Joseph I. Faria

Mr. Faria is a Supervising Engineer Water Resources with the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR). He holds a B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering from the California State University at Fresno. Mr. Faria has accumulated a broad range of experience in the water resources engineering field. As Chief of the Special Investigations and Regional Manager Branch within DWR’s South Central Region Office, Mr. Faria is responsible for providing technical and administrative direction for the programs within the three sections of the Branch: Special Studies and Technical Support, Surface and Groundwater Data, and Groundwater and Regional Planning. Prior to 2009 CDWR reorganization; Mr. Faria also supervised the Environmental Compliance, River Restoration and the Flood Management Sections. Mr. Faria is also responsible for managing CDWR’s Agricultural Drainage Program and Proposition 204 (Drainage Account) programs. In this capacity, he provides general direction to CDWR drainage programs in the San Joaquin Valley which includes drainage monitoring and evaluation, development of integrated on-farm drainage management systems, drainage reclamation and treatment, and investigation of environmental issues associated with agricultural drainage management programs. Mr. Faria administers Proposition 204 (Drainage Account Grant Program) which is tasked to develop methods of using and concentrating salts and reducing trace element contaminants in the State’s subsurface agricultural drainage water. The program has issued more that 35 contracts for research related to agricultural subsurface drainage water reduction and reuse including reduction of toxic trace elements. Mr. Faria also administers Proposition 84; (Section 75029.a) for grants to implement Bay-Delta Water Quality improvement projects that protect drinking water supplies; and portions of Section 75026 for implementing integrated regional water management plans. Mr. Faria was an advisory council member for the University of California Salinity/Drainage Research Program and Prosser Trust. Mr. Faria has collaborated as project advisory member on various research papers with the California Public Utilities Commission and the American Water Works Association Research Foundation and as author-contributor of Chapters 20 and 23 of the Agricultural Salinity Assessment and Management manual (ASCE Manuals and Reports on Engineering Practice No. 71).