Cannabis cultivation company settles with Colorado River Basin Water Board for illegal discharges

PALM DESERT – A cannabis cultivation company in San Bernardino County agreed to pay $125,000 for diverting industrial wastewater to its septic tank, potentially threatening the City of Needles’ drinking water supply.

The Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board approved the settlement agreement today.

An investigation conducted last June found that NCA Management, Co., LLC, discharged approximately 94,200 gallons of cannabis cultivation wastewater to an on-site septic tank in violation of state water quality requirements. Due to the composition of the soil and close proximity to the Colorado River, waste may have infiltrated the groundwater and posed a potential health risk to residents who rely on the Needles Valley Groundwater Basin for their drinking water.

The company stopped the discharges when notified that they violated the State Water Resource Control Board’s Cannabis Policy. As part of the settlement, the entire fine is designated for the design and construction of the L Street Booster Station, a project that will improve water pressure and reliability for the financially disadvantaged community.

“It’s important to make the public aware that we take these types of violations seriously,” said Cassandra Owens, assistant executive officer for the Colorado River Basin regional board. “Allowing the penalty to be used for the booster station will especially benefit the community in the summer months when the demand for water increases.”

The Cannabis Policy is designed to ensure that diversions and discharges of water associated with cultivation does not negatively impact water quality, aquatic habitat, riparian habitat, wetlands and springs. More information on issues and enforcement is available on the Water Boards Cannabis Cultivation webpage.

The Colorado River Basin regional board’s mission is to preserve, enhance, and restore the area’s water resources and ensure proper allocation and use for present and future generations. The region is the most arid within California, and despite the dry climate, features two water bodies of national significance: the Colorado River and the Salton Sea. The river irrigates more than 700,000 acres of farmland in four counties and provides drinking water to several million customers in the state’s southern coastal cities.