Gallo, the world’s largest winery, face a cease-and-desist order from regulators after inspectors discovered that the winery’s high levels of toxic chemicals in its wastewater posed a threat to Fresno’s drinking water.
The Central Valley Water Regional Quality Control Board served E. & J. Gallo Winery with the demand earlier this month after finding that the winery had exceeded groundwater limitations set by water regulators.
Driving the news: Regulators capped wastewater discharges at Gallo’s Fresno winery location in southeast Fresno to a maximum of 54.2 million gallons per year.
- However, records revealed that the winery discharged approximately 400 million gallons of treated and untreated wastewater on its premises annually.
- Local water regulators expressed concerns that the significant amount of wastewater being deposited on specified areas, including vineyards and winter forage crops, could lead to increased levels of nitrate in groundwater.
- The notice emphasized the reliance of the City of Fresno on groundwater as its primary source of drinking water.
- According to the tentative order, Gallo’s discharge reports from 2015 to 2023 indicated instances where the company applied total nitrogen at rates that exceeded crop demand or removal rates.
- Regulators also noted worries about the impact of the region’s rainy season from November to January, during which 4.82 inches of rain falls, on wastewater and existing nitrogen levels.
What’s next: Per the tentative cease-and-desist order, Gallo must halt all wastewater discharge to designated areas by June 30, 2030. Subsequently, the winery’s wastewater must be redirected to the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility or an alternative facility.
