Urban Water Management Plan

In 1983, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 797 also known as the Urban Water Management Planning Act (Act). The Act requires every urban water supplier serving more than 3,000 customers, or providing more than 3,000 acre-feet of water annually, to adopt an Urban Water Management Plan (Plan) every five years. As a qualifying urban water supplier, Menlo Park Municipal Water is responsible for developing the City's Plan within its service area.

The Plan is a long-term planning document to ensure a reliable water supply for future needs by summarizing water sources, projecting future demands, and outlining water conservation. Key provisions in the Plan include:

• An assessment of water source reliability over a 20-year planning period to ensure adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and projected demands.
• An evaluation of water service reliability and drought risks including a dry-year water reliability assessment for up to five consecutive dry years.
• A Water Shortage Contingency Plan consisting of six drought stages (ranging from ten to fifty percent in water shortages).

The City's current Urban Water Management Plan(PDF, 16MB) and Water Shortage Contingency Plan(PDF, 4MB) will expire next year. Consequently, these plans must be updated, adopted (by the City Council), and submitted to the California Department of Water Resources by July 1, 2026. Staff will provide an update on progress during the Nov. 18 City Council meeting as an Informational Item.