Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing - Adoption of 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
End
publichearing
• Staff Report
• Mayor and City Council Questions for Staff
• Public Comments
• Mayor and Council Member Discussion
• Council Action
End
From: Jake Ngo, Public Works Director
Requested by: Administration
Prepared by: Noelani Leal, Management Analyst
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
A. Adopt a Resolution entitled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WESTMINSTER, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING THE 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN”; and
B. Adopt a Resolution entitled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF WESTMINSTER, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING THE 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN.”
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BACKGROUND
The Urban Water Management Planning Act (California Water Code 10610 to 10657) requires all water suppliers that provide water for municipal purposes to more than 3,000 customers or supply more than 3,000 acre-feet annually to submit an updated Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) at least once every five years, in years ending in one and six. On June 9, 2021, the City Council adopted the City’s 2020 Urban Water Management Plan and 2020 Water Shortage Contingency Plan by Resolution 5043 and Resolution 5044, respectively.
The City of Westminster (City) Water Division supplies more than 10,000 acre-feet of water annually to approximately 21,000 service connections. Therefore, the City has updated its UWMP and WSCP in compliance with state requirements. To satisfy the requirements of the California Urban Water Management Planning Act (Act), the City of Westminster must adopt and submit its 2025 UWMP and 2025 WSCP to the DWR by July 1, 2026.
This public hearing provides an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the updated 2025 UWMP and 2025 WSCP, prior to submission to the DWR.
The UWMP is required to be prepared by California urban water suppliers as a planning tool, ensuring adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and future water demands over the next 20-25 years. The 2025 UWMP presents an update to the City’s 2020 UWMP on the City’s water resource needs, water use efficiency programs, water reliability assessments, and strategies to mitigate water shortage conditions. Key findings of the 2025 UWMP are summarized below:
Water Demand and Supply Outlook from 2025-2050
Average annual total water uses within the City service area over the past five years is 10,358 acre-feet (AF) (FY 2020-2021 to 2024-25). Overall water demand decreased by 5.2 percent over the 5-year reporting period. Over the next 25 years, future demand is projected to remain stable with a slight decrease by about 0.3 percent from 10,424 AF in 2025 to approximately 10,393 AF by 2050.
Water Supply Reliability
The City is projected to meet all water demands under normal, single dry, and five-consecutive-dry year scenarios through 2050, based on Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Conditions Assessment and Metropolitan Water District’s 2025 UWMP Reliability Assessment.
Demand Management Measures
The City continues to support and implement a comprehensive suite of Demand Management Measures (DMMs) designed to reduce potable water use, improve water system efficiency, reduce system losses, and comply with state water conservation and water loss standards.
The 2025 WSCP serves as both a strategic planning document and an operating manual that the City will use to prepare for or respond to water shortages. The WSCP outlines the processes and procedures when a water shortage arises so that the City can easily identify and efficiently implement steps to mitigate a water shortage. The WSCP still maintains DWR’s six standardized shortage levels (up to >50% reduction). The demand reduction and supply augmentation actions associated with each shortage level in 2025 WSCP remain consistent with the 2020 WSCP.
The City participated in a shared services agreement with the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC). MWDOC led a team of regionally focused consultants to assist in the preparation of the 2025 UWMP and 2025 WSCP, along with other MWDOC member agencies. This approach ensured that all requirements of the plans were met in a manner consistent with other water suppliers in Orange County and in compliance with all applicable state requirements.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of the 2025 UWMP and 2025 WSCP has no direct fiscal impact on the City. However, the plans outline how the City will effectively manage the water resources.
The water shortage response actions and communication protocols identified in the WSCP will be implemented and funded, as needed, by Water Conservation Funds (Fund - 80060).
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
Upon approval, staff will complete the following to meet the requirements of the Act:
• Finalize and submit the City’s 2025 UWMP and 2025 WSCP to the DWR by July 1, 2026;
• Provide copies of the adopted plans to the California State Library; and
• Make the City’s 2025 WSCP and 2025 UWMP available for public review on the City’s website.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed Resolution Adopting the 2025 UWMP
2. Proposed Resolution Adopting the 2025 WSCP
3. Final Draft 2025 UWMP available at <https://www.westminster-ca.gov/departments/public-works/water-division>
4. Final Draft 2025 WSCP
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
City Attorney’s Office
Christine Cordon, City Manager