Item 21 - Public Hearing - Resolutions Approving the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and the 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan

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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN MAY 2026/FINAL DRAFT/CAROLLO advanced water technologies, conjunctive use projects, local, and regional water supply and storage programs, and other programs and projects. Similarly, Orange County water agencies have further invested in water use efficiency, local water supply projects, and advanced water technologies to increase regional self-reliance. In the near term (2030), regional self-reliance during a normal water year for the entire MET service area is projected to increase by approximately 601 TAF compared to the 2010 baseline, an improvement equal to nearly 20 percent of projected 2030 retail demands. Looking ahead to 2050, normal year regional self- reliance is expected to grow by more than 1.0 MAF above the 2010 baseline, representing an increase of roughly 20 percent of projected 2050 retail demands (MET, 2025). ■ The continued and planned use of groundwater:The water supply resources within Santa Ana's service area are enhanced by the existence of groundwater basins that account for the majority of local supplies available. As described in Chapter 4, the OC Basin is also used as reservoirs to store water during wet years and draw from storage during dry years, subsequently minimizing Santa Ana's service area's reliance on imported water. Groundwater basins are managed within a safe basin operating range so that groundwater wells are only pumped as needed to meet water use.Although Santa Ana does not manage any of the service area's groundwater basins, as a groundwater producer, Santa Ana supports and partners in the efforts to maintain the health of the local basins through local groundwater recharge efforts such as OCWD's GWRS Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) program. ■ Groundwater storage and transfer programs: Santa Ana and OCWD's involvement in Santa Ana River Conservation and Conjunctive Use Program includes participation in a conjunctive use program that improves water supply resiliency and increases available dry-year yield from local groundwater basins.The groundwater bank has 137,000 AF of storage (Inland Empire Utilities Agency, 2021). MET has numerous groundwater storage and transfer programs in which MET endeavors to increase the reliability of water supplies, including the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency Waster Agency Exchange and Storage Program and the High Desert Water Bank Program. In addition, MET has encouraged storage through its cyclic and conjunctive use programs that allow MET to deliver water into a groundwater basin in advance of agency demands, such as the Cyclic Storage Agreements under the Main San Gabriel Basin Judgement. ■ Increased use of recycled water: OCWD's GWRS and Green Acres Project (GAP) help southern California reduce its reliance on imported water by providing a local, reliable water supply that meets or exceeds all federal and state drinking water standards. OCWD is currently expanding the GWRS to increase production to 130 MGD, further strengthening regional water self-sufficiency. ■ Implementation of demand management measures during dry periods: During dry periods, water reduction methods to be applied to the public through the retail agencies will in turn reduce the City's overall demands on MET and reliance on imported water. Santa Ana met its conservation of the 20 percent by 2020 as part of the Orange County Regional Alliance as well as individually. 7.5 Drought Risk Assessment California Water Code (CWC) Section 10635(b) requires every urban water supplier to include a DRA for its water service as part of information considered in developing its demand management measures and water supply projects and programs.The DRA is a specific planning action that assumes Santa Ana is experiencing a drought over the next five years and addresses water supply reliability in the context of CITY OF SANTA ANA