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PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CITY OF STOCKTON 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN AND THE WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN (ALL DISTRICTS - CITY WIDE)
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt two resolutions to:
1. Approve the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan with any amendments adopted at the hearing and authorize transmittal to the California Department of Water Resources.
2. Approve the Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
It is also recommended that the City Manager be authorized to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of these resolutions.
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Summary
The Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) Water Utility provides drinking water service to the northern and southern regions of the Stockton Metropolitan Area, while the California Water Service Company and San Joaquin County serve the central region.
The Delta Water Treatment Plant (DWTP), completed in 2012, as part of the Delta Water Supply Project, provides up to 30 million gallons per day of treated surface water from the San Joaquin Delta and Mokelumne River.
Urban water suppliers like MUD are required under the State of California Urban Water Management Planning Act to update and submit Urban Water Management Plans (UWMPs) to the Department of Water Resources every five years. These plans support long-term water resource planning to ensure that adequate supplies are available to meet current and future demands. An UWMP must assess the reliability of the supplier’s water sources over a 20-year planning horizon and is required for eligibility for state water management grants and loans. The plan does not commit the City to additional spending; instead, it documents and tracks water efficiency and conservation measures the City has already implemented.
Water Shortage Contingency Plans (WSCPs) are also required to be updated as part of Urban Water Management Plan development. The City’s WSCP outlines its strategy for preparing for and responding to water shortages, droughts, and emergencies with the goal of preventing major service disruptions. It includes defined water shortage levels, or “stages,” and the corresponding actions that will be taken if a supply shortage occurs.
If approved, the City Council will adopt the 2025 UWMP (Exhibit 1 to the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan Resolution) and the WSCP (Exhibit 1 to the Water Shortage Contingency Plan Resolution). These are the current draft versions that were circulated for public comment, which may be revised to reflect public comment received at the public hearing or in writing up to the time of the public hearing.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Urban Water Management Planning Act requires urban water suppliers that deliver more than 3,000 acre-feet of water a year or serve more than 3,000 connections to submit an Urban Water Management Plan to the California Department of Water Resources every five years. The Act, adopted in 1983 and amended several times since, promotes water conservation and efficient water use.
Urban Water Management Plans guide how cities manage water demand, use water efficiently, and plan for reliable water supplies over a 20‑year period, including normal, dry, and multiple‑dry years. Before adopting a plan, each water supplier must hold a public hearing to give the community an opportunity to comment.
In 2018, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 606 (Hertzberg) and Assembly Bill 1668 (Friedman) to create a new framework for drought planning as the state faces longer and more severe droughts. The 2018 water conservation laws established new requirements for water shortage contingency planning.
On July 15, 2025, by Resolution 2025-07-15-1211, the City Council approved an agreement for Professional Services with Verdantas to develop the 2025 UWMP.
Present Situation
The City prepared its 2025 UWMP in line with the California Water Code and the Urban Water Management Planning Act. The UWMP addresses current regulatory requirements and updates the City’s water supply and reliability information since 2020. Recent changes to the Act also require water suppliers to describe all water supply projects and programs, including groundwater efforts, and the effects of water quality on supply reliability.
As required by the Urban Water Management Planning Act, the 2025 UWMP is organized as follows:
• Introduction and Plan Preparation
• System Description and Service Area
• Customer Water Use and Target Compliance
• System Supplies
• Water System Reliability and Shortage Contingency Planning
• Demand Management Measures
• Plan Adoption, Submittal and Implementation
• Water Shortage Contingency Plan (Appendix I)
Additionally, the 2025 UWMP summarizes the City’s latest water supply planning and conservation efforts from the past five years and provides projections for future needs. It serves as an important long‑range planning document and supports Water Supply Assessments (SB 610), Written Verifications of Water Supply (SB 221), and other key elements of the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for San Joaquin County.
The long-range water supply outlook for a normal year through 2050 for the City is described in the following table.
Normal Year Supply and Demand Comparison (acre-feet/year)
|
Water Supply |
2030 |
2035 |
2040 |
2045 |
2050 |
|
Stockton East Water District |
20,000 |
20,000 |
20,000 |
20,000 |
20,000 |
|
Woodbridge Irrigation District |
8,850 |
9,850 |
10,850 |
11,850 |
13,000 |
|
San Joaquin River |
24,800 |
25,000 |
25,000 |
25,000 |
25,000 |
|
COSMUD Groundwater Wells |
15,400 |
15,400 |
15,400 |
15,400 |
15,400 |
|
Total Supply |
76,250 |
77,450 |
78,450 |
79,450 |
80,600 |
|
Total Demand |
29,768 |
30,233 |
30,704 |
31,183 |
31,670 |
|
Supply Minus Demand |
46,482 |
47,217 |
47,746 |
48,267 |
48,930 |
Source: 2025 UWMP, Table 7-5
The table demonstrates that for normal water supply years through 2050, the water supply available to the City significantly exceeds the demand.
Most of the City’s water supply comes from the Delta Water Treatment Plant (San Joaquin River) for a normal year. The 2025 UWMP analyzes single dry and multiple dry year water supplies and demands for the City.
Fifth Consecutive Dry Year Supply and Demand Comparison (acre-feet/year)
|
Water Supply |
2030 |
2035 |
2040 |
2045 |
2050 |
|
Stockton East Water District |
28,562 |
28,562 |
28,562 |
28,562 |
28,562 |
|
Woodbridge Irrigation District |
9,913 |
9,913 |
9,913 |
9,913 |
9,913 |
|
San Joaquin River |
19,000 |
19,000 |
19,000 |
19,000 |
19,000 |
|
COSMUD Wells |
15,400 |
15,400 |
15,400 |
15,400 |
15,400 |
|
Total Supply |
72,875 |
72,875 |
72,875 |
72,875 |
72,875 |
|
Total Demand |
32,568 |
34,473 |
34,473 |
31,183 |
31,670 |
|
Supply Minus Demand |
40,307 |
38,402 |
38,402 |
41,692 |
41,205 |
Source: 2025 UWMP, Table 7-8
In the event of five consecutive dry years, the City’s available water supplies still exceed projected water demands for the 2030 to 2050 population forecasts.
The City updated its Water Shortage Contingency Plan, Attachment D of the UWMP, to meet the requirements of the 2018 water conservation legislation. The law requires water suppliers to plan for six standard water shortage levels, ranging from up to 10 percent to more than 50 percent reductions from normal water supply conditions. The table below outlines these six levels.
|
Shortage Level (Stages) |
Target Conservation (Water Savings) |
Shortage Response Actions |
|
1 |
Up to 10% |
Voluntary Conservation |
|
2 |
Up to 20% |
Mandatory Conservation |
|
3 |
Up to 30% |
Water Shortage Emergency |
|
4 |
Up to 40% |
Water Shortage Emergency |
|
5 |
Up to 50% |
Water Shortage Emergency |
|
6 |
50%+ |
Water Shortage Emergency |
In accordance with State Water Code §10621(b), the Department has followed the required public outreach requirements:
• Sent a 60-day notice about preparing the 2025 Plan to all applicable agencies on March 13, 2026.
• Sent a 60‑day notice about preparing the WSCP to all applicable agencies on March 13, 2026.
• Made the 2025 Plan and the WSCP available for public review before adoption.
• Published a notice of the public hearing’s time and place in the Stockton Record on May 7, 2026, and May 28, 2026.
Information about the 2025 UWMP was also presented to the Water Advisory Group and Council Water Committee on April 1, 2026, and April 9, 2026, respectively. Staff published a draft copy of the report, including appendices, on its webpage at www.stocktonca.gov/waterquality <http://www.stocktonca.gov/waterquality.> on April 12, 2026.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
This action has no impact on the General Fund or any other unrestricted funds.