Standardized Regulatory Impact Assessment of Proposed Making Conservation a California Way of Life Regulation

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | June 21st, 2024

Water conservation in California overall, due to the proposed regulation and other conservation efforts by water suppliers and Californians generally, plus passive conser

Water conservation in California overall, due to the proposed regulation and other conservation efforts by water suppliers and Californians generally, plus passive conservation from prior conservation efforts, is estimated to save levels of water consistent with the goal mentioned in the Water Supply Strategy of the reduction of the water demand of towns and cities by half a million acre-feet per year. The proposed regulation serves as a backstop that is expected to cause new savings and “lock in” these other savings. As shown in the graph below, staff estimated that the proposed regulation would save approximately 30,000 acre-feet of water in 2027 (compared to the assumed 2027 baseline water use) and increased amounts in subsequent years, reaching almost 235,000 acre-feet of water in 2050 (compared to the assumed 2050 baseline water use). The total cumulative amount of water savings in the 2025-2050 period would be approximately 3.9 million acre-feet. More than half of the estimated water savings (approximately 52 percent) would come from the assumed residential water conservation measures, and the remainder (approximately 48 percent) from CII (Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional) performance measures.

Status of 2015 Urban Water Management Plans

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | September 22nd, 2017

The Department of Water Resources (DWR or Department) respectfully submits this report to the Legislature pursuant to the requirements of the Urban Water Management Plann

The Department of Water Resources (DWR or Department) respectfully submits this report to the Legislature pursuant to the requirements of the Urban Water Management Planning Act. Specifically, California Water Code (CWC) §10644 and §10608.42 require the Department to summarize the status of Urban Water Management Plans (UWMPs), exemplary elements of UWMPs, progress towards achieving a statewide water use reduction of 20-percent by the year 2020 (20x2020), and provide recommendations to achieve the targeted 20-percent reduction in statewide water use by 2020 in this report. This report incorporates the CWC’s §10608.42 (SB X7-7 of 2009) requirement for DWR to report progress towards achieving a 20% reduction in per capita urban water use by December 31, 2020. The statute requires DWR to include recommendations on changes to water use efficiency standards on urban water use targets needed to achieve the 20% reduction, and to reflect updated efficiency information and technology changes. UWMPs are prepared by California's urban water suppliers to support their long-term resource planning and ensure that adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and future water demands. The Urban Water Management Planning Act (CWC §10610 – 10656 supplemented by CWC §10608 et seq) specifies the requirements for UWMPs. Every urban water supplier that either provides over 3,000 acre-feet of water annually or serves 3,000 or more customers is required to submit an UWMP in years ending in one and six. To date, 400 out of 435 urban water suppliers have submitted their 2015 UWMP, a 92% compliance rate.

Status of 2020 Urban Water Management Plans

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | July 25th, 2023

As required by the California Water Code (CWC), every five years Urban Water Suppliers must submit an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) to the Department of Water Resour

As required by the California Water Code (CWC), every five years Urban Water Suppliers must submit an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) to the Department of Water Resources (DWR). DWR then reports to the Legislature on the status of UWMPs and Water Shortage Contingency Plans (WSCPs) and exemplary elements. Key Findings: * 95% (417 of 438) of Urban Water Suppliers submitted plans. * 97% (374 of 386) of Urban Retail Suppliers that submitted UWMPs met their water use reduction targets. * Statewide per capita urban water use was down 32% by 2020 from baseline period (suppliers identify a continuous 10-year or 15-year baseline period between 1995 and 2010). * 94% (393 of 417) of Urban Water Suppliers anticipate being able to manage any water shortages by implementing their Water Shortage Contingency Plans.

Stormwater Capture: Enhancing Recharge and Direct Use Through Data Collection

Southern California Water Coalition | April 26th, 2018

The purpose of this 2018 white paper update is to gain a better understanding of actual stormwater runoff capture volumes, costs, benefits, and project performa

The purpose of this 2018 white paper update is to gain a better understanding of actual stormwater runoff capture volumes, costs, benefits, and project performance across the region to inform future discussions. This white paper augments prior efforts and uses the most recent and best available stormwater project data. Previously in January 2012, the SCWC published its first white paper on stormwater titled Stormwater Capture: Opportunities to Increase Water Supplies in Southern California (SCWC 2012). The purpose of the 2012 white paper was to examine existing statewide policies, goals, and regional plans related to integrated stormwater management; trends, structure, and requirements of MS4 permits as they pertain to both opportunities and constraints to maximizing stormwater capture for water supply purposes; and the advantages and disadvantages of two strategies of stormwater management: onsite low impact development and regional stormwater capture and infiltration. Lastly, the 2012 white paper largely focused on conceptual stormwater projects and technical strategies for increasing stormwater capture. Since the 2012 white paper, many of the proposed projects were constructed and in operation. Other plans such as Metropolitan’s 2015 Integrated Resources Plan (MWD 2016), the City of Los Angeles’s Stormwater Capture Master Plan (LADWP 2015), and Los Angeles County Flood Control District’s LA Basin Study (LACFCD 2016) also estimated stormwater capture and costs. The SCWC saw an opportunity to evaluate the costs and benefits of these constructed stormwater capture projects and pursued a white paper update.

Sustainable L.A. Grand Challenge Environmental Report Card for Los Angeles County: Water 2019

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | October 22nd, 2019

The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge (SLA GC) Environmental Report Card (ERC) for Los Angeles County (L.A. County) is the only comprehensive environmental report card for

The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge (SLA GC) Environmental Report Card (ERC) for Los Angeles County (L.A. County) is the only comprehensive environmental report card for a megacity in the world. This 2019 ERC on Water provides an in-depth look at the region’s efforts in moving toward a more resilient local water supply, which requires maximizing high quality local water supplies, improving water conveyance and treatment infrastructure, reducing water consumption, and implementing innovative technology and policy solutions. Twenty indicators were assessed across eight categories. Many of these indicators are new areas of assessment for the ERC and will provide a more comprehensive picture of current conditions compared to the 2015 ERC that last assessed L.A. County’s water. Grades were assigned in each category based on compliance with environmental laws or numeric standards where applicable, on our best professional judgment, and on historical improvements and context. This year’s grades range from D/ Incomplete to B+, and although there has been great progress in some areas, others still require significant improvement to raise the county’s C+ average.

Sustainable Landscapes in California: A Guidebook for Commercial and Industrial Site Managers

Pacific Institute | August 20th, 2020

Sustainable landscaping offers a solution in balance with the local climate and ecology, and actively contributes to community and watershed health by providing economic,

Sustainable landscaping offers a solution in balance with the local climate and ecology, and actively contributes to community and watershed health by providing economic, social, and environmental benefits. This guidebook provides simple steps to consider, select, and install sustainable landscaping. Aimed specifically at businesses and communities in California, the guidebook includes information on turf replacement, installation of bioswales and rain gardens, permeable pavement, green roofs, and rain tanks and cisterns. Self-assessments guide the user through the selection and installation process.

Sustainable Landscapes on Commercial and Industrial Properties in the Santa Ana River Watershed

Pacific Institute | February 14th, 2019

Pressures on water resources are intensifying due to aging infrastructure, population growth, climate change, and other factors. Marked by vast expanses of thirs

Pressures on water resources are intensifying due to aging infrastructure, population growth, climate change, and other factors. Marked by vast expanses of thirsty lawns and impermeable pavement, California’s urban and suburban communities are ill-equipped to handle these pressures. Outdoor use represents about half of all water used in urbanized areas, and even more in the hottest, driest parts of the state.1,2 Runoff from lawns carries fertilizers and pesticides into waterways. Similarly, impermeable pavement impedes groundwater recharge; contributes to higher peak flows; warms the urban environment; and carries oils, metals, and other toxins into rivers, estuaries, and the ocean. The good news is that there are more sustainable options for California communities. Replacing lawns with climate-appropriate plants that are irrigated efficiently can save water and reduce vulnerability to drought. When integrated with bioswales, rain gardens, and other green infrastructure, these projects can boost local water supplies, reduce flooding, and improve water quality. These practices can also save energy, provide habitat, sequester carbon, improve air quality, boost property values, enhance community livability, and increase resilience to climate change.

Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower Colorado River Basin

Pacific Institute | November 26th, 1996

The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 30 million people and irrigates more than 1.5 million hectares of farmland in the United States and Mexico. But the diversion

The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 30 million people and irrigates more than 1.5 million hectares of farmland in the United States and Mexico. But the diversion of a huge amount of river water is seriously harming the delicate web of life that used to exist in the delta. The Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower Colorado River Basin, written by Sandra Postel of the Global Water Policy Project and Peter Gleick and Jason Morrison of the Pacific Institute, aims to clarify key concepts and criteria for sustainable water use within the Colorado basin, and then, using those criteria, present patterns of water management that can support economic prosperity and the environment. We do not presume to offer a single or best solution to water problems in the lower Colorado basin. The report’s goal is to define — both quantitatively and qualitatively — the unsustainable nature of current patterns of water use, and to demonstrate how technologies, policy actions, and management strategies can be combined to achieve more sustainable water use.

Systems Analysis and Optimization of Local Water Supplies in Los Angeles

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) | September 1st, 2017

Los Angeles, which relies on large infrastructure systems that import water over hundreds of miles, faces a future of reduced imports. Within Los Angeles and its hund

Los Angeles, which relies on large infrastructure systems that import water over hundreds of miles, faces a future of reduced imports. Within Los Angeles and its hundreds of water agencies, the capacity to adapt to future changes is influenced by laws, institutions, and hydrogeology. This paper presents a systems analysis of urban water management in metropolitan Los Angeles County to assess opportunities for increasing local water reliance. A network flow model was developed to investigate management tradeoffs across engineered, social, and environmental systems. With an aggressive regional demand target, increased stormwater capture (300%), and prioritized water reuse from existing facilities, imported water supplies can be cut by 30% while maintaining landscapes, economic productivity, and groundwater resources. Further reducing imports (by 40–50%) is possible through actions to promote additional reuse, recharge, conservation, and groundwater access. Reducing imported water without significant conservation results in likely groundwater overdraft. Fragmented networks of agencies in Los Angeles create an uneven landscape of vulnerability to water shortages. The paper discusses model applications, research needs, and policy implications of results for dry-climate cities.

The California drought: A quasi-experimental analysis of social policy

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (Wiley) | January 15th, 1980