Item 28 - Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan

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Santa Ana 2020 Water Shortage Contingency Plan 3-2 This section documents the decision-making process required for formal approval of the City’s Annual Assessment determination of water supply reliability each year and the key data inputs and the methodologies used to evaluate the water system reliability for the coming year, while considering that the year to follow would be considered dry. 3.2.1 Decision-Making Process The following decision-making process describes the functional steps that the City will take to formally approve the Annual Assessment determination of water supply reliability each year. City Steps to Approve the Annual Assessment Determination The City receives groundwater from OCWD. The OC Basin is not adjudicated and as such, pumping from the OC Basin is managed through a process that uses financial incentives to encourage groundwater producers (Producer) to pump a sustainable amount of water. The framework for the financial incentives is based on establishing the Basin Production Percentage (BPP), the percentage of each Producer’s total water supply that comes from groundwater pumped from the OC Basin. The BPP is set uniformly for all Producers by OCWD on an annual basis in by OCWD Board of Directors. Based on the projected water demand and water modeled water supply, over the long-term, OCWD anticipates sustainably supporting a BPP of 85%; however, volumes of groundwater and imported water may vary depending on OCWD's actual BPP projections. While the City’s primary source of water is OCWD groundwater, any remaining source to meet retail demands comes from the purchase of imported water from MET. As a direct MET member, the Annual Assessment will be predicated on MET’s WSDM supply demand tracking, which is reported monthly to their Board of Directors. MET WSDM planning involves the examination of developing demand and supply conditions for the calendar year, as well as considerations of potential actions consistent with the WSDM Plan. Additionally, City staff simultaneously provide water supply and demand reports to MET to inform them of emerging demand and supply conditions. These monthly analyses provide key information for MET to manage resources to meet a range of estimated demands and adjust to changing conditions throughout the year. Based on the year’s supply conditions and WSDM actions, MET will present a completed Annual Assessment for its member agencies’ review from which they will then seek Board approval in April of each year. Additionally, MET expects that any triggers or specific shortage response actions that result from the Annual Assessment would be approved by their Board at that time and this information will be incorporated into the City’s Annual Assessment. The Executive Director of Public Works, or Designee (i.e., Water Resource Manager), will be responsible to approve and Annual Assessment in June and formally submit to DWR prior to the July 1 deadline.