State Water Board Approves Revised Dairy Order
Published Friday, September 18, 2026
The California State Water Resources Control Board approved on Sept. 15 the revised Central Valley dairy order in a 4-0 vote. The order, which concludes a regulatory process spanning more than two decades, establishes enhanced nitrogen-management requirements, replacement drinking water for nitrate-impacted wells, expanded monitoring, and new standards governing manure application and retention ponds.
During the public-comment process, California Farm Bureau signed onto a coalition letter led by Dairy Cares. Several of the coalition’s recommendations were incorporated into the final order, including a simplified definition of an “existing dairy” and greater flexibility for the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board when implementing certain timelines.
Additional revisions removed the requirement for dairies to submit pond-depth reports and clarified that the order applies only to dairies within the Central Valley. The revised order took effect Sept. 15, and the final version is expected to be published shortly.
Once published, it can be found here.
Staff contacts: Sarah Kiser, skiser@cfbf.com and Daniella Legostaev, dlegostaev@cfbf.com.
.svg.png?cacheid=0.9616018850896426)
