Here’s Why Commercial Water Users in North SLO County May Soon Pay More

On Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority (PRAGA) held an open house to discuss the possibility of implementing a new fee for commercial groundwater users. This added charge will be used to fund the county’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan in the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin area. The meeting was held to inform the public of the upcoming changes while also encouraging questions from them ahead of the formal hearing scheduled on August 1.

Highlights

• Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority held its first open house to discuss an additional fee for commercial users on July 9, 2025.
• The funds collected from the new charge will be used for the county’s sustainability plans in the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin area.
• The first formal hearing for the enforcement of the plan is scheduled for August 1, 2025.

PRAGA To Impose Fee to Fund Its Groundwater Sustainability Plan

The agency says the fee will help fund the implementation of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan, a requirement under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The collected revenue will contribute to the management of the basin to achieve long-term water balance in the region.

As per a press release, this fee will not be applicable to domestic well owners who use less than two acre-feet of water per year, also classified as “de minimis extractors,” who are excluded from the formal protest process.

Approximately 1,315 parcels across the basin have been notified about the fee proposal. The fee will not be brought into effect if the majority of the parcel owners offer written protests by or at the very latest during the August 1 hearing. However, if less than half the parcel owners protest, PRAGA will be able to proceed with the implementation.

The county has scheduled another open house on Thursday, July 10, at 5 p.m. at the Creston Community Center and a virtual workshop on Monday, July 15, at 6:30 p.m., that will allow stakeholders to ask more questions and learn about the proposed fee.

To read more about the proposal and to participate in the process, visit the Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority website.