20 x 2020 Water Conservation Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | February 18th, 2009

In February 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger introduced a seven-part comprehensive plan for improving the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. As part of this effort, the Governor

In February 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger introduced a seven-part comprehensive plan for improving the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. As part of this effort, the Governor directed state agencies to develop a plan to reduce statewide per capita urban water use by 20 percent by the year 2020. This marked the initiation of the 20x2020 Water Conservation Plan (20x2020 Plan) process. The 20x2020 Plan sets forth a statewide road map to maximize the state’s urban water efficiency and conservation opportunities between 2009 and 2020, and beyond. It aims to set in motion a range of activities designed to achieve the 20 percent per capita reduction in urban water demand by 2020. These activities include improving an understanding of the variation in water use across California, promoting legislative initiatives that incentivize water agencies to promote water conservation, and creating evaluation and enforcement mechanisms to assure regional and statewide goals are met. The 20x2020 Plan discusses these many activities in detail.

2017 Potable Reuse Compendium

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | January 11th, 2018

Appropriate and necessary treatment and reuse of wastewater to augment existing water resources is a rapidly expanding approach for both non-potable and potable

Appropriate and necessary treatment and reuse of wastewater to augment existing water resources is a rapidly expanding approach for both non-potable and potable applications. EPA recognizes that potable reuse of water can play a critical role in helping states, tribes, and c ommunities meet their future drinking water needs with a diversified portfolio of water sources. Beginning with the first pioneers in water reuse, Los Angeles County Sanitation Distric t (1962), Orange County Sanitation District (1976), and the Upper Occoquan Service Authority (1978), the practice has gained substantial momentum because of drought and the need to assure groundwater resource sustainability and a secure water supply. Long-term water scarcity is expected to increase over time in many parts of the country as a result of drought, growing water demand, and other stressors. Across the U.S., there has been a notable increase in the deployment of technologies to augment existing water supplies through reuse of wastewater that has been treated and cleaned to be safe for the intended use. Indirect reuse usually involves passage of water through an environmental buffer (e.g., groundwater aquifer, lake, river) before the water is again treated for reuse. Direct reuse refers to those situations where treatment is followed by storage and use, but without the environmental buffer. Many drinking water systems rely on water treatment technologies to support indirect reuse of water (e.g., indirect potable reuse) and some drinking water systems now directly reuse wastewater after treatment (e.g., direc t potable reuse). In 2012, EPA published the 2012 Guidelines for Water Reuse to serve as a reference on water reuse practices . The document provided information related to indirect potable reuse (IPR), but only briefly described direc t potable reuse (DPR). Because of increased interest in pursuing potable water reuse, EPA is is suing the 2017 Potable Reuse Compendium to outline key science, technical, and policy considerations regarding this practice. This 2017 Compendium supplements the 2012 Guidelines for Water Reuse to inform current practices and approaches in potable reuse, including those related to direct potable water reuse. EPA recognizes the recent water reuse publications from our stakeholders at the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Research Council of the National Academies of Science, the Water Environment and Reuse Foundation (WE&RF), and the Water Environment Federation (WEF). The 2017 Compendium is a compilation of technical information on potable reuse practices to provide planners and decision-makers with a summary of the current state of the practice. Specific knowledge and experience are drawn from case studies on existing reuse approaches. EPA supports water reuse as part of an integrated water resources management approach developed at the state and local level to meet the water needs of multiple sectors including agriculture, industry, drinking water, and ecosystem protection. An integrated approach commonly involves a combination of water management strategies (e.g., water supply development, water storage, water use efficiency, and water reuse) and engages multiple stakeholders and needs, including the needs of the environment. Although EPA encourages an integrated approach to water resources management, it does not require or restrict practices such as water reuse. EPA acknowledges the primacy of states in the allocation and development of water resources. EPA, State, and local governments implement programs under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act to protect the quality of source waters to ensure that source water is treated so that water provided to the tap is safe for people to drink (e.g., contaminant specific drinking water standards). The SDWA and the CWA provide a foundation from which states can further develop and support potable water reuse as they deem appropriate. EPA will continue to engage a broad spectrum of partners and stakeholders for input on where the Agency can provide meaningful support to states, tribes, and communities as they implement potable water reuse projects. EPA will also work with stakeholders, the scientific community , and the States to monitor and evaluate performance of water treatment technologies to ensure that potable reuse projects are implemented in a manner that protects the health of communities . This document is a collaborative effort between EPA, CDM Smith, and other key stakeholders. EPA acknowledges the importance of potable water reuse and looks forward to working with our stakeholders as the practice continues to be developed and deployed as an important approach to ensure a c lean, safe, and sustainable water supply for the nation.

2017 SGMA Annual Report South American Subbasin (5-021.65) Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority

Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority | April 1st, 2018

The Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority (SCGA) has prepared an Annual Report describing groundwater conditions in the South American Subbasin for the 2017

The Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority (SCGA) has prepared an Annual Report describing groundwater conditions in the South American Subbasin for the 2017 Water Year (i.e., inclusive of months October 2016 to September 2017) in support of their pending Alternative Submittal. The Annual Report is intended for conveying monitoring and water use data to the State DWR on an annual basis to gauge performance of the groundwater subbasin relative to the sustainability goal set forth in a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) or, for SCGA, the Alternative Submittal. As such, SCGA is including sufficient information to provide interested parties with sufficient background and supporting details to serve as a public communications document for subbasin management and to take the place of historic biennial reporting available on the SCGA website.

2022 Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment Summary Report

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | November 22nd, 2022

This summary report contains projected water shortage information at the urban water supplier level as well as regional and statewide analyses of water supply conditions

This summary report contains projected water shortage information at the urban water supplier level as well as regional and statewide analyses of water supply conditions and is intended to inform the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board). Additionally, the report includes information on water shortage response actions taken by urban water suppliers as a result of their Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessments (Annual Assessments), and urban water suppliers’ compliance statistics with respect to their Annual Water Shortage Assessment Report (Annual Shortage Report) submittals. The purpose of this Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment Summary Report (Summary Report) is to fulfill the California Water Code (CWC) §10644(c)(1)(B) requirements and it is due on or before September 30, 2022, and every year thereafter. The full text of the CWC section regarding the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Summary Report to the State Water Board is presented below for reference.

2022 Climate Action Plan Implementation Progress Report

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | April 30th, 2023

The CAP is a blueprint for how Metropolitan will cost-effectively reduce emissions from its operations, including those associated with water delivered through the Colora

The CAP is a blueprint for how Metropolitan will cost-effectively reduce emissions from its operations, including those associated with water delivered through the Colorado River Aqueduct (CRA).1 The CAP sets targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Metropolitan’s operations, including conveyance, storage, treatment, and delivery of water to its 26 member water agencies across its 5,200 square-mile service area, and complements Metropolitan’s existing long-range planning efforts, including the Integrated Water Resources Plan, Energy Sustainability Plan, Capital Investment Plan, and the Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water which is currently being developed.2,3,4 The CAP also helps Metropolitan prepare for future regulations while supporting California’s GHG emission reduction goals.

A Comparative Study for Estimating Crop Evapotranspiration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | April 23rd, 2018

Consumptive water use by crops, often referred to as evapotranspiration (ET), is frequently the largest component of an agricultural region’s water balance. This study

Consumptive water use by crops, often referred to as evapotranspiration (ET), is frequently the largest component of an agricultural region’s water balance. This study investigates crop consumptive use in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (“Delta”) of California using a comparative approach with several prominent methods for estimating crop ET, including estimates based on crop coefficients, water balances, energy balance using remote sensing, and field measurements. Click here to download full report and links to appendices

A simmering revolt against groundwater cutbacks in California

Stanford University | December 14th, 2022

In 2014, California legislators, focused on groundwater’s accelerating decline during a prolonged drought, passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Its impera

In 2014, California legislators, focused on groundwater’s accelerating decline during a prolonged drought, passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Its imperatives: keeping groundwater levels sustainable by 2040 and keeping control of groundwater in local hands. Both goals are now in limbo. As the state endures yet another prolonged drought and state water managers have balked at approving plans covering the basins at greatest risk – the vast majority in the San Joaquin Valley – more growers in a few of the new local groundwater agencies are in revolt at the new rules that will curtail access to the water they once took for granted.

Achievements in Conservation, Recycling, and Groundwater Recharge Covering Fiscal Year July 2018-June 2019

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | March 1st, 2020

Adapting to Change: Utility Systems and Declining Flows

California Urban Water Agencies (CUWA) | November 1st, 2017

During the recent historic drought, Californians responded to the call for emergency statewide water use reductions, which the state has recognized as a highly su

During the recent historic drought, Californians responded to the call for emergency statewide water use reductions, which the state has recognized as a highly successful outcome. However, this significant reduction in water demands has brought to light some unintended consequences of declining flows that ripple throughout the interconnected urban water cycle. These observations offer a preview into the potential impact of establishing permanent indoor water use targets at or below the thresholds achieved as a result of the governor’s emergency conservation mandate. California’s water industry leaders, including regulators and purveyors, are working to understand the system-wide impacts of increased conservation so that decision makers are better informed as they address California’s current and future water challenges. Through a partnership with California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), Water Research Foundation(WRF), WateReuse California, and California Water Environment Association(CWEA), California WaterUrban Agencies(CUWA) has developed this white paper to provide decisionmakers, water/wastewater system managers, and other stakeholders an understanding of the impacts of declining flows resulting from substantial reductions in indoor water use and how utilities are adapting to these circumstances.

Adapting wastewater management systems in California for water conservation and climate change

Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure (Taylor & Francis) | February 27th, 2023