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Public Works Agency <br />www.santa-ana.org/public-works <br />Item # 7 <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> Staff Report <br />November 21, 2023 <br />TOPIC: Grand Jury Report: Historic Rain, Yet Drought Remains <br />AGENDA TITLE <br />City's Response to Orange County Grand Jury Report: Historic Rain, Yet Drought <br />Remains <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />Approve the City of Santa Ana's response to the findings and recommendations of the <br />2022-2023 Orange County Grand Jury Report, Historic Rains, Yet Drought Remains, <br />pursuant to Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05. <br />GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No <br />DISCUSSION <br />On June 9, 2023, the Orange County Grand Jury released a report entitled “Historic <br />Rain, Yet Drought Remains”. The report presents information about the current state of <br />water planning, existing projects to increase the supply of non-potable water for <br />irrigation, and storage issues. Of note, the report makes recommendations for a reliable <br />source of potable water through desalination of ocean water. <br />In their report, the OC Grand Jury concludes that existing water agencies in Orange <br />County are not adequately structured or managed to implement strategies necessary to <br />create a new source of potable water, specifically through desalination. Further, the OC <br />Grand Jury suggests that a merger of two or more public agencies could assist the <br />county with securing desalinated water, but notes that it might be challenging for such <br />an agency to do so because the agencies would already be performing the functions for <br />which they were created and it might be difficult to assimilate new functions. To that <br />end, the Orange County Grand Jury concludes that the creation of a new agency, a <br />Climate Resiliency District, should be established to develop and manage countywide <br />water resources, while taking into consideration the ongoing statewide drought <br />conditions.