BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Government Code ? 84308 Applies: Yes ? No ?
(If "YES" Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code ? 84308)
SUBJECT: Title
Consider the October 7, 2025, Board Policy and Monitoring Committee Recommendation to Adopt a Proposed Resolution Setting Forth a Revised, Increased Fee Schedule for Administering Santa Clara Valley Water District's Well Permitting and Inspections Program.
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RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation
Consider recommendations resulting from the October 7, 2025, Board Policy and Monitoring Committee meeting to:
A. Adopt the Resolution ADOPTING A REVISED FEE SCHEDULE FOR ADMINISTERING SANTA CLARA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT'S WELL PERMITTING AND INSPECTIONS PROGRAM (SUPERSEDING RESOLUTION NO. 17-52).
B. Provide feedback and recommendations to staff as necessary.
Body
SUMMARY:
On July 25, 2017, the Board adopted Resolution 17-52 (Attachment 1) updating a prior well permit fee schedule based on staff recommendation. This fee schedule remains in effect today and, due to inflation, does not recoup Santa Clara Valley Water District's (Valley Water) cost of administering its well permitting and inspection program.
Staff has evaluated well permitting and inspection costs to ensure that Valley Water's well permit fees are based on the reasonable costs for completing our permitting and inspection work. Based on the evaluation, staff is recommending an update of the fee schedule that increases well permitting and inspection fees.
Nearly half of Santa Clara County's annual water supply is delivered by groundwater pumping. One of the ways that Valley Water aggressively protects this important natural resource is by requiring permits to drill wells and by conducting inspections of the installation and destruction of permitted wells. The primary goal of these activities is to ensure that well construction and destruction work meets the requirements of Valley Water's Standards for the Construction and Destruction of Wells and Other Deep Exc...
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