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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN <br /> MAY 2026/FINAL DRAFT/CAROLLO <br /> CHAPTER 4WATER USE CHARACTERIZATION <br /> One of the main objectives of an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) is to provide an insight into the <br /> projected future water demands and supplies.This chapter describes the City of Santa Ana's (City) current <br /> and future water demands for their service area, factors that influence demands, and the methodology <br /> used to forecast future water demands over the next 25 years. For this 2025 UWMP,water demand <br /> projections will span from planning year 2025 through planning year 2050. <br /> Known for its suburban coastal communities and densely populated inland areas, Orange County has <br /> evolved greatly from its beginnings as an agricultural region.As some of the earliest cities in Orange <br /> County, from 1928 to 1931 the Cities of Anaheim, Fullerton, and Santa Ana, all joined with 10 other <br /> southern California cities to form the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MET) with the <br /> ambitious dream to bring Colorado River water across the Mojave Desert.The Municipal Water District of <br /> Orange County (MWDOC) laterjoined MET as a member agency in 1951, and with the merger with <br /> Coastal Municipal Water District in 2001, now represents the remainder of Orange County to provide and <br /> manage the imported water supplies within its service area. Orange County is now mostly comprised of <br /> residential, mixed-use, and commercial developments,with less industry in the region.Agriculture in the <br /> region has also declined significantly as Orange County has grown more suburban.Thus, modern-day <br /> water use within Orange County can be largely summarized by the following four demand sectors: <br /> ■ Single-Family Residential. <br /> ■ Multi-Family Residential. <br /> ■ Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII). <br /> ■ Dedicated Irrigation (potable, recycled, and raw water). <br /> Figure 4.1 shows Orange County's overall historical water usage compared to population since 1990, <br /> when local water conservation programs were first established. As shown, from the early 1990s through <br /> the mid-2000s, Orange County's water usage increased as the population increased. Population figures <br /> slowed significantly in 2018 and began to decrease during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020-2021. Since <br /> 2007, retail, municipal, and industrial water use in Orange County has declined due to multiple <br /> contributing factors. Decades of sustained investments in water-use efficiency and public education have <br /> led to significant adoption of water-efficient appliances and fixtures, and increased public awareness of <br /> the need to use water wisely. Furthermore, in response to recurring droughts, growing urban demand, <br /> and increasingly limited water supplies, multiple regulatory requirements to promote water conservation <br /> have evolved and been implemented over the last two decades throughout California and Orange County. <br /> CITY OF SANTA ANA <br />