Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
West Orange County Water Board (WOCWB) Annual Operational Budget for FY 2026/27
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publichearing
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From: Jake Ngo, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Requested by: Administration
Prepared by: Veronica Johnson, Management Analyst
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
Approve the West Orange County Water Board FY 2026/27 budget shared between Westminster, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, and Garden Grove, and approve Westminster’s contribution of $33,909.
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BACKGROUND
The West Orange County Water Board (WOCWB) consists of members representing the cities of Westminster, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, and Seal Beach. The main function of the Board is to maintain and manage, by the City of Huntington Beach’s water staff, the pipelines and valves for two of our three Metropolitan Water District (MWD) connections. One of those connections is located near the intersection of Bolsa Avenue and Newland Street and is referred to as OC-9. Another connection is located near the intersection of Westminster Boulevard and Willow Lane and is referred to as OC-35. The third MWD connection for Westminster is located near the intersection of Katella Avenue and Dale Street, referred to as OC-53, and is managed and maintained by the Westminster Water Division.
Previous budgets had included a share for the Cathodic Protection Program, which uses an electrical charge to prevent corrosion of the metal in the aging water lines and thus extending their lifespans. In December of 2025, WOCWB’s consultant, Ardurra, performed an assessment of the OC-9 and OC-35 pipelines and determined that Cathodic Protection was not an option at this time. At its meeting in January 2026, the WOCWB approved to retain the already collected funds set aside for the Cathodic Protection Program in place for future maintenance of the pipelines.
Staff has reviewed and agrees with WOCWB’s proposed 2026/27 budget. Westminster’s contribution to only the operating portion of the budget will be $33,909, representing 25.4% of the total Operating Budget for FY 2026/27. This covers all anticipated maintenance activities for the two above-mentioned pipelines. As shown in Attachment 1, this does not include any payment toward the OC-35 Relocation Project Loan as the City of Westminster has already paid its entire share of the loan.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds in the amount of $33,909 are budgeted in Utility Capital Project Fund 602 Account Number 55502-552101, Maintenance of WOCWB Lines.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends the approval of the West Orange County Water Board’s FY 2026/27 budget and Westminster’s contribution of $33,909.
ATTACHMENTS
1. West Orange County Water Board Proposed FY 2026/27 Budget
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
City Attorney’s Office
Christine Cordon, City Manager