The District considers many factors when establishing groundwater allocations for each permit, including:

  • Location of the groundwater well
  • Availability of alternative water supplies (treated surface water, reclaimed, etc.)
  • The amount of groundwater requested by the applicant
  • Participation in a Groundwater Reduction Plan (GRP)
  • Use of credits to offset groundwater pumpage

The District’s Regulatory Plan designates groundwater withdrawal ratios for three Regulatory Areas. These areas all share the goal of preventing subsidence by reducing overall groundwater withdrawals; however, each regulatory area’s groundwater withdrawals will be reduced to a specific percentage of its total water demand by a designated date, based on the availability of alternative water sources, geophysical characteristics, and groundwater demand.

Regulatory Area 1: No more than 10% of Total Water Demand (TWD) may be sourced from groundwater.

Regulatory Area 2: No more than 20% of TWD may be sourced from groundwater unless operating under a District-certified GRP.

Regulatory Area 3: No more than 20% of TWD may be sourced from groundwater unless operating under a District-certified GRP. Permittees operating within an approved GRP must reduce groundwater use to no more than 20% of TWD by 2035.

Please review District Rules for more information.