Mission

The mission of Valley Water Collaborative is to maintain and improve the quality of life in the northern San Joaquin Valley by implementing programs that provide access to safe drinking water for residents, and by engaging in activities with the goal of protecting or enhancing the quality of groundwater used as drinking water for residents in the region.

About

The Valley Water Collaborative (VWC) is a non-profit organization based in Modesto, CA which assists agriculture, cities and industries in complying with the Nitrate Control Program adopted by the Regional Water Quality Control Board.  The VWC program offers free domestic well testing for residences in the Modesto and Turlock groundwater basins and bottled water delivery or water treatment systems for eligible program applicants.

Nitrate Control Program

Nitrate in parts of the Modesto and Turlock groundwater basins is often found above drinking water standards.  Residences who rely on private domestic wells or small private water systems as their source of drinking water are the focus of the Nitrate Control Program (NCP) to address this potential health threat.

In the NCP, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) requires that cities and industries that discharge nitrate develop a plan to identify residents in the two basins impacted by high nitrate in their wells, as well as outline strategies to provide access to safe drinking water for affected residents. The plan is mandated by the Nitrate Control Program (NCP) adopted by the Regional Board in 2018 and approved by the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) in 2019.  The NCP regulates agriculture, dairies, publicly owned wastewater treatment facilities and businesses including food processors, wineries and others.

The Valley Water Collaborative (VWC), was established July 7, 2020 to organize and operate local “Management Zones” that encompass the Modesto and Turlock groundwater basins and mandated in the NCP.  VWC, which raised funds for plan development and drinking water alternatives, is managed by a 12-member board of directors representing agriculture, including dairies and poultry facilities, cities, wineries and food processors.  Funding for VWC programs comes from water quality permit holders.

Nitrate Control Program Plans

The NCP requires that all Management Zones in the Central Valley develop a Preliminary Management Zone Proposal that includes an Early Action Plan.  These plans address solutions to nitrate in domestic drinking water wells in the Modesto and Turlock groundwater basins and describe how well testing and replacement water will be distributed to those whose water source contains high nitrate.

More Information About the Nitrate Control Program

Program Expansion

In 2022, the Valley Water Collaborative expanded beyond its initial focus on nitrate contamination in domestic wells that pump from the Modesto and Turlock groundwater basins.  Testing for constituents arsenic, 1,2,3-TCP, DBCP, EDB, Total Chromium, and uranium were added to the domestic well testing and replacement water program being managed by Valley Water Collaborative.  The program expansion is funded by a  grant from the State Water Board’s Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) and its Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund (SAFER).  See press release here about the new program.

VWC Board of Directors, Staff and Consultants

Board Officers

  • Alan Reynolds, Chair (Gallo Vineyards/ East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition)
  • David Brush, Secretary (Grower/Mid-Valley Agricultural Services/East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition)
  • Ray Prock, Treasurer (Ray-Lin Dairy)

 

Board Members

  • David Belt (California Poultry Federation)
  • Karen Morgan (City of Ceres)
  • Justin Gioletti (Robert Gioletti and Sons Dairy)
  • Paul Huckaba (Bronco Wine Company)
  • Ben Koehler (City of Modesto)
  • Art Riddick (Darling Ingredients)
  • Tom Roduner (Grower/East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition)
  • Antonio Tovar (Salida Sanitary District)
  • Michael Wood (Hilmar Cheese Company)

 

Staff

  • Parry Klassen, Executive Director
  • Maureen Thompson, Program Manager
  • Eva Dwyer, Assistant Program Manager
  • Monica Quezada, Assistant Program Manager
  • Jesus Nunez, Outreach Coordinator

 

Consultants

  • Richard Meyerhoff, GEI Consultants Inc.
  • Vicki Kretsinger, Luhdorff and Scalmanini Consulting Engineers, Inc.

 

Affiliated Organizations

  • California League of Food Producers
  • California Poultry Federation
  • Central Valley Dairy Representative Monitoring Program
  • Central Valley Salinity Coalition
  • East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition
  • Pacific Egg and Poultry Association

Valley Water Collaborative

1201 L Street, Modesto, CA 95354

contact@valleywaterc.org

 (209) 750-3867