June 24, 2021

This week the state Water Boards issued a reminder that between April 1, 2021 and October 31, 2021, no surface water may be diverted for cannabis cultivation. This comes as California faces severe drought conditions with the historically driest months still ahead.

Cultivators who choose to use alternative sources of water, like bulk water hauling, must get approval from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) before any water is delivered or used. If non-potable water from a bulk hauler is used, recipients are required to keep receipts for at least five years that show the date of delivery and the name, address, license plate number, and license plate issuing state for the water hauler; copy of proof of the Water Hauler’s water right, groundwater well, or other authorization to take water, and the location of the water source; and quantity of water delivered or picked up from a water source, in gallons.

More information can be found on the California Water Boards’ Cannabis Cultivation page.