The Issue
Beginning in January 2026, Napa County plans to impose new groundwater pumping fees under its Groundwater Sustainability Program. While the stated purpose of these fees is to deter over-pumping and stabilize declining aquifer levels, the adopted structure does not accomplish that goal and instead places an unjustified burden on private residential well owners.

Under the approved fee schedule:
Private residential well owners will be charged a flat fee of $62.58 per parcel per year, regardless of how much water is actually pumped.

Irrigated vineyards and agricultural operations will be charged $98.74 per irrigated acre per year.

Dry-farmed or recycled-water agricultural acreage will be charged $38.58 per acre per year.

Public water systems will be charged $129.87 per acre-foot of reported groundwater extraction.

These figures are publicly documented in Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency materials and local reporting.

Why This Approach Fails
A flat annual fee on private residential wells does not measure, limit, or reduce groundwater extraction. It applies equally to households that carefully conserve water and to those that do not. The fee is not based on gallons pumped, does not include metering, and does not change behavior. It is, in effect, a tax on access to water rather than a tool to manage groundwater sustainability.
Private households rely on wells for basic domestic needs such as drinking, cooking, sanitation, and fire safety. Residential well owners do not receive water infrastructure, pumping equipment, maintenance, or drilling services from the County. Homeowners fully bear the cost of drilling, pumps, power, repairs, testing, and well failure. Charging households an annual fee without providing service or regulating usage does not align with the stated conservation purpose.

The Real Source of Over-Pumping
Groundwater declines in Napa County closely track peak agricultural irrigation seasons, particularly during summer months. In areas such as Coombsville and surrounding subbasins, groundwater levels commonly drop dramatically during vineyard irrigation periods and recover during winter recharge.
Additionally, groundwater availability has been impacted by past reservoir management decisions. In the early 2000s and subsequent years, significant releases from reservoirs such as Milliken Lake and other connected systems occurred during periods when storage capacity was high. These reservoirs contribute to groundwater recharge in surrounding areas. The loss of stored surface water reduced natural aquifer replenishment and contributed to long-term declines. These impacts were policy-driven and not caused by household well users.
Despite this, there are no enforceable, volume-based pumping limits on vineyards, nor is agricultural pumping measured by actual gallons extracted. Charging per irrigated acre is still not the same as charging per volume pumped, and it does not prevent excessive extraction during drought years.

Groundwater Is a Shared Resource, But Responsibility Must Be Proportional
Groundwater sustainability requires regulation that reflects actual use and actual impact. A household using water for basic living needs does not place the same strain on an aquifer as large-scale commercial irrigation. Flat fees blur that distinction and shift responsibility away from the highest-volume users.

If Napa County’s goal is truly to stop over-pumping, then regulation must focus on:
Volume-based measurement and limits for high-extraction users

Agricultural pumping caps tied to aquifer conditions

Incentives for recycled water, dry farming, and recharge projects

Protection for low-impact residential users

What We Are Asking For

We call on Napa County officials and the Groundwater Sustainability Agency to:
Exempt private residential wells from flat pumping fees.

Households should not be charged simply for accessing water they already pay to develop and maintain.

Implement volume-based regulation for high-use agricultural operations.
If fees are assessed, they must be tied to actual groundwater extraction, not acreage alone.

Focus enforcement and sustainability efforts on the sources that drive aquifer decline.
This includes large-scale irrigation practices and past surface-water management decisions that reduced recharge.
Protect access to basic water for rural residents.

Water for domestic use should not be treated as a revenue source or lumped into policies designed for commercial extraction.

Our Position
This petition does not oppose groundwater sustainability. We support responsible, science-based management that actually protects Napa County’s aquifers. What we oppose is a policy that charges households without reducing over-pumping, while leaving the largest extraction drivers largely untouched.

Flat residential well fees do not solve the problem. They distract from it.