Is California Keeping Well Water Secrets?

Is California keeping secrets about the status of its water quality?

"A decade's old California law prevents the general public from viewing records of water wells at a time when critics say the information could help scientists and water policy specialists better protect the state's groundwater supply," the Associated Press reported. 

Every other states in the West make "well completion reports" (well logs) available, but years ago, California approved legislation restricting who can see these records. Only a limited set of agencies can access the data. 

"California Water Code Section 13752 prohibits distributing well completion reports to anyone but the landowner, his or her designee, or a government agency without the owner's permission. Thus, in order to receive a copy of a Well Completion Report, a Release of Information form must be submitted," the California Department of Water Resources explains. 

What's the problem? "Laurel Firestone of the Community Water Center in Visalia says the law creates a lack of transparency, blindfolding those interested in improving water quality," the AP reported.

Just how vast is this set of data? The Sacramento Bee painted a picture. "Inside a government warehouse along a noisy freeway in West Sacramento is a set of metal shelves holding more than 100 carefully labeled cardboard boxes. Inside those boxes are tens of thousands of state records that could help scientists and water policy specialists better understand and protect California groundwater," the report said. 

The restrictions were originally approved to protect business interests. "The idea of the law, apparently, was to give well drilling companies the right to protect themselves from the competition," VOXXI reported.  

Concealing these documents leaves various important questions unanswerable. "How many new wells have been drilled in the last months? How is this affecting the ground level—over the years, what about areas that are heavily drilled — and water storage? Who is getting more water? Nobody knows," the report said. 

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