Drought Resilience plan 

The County of San Benito is presenting the draft Drought Resilience Plan for public review and feedback. 

• DRAFT - San Benito County Drought Resilience Plan

Please email your feedback to oes@sanbenitocountyca.gov, by February 17, 2026, 11:59 pm. 

About SB 552

In September 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 552 (Hertzberg), which requires state and local governments to share responsibility in planning and responding to water shortage events, particularly for state small water systems and rural communities supplied by domestic wells. Through SB 552, the California State Legislature identifies counties as the best-suited government entity to provide the needed leadership to improve water resilience for state small water systems and domestic wells.

Under SB 552, all counties in California are required to prepare a County Drought Resilience Plan (County DRP) to achieve meaningful and long-term improvements in water resilience for their residents. In addition to the development of a County DRP, SB 552 directs counties to establish a long-standing County Drought and Water Shortage Task Force (Task Force) to cultivate the continued practices of drought planning and improving long-term water resilience.

County Compliance

The County and impacted agencies have been effectively complying with SB 552 since 2021 and throughout the recent historic drought period by holding frequent Task Force meetings, currently held under the Office of Emergency Services (OES). In May 2024, the County was awarded a grant from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to facilitate the development of its County DRP, which began in June 2024 under the management and administration of the OES. Together with stakeholders and decision makers, OES is developing a comprehensive plan that complies with the requirements of SB-552 through a transparent public process.

DRP Development