Doing Business with the Water Board

For those who have issues to be addressed by the State Water Resources Control Board, the following information has been prepared to assist you in both: 1) Working with Board Members and Staff; and 2) Making a presentation to the Board.

• Understanding the duties and goals of the State Water Resources Control Board is important in realizing what issues should come before the Board. The Board is responsible for enforcement of the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act ensuring the beneficial uses for the state's waters.
  
  
• The Board also decides water rights issues, which are often tied to water quality issues. It is a five-member, full time body with water expertise among its members. It also serves as an appellate body for the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards.
  
  
• It is the preference of the State Water Resources Control Board to work together with the interested parties to develop solutions to problems, rather than being in an adversarial role.
  
  
• Seek the State Board staff who are the specialists in the topic you are dealing with. They can help you. If you aren't sure who to contact, call the Board's Executive Office and staff there can direct you.
  
  
• Use our web site; it is an excellent and growing resource filled with agendas, orders, decisions, drafts, statistics and a host of other germane information. If you have trouble locating an item you think should be on our web site, contact the Web Master and you will be directed to the appropriate area.
  
  
• While Board members welcome the opportunity to speak to stakeholder groups and meet with concerned individuals, in some cases it is not appropriate to contact a Board Member directly. Particularly on issues involving a permit or a petition, Board Members have limits on the extent to which they can talk to or meet with involved parties when such issues are pending. In these instances, it is more likely that staff can assist you with the information you need.
  
  
• In addressing the Board during a workshop or meeting be succinct. The Board deals with hundreds of issues every year and at a particular meeting can be dealing with 15 or 20 items. Be cognizant of the limited time the Board has available for each item. Prioritize your issues. If it is truly "critical", "important", or "non-negotiable" then say so.
  
  
• There are deadlines for submission of documents to the Board. Honor those deadlines. If you pass out documents to the Board at its meeting, the Board Members will not have time to read and fully consider the information before they vote on an issue. If the documentation you are submitting is complex, submit it early enough for Board Members to read and study.
  
  
• Don't read a statement into the record at a Board meeting when it could be submitted before the meeting. The Board will see any document you submit. Again, prioritize and focus on the important highlights.
  
  
• Use e-mail and fax machines. Everyone at the State Board has an e-mail address and access to a fax machine. Be advised: if the documents you transmit require original signatures or need certification, your electronic documents MUST be followed by a hard copy of such documents. Limit the sending of electronic documents only to the appropriate staff person(s). E-mailings to a multitude of staff only confuses and slows down the administrative process.
  
  
• If you are contemplating legislation, early contact with State Board staff may streamline the legislative process or result in an administrative solution to the problem you wish to address.