California currently has no restrictions on how much well water a property owner can draw. New orchards in eastern Stanislaus County are springing up around Oakdale and they need a lot of water.
Neighbors like Neil Hudson say all the new wells are lowering the groundwater level.
"Putting in the large volume wells is going to reduce the aquifer by a lot, we don't know the numbers, there's no way you can calculate the numbers." - Neil Hudson
Hudson says some people are forced to drill their wells deeper to find water. For some whose wells maybe 50 years old or more, it's a very expensive operation.
"So they have to drill a new well which costs around $20,000," Hudson says.
Stanislaus County supervisors expect to establish new groundwater rules by the end of this month.
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Comments