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� % State Niter Resources Conti - Board <br /> Division of Water Rights (@ <br /> Linda S.Adams 1001 1 Street, 14'Floor♦ Sacramento,California 95814 ♦916.341.5300 Arnold Schwarzenegger <br /> Secretaryfor P.O.Box 2000 ♦ Sacramento,California 95812-2000 Governor <br /> Environmental Protection FAX: 916.341.5400 www.waterrights.ca.gov <br /> MAR 0 2 2007 In-Reply Refer to;-_ <br /> GAN=26Z 0( & 03) <br /> Matt Machado, City Engineer Vik 0 7 7007 <br /> City of Ripon <br /> 259 N. Wilma Avenue ENVIROi�ICAT HE N <br /> Ripon, CA 95366 PERMIIT/SERVIGFSS <br /> Dear Mr. Machado: <br /> WATER RIGHT COMPLAINTS AGAINST MANUEL AZEVEDO AND JIM RANKIN, <br /> SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY <br /> You submitted two water right complaints to the State Water Resources Control Board's <br /> Division of Water Rights (Division) on behalf of the City of Ripon (City) via a letter dated <br /> June 23, 2006. One complaint was against Manual Azevedo and the other was against <br /> Jim Rankin. The City was seeking via the complaint process to force Messrs. Azevedo <br /> and Rankin to abandon their current wells and construct any replacement wells in such <br /> a fashion as to prevent the movement of nitrates from the upper aquifer to the lower <br /> zone from which the City's Well #14 draws water. <br /> By letter dated July 18, 2006, Division staff informed you that the Division had already <br /> addressed the allegations during an investigation and analysis of earlier complaints filed <br /> by Mr. Rankin and Mr. Azevedo against the City. Although the Division staff recognizes <br /> that the Azevedo and Rankin wells, as currently constructed, are potential pathways for <br /> nitrate migration, staff concluded that these wells do not constitute an unreasonable <br /> method of diversion. This conclusion is supported by the following- <br /> 1. <br /> ollowing:1. the annular opening containing the gravel pack in the Rankin and Azevedo wells is <br /> very small and not capable of passing any significant amount of water from the <br /> upper, contaminated zone to the lower zone; and <br /> 2. most, if not all, of the nitrate contamination that might migrate via the gravel pack of <br /> these wells is removed with the owners' continued use of the wells. Consequently, <br /> the potential harm to the regional aquifer from these wells is quite small. <br /> I agree with staff's conclusions that the wells, as currently operated by Mr. Rankin and <br /> Mr. Azevedo, do not constitute an unreasonable method of diversion. As such, I am <br /> closing this complaint and the Division will take no further action in this matter. <br /> California Environmental Protection Agency <br /> Coi Recycled Paper <br />