Man Accused Of Illegally Diverting Water From Tuolumne River For Business

TUOLUMNE COUNTY (CBS13) - The State Water Resources Control Board has issued a complaint and a cease and decease order against a man accused of diverting more water than he was allowed Tuolumne County.

The complaint says that during 2014 and 2015, G. Scott Fahey, owner of Sugar Pine Spring Water LP, took water from the Tuolumne River watershed after Fahey was told he could not take any more under his water right permit, according to a statement from the State Water Resources Control Board.

Fahey holds two water rights permits to divert water to Cottonwood, Deadwood, Marco and Polo springs and all tributaries of the Tuolumne River upstream of the New Don Pedro Reservoir.

He reportedly diverted 69 acre feet of water per year to a bulk water truck filling station, which was then trucked to bottling plants. The complaint alleges Fahey took 22 acre feet more than allowed -- even after being told to stop in May 2014 and again in April 2015.

The Division of Water Rights is recommending Fahey pay $224,875 to settle the civil complaint.