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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN <br /> MAY 2026/FINAL DRAFT/CAROLLO <br /> CHAPTER 6WATER SUPPLY CHARACTERIZATION <br /> Orange County has a water supply portfolio made up of a variety of local and imported sources. <br /> Groundwater is produced from the Orange County Groundwater Basin (OC Basin), which is managed by <br /> the Orange County Water District (OCWD).To enhance the reliability of groundwater, OCWD has <br /> implemented projects and programs over the years that include: (1) the Groundwater Replenishment <br /> System (GWRS), which is the world's largest water purification system for indirect potable reuse; <br /> (2) increased stormwater capture for groundwater recharge; and (3) participation in the Santa Ana River <br /> Conservation and Conjunctive Use Program (SARCCUP), a collaborative, watershed-scale approach for <br /> groundwater basin management, replenishment, and water transfers. <br /> Imported water is provided by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MET), the wholesale <br /> water provider to 26 member agencies in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and <br /> Ventura Counties.The City is one of those member agencies. MET's imported water sources are delivered <br /> through its own Colorado River Aqueduct (CRA) and the California Aqueduct, under contract with the <br /> State Water Project (SWP).To enhance the reliability of its imported water, MET has implemented many <br /> programs such as canal lining and transfers of agricultural water, land fallowing programs with irrigation <br /> districts, water banking programs, and use of its storage reservoirs. <br /> Local and imported water sources in Orange County are managed in such a way that they complement <br /> each other. For example, during wet and normal years additional untreated MET water is purchased for <br /> groundwater replenishment in the OC Basin. During dry and drought years, when imported water is more <br /> limited, more groundwater can be produced to meet Orange County water demands.This coordinated <br /> management of water supplies has resulted in reliable water service even during multi-year droughts. <br /> Based on the water supply assessment described in this chapter and in Chapter 7, the Orange County <br /> region will continue to receive a reliable water supply through the next 25 years. <br /> Specifically, this chapter includes: (1) descriptions of each water supply source and their management; <br /> (2) quantification of water supply sources through 2050 under normal, dry, and multi-dry weather <br /> conditions; (3) opportunities for exchanges and transfers; and (4) discussion regarding any planned or <br /> potential future water supply projects. This chapter also includes the energy intensity of the water service. <br /> 6.1 Water Supply Overview <br /> The City meets all of its demands with a combination of imported water and local groundwater to meet its <br /> water needs.The City works together with two primary agencies, MET and OCWD,to ensure a safe and <br /> reliable water supply that will continue to serve the community in periods of drought and shortage. MET <br /> is the City's wholesaler of imported water, which is delivered from the SWP and MET's CRA to Southern <br /> California.The City purchases imported water from MET to supplement their local supplies. <br /> Local supplies developed by other entities and retail agencies include groundwater and recycled water. <br /> Local sources presently account for 87 percent of the City's water supplies, whereby groundwater is the <br /> major source of local supply. The primary source of groundwater originates from the OC Basin, which is <br /> located in mid-Orange County and is managed by OCWD. The Orange County GWRS is a joint project <br /> CITY OF SANTA ANA <br />