, which predicted an $18 billion shortfall.

The budget site includes a full combined summary, summaries of ...

DWR Releases Subsidence Best Management Practices

Alexander Van Roekel — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 09:00:10 -0500

On January 21, 2026, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) published its Best Management Practices of the Sustainable Management of Groundwater – Land Subsidence (Subsidence BMPs). The press release details the importance of addressing subsidence, which costs Californians hundreds of millions of dollars annually, largely through damaging public infrastructure and reducing water deliveries.

Background

Subsidence is the process of land sinking. In the water context, it is generally caused by removing groundwater quicker than it is replenished, which ...