Are wineries complying with California’s new winery wastewater order? The answer: Yes and No
California wineries appear to be complying with the Water Board’s statewide Winery General Order’s winery wastewater requirements, but the pace is slow, state statistics reveal. And many are not in the compliance reporting pipeline at all, data shows. (An overview page is provided here.) The order was passed, the water boards said, for two major reasons. One was because, “Winemakers requested the order to address the statewide inconsistencies in permitting.” This request was from large wineries that operate numerous facilities throughout the state. (Smaller wineries opposed this in the public hearings.) … As of Feb. 20, 2024, 201 wineries had begun the process of filing, leaving a gap of 1,449 wineries (the difference between 1,650 and 201, based on the initial estimates).