75E - PH - WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

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2015 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 6,5 Optimization Clan Studies of water recycling opportunities within southern California provide a context for promoting the development of water recycling plans. It is recognized that broad public acceptance of recycled water requires continued education and public involvement. Currently, most of the recycled water available is being directed toward replenishment of the groundwater basin and improvements in groundwater quality. As a groundwater user, the City supports the efforts of OCWD and OCSD to use recycled water as a primary resource for groundwater recharge in Orange County. Public Education The City participates in the MWDOC public education and school education programs that include extensive sections on water recycling. MWDOC's water use efficiency public information programs are a partnership with agencies throughout the county. Through a variety of public information programs, MWDOC reaches the public, including those in the City, with information regarding present and future water supplies, the demands for a suitable quantity and quality of water, including recycled water, and the importance of implementing water efficient techniques and behaviors. Water education programs through MWDOC have reached thousands of students in the City with grade- specific programs that include information on recycled water. Financial Incentives The implementation of recycled water projects involves a substantial upfront capital investment for planning studies, Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), engineering design and construction before there is any recycled water to market. For Some water agencies, these capital costs exceed the short -term expense of purchasing additional imported water supplies from Metropolitan. The establishment of new supplemental funding sources through federal, state and regional programs now provides significant financial incentives for water agencies to develop and make use of recycled water locally. Potential sources of funding include federal, state and local funding opportunities. These funding sources include the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), California Proposition 13 Water Bond, Proposition 84 and Metropolitan LRP. These funding opportunities may be sought by the City or possibly more appropriately by regional agencies. The City will continue to support seeking funding for regional water recycling projects and programs. Optimization Recycled Water Use In Orange County,, recycled water is used for irrigating golf courses, parks, schools, businesses, and communal landscaping, as well as for groundwater recharge. Recycled water users in the City receive their water from OCWD's GAP. Analyses have indicated that present worth costs to expand recycled water within other areas of the City are not cost effective as compared to purchasing imported water from Metropolitan, or using groundwater. The City will continue to conduct feasibility studies for recycled water and seek out creative solutions such as funding, regulatory requirements, institutional arrangement and public acceptance for recycled water use with OCWD, Metropolitan, and other cooperative agencies. 75E -83 arcadis.corn 6 -7