RESOLUTION NO. 26-3272
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY AUTHORIZING THE
SUBMITTAL OF AN APPLICATION, ACCEPTANCE OF AN ALLOCATION OF FUNDS
AND EXECUTION OF A GRANT AGREEMENT WITH THE CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, FOR AN AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (AIP) MATCHING GRANT.
WHEREAS, the City of California City and the Federal Aviation Administration are parties to federal Airport Improvements Program (AIP) grant No. 3-06-0341-022-2026 and No. 3-06-0341-023-2026 for the Runway 6-24 Resealing Project at the City of California City Municipal Airport; and
WHEREAS, The California Department of Transportation, pursuant to the Public Utilities Code section 21683.1, provides grants of 5% of Federal Aviation Administration grants to airports; and
WHEREAS, The California Department of Transportation requires the City Council of the City of California City to adopt a resolution authorizing the submission of an application for an AIP Matching grant;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, DETERMINED, AND ORDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY, CALIFORNIA AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: The above recitals are true and correct.
SECTION 2: Authorizes filing an application for a state AIP Matching grant for this project SECTION 3: Authorizes accepting the allocation of state AIP Matching funds for the project
SECTION 4: Authorizes execution of an AIP Matching Grant Agreement for this project BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of California City, Kern County, California, hereby authorizes the City Manager, Public Works Director, or Finance Director to sign and execute any documents necessary to apply for and accept the subject funds on behalf of the City of California City.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED on this 25th day of August 2026 by the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Marquette E. Hawkins
Mayor
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
John Paul Maier, MBA, MMC Victor M. Ponto
City Clerk City Attorney
STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF KERN } SS
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY }
I, John Paul Maier, City Clerk of the City of California City, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of the City of California City on the _________ day of ________________ 2026, by the following vote:
John Paul Maier, MBA, MMC
City Clerk
CC 3
4898-7406-7085 v1
COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
August 25, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Joe Barragan, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 2026-3273: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of California City, Approving Program Supplement Agreement for Federal Projects No. 09-5399F15, for the California City Blvd.
Shoulder Paving From Baron Blvd. to Maverick St. – CML – 5399 (034) Project and Authorizing the City Manager and/or Public Works Director to Sign and Execute the Agreement
BACKGROUND/ DISCUSSION:
Our consultant, BHT Engineering, Inc., coordinated with Kern COG to secure an allocation of $2,741,242 in federal funds for the City of California City. Of this amount, $289,493 was allocated for Preliminary Engineering and $2,451,749 for Construction. These funds will be used to construct new 8-foot-wide paved shoulders on both sides of California City Boulevard, from Baron Boulevard to Maverick Street, covering approximately 3.5 miles in each direction.
Caltrans is responsible for administering the federal funds and overseeing project delivery. The City entered into Master Agreement No. 09-5399F15 for federally funded local transportation projects with Caltrans, effective April 7, 2017.
On September 24, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 24-3057 accepting Program Supplement Agreement No. F025 for the design phase of this project. Caltrans has since submitted a revised Program Supplement Agreement to incorporate the construction phase of the project.
City Council authorization is now required to allow the City Manager and/or Public Works Director to sign and execute Program Supplement Agreement No. F025, Revision 1, to the Administering Agency-State Agreement for Federal-Aid Project No. 09-5399F15. Execution of this agreement is necessary for the City to receive reimbursement for construction-related expenditures.
BHT Engineering, Inc. has completed the design of the roadway improvement project. The construction plans are attached for reference. Upon full execution of the Program Supplement Agreement by both the City and Caltrans, the project will be advertised for bids.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The current estimated project total cost is shown below:
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4898-7406-7085 v1
The Local match will come from the Road Fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
This project meets Categorical Exemption requirements as outlined in Existing Facilities,- CEQA Section 15301 Class 1,c. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has cleared the project under NEPA with a Categorical Exclusion under 23 CFR 771.117(c): activity (c)(26).
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the resolution approving the program supplement agreement.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 26-3273
2. Program Supplement Agreement No. F025 Rev. 1
3. CCB Shoulder Plans
Costs: Preliminary Engineering/Design
Phase: $ 327,000.00
Construction Phase: $2,769,400.00
Total Project Cost: $3,096,400.00
Funding: Federal Funds - (CMAQ 88.53%): $2,741,242.00
Local Funds – (General Fund
11.47%): $ 355,158.00
RESOLUTION NO. 26-3273
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY APPROVING PROGRAM SUPPLEMENT AGREEMENT NO. F025 REV. 1 TO ADMINISTERING AGENCYSTATE AGREEMENT FOR FEDERAL AID PROJECTS NO. 09-5399F15, FOR THE CALIFORNIA CITY BLVD. SHOULDER PAVING FROM BARON BLVD. TO MAVERICK ST. – CML – 5399 (034) PROJECT AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND/OR PUBLIC
WORKS DIRECTOR TO SIGN AND EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, The City of California City entered into a Master Agreement for Federally Funded Projects with the State effective 04/07/17 under agreement No. 09-5399F15; and WHEREAS, Program Supplement Agreement No. F025 Rev. 1 dated 08/07/2026 provides federal funds for the preliminary engineering and construction phase of the California City Blvd.
Shoulder Paving from Baron Blvd. to Maverick St. – CML – 5399 (034) Project; and WHEREAS, the estimated total project cost is $3,096,400.00 and the federally fund match for this project per the agreement is $2,74,242.00 and the local match is $355,158.00; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of California City agrees to the terms and conditions of the proposed supplemental agreement; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the City Council of the City of California City does hereby approve Program Supplement Agreement No. F025 Rev. 1 for Project No. CML - 5399 (034) and authorizes the City Manager and/or Public Works Director to sign and execute the agreement.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED on this _________day of _________________, 2026 by the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Marquette E. Hawkins, Mayor
ATTEST:
John Paul Maier, MBA, MMC
City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF KERN } SS
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY }
I, John Paul Maier, City Clerk of the City of California City, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of the City of California City on the _________ day of ________________ 2026, by the following vote:
John Paul Maier, MBA, MMC
City Clerk
F025 Rev. 1
FOR FEDERAL-AID PROJECTS NO 09-5399F15
0925000013
August 07, 2026
09-KER-0-CALC
CML-5399(034)
5399
This Program Supplement hereby adopts and incorporates the Administering Agency-State Agreement for Federal Aid which was entered into between the Administering Agency and the State on 04/07/2017 and is subject to all the terms and conditions thereof. This Program Supplement is executed in accordance with Article I of the aforementioned Master Agreement under authority of Resolution No. approved by the Administering Agency on (See copy attached).
The Administering Agency further stipulates that as a condition to the payment by the State of any funds derived from sources noted below obligated to this PROJECT, the Administering Agency accepts and will comply with the special covenants or remarks set forth on the following pages.
On California City Blvd from Baron Blvd to Maverick St in the City of California City Shoulder Paving 0.0(MILES)
Estimated Cost Federal Funds Matching Funds
Y400 $2,741,242.00
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY
By ________________________________ By ________________________________ Title _______________________________
Date _______________________________
Attest _______________________________ Date _______________________________ Division of Local Assistance
I hereby certify upon my personal knowledge that budgeted funds are available for this encumbrance:
Accounting Officer _______________________ Date _______________ PROGRAM SUPPLEMENT NO.
to
ADMINISTERING AGENCY-STATE AGREEMENT
Adv. Project ID Date:
Location:
Project Number:
E.A. Number:
Locode:
PROJECT LOCATION:
TYPE OF WORK: LENGTH:
LOCAL OTHER
$3,096,400.00 $355,158.00 $0.00
Chief, Office of Project Implementation
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Department of Transportation
$2,741,242.00
Program Supplement 09-5399F15-F025-R1- ISTEA 1Page of 7 Tam Dang 08/07/26
SPECIAL COVENANTS OR REMARKS
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1. A. The ADMINISTERING AGENCY will advertise, award and administer this project in accordance with the current published Local Assistance Procedures Manual.
B. ADMINISTERING AGENCY agrees that it will only proceed with work authorized for specific phase(s) with an "Authorization to Proceed" and will not proceed with future phase(s) of this project prior to receiving an "Authorization to Proceed" from the STATE for that phase(s) unless no further State or Federal funds are needed for those future phase(s).
C. STATE and ADMINISTERING AGENCY agree that any additional funds which might be made available by future Federal obligations will be encumbered on this PROJECT by use of a STATE-approved "Authorization to Proceed" and Finance Letter. ADMINISTERING AGENCY agrees that Federal funds available for reimbursement will be limited to the amounts obligated by the Federal Highway Administration.
D. Award information shall be submitted by the ADMINISTERING AGENCY to the District Local Assistance Engineer within 60 days of project contract award and prior to the submittal of the ADMINISTERING AGENCY'S first invoice for the construction contract.
Failure to do so will cause a delay in the State processing invoices for the construction phase.
Attention is directed to Section 15.6 "Award Package" of the Local Assistance Procedures Manual.
E. ADMINISTERING AGENCY agrees, as a minimum, to submit invoices at least once every six months commencing after the funds are encumbered for each phase by the execution of this Project Program Supplement Agreement, or by STATE's approval of an applicable Finance Letter. STATE reserves the right to suspend future authorizations/obligations for Federal aid projects, or encumbrances for State funded projects, as well as to suspend invoice payments for any on-going or future project by ADMINISTERING AGENCY if PROJECT costs have not been invoiced by ADMINISTERING AGENCY for a six-month period.
If no costs have been invoiced for a six-month period, ADMINISTERING AGENCY agrees to submit for each phase a written explanation of the absence of PROJECT activity along with target billing date and target billing amount.
ADMINISTERING AGENCY agrees to submit the final report documents that collectively constitute a "Report of Expenditures" within one hundred eighty (180) days of PROJECT completion. Failure of ADMINISTERING AGENCY to submit a "Final Report of Expenditures" within 180 days of PROJECT completion will result in STATE imposing sanctions upon ADMINISTERING AGENCY in accordance with the current Local Assistance Procedures Manual.
F. Administering Agency shall not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, age, disability, color, national origin, or sex in the award and performance of any Federal-assisted contract or in the administration of its DBE Program Implementation Agreement. The Administering Agency shall take all necessary and reasonable steps under 49 CFR Part 26 to ensure Program Supplement 09-5399F15-F025-R1- ISTEA Page 2 of 7
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nondiscrimination in the award and administration of Federal-assisted contracts. The Administering Agency's DBE Implementation Agreement is incorporated by reference in this Agreement. Implementation of the DBE Implementation Agreement, including but not limited to timely reporting of DBE commitments and utilization, is a legal obligation and failure to carry out its terms shall be treated as a violation of this Agreement. Upon notification to the Administering Agency of its failure to carry out its DBE Implementation Agreement, the State may impose sanctions as provided for under 49 CFR Part 26 and may, in appropriate cases, refer the matter for enforcement under 18 U.S.C. 1001 and/or the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act of 1986 (31 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.).
G. Any State and Federal funds that may have been encumbered for this project are available for disbursement for limited periods of time. For each fund encumbrance the limited period is from the start of the fiscal year that the specific fund was appropriated within the State Budget Act to the applicable fund Reversion Date shown on the State approved project finance letter.
Per Government Code Section 16304, all project funds not liquidated within these periods will revert unless an executed Cooperative Work Agreement extending these dates is requested by the ADMINISTERING AGENCY and approved by the California Department of Finance.
ADMINISTERING AGENCY should ensure that invoices are submitted to the District Local Assistance Engineer at least 75 days prior to the applicable fund Reversion Date to avoid the lapse of applicable funds. Pursuant to a directive from the State Controller's Office and the Department of Finance; in order for payment to be made, the last date the District Local Assistance Engineer can forward an invoice for payment to the Department's Local Programs Accounting Office for reimbursable work for funds that are going to revert at the end of a particular fiscal year is May 15th of the particular fiscal year. Notwithstanding the unliquidated sums of project specific State and Federal funding remaining and available to fund project work, any invoice for reimbursement involving applicable funds that is not received by the Department's Local Programs Accounting Office at least 45 days prior to the applicable fixed fund Reversion Date will not be paid. These unexpended funds will be irrevocably reverted by the Department's Division of Accounting on the applicable fund Reversion Date.
H. As a condition for receiving federal-aid highway funds for the PROJECT, the Administering Agency certifies that NO members of the elected board, council, or other key decision makers are on the Federal Government Exclusion List. Exclusions can be found at www.sam.gov.
2. A. ADMINISTERING AGENCY shall conform to all State statutes, regulations and procedures (including those set forth in the Local Assistance Procedures Manual and the Local Assistance Program Guidelines, hereafter collectively referred to as "LOCAL ASSISTANCE PROCEDURES") relating to the federal-aid program, all Title 23 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) and 2 CFR Part 200 federal requirements, and all applicable federal laws, regulations, and policy and procedural or instructional memoranda, unless otherwise specifically waived as designated in the executed project-specific PROGRAM SUPPLEMENT.
B. Invoices shall be formatted in accordance with LOCAL ASSISTANCE PROCEDURES.
C. ADMINISTERING AGENCY must have at least one copy of supporting backup Program Supplement 09-5399F15-F025-R1- ISTEA Page 3 of 7
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documentation for costs incurred and claimed for reimbursement by ADMINISTERING AGENCY. ADMINISTERING AGENCY agrees to submit supporting backup documentation with invoices if requested by State. Acceptable backup documentation includes, but is not limited to, agency's progress payment to the contractors, copies of cancelled checks showing amounts made payable to vendors and contractors, and/or a computerized summary of PROJECT costs.
D. Indirect Cost Allocation Plan/Indirect Cost Rate Proposals (ICAP/ICRP), Central Service Cost Allocation Plans and related documentation are to be prepared and provided to STATE (Caltrans Audits & Investigations) for review and approval prior to ADMINISTERING AGENCY seeking reimbursement of indirect costs incurred within each fiscal year being claimed for State and federal reimbursement. ICAPs/ICRPs must be prepared in accordance with the requirements set forth in 2 CFR, Part 200, Chapter 5 of the Local Assistance Procedural Manual, and the ICAP/ICRP approval procedures established by STATE.
E. STATE will withhold the greater of either two (2) percent of the total of all federal funds encumbered for each PROGRAM SUPPLEMENT or $40,000 until ADMINISTERING AGENCY submits the Final Report of Expenditures for each completed PROGRAM SUPPLEMENT PROJECT.
F. Payments to ADMINISTERING AGENCY for PROJECT-related travel and subsistence (per diem) expenses of ADMINISTERING AGENCY forces and its contractors and subcontractors claimed for reimbursement or as local match credit shall not exceed rates authorized to be paid rank and file STATE employees under current State Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) rules. If the rates invoiced by ADMINISTERING AGENCY are in excess of DPA rates, ADMINISTERING AGENCY is responsible for the cost difference, and any overpayments inadvertently paid by STATE shall be reimbursed to STATE by ADMINISTERING AGENCY on demand within thirty (30) days of such invoice.
G. ADMINISTERING AGENCY agrees to comply with 2 CFR, Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirement for Federal Awards.
H. ADMINISTERING AGENCY agrees, and will assure that its contractors and subcontractors will be obligated to agree, that Contract Cost Principles and Procedures, 48 CFR, Federal Acquisition Regulations System, Chapter 1, Part 31, et seq., shall be used to determine the allowability of individual PROJECT cost items.
I. Every sub-recipient receiving PROJECT funds under this AGREEMENT shall comply with 2 CFR, Part 200, 23 CFR, 48 CFR Chapter 1, Part 31, Local Assistance Procedures, Public Contract Code (PCC) 10300-10334 (procurement of goods), PCC 10335-10381 (non-A&E services), and other applicable STATE and FEDERAL regulations.
J. Any PROJECT costs for which ADMINISTERING AGENCY has received payment or credit that are determined by subsequent audit to be unallowable under 2 CFR, Part 200, 23 CFR, 48 CFR, Chapter 1, Part 31, and other applicable STATE and FEDERAL regulations, are subject to repayment by ADMINISTERING AGENCY to STATE.
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K. STATE reserves the right to conduct technical and financial audits of PROJECT WORK and records and ADMINISTERING AGENCY agrees, and shall require its contractors and subcontractors to agree, to cooperate with STATE by making all appropriate and relevant PROJECT records available for audit and copying as required by the following paragraph:
ADMINISTERING AGENCY, ADMINISTERING AGENCY'S contractors and subcontractors, and STATE shall each maintain and make available for inspection and audit by STATE, the California State Auditor, or any duly authorized representative of STATE or the United States all books, documents, papers, accounting records, and other evidence pertaining to the performance of such contracts, including, but not limited to, the costs of administering those various contracts and ADMINISTERING AGENCY shall furnish copies thereof if requested.
All of the above referenced parties shall make such AGREEMENT, PROGRAM SUPPLEMENT, and contract materials available at their respective offices at all reasonable times during the entire PROJECT period and for three (3) years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report by the STATE to the FHWA.
L. ADMINISTERING AGENCY, its contractors and subcontractors shall establish and maintain a financial management system and records that properly accumulate and segregate reasonable, allowable, and allocable incurred PROJECT costs and matching funds by line item for the PROJECT. The financial management system of ADMINISTERING AGENCY, its contractors and all subcontractors shall conform to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, enable the determination of incurred costs at interim points of completion, and provide support for reimbursement payment vouchers or invoices set to or paid by STATE.
M. ADMINISTERING AGENCY is required to have an audit in accordance with the Single Audit Act of 2 CFR 200 if it expends $750,000 or more in Federal Funds in a single fiscal year of the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance.
N. ADMINISTERING AGENCY agrees to include all PROGRAM SUPPLEMENTS adopting the terms of this AGREEMENT in the schedule of projects to be examined in ADMINISTERING AGENCY's annual audit and in the schedule of projects to be examined under its single audit prepared in accordance with 2 CFR, Part 200.
O. ADMINISTERING AGENCY shall not award a non-A&E contract over $5,000, construction contracts over $10,000, or other contracts over $25,000 [excluding professional service contracts of the type which are required to be procured in accordance with Government Code sections 4525 (d), (e) and (f)] on the basis of a noncompetitive negotiation for work to be performed under this AGREEMENT without the prior written approval of STATE. Contracts awarded by ADMINISTERING AGENCY, if intended as local match credit, must meet the requirements set forth in this AGREEMENT regarding local match funds.
P. Any subcontract entered into by ADMINISTERING AGENCY as a result of this AGREEMENT shall contain provisions B, C, F, H, I, K, and L under Section 2 of this agreement.
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3. In the event that construction of this project of the initial federal authorization for right of way is not started by the close of the twentieth fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the right of way is authorized, the ADMINISTERING AGENCY shall repay the Federal Highway Administration through Caltrans the sum of Federal funds paid under the terms of this agreement.
Authorizing the ROW phase of a project as Advance Construction does not exempt the project from the provisions of 23 U.S.C. 108(a)(2), and 23 CFR 630.112(c)(1).
4. Appendix E of the Title VI Assurances (US DOT Order 1050.2A) During the performance of this agreement, the ADMINISTERING AGENCY, ADMINISTERING AGENCY'S contractors and subcontractor, (hereinafter referred to as the "contractor") agrees to comply with the following nondiscrimination statutes and authorities; including but not limited to:
Pertinent Nondiscrimination Authorities:
A. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq., 78 stat. 252), (prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin); and 49 CFR Part 21.
B. The Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, (42 U.S.C. 4601), (prohibits unfair treatment of persons displaced or whose property has been acquired because of Federal or Federal-aid programs and projects); C. Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973, (23 U.S.C. 324 et seq.), (prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex);
D. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (29 U.S.C. 794 et seq.), as amended, (prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability); and 49 CFR Part 27; E. The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), (prohibits discrimination on the basis of age);
F. Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982, (49 U.S.C. 4 71, Section 4 7123), as amended, (prohibits discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, or sex); G. The Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, (PL 100-209), (Broadened the scope, coverage and applicability of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, by expanding the definition of the terms "programs or
activities" to include all of the programs or activities of the Federal-aid recipients, subrecipients and contractors, whether such programs or activities are Federally funded or not);
H. Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in the operation of public entities, public and private transportation systems, places of public accommodation, and certain testing entities (42 U.S.C. 12131-12189) as implemented by Department of Transportation regulations at 49 C.F.R. parts 37 and 38; I. The Federal Aviation Administration's Nondiscrimination statute (49 U.S.C. 47123) (prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, and sex); J. Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency, and resulting agency guidance, national origin discrimination includes discrimination because of limited English proficiency (LEP). To ensure compliance with Title Program Supplement 09-5399F15-F025-R1- ISTEA Page 6 of 7
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VI, you must take reasonable steps to ensure that LEP persons have meaningful access to your programs (70 Fed. Reg. at 74087 to 74100);
K. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, which prohibits you from discriminating because of sex in education programs or activities (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq).
Program Supplement 09-5399F15-F025-R1- ISTEA Page 7 of 7 20 14 13 23 24 26 25 18 17 16 19 21 30 29 28 35 36 31 32 33 35 31 32 33 34 VICINITY MAP NTS GENERAL NOTES LOCATION MAP NTS STATE OF CALIFORNIA CAL CITY Know what's below Call 811 before you dig CALIFORNIA CITY BLVD.
GANT RD. CONTACT INFORMATION
MAVERICK ST.
BARON BLVD. PROJECT SITE CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT PLANS FOR CALIFORNIA CITY BLVD. SHOULDER CONSTRUCTION FROM BARON BLVD. TO MAVERICK ST. CML - 5399 (034) BHT01 SHEET INDEX CAL CITY BLVD. BHT02
BHT03 CAL CITY BLVD.
BHT04 CAL CITY BLVD.
01 TYPICAL STREET SECTION: CALIFORNIA CITY BLVD. STA: 0+00 TO 4+65 NTS 02 TYPICAL STREET SECTION: CALIFORNIA CITY BLVD. STA: 4+65 TO 70+57 AND STA: 74+88 TO 187+55 NTS 03 TYPICAL STREET SECTION: CALIFORNIA CITY BLVD. STA: 70+57 TO 74+88 NTS BHT05 BHT06 VICINITY MAP NTS STAGING AREAS STAGING AREA AT BARBER ST. STAGING AREA AT GANTT RD.
BARBER ST.
GANTT RD.
CC 4
COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
August 25, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Victor Ponto, City Attorney
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 2026-3276: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of California City, Adopting the New Position of Assistant to the City Manager and Job Description
BACKGROUND:
City staff has identified a need to have additional support in the City Manager’s Office for high level responsibilities. Currently, there is only one staff position assigned to provide management assistance to the City Manager, the position of Deputy City Manager. The proposed addition of this new position will help alleviate the workload in the City Manager’s Office as necessary and will provide necessary support to other City management staff and improve the City’s operational efficiency and strategic planning development.
The new position will be a part-time hourly management position designated as confidential, and therefore will not be represented by any employee organization. The attached job description has been prepared to ensure all mandated requirements under the law are incorporated into the job description. This position’s hourly range is aligned with City management staff and will be updated in a separate agenda item.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the resolution establishing the position and job description for the position of Assistant to the City Manager.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 26-3276
2. Job description
RESOLUTION NO. 26-3276
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CALIFORNIA CITY, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING THE NEW
POSITION OF ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND
JOB DESCRIPTION
WHEREAS, the City must, from time to time, evaluate the City’s classifications and add positions or amend existing ones to address the changing needs and demands of the City’s workforce, and;
WHEREAS, based on an evaluation the City Council has determined that the addition of the ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER position will provide necessary support to City administrative staff, including but not limited to the City Manager, and improve the City’s operational efficiency and strategic planning development, and; WHEREAS, the City is required by law to adopt a job description for Assistant to the City Manager; and
WHEREAS, the Assistant to the City Manager will be tasked with providing high level assistance to the City Manager and other City Department management staff, and therefore is properly designated as a management and confidential position.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY DOES HEREBY FIND, DETERMINE, AND RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council hereby approves and adopts the Assistant to the City Manager position and the attached Exhibit A as the new position’s job description.
SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution which shall be effective immediately upon adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 25th day of August 2026.
Marquette Hawkins, Mayor
ATTEST:
John Paul Maier, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Victor Ponto, City Attorney
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF KERN
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY
I, John Paul Maier, City Clerk of the City of California City, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 26-3276 was duly passed and adopted at a meeting of the City Council of the City of California City held on the 25th day of August.
Upon motion of Council Member ____________, seconded by Council Member ____________, the foregoing Resolution No. 26-3276 was duly passed and adopted.
Votes on the motion:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and the Official Seal of the City of California City this 25th day of August.
John Paul Maier, City Clerk
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY
JOB DESCRIPTION
ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
Position Control No.
EMPLOYMENT
CLASSIFICATION: Management, Confidential (Part-Time)
DEPARTMENT: City Manager
REPORTS TO: City Manager
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE OF JOB: Under direction of the City Manager, on a part-time basis, provides leadership and high-level administrative support to the City Manager by planning and recommending organizational policies and performance strategies; provides a variety of specialized complex administrative and management analysis to support decision-making and strategic direction; participates in the oversight of City departments as assigned; performs related duties as required.
DISTINGUISHING CLASS CHARACTERISTICS: Assistant to the City Manager serves as a high-level professional staff assistant to the City Manager. The incumbent performs highly responsible research, analyses and studies on a wide range of management, administrative, financial, policy, legislative and other organization issues as assigned by the City Manager in support of the planning and execution of City goals and objectives within broad general policy guidelines and Mayor and City Council mandates. Assignments are broad in scope and allow for a high degree of administrative discretion in their execution.
AT WILL AND PART TIME EMPLOYMENT: The Assistant to the City Manager is a part time at-will position, serving at the pleasure of the City Manager. Terms and conditions of employment are not governed by the City’s Personnel Manual. The City Manager shall appoint the Assistant to the City Manager with the advice and consent of the Council.
LEVEL OF SUPERVISION REQUIRED: Reports to City Manager.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Management staff and assigned departments.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed as assigned. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this class.
1. Participates in establishing operational plans and initiatives to meet goals and objectives of the City Manager's Office; implements work programs, processes, procedures and policies required to achieve overall performance results;
2. Plans, coordinates, organizes and conducts complex and highly responsible administrative, management and legislative analysis studies relating to assigned issues and/or programs; identifies problems, determines analytical techniques and statistical and informationgathering processes and obtains necessary information and data for analysis; analyzes alternatives and makes recommendations; prepares revenue and cost analyses; develops and presents reports of study conclusions and recommendations; develops implementation plans and assists in implementing policies and procedures; drafts reports, policy papers, recommended legislative documents and presentation materials for the City Manager and Assistant City Manager.
3. As assigned by City Manager, represents the City and works closely with appointed boards and committees and public and private officials to implement planned programs and recommendations and provide technical assistance in resolving problems.
4. Represents and supports the City Manager with City Council, employee and citizen group discussions, and meetings; monitors the pending items list, and keeps the City Manager informed about projects and issues of importance to Council; provides the City Manager with accurate and timely information to support decision-making and policy direction.
5. Attends City Council meetings and work sessions as assigned by City Manager; researches, responds to and prepares correspondence; performs necessary follow up and communicates with City management on sensitive and confidential issues.
6. Represents the City and City Manager in meetings with civic, community and industry groups and with representatives of other governmental agencies as assigned.
7. Supervises, trains, and evaluates professional, para-professional, technical, and clerical personnel; makes effective recommendations regarding promotion, transfer, and disciplinary action of assigned personnel.
8. Responds to complaints and requests for information.
9. Assumes responsibility for ensuring the duties of the position are performed in a safe, efficient manner.
10. Performs other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Possession of:
A valid California driver's license and the ability to maintain insurability under the City's vehicle insurance policy. Ability to attend special City events including weekends, evenings and holidays, as required and assigned. Ability to attend night meetings and work extended hours, as needed and/or required.
Knowledge of:
• Public administration principles and methods, program and budget development, organizational design and development, and employee supervision • Principles and practices of general fund and government accounting • Principles and practices of business, management and supervision • Applicable city, state, and federal laws and regulations • Organizational planning techniques, including staffing and goals and objectives and work standards development
• Administrative principles and practices, including goal setting, program and budget development and implementation and employee supervision • Principles and practices of risk management
Ability to:
• Plan, organize, administer, and manage the City’s activities under the policy guidance and direction of the City Manager
• Manage and provide organizational leadership
• Direct the execution of City programs and projects
• Analyze complex technical administrative problems, evaluate alternative solutions and adopt effective courses of action
• Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence and other written materials • Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with the public, boards and commissions, and City staff, exercise sound, independent judgment within general guidelines from the City Council
• Plan, organize assign, direct, review, and evaluate the work of staff • Evaluate data and programs and provide recommendations for improvements • Interpret, explain, and apply city, state and federal laws • Exercise sound, independent judgment within general policy guidelines • Represent the City effectively in contacts with governmental and regulator agencies, outside consultants and counsel, and business and professional groups • Interact with the public and other departments effectively • Work under pressure and/or frequent interruptions; work with angry or difficult persons • Communicate clearly and concisely orally and in writing Education:
Graduation from a four-year college or university with major coursework in public or business administration, finance or a closely related field.
Experience:
Four years of management or supervisory experience, preferably in a public agency or governmental setting.
ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Strength: Exert force to 10 lbs. occasionally, or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or move objects.
Ability to: Reach, turn, move from one location to another.
Speak clearly and correctly, sit, hear, handle.
Stand, walk, kneel, crouch, stoop.
Demonstrate visual acuity (near-under 20 inches, far-over 20 feet), and to focus.
Perform one or more of the following functions simultaneously: reach, turn, move from one location to another, handle, read, write, speak, sit, hear.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS TO WHICH EXPOSED:
Low to moderate noise intensity level.
ADA/EEOC Job Description
Approved by the City Council: August 25, 2026
CB 1
4898-7406-7085 v1
COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
August 25, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Joe Barragan, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 2026-3274: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of California City Accepting an FAA Grant for the Municipal Airport Runway 6-24 Resealing Project; Authorizing the City Manager and Public Works Director to Execute the Grant Agreement on Behalf of the City; Certifying the Availability of the City’s Required Matching Funds; Approving a Construction Agreement with Nagle Earthworks, Inc. in the Amount of $282,614.99; and Authorizing BHT Engineering, Inc. to Provide Construction Management and Grant Closeout Services for the Project
BACKGROUND/ DISCUSSION:
The City of California City participates in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and is seeking to reseal Runway 6-24 to enhance runway safety and extend the useful life of the asphalt pavement. On February 6, 2026, the City Council authorized the City Engineer to apply for federal funding for this project. The FAA subsequently approved BHT Engineering’s Fiscal Year 2026-2027 grant application for both design and construction services. The project will be funded through AIP Grant Nos. 3-06-0341-022-2026 and 3-06-0341- 023-2026.
Under the Public Utilities Code and California Aid to Airports Program (CAAP) regulations, the California Department of Transportation requires local government approval authorizing the grant application and certifying that up to 5% in matching funds for FAA airport grants will be available from non-state and non-federal sources.
On August 5, 2026, at 2:00 PM. sealed bids were opened for this project. A total of four (4) bids were received and opened by the City Clerk.
The following is the tabulation of the bid:
Company Bid Amount
Nagle Earthworks, Inc $282,614.99
Riverside Slurry Seal, Inc $385,268.00
C.R. Contracting, Inc $531,413.80
CB 1
4898-7406-7085 v1
ANM Construction, Inc $689,638.00
BHT Engineering Inc. has reviewed and qualified the lowest responsible bidder, Nagle Earthworks, Inc. The city is allowing 20 working days for the contractor to complete the project.
The estimated construction start date is September 10, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The costs and sources of funding for all phases of project implementation are as follows:
Costs:
Nagle Earthworks Inc. Bid Construction Total: $ 282,614.99 Contingency 10%: $ 28,261.50
Engineering Cost: $ 83,000.00
Total Estimated Project Cost: $ 393,876.49
Funds
FAA Grant No. 3-06-0341-022-2026 and -023-2026 $ 445,000.00 Caltrans Division of Aeronautics (not to exceed) $ 22,250.00 Total Federal and State Funds available $ 467,250.00
Local Match $ 0
TOTAL FUNDS: $ 467,250.00
GL# 93-7020-737 will be used for this project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
CEQA/NEPA clearance for the project was completed by the FAA prior to the release for bids.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the resolution to implement the airport runway resealing project and grant funding.
ATTACHMENTS:
1 - Resolution No. 26-3274
2 - FAA approved e-Signature Grant Sponsor request form 3- Bids Summary
RESOLUTION NO. 26-3274
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA CITY ACCEPTING AN FAA GRANT FOR THE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT RUNWAY 6-24 RESEALING PROJECT;
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE THE GRANT AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY; CERTIFYING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE CITY'S REQUIRED MATCHING FUNDS; APPROVING A CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT WITH NAGLE EARTHWORKS, INC. IN THE AMOUNT OF $282,614.99; AND AUTHORIZING BHT ENGINEERING, INC. TO
PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND GRANT CLOSEOUT SERVICES FOR THE PROJECT.
WHEREAS, the City of California City and the Federal Aviation Administration are parties to federal Airport Improvements Program (AIP) grant No. 3-06-0341-022-2026 and No. 3-06-0341-022-2026 for the Runway 6-24 Resealing Project at the Municipal Airport; and
WHEREAS, the California Department of Transportation, pursuant the Public Utilities Code section 21683.1 and California Aid to Airports Program (CAAP) regulations, provides grants of 5 per cent of Federal Aviation Administration grants to airports; and
WHEREAS, the California Department of Transportation requires local government approval authorizing the grant application and certifying the availability of up to 5 per cent matching funds of Federal Aviation Administration grants to airports, a sum from other than state or federal sources; and
WHEREAS, On February 6, 2026, the City Council authorized the City Engineer to apply for federal funding for this project. The FAA subsequently approved BHT Engineering’s Fiscal Year 2026-2027 grant application for both design and construction services. The project will be funded through AIP Grant Nos. 3-06-0341-022-2026 and 3- 06-0341-023-2026.; and
WHEREAS, On August 5, 2026, at 2:00 PM. sealed bids were opened for this project. A total of four (4) bids were received and opened by the City Clerk. BHT Engineering Inc. has reviewed and qualified the lowest responsible bidder, Nagle Earthworks, Inc.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, DETERMINED, AND ORDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY, CALIFORNIA AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: The above recitals are true and correct.
SECTION 2: Authorize acceptance of FAA Grant Nos. 3-06-0341-022-2026 and 3-06- 0341-023-2026 for the Runway 6-24 Resealing Project.
SECTION 3: Authorize acceptance of the State Airport Improvement Program (AIP) matching funds allocated for the project.
SECTION 4: Authorize the City Manager and Public Works Director to execute the grant agreements and all related documents on behalf of the City.
SECTION 5: Certify the availability of the City's required 5 percent local matching funds for the project.
SECTION 6: Award the construction contract for the Runway 6-24 Resealing Project to Nagle Earthworks, Inc. in the amount of $282,614.99 and authorize the City Manager to execute the construction agreement.
SECTION 7: Authorize BHT Engineering, Inc. to provide construction management services and complete all grant closeout activities associated with the project.
SECTION 8: Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute any additional documents necessary to implement and complete the project.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of California City, Kern County, California, does hereby authorize the City Manager or Finance Director to sign any documents required to apply for and accept these subject funds on behalf of the City of California City.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED on this 25th day of August 2026 by the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Marquette E. Hawkins
Mayor
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
John Paul Maier, MBA, MMC Victor M. Ponto
City Clerk City Attorney
STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF KERN } SS
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY }
I, John Paul Maier, City Clerk of the City of California City, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of the City of California City on the _________ day of ________________ 2026, by the following vote:
John Paul Maier, MBA, MMC
City Clerk
e-Signature Grant Sponsor Request Form
FAA Airports Division (ARP) is offering e-signature for all FY 2020 grants via Adobe e-Signature. This will expedite the process so that airport Sponsors receive grants as quickly as possible. If you would like to receive your FY 2020 grant via email for e-signature, please complete this form.
Sponsors do not need any special software to sign grants electronically.
Documents are emailed in the order specified below, and only one signature is required for each step (known as a signature block) in the process. The request for signature is sent by email, sequentially after the signature from the previous block is complete.
For each signature block, a Sponsor may submit more than one individual to have an equal right to sign, however only one signature is applied. For example, two Sponsor names can be entered under the Sponsor signature block, a primary and back-up, however only one will be able to sign.
If an airport has co-sponsors, the airport co-sponsors will need to fill out the Sponsor, Attorney, CoSponsor and Co-Sponsor Attorney signature blocks.
If an airport has more than two sponsors, the sponsors need to indicate this in the space provided at the end of the form.
When the e-signature process is complete, everyone, including the individuals listed below that did not sign, will receive an email copy of the signed document.
Airport Name City State
_________________________ _______________________ _______________________ Sponsor Signature Block:
Full Name Title Email Address Phone Number
___________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ___________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Attorney Signature Block:
Full Name Title Email Address Phone Number
____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Co-Sponsor Signature Block:
Full Name Title Email Address Phone Number
___________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ___________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Co-Sponsor Attorney Signature Block:
Full Name Title Email Address Phone Number
___________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ___________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ CC Recipient – (Read-only access to grant – will receive email and copy of grant when grant submitted and completed)
Full Name Title Email Address Phone Number
____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Please note, if you need multiple Sponsor signatures, or other exceptions, please explain below:
____________________________________________________________________________________ BHT Engineering, Inc
AIP No. 3-06-0341-022-2026 & AIG 3-06-0341-023-2026
#1 #2 #3 #4
DIR#1000008414 DIR#1001137927 DIR# DIR#1000002432
Bid Opening: August 5, 2026 @ 2:00 PM Lic: 861047 Lic: 1115560 Lic: Lic: 663054 Engineer's Estimate
ITEM UNIT OF EST. PRICE TOTAL PRICE TOTAL PRICE TOTAL PRICE TOTAL PRICE TOTAL % % %% NO. ITEM CODE MEASURE QNTY PER UNIT PRICE PER UNIT PRICE PER UNIT PRICE PER UNIT PRICE PER UNIT PRICE BID #1 BID #2 BID#3 BID #4 1 Crack preparation cleaning, remove vegetation, debris, and old sealant. LS 1 $ 26,000.00 26,000.00 $ $ 14,575.02 $ 14,575.02 $ 30,000.00 30,000.00 $ 39,400.00 $ 39,400.00 $ 142,000.00 $ 142,000.00 $ -43.94% 15.38% 51.54% 446.15% 2 Filling and Sealing of Small Longitudinal Cracking 1/8"-3/8" Wide. LF 24100 $ 36,150.00 1.50 $ $ 1.19 $ 28,679.00 $ 33,740.00 1.40 $ 1.75 $ 42,175.00 $ 8.50 $ 204,850.00 $ -20.67% -6.67% 16.67% 466.67% 3 Filling and Sealing of Traverse Cracking 3/8"- 1" Wide LF 4232 $ 19,044.00 4.50 $ $ 6.17 $ 26,111.44 $ 16,928.00 4.00 $ 5.90 $ 24,968.80 $ 18.00 $ 76,176.00 $ 37.11% -11.11% 31.11% 300.00% 4 Partial depth crack repair 1" to 3" Wide, install sealant as required. including sawcutting, asphalt, sealing and compaction LF 5680 $ 113,600.00 20.00 $ $ 24.08 $ 136,774.40 $ 127,800.00 22.50 $ 14.70 $ 83,496.00 $ 22.00 $ 124,960.00 $ 20.40% 12.50% -26.50% 10.00% 5 Full depth crack repair greater than 3" Wide, including sawcutting, asphalt, sealing and compaction LF 1438 $ 66,148.00 46.00 $ $ 21.02 $ 30,226.76 $ 143,800.00 100.00 $ 198.00 $ 284,724.00 $ 54.00 $ 77,652.00 $ -54.30% 117.39% 330.43% 17.39% 6 Repaint Existing Striping and Markings Only Within Crack Repair Areas. LS 1 $ 14,000.00 14,000.00 $ $ 12,043.38 $ 12,043.38 $ 11,000.00 11,000.00 $ 14,950.00 $ 14,950.00 $ 15,000.00 $ 15,000.00 $ -13.98% -21.43% 6.79% 7.14% 7 Runway sweeping and finishing LS 1 $ 12,000.00 12,000.00 $ $ 8,947.89 $ 8,947.89 $ 15,000.00 15,000.00 $ 34,800.00 $ 34,800.00 $ 13,000.00 $ 13,000.00 $ -25.43% 25.00% 190.00% 8.33% 8 Provide and install closed Runway markers EA 2 $ 8,000.00 4,000.00 $ $ 2,411.80 $ 4,823.60 $ 3,000.00 1,500.00 $ 1,200.00 $ 2,400.00 $ 4,500.00 $ 9,000.00 $ -39.71% -62.50% -70.00% 12.50%9 Desert Tortoise Pre-Construction Survey EA 1 $ 8,000.00 8,000.00 $ $ 20,433.50 $ 20,433.50 $ 4,000.00 4,000.00 $ 4,500.00 $ 4,500.00 $ 27,000.00 $ 27,000.00 $ 155.42% -50.00% -43.75% 237.50% Engineer's Estimate Total… 302,942.00 $
BASE BID
TOTAL $ 282,614.99
BASE BID
TOTAL $ 385,268.00
BASE BID
TOTAL $ 531,413.80
BASE BID
TOTAL $ 689,638.00 -6.71% 27.18% 75.42% 127.65%
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
RUNWAY 6-24 RESEALING PROJECT
BIDS SUMMARY
Nagle Earthworks Riverside Slurry Seal C.R. CONTRACTING ANM CONSTRUCTION Above or below EE T:\4-CALIFORNIA CITY\DOC\2026 Projects\26403 FAA RUNWAY RESEALING\BIDDING PHASE\Cal City Runway Resealing BIDS SUMMARY 1 of 1 ITEM NO. CB 2
COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
August 25, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Joe Barragan, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Urban Water Management Plan 2025 Public Hearing BACKGROUND:
The Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) is a requirement of the Urban Water Management Planning Act (UWMPA), (Division 6, Part 2.6 of the California Water Code (CWC) §10610-10656). The UWMPs must be prepared every 5 years and submitted to the Department of Water Resources (DWR). UWMPs are required of the state’s urban water suppliers in an effort to assist their resource planning and to ensure adequate water supplies are available for future use. Therefore, staff is bringing this UWMP to the council for approval and submittal to the DWR.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the City Council adopt a Resolution No. 2026- 3275: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of California, California, Adopting the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Urban Water Management Plan 2025
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION:
N/A
4936-0890-7817 v1 Page 1 of 3
RESOLUTION NO. 26-3275
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CALIFORNIA CITY ADOPTING THE 2025 URBAN WATER
MANAGEMENT PLAN
The City Council of the City of California City (hereafter referred to as the “City”) does resolve as follows:
WHEREAS, the City is the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 797 (Water Code Section 10610 et seq.), known as the Urban Water Management Planning Act, during the 1983-1984 Regular Session, and as amended subsequently, which mandates that every supplier providing water for municipal purposes to more than 3,000 customers or supplying more than 3,000 acre-feet of water annually, prepare an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), the primary objective of which is to plan for the conservation and efficient use of water; and; and
WHEREAS, the City is an urban supplier of water providing water; and WHEREAS, the UWMP shall be periodically reviewed at least once every five years, and the City shall make any amendments or changes to its plan which are indicated by the review; and
WHEREAS, the UWMP update is required to be adopted and submitted to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) no later than July 1, 2026; and WHEREAS, the UWMP was prepared in accordance with DWR's 2025 UWMP Guidebook and includes updated population and water demand projections through 2050, water supply reliability assessments, demand management measures, and an updated Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP). The key updates incorporated into the 2025 UWMP include: SBx7-7 conservation target reporting requirements; enhanced water loss audit and compliance reporting; additional demand management measures for suppliers exceeding their Urban Water Use Objective (UWUO); updated indoor residential water use standards; potable irrigation phase-out requirements for nonfunctional turf; new and revised water conservation and water use definitions; optional DWR planning and reporting tools to improve reliability and drought risk assessments; and
WHEREAS, the UWMP must be adopted after public review and hearing, and filed with the California Department of Water Resources within thirty days of adoption; and
4936-0890-7817 v1 Page 2 of 3
WHEREAS, the City has therefore prepared and circulated for public review a draft UWMP, and a properly noticed public hearing regarding said UWMP was held by the City Council on August 25, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the City Council shall have filed said UWMP with the California Department of Water Resources within 30 days of adoption.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, DETERMINED, AND ORDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: The City is in conformance with all applicable requirements of the Urban Water Management Planning Act.
SECTION 2: The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Resolution and the minutes of this meeting shall so reflect the presentation of the letter.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of California City, this ___ day of _________________ 2026. __________________________
Marquette Hawkins
Mayor
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED on this 25th day of August 2026 by the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Marquette E. Hawkins
Mayor
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
John Paul Maier, MBA, MMC Victor M. Ponto
City Clerk City Attorney
4936-0890-7817 v1 Page 3 of 3
STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF KERN } SS
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY }
I, John Paul Maier, City Clerk of the City of California City, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of the City of California City on the _________ day of ________________ 2026, by the following vote:
John Paul Maier, MBA, MMC
City Clerk
2025
URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
City of California City
2025
URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
City of California City
21000 Hacienda Blvd, California City, CA 93505
(760) 373-8661, Fax: (760) 373-7511
PWS No. CA1510032 & CA1500324
August 2026
Prepared by:
West & Associates Engineering, Inc.
78 Anacapa Ct. Foothill Ranch, CA
(949) 716-7670
[email protected]
2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY
1 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction.....................................................13
1.1. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 13
1.2. COORDINATION ............................................................................................................ 16
1.3. DWR UPDATES FOR THE 2025 UWMPS ........................................................................ 18
1.4. UPDATES TO THE CITY’S UWMP ................................................................................... 19
1.5. FORMAT OF THE 2025 UWMP...................................................................................... 20
1.6. LAY DESCRIPTION.......................................................................................................... 22 Section 2: Service Area Description..................................23
2.1. CITY AND WATER SYSTEM HISTORY.............................................................................. 23
2.1.1. Early Stages.......................................................................................................................24
2.1.2. July 2025 Fire ....................................................................................................................24
2.2. CURRENT WATER SERVICE AREA .................................................................................. 24
2.3. LAND USE & ECONOMY ................................................................................................ 25
2.3.1. City Land Use ....................................................................................................................25
2.4. CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................ 27
2.4.1. Climate Change.................................................................................................................28
2.5. POPULATION................................................................................................................. 29
2.5.1. Service Area Population....................................................................................................29
2.5.2. Prison Population..............................................................................................................30
2.5.3. City Population Forecasts .................................................................................................30
2.5.4. Adjusted Population Forecasts.........................................................................................31
2.6. WATER SYSTEM............................................................................................................. 31
2.6.1. Water System Background ...............................................................................................31
2.6.2. City Water System Overview ............................................................................................32
2.6.3. Groundwater and Imported Water ..................................................................................32 Section 3: Water Sources and Supplies ............................41
3.1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 41
3.2. IMPORTED WATER SOURCES........................................................................................ 41
3.2.1. Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency (AVEK) Supply .................................................42 2 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY
2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
3.2.2. AVEK Water Banks and Recharge Projects .......................................................................43
3.2.3. BAY-DELTA ........................................................................................................................43
3.2.4. Bay Delta Conveyance Project..........................................................................................44
3.2.5. State Water Project (Aqueduct) .......................................................................................44
3.3. IMPORTED WATER PURCHASES.................................................................................... 48
3.4. GROUNDWATER SOURCES............................................................................................ 49
3.4.1. Fremont Valley Groundwater Sub-Basin ..........................................................................49
3.4.2. Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.................................................................50
3.5. BASIN LEVELS AND STORAGE........................................................................................ 53
3.6. BASIN LEVELS AND STORAGE........................................................................................ 53
3.7. GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT.................................................................................. 53
3.8. OTHER CONDITIONS...................................................................................................... 54
3.9. GROUNDWATER PRODUCTION .................................................................................... 54
3.10. PROJECTED WATER SUPPLIES ................................................................................... 56
3.10.1. Planned/Projected Supply Projects ..................................................................................56
3.11. SURFACE WATER....................................................................................................... 57
3.12. TRANSFERS OR EXCHANGES ..................................................................................... 57
3.13. RELIABILITY OF SUPPLIES .......................................................................................... 57 Section 4: Recycled Water Opportunities.........................59
4.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 59
4.2. WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM............................................................................ 59
4.2.1. Wastewater Treatment ....................................................................................................61
4.2.2. Wastewater Flows ............................................................................................................63
4.3. CURRENT AND FUTURE RECYCLED WATER................................................................... 63
4.3.1. Projected Recycled Water Use .........................................................................................64 Section 5: Water Quality ..................................................67
5.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 67
5.2. WATER QUALITY STANDARDS....................................................................................... 67
5.2.1. Federal Regulations ..........................................................................................................67
5.2.2. State Regulations..............................................................................................................68
5.2.3. State Drinking Water Standards .......................................................................................68 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY
3 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
5.2.4. Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6) .............................................................................................69
5.2.5. City Standards...................................................................................................................69
5.3. QUALITY OF WATER SOURCES ...................................................................................... 70
5.3.1. Imported Water Quality....................................................................................................70
5.3.3. Groundwater Quality ........................................................................................................71
5.4. IMPACTS OF WATER QUALITY ...................................................................................... 71
5.4.1. Impacts of Abandoned Wells............................................................................................71
5.4.2. Groundwater Contamination Response ...........................................................................73
5.4.3. Sanitary Surveys by DDW..................................................................................................73
5.4.4. Impacts on Management & Reliability .............................................................................74 Section 6: Water Use........................................................75
6.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 75
6.2. COVID PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON THE WATER SYSTEM.................................................. 75
6.3. CURRENT CITY WATER NEEDS....................................................................................... 76
6.4. CLIMATE IMPACTS ON WATER USE .............................................................................. 76
6.4.1. California Water Plan Update 2023 ..................................................................................78
6.5. WATER USE ................................................................................................................... 78
6.5.1. Past Water Use .................................................................................................................78
6.5.2. Recent Water Use .............................................................................................................79
6.6. WATER USE BY SECTOR................................................................................................. 79
6.6.1. Service Connections/Accounts .........................................................................................79
6.6.2. Distribution System Losses...............................................................................................83
6.6.3. 2028 Water Loss Standard................................................................................................83
6.7. URBAN WATER USE OBJECTIVE .................................................................................... 84
6.7.1. Key Highlights from the Report ........................................................................................84
6.7.2. Objectives Calculated with Future Standards...................................................................85
6.8. WATER CONSERVATION ACT ........................................................................................ 85
6.8.1. Act Background (SBx7-7)...................................................................................................85
6.8.2. Exempt Agencies...............................................................................................................89
6.8.3. SBx7-7 Baseline & Target..................................................................................................89
6.8.4. SBx7-7 Target Compliance ................................................................................................92
6.9. PROJECTED WATER DEMAND....................................................................................... 92 4 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
CITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY
2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
6.9.1. Low-Income Water Demands...........................................................................................92
6.9.2. Projected Water Use by Sector.........................................................................................92 Section 7: Reliability Planning ..........................................95
7.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 95
7.2. HISTORIC DROUGHTS.................................................................................................... 96
7.3. RECENT DROUGHT (2020-2022) ................................................................................... 96
7.4. STATE WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY............................................................................... 98
7.4.1. State Water Project (SWP) Reliability...............................................................................98
7.5. CITY SUPPLY RELIABILITY............................................................................................. 103
7.5.1. Reliability of Alternative Sources....................................................................................104
7.6. DROUGHT RISK ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................... 104
7.6.1. Basis for Projected Demands..........................................................................................104
7.6.2. Basis for Projected Supplies............................................................................................105
7.6.3. Tabular Comparisons......................................................................................................105
7.7. ENSURING ADEQUATE SUPPLY ................................................................................... 115
7.8. WSCP SUPPLY AUGMENTATION ................................................................................. 115 Section 8: Contingency Planning .................................... 117
8.1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 117
8.2. NEED FOR CONTINGENCY PLANS................................................................................ 118
8.2.1. Recent California Water Code Amendments..................................................................118
8.3. LEGAL AUTHORITY ...................................................................................................... 119
8.4. WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY ANALYSIS ....................................................................... 119
8.4.1. WSCP Re-Adoption .........................................................................................................120
8.5. City Staff Response ..................................................................................................... 120
8.6. ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY AND DEMAND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES....................... 122
8.6.1. DECISION-MAKING PROCESS ..........................................................................................122
8.7. WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLANNING........................................................... 123
8.8. STAGES OF ACTIONS ................................................................................................... 124
8.10. PROHIBITION ON END USERS ................................................................................. 126
8.10.1. Landscape Irrigation........................................................................................................128
8.10.2. Commercial, Industrial, And Institutional (CII) ...............................................................128 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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5 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
8.10.3. Water Features And Swimming Pools ............................................................................128
8.10.4. Other Restrictions...........................................................................................................128
8.11. PENALTIES, CHARGES, OTHER ENFORCEMENT OF PROHIBITIONS......................... 128
8.12. CONSUMPTION REDUCTION METHODS ................................................................. 128
8.12.1. Consumption Reduction Goals .......................................................................................128
8.12.2. Categories Of Consumption Reduction Methods...........................................................129
8.13. DETERMINING WATER SHORTAGE REDUCTIONS ................................................... 130
8.14. REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE IMPACTS.................................................................. 130
8.15. RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE................................................................................. 131
8.16. CATASTROPHIC SUPPLY INTERRUPTION................................................................. 131
8.17. SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION PLAN.............................................. 132 Section 9: Conservation Measures................................. 133
9.1. OVERVIEW................................................................................................................... 133
9.2. DWR DMMs FOR 2025 UWMPs.................................................................................. 133
9.3. CalWEP BMPs.............................................................................................................. 134
9.4. CITY CONSERVATION MEASURES................................................................................ 134
9.5. WATER SURVEY PROGRAM......................................................................................... 135
9.6. RESIDENTIAL PLUMBING RETROFIT ............................................................................ 136
9.7. METERING AND COMMODITY RATES ......................................................................... 136
9.8. CONSERVATION PRICING............................................................................................ 137
9.9. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH......................................................................... 137
9.10. PROGRAMS TO ASSESS AND MANAGE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM REAL LOSS ........... 138
9.11. WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM AND STAFFING SUPPORT .............................. 138
9.12. OTHER DEMAND MANAGEMENT MEASURES THAT IMPACT GPCD....................... 139
9.13. PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION TO ACHIEVE WATER USE TARGETS ......................... 139 6 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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List of Tables
Table 1-1: Coordination and Public Involvement ......................................................................... 17 Table 2-1 Current Land Use & Economic Statistics for Kern County ............................................ 26 Table 2-2 Historical Climate (1904-2016) ..................................................................................... 27 Table 2-3 Recent Climate (2025)................................................................................................... 27 Table 2-4 California City Overall Population................................................................................. 30 Table 2-5: Prison Populations....................................................................................................... 30 Table 2-6 California City Water Service Area Projected Population............................................. 31 Table 2-7 California City Active Wells........................................................................................... 33 Table 3-1 Imported Water Supply ................................................................................................ 49 Table 3-2: Overall Groundwater Production ................................................................................ 56 Table 4-1 Collection System Demand Projections........................................................................ 60 Table 4-2 Wastewater Flows Collected in City ............................................................................. 63 Table 4-3 Projected Wastewater Flows Collected in City............................................................. 63 Table 4-4 Recycled Water Produced and/or Used in City ............................................................ 64 Table 6-1 City Past Water Use ...................................................................................................... 79 Table 6-2 City Recent Water Use .................................................................................................. 79 Table 6-3 Service Connections (2025) .......................................................................................... 80 Table 6-4 Recent Water Demand by Sector (MG) ........................................................................ 81 Table 6-5 Objectives Calculated with Future Standards............................................................... 85 Table 6-6 California City Water Use.............................................................................................. 91 Table 6-7 California City SBx7-7 2020 Water Use Targets............................................................ 91 Table 6-8 Projected Water Demand by Sector (MG).................................................................... 93 Table 7-1 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Normal Water Year (MG) ............................................................................................................................................ 106 Table 7-2 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Single Dry Year (MG) ..................................................................................................................................................... 107 Table 7-3 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2026-2030) (MG) ....................................................................................................................... 108 Table 7-4 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2031-2035) (MG) ....................................................................................................................... 109 Table 7-5 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2036-2040) (MG) ....................................................................................................................... 110 Table 7-6 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2041-2045) (MG) ....................................................................................................................... 111 Table 7-7 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2046-2050) (MG) ....................................................................................................................... 112 Table 8-1 Retail: Stages of Water Shortage Contingency Plan ................................................... 125 Table 8-2 Retail Only: Restrictions and Prohibitions on End Uses.............................................. 127 Table 8-3 Retail Only: Stages of Water Shortage Contingency Plan –........................................ 129 Table 8.4 City of California City Current Water Rates ................................................................ 131 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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7 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
List of Figures
Figure 1.1 UWMPs are Governed by State Law............................................................................ 14 Figure 1.2 UWMP Act Establishment and Amendment ............................................................... 15 Figure 2.1 California City Organization Chart (July 2026)............................................................. 34 Figure 2.2 California City – Water Service Area Map ................................................................... 35 Figure 2.3 California City Regional Location ................................................................................. 36 Figure 2.4 City of California City Land Use Map (May 2015)........................................................ 37 Figure 2.5 City of California City Water Main Replacements (2023)............................................ 38 Figure 2.6 City of California City Groundwater Wells and Reservoir Locations (First and Second Community) .................................................................................................................................. 39 Figure 2.7 City of California City Groundwater Wells Locations (First Community) .................... 40 Figure 3.1 AVEK’s Westside Water Bank ...................................................................................... 42 Figure 3.2 Bay Delta ...................................................................................................................... 43 Figure 3.3 Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta ............................................................................. 46 Figure 3.4 Aqueduct Systems in California ................................................................................... 47 Figure 3.5 State Water Project...................................................................................................... 48 Figure 3.6 Fremont Valley Groundwater Basin and Antelope Valley Groundwater Basin........... 51 Figure 3.7 AVEK Service Area Map................................................................................................ 52 Figure 3.8 Representative Groundwater Level Hydrographs (June 2026) ................................... 55 Figure 4.1 City of California City’s WWTP (2023) ......................................................................... 62 Figure 4.2 Existing WWTP and Disposal Site (Wastewater Master Plan, March 2023)................ 65 Figure 5.1 Native Rock adds to the Salinity of the Colorado River Water Supplies ..................... 70 Figure 5.2 Well 14 Chemical Injection .......................................................................................... 72 Figure 6.1 Central Park Lake ......................................................................................................... 80 Figure 6.2 Current Water Demand by Sector (in 2025)................................................................ 82 Figure 6.3 California's 2020 Water Conservation Goals............................................................... 87 Figure 6.4 South Lahontan Hydrologic Region ............................................................................. 88 Figure 6.5 Procedure for Determining Baseline Per Capita Water Use........................................ 90 Figure 6.6 Procedure for Determining Target Per Capita Water Use........................................... 90 Figure 6.7 Projected Water Demand by Sector (in 2050)............................................................. 94 Figure 7.1 Governor Newsom at Lake Mendocino in Ukiah on April 21, 2021 ............................ 97 Figure 7.2 Lake Oroville During Drought of 2020-2022 (October 4, 2022) ................................ 100 Figure 7.3 Lake Oroville After Drought (June 12, 2023) ............................................................. 100 Figure 7.4 California State Reservoir Levels (May 2026)............................................................ 101 Figure 7.5 SWP Table A Deliveries.............................................................................................. 102 Figure 7.6 Projected Normal Water Supply: Year 2030.............................................................. 113 Figure 7.7 Projected Normal Water Supply: Year 2050.............................................................. 114 Figure 8.1 Basic Overview of Water Quality Contamination Response for City Wells............... 121 Figure 8.2: Sample Annual Assessment Decision-Making Process Timeline.............................. 123 Figure 9.1 CUWCC became CalWEP in January 2018 ................................................................. 134 8 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Appendices
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
Appendix E
Appendix F
Appendix G
Appendix H
Appendix I
Appendix J
Appendix N
Appendix O
Appendix P
City Council Resolution Adopting 2025 UWMP
City Council Resolution Adopting 2025 WSCP
UWMP Act
Dept. of Water Resources UWMP Checklist
Dept. of Water Resources UWMP Data Tables
Dept. of Water Resources SBx7-7 Tables
UWMP Notices: 60-Day Notice, 2-Week and 1 Week Notices
Final Transmittals to County and State Library
County of Kern Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan Fremont Basin Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (PLACEHOLDER)
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9 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
ACRONYMS
Act Urban Water Management Planning Act
AF Acre-Feet
AFY Acre-Feet per Year
AMI Automatic Metering Infrastructure
AP Allocation Plan
AVEK Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency
Basin Freemont Valley Groundwater Basin
BDCP Bay-Delta Conservation Plan
BMP Best Management Practice
CA DoF California Department of Finance
CCC Core Civic Detention Center
CDP Census Designated Place
CDPH California Department of Public Health
CFS Cubic Feet per Second
CII Commercial/Industrial/Institutional
CIMIS California Irrigation Management Information System CRA Colorado River Aqueduct
CUWCC California Urban Water Conservation Council
CVP Central Valley Project
CWC California Water Code
DBPs Disinfection Byproducts
DDW Division of Drinking Water
DMM Demand Management Measure
DOE Department of Energy
DWSAP Drinking Water Source Assessment and Protection
DWR Department of Water Resources
EIR Environmental Impact Report
EIS Environmental Impact Statement
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
Eto Evapotranspiration
GPCD Gallons per Capita per Day
GPF Gallons per Flush
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GPM Gallons per Minute
GW Groundwater
HECW High Efficiency Clothes Washer
HEN High Efficiency Nozzle
HET High Efficiency Toilet
HEW High Efficiency Washer
HR Hydrologic Region
IPR Indirect Potable Reuse
IRP Integrated Resources Plan
IWA International Water Association
JWPCP Joint Water Pollution Control Plant
LRWSP Local, Reliable Water Supply Program
MAF Million Acre-Feet
MBR Membrane Bioreactor
MCL Maximum Contaminant Level
MG Million Gallons
MGD Million Gallons per Day
mg/L Milligrams per Liter
μg/L Micrograms per Liter
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MPUD Mojave Public Utility District
MWA Mohave Water Agency
MWD Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
MWELO Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
MTBE Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether
NDMA N-Nitrosodimethylamine
ng/L Nanograms per Liter
NPDWR National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Units
PCA Possible Contaminating Activities
PCE Tetrachloroethylene
PFAS Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
PHETs Premium High Efficiency Toilets
PHG Public Health Goal
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11 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
PPCPs Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products
QSA Quantification Settlement Agreement
RHNA Regional Housing Needs Assessment
SB Senate Bill
SBx7-7 Senate Bill x7-7
SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
SCAG Southern California Association of Governments
SDI Sub-Division Improvement
SDP Seawater Desalination Program
SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act
SMSS Soil Moisture Sensor System
SWP State Water Project
SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board
TDS Total Dissolved Solids
TOC Total Organic Carbon
USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
UWMP Urban Water Management Plan
VOC Volatile Organic Compound
WARN Water Agency Response Network
WBIC Weather-Based Irrigation Controller
WRP Water Reclamation Plant
WSAP Water Supply Allocation Plan
WSCP Water Shortage Contingency Plan
WSDM Water Surplus and Drought Management Plan
WSMP Water System Master Plan
WSS Watershed Sanitary Survey
WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant
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13 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
1.1. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
This is the 2025 Urban Water Management
Plan (“UWMP” or “Plan”) for the City of
California City (hereinafter “City”). This Plan
has been prepared in compliance with the
Urban Water Management Planning Act
(Act), which was established in 1983 and has
been codified into the California Water Code
(CWC)sections 10610 through 10657. A copy
of the Act can be found in Appendix C.
As part of the Act, the legislature declared
that waters of the state are a limited and
renewable resource subject to ever
increasing demands; that the conservation
and efficient use of urban water supplies are
of statewide concern; that successful
implementation of plans is best
accomplished at the local level; that
conservation and efficient use of water shall
be actively pursued to protect both the
people of the state and their water
resources; that conservation and efficient
use of urban water supplies shall be a
guiding criterion in public decisions; and that
urban water suppliers shall be required to
develop water management plans to
achieve conservation and efficient use.
The Act requires “every urban water supplier
providing water for municipal purposes to
more than 3,000 customers or supplying
more than 3,000 acre-feet of water annually,
to prepare and adopt, in accordance with
prescribed requirements, an Urban Water
Management Plan.”
1 Section 1:
Introduction
In accordance with
the Water Code, an
Urban Water
Management Plan
is required to be
updated every five
years.
14 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
These plans must be filed with the California
Department of Water Resources (DWR)
every five (5) years, describing and
evaluating reasonable and practical efficient
water uses, reclamation, and conservation
activities. The CWC mandates that each
water supplier shall update its plan at least
once every five years on or before July 1, in
years ending in six and one.
Figure 1.1 UWMPs are Governed by State
Law
The Act has been amended multiple times
since its initial passage in 1983. A summary
of the amendments is provided in Figure 1.2.
The intent of the amendments was to
broaden the scope of the UWMPs,
encourage public participation, and add
financial incentives to the UWMPs. A
significant amendment to the Act was a 2009
amendment (Senate Bill SBx7-7) signed by
former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The Senate Bill, also known as the “Water
Conservation Act” required that per capita
water use within an urban water supplier's
service area decrease by twenty percent
(20%) by the year 2020 in order to receive
grants or loans administered by DWR or
other state agencies. Each urban retail water
supplier developed water use “targets” for
2015 and for 2020. The
“target” date for 2020
passed on December 31,
2020. Urban water
suppliers whose 2020
actual water use does
not meet the target
requirements established by this bill are not
eligible for state water grants or loans This
included, but was not limited to, the
following funding sources:
• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund:
Primarily a source of funds to help
correct deficiencies
• Proposition 1: Primarily a source of
funds related to supplies &
infrastructure
• Proposition 4: Primarily a source of
funds related to climate-related
programs
• Proposition 50: Primarily a source of
funds related to security & treatment
technology
• Proposition 84: Primarily a source of
funds related to protection from
pollution
Agencies that submit their UWMPs past the
July 2026 deadline are still technically
eligible for grants or loans, provided that the
Amendments to
the Act have
added financial
incentives to
UWMPs.
2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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15 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Figure 1.2 UWMP Act Establishment and Amendment
Present: The UWMP guidebook was released on
November 17, 2025 with no UWMP Act Amendments.
16 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
UWMP addresses the requirements of the
Act. However, applications for such funds
are subject to legal challenges coming from
competing agencies for the same funding, if
the competing agencies become aware of
the timeframe in which an UWMP was
submitted. UWMPs are considered to be a
foundation document and a source of
information for Water Supply Assessments
(Senate Bill 610) and Written Verifications of
Water Supply (SB 221). In addition, an
UWMP may serve as a long-range planning
document for water supply, a source of data
for development of a regional water plan,
and a source document for cities and
counties as they prepare their General Plans.
These planning documents are linked, and
their accuracy and usefulness are
interdependent.
One of the primary objectives of the Act is
the assessment of demands and supplies
over a 20-year or a 25-year planning horizon
under normal rainfall conditions, as well as
under various drought conditions. The Act
also requires water shortage contingency
planning and drought response actions to be
included in the UWMP. In short, this Plan is
a management tool that provides a general,
long-term framework for action, rather than
a detailed blueprint for supply and demand
management. This Plan evaluates the City’s
supply and demand projections over a 25-year
planning horizon, and what mix of programs
should be explored for ensuring that such
water will be available. As part of the City's
past and current water conservation
policies, the City is currently implementing
many facets of this plan already to achieve
its water conservation goals.
1.2. COORDINATION
The process of preparing and submitting an
UWMP is a transparent process that requires
opportunities for outside-agency and
general public involvement. In preparing this
2025 UWMP, the City has encouraged broad
community participation. The City notified
the agencies that the City interacts with
more than sixty (60) days in advance of the
City Council’s adoption of the 2025 UWMP.
The City also made the draft 2025 UWMP
available at the City’s
Council Room and on
the City’s website,
leading up to a public
hearing on the 2025
UWMP. Notices of the
public hearing were
published in the local
press and on the City’s website for a twoweek period. On August 25, 2026, the City held a noticed public hearing to review and
accept comments on the 2025 UWMP.
Following the public hearing, the City
officially adopted the 2025 UWMP through
board resolution, of which a copy is included
in Appendix A.
The City’s 2025
UWMP is a
collaborative effort
involving its own
staff, outside
agencies, and the
general public.
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17 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Table 1-1: Coordination and Public Involvement
Agency
Participated
in Plan
Preparation
Contacted
for
Assistance
Commented
on Draft
Notified
of Public
Hearing
Attended
Public
Hearing
City Staff X X X X X
City Council X
Antelope Vally - East
Kern Water Agency X
Kern County X
Mojave Public Utility
District X
Regional Water
Management Group X
State Water Resource
Control Board X
Notes:
1. “60-Day” notice letters were sent out to all agencies (except the City own) as required by CWC § 10621(b):
2. 2-week and 1-week notices were published in the local newspaper.
3. Appendix G contains copies of the 60-day notice and the 2-week and 1-week notices. 18 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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As required by the Act, the 2025 UWMP is
being prepared by the City and will be
submitted to DWR, the California State
Library, and any city or county within which
it provides water to no later than thirty (30)
days after adoption. The 2025 UWMP has
been made available to the public on the
City’s website and at City Hall during normal
business hours within thirty (30) days of
submitting the 2025 UWMP to DWR.
1.3. DWR UPDATES FOR THE 2025
UWMPS
There have been minor changes to the CWC
affecting the 2025 UWMPs. The changes
include:
• Clarified Reporting Requirements for
SBx7-7: Agencies must provide a
description in the 2025 UWMP of how
their water use goals of the 20x2020
were met. An urban retail water
supplier’s failure to meet those goals will
be a violation of law and potentially
result in a state administrative or judicial
proceeding. If the agency did not achieve
its targeted reduction in 2020, the
agency must show in its 2025 UWMP
whether it met their 2020 Target in 2025
to be eligible for state funds. Currently,
the CWC does not set an end date for
reporting on a supplier’s progress in
meeting the 2020 Target. (CWC §
10608.40)
• Water Losses: Retail Suppliers must
indicate the quantity of water losses for
five years by reporting data from their
Validated Water Loss Audits, discuss
their progress toward compliance with
the 2028 Water Loss Standard, and show
whether they met the Water Loss
Performance Standard enacted by the
State Water Resources Control Board
(SWRCB). (CWC § 10631 (d) (3) (C), SB
1414, 2019). Suppliers can simply
provide a link to their water loss reports
submitted to DWR’s Water Loss Audit
Program.
• Updates to Demand Management
Measures (DMMs): Retail Suppliers with
an annual actual water use above their
Urban Water Use-Objective (UWUO)
must include a narrative describing
additional DMMs the supplier plans to
use to achieve its UWUO by January 1,
2027. (CWC § 10609.25, AB 1414, 2019)
• UWUO and Water Use Reporting: The
standard for indoor residential water use
from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2030
was lowered from 52 to 47 Gallons per
Capita per Day (gpcd). Until January 1,
2025, the standard was 55 gpcd.
Beginning January 1, 2030 the standard
was lowered from 50 to 42 gpcd. DWR, in
coordination with SWRCB, will conduct
an investigation to determine if the date
for the 2030 indoor residential use
standard will be changed. The City will
not be subject to enforcement pursuant
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19 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
to this chapter solely for failing to meet
the indoor residential use standard.
(CWC § 10609.4).
• Irrigation of Nonfunctional Turf:
”Functional turf” is ground cover surface
of turf located in a recreational use area
or community space. ”Nonfunctional
turf” means any turf that is not
functional turf, and includes turf located
within street rights-of-way and parking
lots. Turf enclosed by fencing or other
barriers to permanently preclude human
access for recreation or assembly is
Nonfunctional turf.
The use of potable
water to irrigate
nonfunctional turf is
wasteful and
incompatible with
state policy relating
to climate change,
water conservation, and reduced
reliance on the Sacramento-San Joaquin
Delta ecosystem (CWC § 110). The use of
potable water to irrigate Nonfunctional
turf on all properties owned by the City
are to be phased out by January 1, 2027.
All other Commercial, Industrial, and
Institutional (CII) properties are to be
phased out by January 1, 2028. After
which it will be prohibited with a few
exceptions (CWC § 10618.14). The
website saveourwater.com/ provides
information and resources on converting
nonfunctional turf to native vegetation.
• Definitions: New definitions were added
or existing definitions were modified,
which include Nonfunctional Turf, CII
water use, Large landscape, Gross water
use, Potable reuse, Urban water use
objective, Affordable housing, and
Disadvantaged community to name a
few (CWC § 10608.12).
In addition, there are several optional or
voluntary categorical and data reporting
changes to the UWMP Act. These include an
optional Planning Tool that suppliers can use
to report and assess water use and supply in
order to better conduct the Reliability
Assessment and Drought Risk Assessment, a
Potable and Non-Potable Planning Tool,
Potable and Non-Potable Submittal Tables,
as well as various optional data reporting.
1.4. UPDATES TO THE CITY’S UWMP
In addition to the required updates
described in the previous section, the City’s
2025 UWMP has undergone some changes
from the 2020 UWMP. A summary of the key
changes to the UWMP are:
• New Format: Format of the UWMP has
been changed to include a new look and
new arrangement of sections. The new
arrangement helps the discussion of
certain topics which precede other
topics. See Section 1.5 for the format of
this 2025 UWMP.
The use of potable
water to irrigate
nonfunctional turf
is incompatible
with state policy
relating to climate
change.
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• DWR & Water Code: A listing of DWRrequired UWMP updates (see previous Section).
• City Development Growth: An updated
review of development which took place
in the City’s service area since the 2020
UWMP.
• Water Sources and Supplies: A broader,
more in-depth discussion of water
sources and supplies.
• Recycled Water: An updated review of
recycled water opportunities in the City.
• Water Quality: An update to new
regulations and contaminants affecting
water quality and treatment.
• Water Use: Updated information on
recent water use quantities and a more
in-depth discussion on water use
parameters.
• Supply v Demand: Updated information
on projected supplies vs demands, and a
discussion on recent regional droughts
affecting the City. There is also an
expansion on the discussion of the City ’s
source water reliability.
• Contingency Planning: Updated
information on the City’s contingency
plans, including the City’s Ordinances.
• Conservation Measures: Updated
information on the City’s conservation
measures, which reflect the previous
(2020) changes by DWR.
In addition to these changes, there are
multiple minor changes. The changes reflect
both those that are required by the CWC and
those that are voluntarily included for the
benefit of the City.
1.5. FORMAT OF THE 2025 UWMP
The information contained in this 2025
UWMP corresponds to the items in the
UWMP Act and other amendments to the
Water Code. The sections of the UWMP are:
Section 1 - Introduction
This section describes the UWMP Act, the
UWMP preparation and adoption process,
updates to the UWMP, and a lay description
of this entire document.
Section 2 – Service Area Description
This section outlines the history and
development of the City and the City’s water
supply system, a description of its existing
service area, the local climate, population
served, and basic statistics on the City’s
water distribution system.
Section 3 – Water Sources & Supplies
This section describes the existing potable
water supplies available to the City,
including groundwater from the Fremont
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Valley Groundwater Basin (Basin) and
imported surface water from the Antelope
Valley - East Kern Water Agency (AVEK) and
the Mojave Public Utility District (MPUD). In
addition, this section evaluates potential
future water supply sources.
Section 4 – Recycled Water Opportunities
This section discusses potential recycled
water supplies, an assessment of potential
customers, and methods to expand the use
of recycled water.
Section 5 – Water Quality
This section discusses the quality of the
City’s potable water supply sources,
including imported water and groundwater.
This section also discusses drinking water
standards and the effect that water quality
has on management strategies and supply
reliability.
Section 6 – Water Use
This section describes past, current, and
projected water usage within the City’s
service area. Past and projected water use in
this section is broken down by sector. This
chapter also discusses the requirements of
the 2009 Water Conservation Act (SBx7-7),
including the 2020 Water Use Targets.
Section 7 – Reliability Planning
This section presents a drought risk
assessment of the City’s water system which
compares projected future water demands
with expected available water supplies
under three different hydrologic conditions:
normal year; a single dry year; and multiple
dry years. This 2025 UWMP concludes that if
projected imported and local supplies are
developed as anticipated, no water
shortages are anticipated in the City’s
service area during the planning period.
Section 8 – Contingency Planning
This section serves as the City’s Water
Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP). A WSCP
is a response plan to water shortages, as well
as the efforts that will be utilized in the event
of water supply interruptions, such as power
outages, earthquakes, or droughts. This
section also describes regional response
efforts to water supply interruptions.
Section 9 – Conservation Measures
This section addresses the City’s compliance
with water conservation measures that
correspond to the seven (7) Demand
Management Measures (DMMs) described
in the 2025 UWMP Guidebook, which were
previously the fourteen (14) DMMs listed in
the Act. The DMMs also correspond to the
current Best Management Practices (BMPs)
from the California Water Efficiency
Partnership (CalWEP).
Appendices
The Appendices contain references and
specific documents that contain reference
data used to prepare this 2025 UWMP.
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1.6. LAY DESCRIPTION
To facilitate effective and efficient
management of water supplies, and in
compliance with the UWMP Act and the
Water Conservation Act of 2009, the City has
prepared this 2025 UWMP. This UWMP
includes background information regarding
the City’s history, water system, and water
supplies. This UWMP also analyzes recent
water demands and projects future water
supply capacity and water demands through
2050. The effects of water quality, drought,
and emergencies on the City’s water supply
reliability are also analyzed.
As indicated by Section 7:, the City does not
expect to have a water supply shortage
through 2050. Furthermore, this UWMP
concludes that the City’s water supplies,
which are obtained from local groundwater
basins and wholesale agencies, are resilient
to droughts. A basic overview of the City’s
water system can be found in Section 2:.
Water quality concerns do have an
occasional impact on the consistency of
groundwater supplies, but the City’s
groundwater quality is not expected to be
affected. These are described in Section 5:.
This 2025 UWMP recommends that the City
implement water operation management
tools that maximize the use of local
groundwater production and imported
water to meet its water demands. This
UWMP also recommends conservation tools
that will enable the City’s residents to
conserve water and maximize water use
efficiency. These are described in Section 9:.
If the water consumption rates in the City
decrease as this UWMP projects, the City can
expect to have an adequate water supply in
future years. This is in spite of projected
population growth over the next twenty-five
(25) years. Finally, this UWMP recommends
that severe droughts or sudden supply
interruptions be addressed by following the
criteria of the WSCP (Section 8:).
Since UWMPs are due for revision every five
years, this UWMP is projected to be in effect
until the year’s end of 2030. At that time the
City's 2030 UWMP will begin development
and adoption.
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2.1. CITY AND WATER SYSTEM HISTORY
The City of California City (City) was
incorporated on December 8, 1965. The City
is geographically the third largest city in
California with an area of 203.4 square miles
or 130,200 acres. The City is near Highway 58
and Highway 14, which links the City to other
parts of the State.
The single largest land use is open space,
consisting of 63.3 percent (63.3%) of the
land area. Most of the City’s residents live in
the “First Community” which contains about
9,600 acres and most of the multi-family and
smaller single-family residential lots. The
“Second Community”, which is located to
the east of the center of the City, consists of
larger lots and is currently sparsely
populated. Sewer service is available in
portions of the “First Community”; all other
areas are served by septic tanks with onsite
subsurface disposal. The City operates under
a City Council/City Manager form of
government. The City Council consists of
four Council Members elected to four-year
terms. The Mayor and Vice Mayor are
decided among the elected City Council
Members, and the term varies. The City
Manager, who serves on behalf of the City
Council, runs the day-to-day operations of
the City. Under the City Manager’s general
oversight, the City’s Public Works Director
runs the Public Works Department, which
includes the City’s Water Division. The City’s
Water Division performs all activities related
to the water system. The current members
of the Council Members are:
2 Section 2:
Service Area
Description
The City’s water
service area is
approximately 203.4
square miles or
130,200 acres
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• Marquette E. Hawkins -Mayor
• Jim Creighton – Mayor Pro Tem
• Ronald Smith – Councilmember
• Della Clark – Council Member
2.1.1. Early Stages
The City utilizes three (3) water sources,
extraction of groundwater from aquifers
surrounding the community using wells,
surface water purchased from AVEK, and
recycled water produced from the City’s
Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). At
the time of incorporation, the City provided
water services to only 617 residents, and as
of 2025 serves
approximately 14,063.
The City’s existing
groundwater system
includes six (6) wells,
all with chlorination
treatment facilities
and hydropneumatic
storage tanks, and
approximately 313
miles of water main lines in its existing
distribution system. The system also
incorporates five (5) above ground storage
reservoirs totaling 5.85 MG. Nearly all water
produced from the City’s wells is pumped
directly to a series of water storage tanks
northeast of the City. These tanks then feed
the water distribution system.
As stated in the City’s 2023 Water System
Master Plan (2023 WSMP), the major
deficiency in the existing water system is the
integrity of steel water mains, with many
having been replaced but a majority still
remain (Figure 2.5). These mains,
constructed originally in the early 1970’s, are
of used uncoated steel and have severely
corroded and been prone to leak.
2.1.2. July 2025 Fire
On July 2, 2025 a fire broke out at the main
building of the California City Public Works
Yard. This City facility stored contracts, maps,
and grant documentation dating back over
thirty (30) years. Among other documents
lost in the fire were physical copies of
groundwater production from 2025 and
previous years. Several City owned vehicles
sustained minor damage including melted
lights and burnt bumpers; two (2) of the City
vehicles caught fire and were completely
destroyed. It took fire crews several hours to
completely extinguish the fire, which also
threatened other areas of the Public Works
Yard including the shop and several Connex
boxes.
2.2. CURRENT WATER SERVICE AREA
The City’s water service area comprises onehundred percent (100%) of the population residing within the City limits. The City's
Water Service Area is equivalent to the City’s
total land area mentioned in Section 2.1.
Most of the City’s residents live in the “First
Community” which contains approximately
9,600 acres and most of the multi-family and
At the time of
incorporation, the
City provided
water services to
only 617 residents,
and as of 2025
serves
approximately
14,063.
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smaller single-family residential lots. The
“Secondary Community”, which is located to
the east of the center of California City,
consists of larger lots and is currently
sparsely populated.
With no wholesale customers, the City is a
retail-only water agency and maintains
residential, commercial, institutional, and
landscape irrigation customers. Most of the
water service accounts are single-family
residences. The City is responsible for
providing water services to its certificated
water service area, which coincides with the
City’s jurisdictional boundaries. The City’s
Organization Chart is shown in Figure 2.1.
2.3. LAND USE & ECONOMY
The City is located in Kern County. Kern
County encompasses an area of 8,163
square miles or 5.2 million acres, and is
bordered on the west by Ventura County, on
the north by Tulare County, on the south Los
Angeles County, and on the east by San
Bernardino County.
Table 2-1 provides basic statistics on current
land use and economy for Kern County.
Figure 2.4 shows the City’s Land Use Maps
with Zones.
2.3.1. City Land Use
The majority of development in the City has
occurred within the central core. An area
comprising approximately twelve (12)
sections of land (7,680 acres) in the
southwest portion of the land area within
the City’s corporate limits. The remaining
development in the City has occurred in the
northeastern portion, and areas located
about twelve (12) miles northeast of the
central core along Twenty Mule Team
Parkway and Randsburg-Mojave Road.
Growth in the northeastern portion of the
City has been limited by the lack of adequate
infrastructure and public services. Scattered
throughout the northeastern portion of the
City are undeveloped subdivided tracts and
parcel maps.
In the northeastern portion of the City there
are twenty-seven (27) Subdivision
Improvement Tracts (SDI) and two (2) tracts
in the central core. These SDI Tracts were
subdivided more than forty (40) years ago,
with the developer providing provisional
funding for water and roadway
improvement to the minimum City standard.
All of the twenty-nine (29) tracts are subject
to City Council and SDI Committee’s
approval, to supply water and roadway
improvements.
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Table 2-1 Current Land Use & Economic Statistics for Kern County Land: Total
Item Kern County City of California City
Land Area (square miles) 8,132 203.6
Land Area (acres) 5,204,429 130,200
Agricultural Land (acres) 2,300,000 0
Developed Land (square miles) 180 12.0*
Population
Item Kern County City of California City
Population 927,068 14,063
Housing
Item Kern County City of California City
Total Housing Units 312,134 N/A
Households 284,931 4,608
Median Home Price $338,300 $278,000
Owner Occupancy Rate 60.1% 55.0%
Economy
Item Kern County City of California City
Employed (16yrs +) 58.5% 48.7%
Median Household Income $70,210 $60,113
Percent in Poverty 18.6% 22.8%
Manufacturing $7 Billion N/A
Agriculture/Crops $7.6 Billion N/A
Retail & Wholesale Sales** $15.6 Billion $51.399 Million *The majority of development in the City has occurred within the central core. An area comprising approximately twelve sections of land (7,680 acres) in the southwest portion of the land area within the City’s corporate limits. (City of California City General Plan, 2009) **Sum of sale from total merchant wholesaler and total retail 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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2.4. CLIMATE
The City is located in the high desert with an
elevation range of 2,300 to 4,000 feet above
sea level. Its climate is semi-arid, which
provides for warm, dry weather in the
summer and mild cooler weather in the
winter. Rainfall for the area is less than 6-
inches annually, with about seventy-five
percent (75%) occurring in December
through March. The precipitation varies
considerably from year to year, with a
prolonged drought occurring from 1945 to
1964 and several shorter drought periods
within the last ten (10) years. Because
precipitation occurs predominantly in the
winter months, when landscaping and
agricultural water demand is at the lowest,
summer water demand is three (3) to five (5)
times that of the winter months. Table 2-2
lists the historical average rainfall for the
City:
Table 2-2 Historical Climate (1904-2016)
Mojave, California (045756)
(www.wrcc.dri.edu)
Month Average Rainfall (in)
Jan 1.20
Feb 1.27
Mar 0.93
Apr 0.30
May 0.09
Jun 0.03
Jul 0.11
Aug 0.15
Sep 0.21
Month Average Rainfall (in)
Oct 0.24
Nov 0.53
Dec 0.87
Annual: 5.93
The extreme high temperatures often
exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit from May
through September. Because of its high
desert location, humidity levels are very low
and it is often windy. This gives the City one
of the state’s highest pan evaporation and
reference evapo-transpiration (ETo) rates.
The high evaporation and ETo rates result in
significantly higher water usage for
landscape irrigation than other areas in
California. Recent ETo and rainfall for the
City is listed in Table 2-3:
Table 2-3 Recent Climate (2025)
CIMIS Station 256 (Lancaster - Mojave High Desert)
(cimis.water.ca.gov)
Month Rainfall (in) ETo (in)
Jan (2025) 0.46 2.65
Feb (2025) 0.74 3.37
Mar (2025) 1.23 4.69
Apr (2025) 0.00 6.77
May (2025) 0.02 8.39
Jun (2025) 0.00 9.12
Jul (2025) 0.00 9.63
Aug (2025) 0.02 8.93
Sep (2025) 0.02 6.26
Oct (2025) 0.05 4.34
Nov (2025) 2.19 2.15
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Month Rainfall (in) ETo (in)
Dec (2025) 2.44 1.83
Totals: 7.2 68.13
2.4.1. Climate Change
The DWR Guidebook requires water
suppliers to include a discussion of climate
change in their UWMPs, specifically with
regard to Drought Risk Assessments (DRA).
Section 7: provides an overview of droughts.
The rise of anthropogenic activities
producing carbon dioxide in the world has
changed the earth’s climate by emitting
greenhouse gasses responsible for global
warming. This has resulted in extreme
weather events occurring more frequently.
The severity and frequency of climate
change impacts on temperature and
precipitation patterns can be difficult to
forecast due to dramatic shifts in weather
patterns as a result of increased
concentrations of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. While the precise timing,
severity, and regional impacts of these
temperature and precipitation changes are
uncertain, climate researchers have
identified several important issues of
concern for water planners in California.
The climate change impacts of concern
include increases in temperature,
precipitation pattern changes. and see-level
rise. More winter precipitation falling as rain
than snow leads to reduced snowpack water
storage, reduced long term soil humidity,
reduced groundwater and downstream
flows, and reduced imported water
deliveries. Higher temperatures alter
evapotranspiration rates and growing
seasons become longer. Precipitation
pattern changes leads to increase flooding
from intense storms. Although the extent of
these changes is uncertain, the City is
already planning ahead to ensure long
lasting reliability of its source for their
customers.
The California Natural Resources Agency
released a draft of the 2024 California
Climate Adaptation Strategy (Strategy),
which builds on the successes and lessons
learned since the first iteration in 2009 and
the California Adaptive Planning Guide
issued in 2012. It also integrates and
connects key elements of the latest specific
State of California action plans, such as the
Extreme Heat Action Plan, Water Supply
Strategy, Climate Smart Lands Strategy,
Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan,
and Climate Action Plan for Transportation
Infrastructure. Key elements of the
approach:
01.Set updated, strategic direction and
identify outcome-based priorities:
The Strategy links the State’s existing,
planned, and resourced climate adaptation
efforts, showing how they fit together to
achieve broad climate resilience priorities.
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The Strategy also specifies needed actions,
with timeframes and metrics, to drive
progress and enable accountability.
02.Unify efforts across all sectors and
regions:
The Strategy is organized around outcomebased priorities, rather than individual sectors, enabling a coordinated, integrated
approach to building climate resilience. This
approach recognizes how climate
adaptation is implemented on the ground,
and reflects our commitment to integrating
climate resilience into the work of all state
agencies. The priorities have been
developed based on input from Californians
across all regions of the state and in
consultation with California Native American
tribes.
03. Help all Californians understand and
contribute to California’s climate resilience:
The 2024 Strategy updates the interactive
website that serves as a hub for state climate
resilience action. This website will continue
to be updated to enable easier navigation, to
follow the state’s progress and to find
adaptation information and resources easily.
2.5. POPULATION
2.5.1. Service Area Population
The population of the City was consistently
near 3,000 residents from 1965 to 1980.
From 1980 to 1990, the population grew to
approximately 6,000. From 1990 to 2000,
the population continued to increase at a
similar rate, reaching 8,385 citizens. Since
2000 the rate of growth has increased
slightly to a total population of 13,769 in
2020. Most growth was a result of
employment opportunities at Edwards Air
Force Base, Rio Tinto (Borax) Mine, Mojave
Air and Space Port and the Core Civic
Detention Center (CCC).
The CCC is also known as the California City
Immigration Processing Center is a large,
federally contracted detention center
located in the Mojave Desert about 100
miles northeast of Los Angeles. Built in 1998
and later repurposed for federal use, the
facility has served various agencies over the
years, including the U.S. Marshals Service
and Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE). With a capacity of 2,560 detainees, it is
one of California’s largest immigrant
detention sites and operates under
multi‑level security standards. The center
has undergone significant operational
changes, including a transition from state
prison use to federal immigration detention
beginning in 2025.
According to the most recent population
figures from the California Department of
Finance (DOF), the current 2025 resident
population of the City is approximately
13,317 persons. However, this does not
account for the newly re-opened CCC, which
in October 2025 had a total occupancy of
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746 persons. This brings the City’s total
population in 2025 to 14,063 persons. Since
the City's water service area comprises onehundred percent (100%) of the population residing within the City limits, the total
current resident population served by the
City’s water system is also 14,063 persons.
This is approximately 955 persons less than
the population total in 2020. This is mostly
attributed to the CCC being deactivated as a
state prison on March 2024. Table 2-4 lists
the City’s recent and current (2025) overall
populations:
Table 2-4 California City Overall Population
Year Population
2021 15,006
2022 15,045
2023 14,864
2024 13,189
2025 14,063
Table 2-4 shows the City’s declined
population number in 2023 after the CCC
stopped holding state prisoners and
increased in 2025 when it re-opened to
house U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) detainees.
2.5.2. Prison Population
The population of the CCC for each year can
be obtained from the State’s website. Table
2-5 provides the prison population since
2021 and shows the closure of the facility in
2023 and re-opening in 2025. The prison
populations are factored into the City’s
population in both the Census and State
estimates, the prison populations must be
subtracted from the City’s overall population
to provide a more accurate picture of
population trends in the City.
Table 2-5: Prison Populations
Year Population
2021 1,991
2022 2,034
2023 1,799
2024 0
2025 746
2.5.3. City Population Forecasts
In its 2020 UWMP, the City used the number
of connections to determine the projected
population for the service area through
2045. At that time the City utilized an annual
population growth rate of one-half-a
percent (1.5%) in its forecasts through 2025
and increased until reaching 1.8% through
2045. When applied to the DoF population
values for 2020, which have been refined
since the 2020 UWMP, this results in a 2025
population of 16,144. With the current 2025
population of approximately 14,063, it
appears that this forecast was significantly
higher than the actual population. This is a
difference of 2,081, which could be due to a
much lower growth factor than expected in
2020.
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2.5.4. Adjusted Population Forecasts
As shown in Table 3.1 of the City’s Housing
Element Update 2023 – 2031, between 2010
and 2023, the City added 707 residents, or
0.39% annual growth rate, to its population.
The DoF projects that Kern County will have
an annual growth rate of 0.38% from 2024 to
2050. As shown in Table 2-4, the City’s
annual growth rate from 2021 to 2025 was
0.58%. Future population projections were
determined by utilizing the City’s historical
populations as a basis from which the
projected growth rate for Kern County and
recent years for the City were applied. The
growth rate is as below:
• 2020 – 2025: 0.5% annual growth
This growth rate was applied to project the
population over the next twenty-five (25)
years, as shown in Table 2.5.
As mentioned prior, the opening of the CCC
will provide an additional population that
will be included in the projections. By the
end of 2025, the facility was housing
approximately 746 detainees out of its total
capacity of 2,560. After 2025 and by 2030,
the facility is expected to be fully occupied,
therefore an additional population of 1,814
was included in the projections from 2030-
2050.
Table 2-6 California City Water Service
Area Projected Population
Year Population
2030 15,464
2035 15,797
2040 16,130
2045 16,463
2050 16,796
2.6. WATER SYSTEM
A basic overview of the City’s water system
is provided in the following sections. More
information on the City’s water sources,
water treatment, and water demands can be
found in Sections 3 through 6. As this report
is a water-resource-management planning
document, it does not provide technical or
engineering detail on water system
components.
2.6.1. Water System Background
Since its founding in 1950, the City has
owned and operated a water and sewer
system that has served the City’s developed
areas within its main core. The City currently
utilizes three its groundwater wells and
surface water purchased from AVEK for its
water supply. All production wells are
disinfected with sodium hypochlorite and
meet all drinking water quality standards set
by Federal and State health agencies. The
wells are located in the First Community.
Water levels in the wells range from 339 to
497 feet below ground surface.
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The City maintains approximately 313 miles
of water main lines ranging in size from 4 to
16- inches in diameter and a 20-inch
transmission line connects the City wells to
the reservoirs located in the foothills. The
City has seven (7) different pressure zones to
maintain pressure ranges between 50 and
100 psi. One (1) zone has pressures as high
as 130 psi and the city is planning on
installing a PRV to reduce this pressure. Most
residential and commercial connections
have pressure reducing regulators.
Customer meters are typically located on the
property line and the average length of
customer service lines is 25 feet.
2.6.2. City Water System Overview
The City’s water system consists of the
following components:
• Groundwater Wells
• Imported Surface Water
• Water Distribution Pipeline Network
• Emergency Transfer Interties
• Water Storage Facilities
• Booster Pump Stations
The City distributes water to approximately
4,980 service connections through over a
313-mile network of distribution mains. The
water system is divided into seven (7) main
pressure zones served by five (5) storage
reservoirs, totaling 5.8 million gallons.
The City’s main core system is also known as
the City of California City system and is
designated as Public Water System (ID #
CA1510032) as defined by the California
Health and Safety Code. The Wonder Acres
area of the City has a separate water system
also known as the Wonder Acres system and
is designated as Public Water System (ID #
CA1500324). Within the Wonder Acres
system are thirty-eight (38) service
connections with water consumption
remaining relatively consistent.
2.6.3. Groundwater and Imported Water
The City’s sources of potable water supply
are groundwater pumped from the Fremont
Valley Groundwater Basin and imported
water from AVEK. The Fremont Valley Basin
is approximately 334,720 acres. The City
owns and currently operates three (3)
production wells located within the Fremont
Valley Basin. The City also receives
purchased water from AVEK but minimizes
its use to reduce costs. It is also available in
an event of an emergency.
As discussed above, the main source of
water for the City is through groundwater
pumping. Continued groundwater pumping
is also the main planned source of water in
the future. Since the Fremont Valley
Subbasin is a non-adjudicated basin, there
are currently no restrictions on groundwater
pumping.
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Because there is no current restriction on
groundwater pumping, the limit of available
water is the pump capacity of the three (3)
active existing wells to pump groundwater.
These include Wells 2A, 14, and 15A. The
pump capacity of the three (3) wells to pump
groundwater is shown in Table 2-7. The
City’s inactive wells are also shown for
clarity. Well 3 needs a new motor and is
mainly used for emergencies, Well 10 needs
redrilling and Well 16 is inactive due to
blowouts. The City’s active wells are
estimated to provide 1,367 million gallons
per year (2,600 gpm) based on recent
production pumping capacities for each well
site. Table 2-7 deliberately excludes any
AVEK water contribution.
Table 2-7 California City Active Wells
Well #
Source Capacity
(GPM)
Status
1 550 Inactive
2A 1,000 Active
3 700 Inactive
10 478 Inactive
11 300 Inactive
14 600 Active
15A 1,000 Active
16 740 Inactive
Total 2,600 Active
Total 2,768 Inactive
The City maintains five (5) above ground
water storage reservoirs totaling 5.85 MG.
These tanks are Phase 1 (B1) (2.5 MG), Phase
2 (D1) (1 MG), Phase 3 (E1) (1 MG), Phase 4
(F1) (1 MG), and Rancho Reservoir (0.225
MG). Assuming eighty-five percent (85%) of
the storage tank listed capacity is available
for water storage, 4.9 MG of storage is
usable.
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Figure 2.1 California City Organization Chart (July 2026) 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Figure 2.2 California City – Water Service Area Map
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Figure 2.3 California City Regional Location
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Figure 2.4 City of California City Land Use Map (May 2015) 38 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Figure 2.5 City of California City Water Main Replacements (2023) 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Figure 2.6 City of California City Groundwater Wells and Reservoir Locations (First and Second Community)
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Figure 2.7 City of California City Groundwater Wells Locations (First Community) 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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3.1. INTRODUCTION
This Section describes the current and
projected water resources available to the
City over a 25-year period (from 2030
through 2050). This Section also provides
background information on the overall
water supplies available to the region. The
City's water supplies consist of groundwater
produced from the Fremont Valley
Groundwater Basin (Basin), imported
surface water from AVEK, and imported
groundwater the MPUD. Approximately
ninety-eight percent (98%) of the City’s
water consists of groundwater, while the
remaining two percent (2%) consists of
imported water. All of the City’s
groundwater wells are located in the First
Community. The source of imported water
supplies is the State Water Project (SWP).
This section discusses water supply, quality,
and water reliability under all foreseeable
hydrologic conditions from 2030 through
2050.
3.2. IMPORTED WATER SOURCES
The City utilizes three (3) water sources:
groundwater, imported surface water and
recycled water. Imported surface water can
be purchased from AVEK and MPUD through
standing agreements with the City.
Additional supplies are available from AVEK,
MPUD and increased groundwater pumping
is also available. Recycled water is also an
available water source. Recycled Water will
be discussed in Section 4:.
The Wonder Acres system purchases water
3 Section 3:
Water Sources and
Supplies
Supplies consist of
groundwater produced
from the Fremont
Valley Groundwater
Basin and imported
water from AVEK.
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from MPUD (Wells 21A and Well 22). MPUD
water is used exclusively in the Wonder
Acres area, near Highway 14 and California
City Boulevard. Discussions with the General
Manager of the MPUD indicated that
increased water supply to this community
would not be a problem. The current
agreement limits this water supply to a peak
of 500 gpm.
The City has significantly more water rights
than it currently uses. Further discussion of
the groundwater will be covered in Section
6.2. The City’s groundwater well production
is not limited by water rights but by pumping
capacity.
3.2.1. Antelope Valley-East Kern Water
Agency (AVEK) Supply
The City routinely receives water from AVEK.
AVEK water is more expensive for the City
than pumping groundwater. For this reason,
the City intends to retain and maintain its
AVEK use and rights of use but will try to
minimize its use to reduce costs. In the event
of an emergency, it is possible the City may
be able to increase the water supply from
AVEK on a temporary basis. However, if the
situation is drought-related, it is likely the
water supplied from AVEK will be affected by
the same situation and an increased supply
to California City may not be possible. AVEK
has developed water banking facilities
(Figure 3.1) to mitigate the variability of SWP
supply. The water supplied by AVEK
originates from the Bay-Delta Via the SWP.
Figure 3.1 AVEK’s Westside Water Bank
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3.2.2. AVEK Water Banks and Recharge
Projects
AVEK operates several groundwater banking
and recharge facilities that expand regional
storage SWP reliability. The Westside Water
Bank, completed in 2010, provides 40,000
acre‑feet per year (AFY) of recharge and
recovery with 150,000 acre‑feet of total
storage. The Eastside Water Bank,
completed in 2016, adds 2,200 AFY of
recharge and 5,700 acre‑feet of storage to
support raw water quality needs. In
partnership with MWD, the High Desert
Water Bank is
designed to recharge
and recover up to
70,000 AFY, with a
planned storage
capacity of 280,000
acre‑feet on a
1,500‑acre site to
enhance SWP delivery reliability and AVEK’s
financial stability. The Upper Amargosa
Creek Recharge Project, developed jointly
with regional agencies, provides 1,600–
2,350 AFY of recharge through eight
spreading basins, supports local aquifer
replenishment, improves flood
management, and incorporates habitat
restoration on a 75‑acre site.
3.2.3. BAY-DELTA
The City has access to imported water from
the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in
Northern California from AVEK. The Bay
Delta water system provides Southern
California agencies with over 1 million acrefeet (MAF) of water annually.
Figure 3.2 Bay Delta
The Delta is often considered the nexus of
California's statewide water system.
Approximately half the total river flow in the
State passes through this region, from which
water is exported to the San Joaquin Valley,
Southern California, and portions of the Bay
Area to supply 1,130,000 acres of farmland
and 23 million people in central and
Southern California. The Delta provides an
estimated 7 million acre-feet (MAF) of water
per year, of which approximately 100,000 AF
is exported to the San Francisco Bay Area,
1.7 MAF is used locally, and more than 5
MAF is exported to the San Joaquin Valley,
coastal Central and Southern California via
the State Water Project.
The Westside
Water Bank
provides 40,000
AFY of recharge
and recovery.
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3.2.4. Bay Delta Conveyance Project
The Delta Conveyance Project is a
modernization effort proposed by the State
of California DWR to change how water is
moved through the Sacramento–San
Joaquin Delta for the State Water Project
(SWP). The Delta Conveyance Project
centers around constructing a new,
single‑tunnel conveyance facility that would
divert a portion of Sacramento River flows
through new intakes in the North Delta and
deliver that water to the existing SWP
pumping facilities in the South Delta. The
goal is not to increase water exports, but to
improve the system’s ability to capture
water during periods of high availability and
maintain water reliability during future
droughts.
The Delta Conveyance Project is currently in
the final stages of regulatory review and
permitting, following the DWR’s approval of
the project and certification of the Final
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in late
2023. During 2024–2025, DWR secured
several major environmental permits,
including the California Endangered Species
Act Incidental Take Permit, and advanced
federal permitting through the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers and NOAA Fisheries. The
project continues to move forward but has
not received final approval to begin
construction.
3.2.5. State Water Project (Aqueduct)
The California State Water Project is a water
storage and delivery system of reservoirs,
aqueducts, power and
pumping plants. Its
main purpose is to
store water and
distribute it to twentynine (29) urban and
agricultural water
suppliers in Northern
California, San Francisco Bay Area, San
Joaquin Valley, Central Coast, and Southern
California. Of the contracted water supply,
seventy percent (70%) is delivered to urban
users and thirty percent (30%) is delivered to
agricultural users.
In 1947, the California State Legislature
funded a water resources investigation that
led to the development of the SWP. This
investigation resulted in the publication of
the California Water Plan. The California
Water Plan presented preliminary plans to
meet the State’s ultimate water needs,
including those facility works required for
transferring surplus water from Northern
California to Southern California. Financing
for the construction of SWP facilities was
authorized in 1959, when the State
Legislature enacted the California Water
Resources Development Act (known as the
Burns-Porter Act). The Burns-Porter Act,
formally known as the California Water
Resources Development Bond Act, was placed
The State Water
Project or "SWP" is
a result of decades
of planning and
construction
dating back to the
1940s.
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on the November 1960 ballot and approved
by voters. Also known as Proposition One,
the initial water projects included Oroville
Dam and Lake Oroville, B.F. Sisk Dam (also
known as San Luis Dam), San Luis Reservoir,
South Bay Aqueduct, North Bay Aqueduct,
and the California Aqueduct. Construction
on the Oroville site began before the
passage of the Burns-Porter Act. A $25
million emergency appropriation was passed
in 1957 after a record late 1955 to early 1956
flood, which devastated Northern and
Central California. Statewide, sixty-four (64)
deaths were recorded due to the flooding,
mostly in Sutter County and Yuba City, and
more than $200 million of property damage.
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Figure 3.3 Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta
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Figure 3.4 Aqueduct Systems in California
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Figure 3.5 State Water Project
The first SWP water deliveries were made in
1962, two years after construction began
The State of California DWR and the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California (MWD) signed the first water
supply contract in
1960. Today twentynine (29) agencies have
long-term water
supply contracts with
DWR. The service areas
of those long-term
water supply contractors vary widely in size,
location, climate, and population. The
contractors’ uses for SWP water also differ.
In the San Joaquin Valley, SWP water is used
primarily for agriculture. In Southern
California, SWP water is used primarily for
urban and industrial needs.
Today, the SWP includes thirty-four (34)
storage facilities, reservoirs, and lakes;
twenty (20) pumping plants; four (4)
pumping-generating plants; five (5)
hydroelectric power plants; and
approximately 701 miles of open canals and
pipelines. The SWP is owned and managed
by DWR.
3.3. IMPORTED WATER PURCHASES
Table 3-1 shows the City’s recent imported
water purchases from AVEK from 2020 to
Today 29 agencies
have long-term
water supply
contracts with
DWR
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2025, and compares them to 2015 to 2020.
The City only imported water in 2020 & 2021
to meet an increase in demand due to the
2020-2022 Drought. The City was able to
meet demand in years 2022-2025 from
solely local sources.
Table 3-1 Imported Water Supply
Year Purchases
(MG)
2020 4
2021 46.6
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0
2025 0
Average: 25.2
2015 – 2020 Avg.
(2020 UWMP)
4 3.4. GROUNDWATER SOURCES
3.4.1. Fremont Valley Groundwater SubBasin
The City lies within the Fremont Valley
Groundwater Basin (Basin) of the South
Lahontan Hydrologic Study Area. The subbasin is identified as sub-basin 6-46 in the Department of Water Resources Bulletin 118.
The basin is 523 square miles (334,720 acres)
of which 203 square miles (129,920 acres) is
located under California City proper. The
Muroc Fault traverses the sub-basin, dividing
it into two smaller sub-basins with the City on
the north and Mojave on the south. The City
sub-basin (CCSB) contains approximately
142,451 acres (Stetson 2008) and potentially
1,382,000 acre-feet of storage capacity;
however, estimates of the storage capacity
range greatly with a high estimate of
5,700,000 acre- feet in 1955, when the basin
was considered full. Within the City
boundary, the Basin groundwater storage
was estimated at approximately 1,980,000
acre-feet in 1955 and 1,650,000 acre-feet in
2007 (Stetson 2008).
The CCSB is hydraulically connected to the
Antelope Valley Groundwater Basin (AVGB)
by the alluvial filled narrows between the
Castle Butte and the Twin Buttes;
groundwater is able to move between the
two valleys in this area. There are several
other faults in the sub-basin, Garlock Fault
and El Paso Fault system, which run on the
north and west side of the sub-basin,
respectively, which act as a restrictive
groundwater barrier on the west and
northwest side of the sub-basin between the
Tehachapi, Piute and El Paso Mountains and
the Basin.
The CCSB has one area of depression, the
now-dry Koehn Lake. According to Stetson,
groundwater in the sub-basin flows from the
alluvial fans along the mountains towards this
depression. This flow stems in part from the
AVGB, which contributes up to 2,570 afy
(Stetson 2008). The City, on average, pumps
3,300 acre feet (AF) or 1,075 MG per year
from the aquifer, which provides the
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customers with approximately seventy-five
percent (75%) of their potable water supply.
The City purchased all water rights based on
an agreement/contract dated March 21,
1960 between Born Valley Water
Development Company and Boron Valley
Community Service District which later
became California City Service District. The
City owns the water right stated as follows
“All water rights, all right, title and interest in
and to all water in, on and underlying the
surface of the land (herein referred to as
“Water Rights”) within the boundaries of or
which may subsequently flow into that area
designated Area A (California City proper -
203 square miles). At that time the water
right was producing 32,000 acre-feet (10,427
MG) 10.8 times more the current annual
extraction rate of the city (964 MG). The city
has 10.8 times more waterright than they are
currently pumping and at current maximum
pumping capacity of (2680.56 MG) they could
only utilize 25.7% of the owned water right.
3.4.2. Integrated Regional Water
Management Plan
California City, Mojave, and AVEK formed the
Basin IRWMG and are working on the IRWMP
for the basin to protect their water rights
from outside influences. The City is
coordinating with the Fremont Basin
Integrated Regional Water Management Plan
(IRWMP). The IRWMP was published in
February 2019 and includes shows the GSP
implementation items and the projected
timeline. However, due to a lack of funding
sources those projects to be performed by
the City have not been planned.
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Figure 3.6 Fremont Valley Groundwater Basin and Antelope Valley Groundwater Basin 52 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Figure 3.7 AVEK Service Area Map
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3.5. BASIN LEVELS AND STORAGE
The depth to groundwater level in 2025,
according to the USGS groundwater field
data, was 359 feet, which is a decrease of
approximately 33 feet from the groundwater
elevation of 326 feet in 1967.
Currently the City, Mojave, and Cantil are the
only major entities drawing significant
quantities of water from the basin and the
City is by far the largest. In 2020 the City
pumped 1279 MG (3925 acre-feet), Mojave
pumped 152.20 MG (467acre-feet), and
Cantil pumped 2.43 MG (7.46 acre-feet).
Basin Total 1,434.5 MG (4402 acre-feet)
being extracted from the basin annually. The
basin (Number 6-046) is approximately 523
square miles (334,720 acres) per the DWR
Bulletin 118. Based on basin area (4,402
acre-feet/334,720 acers) X (12in/1ft) =
0.1578 inches (2.7%) of the 5.93 inches of
the average rain fall each year would need to
make it into the basin aquafer to maintain
recharge. The Western Regional Climate
Center; Mojave, CA Station 045756 indicates
an annual total average rainfall of 5.93
inches. This along with the fact that the basin
sustained 32,000 acre-feet, over five (5)
times more extraction, for ten (10) to fifteen
(15) years during the 1960s early 1970s
when the area was predominantly
agricultural substantiate the fact that the
current rate of extraction definitely does not
exceed the rate of recharge. And the basin is
not in over.
3.6. BASIN LEVELS AND STORAGE
The chemical character of groundwater in
the South Lahontan Region is variable, but
often contains calcium or sodium
bicarbonate. In basins with closed drainages,
water character often changes from calciumsodium bicarbonate near the margins of the basin, to sodium chloride or chloride sulfate
beneath a dry lake. It is not uncommon for
concentrations of dissolved constituents to
rise dramatically toward a dry lake where
saturation of mineral salts is reached. The
total dissolved solids (TDS) content of
groundwater is high in many of the basins in
this region. Some of the contaminants
affecting groundwater use in the region
include arsenic, gross alpha particle activity,
uranium, fluoride, TDS, and boron. (DWR,
2015).
3.7. GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT
An adjudicated groundwater basin exists
where, because of a lawsuit, the court
decides who extracts from the basin, how
much they extract, and who will manage the
basin. The Fremont Valley Subbasin is not
adjudicated, as defined by California DWR.
Therefore, there are no limitations placed on
groundwater pumpage volumes due to
adjudication.
The City is not required to form or join a
groundwater sustainability agency (GSA)
since it is not in a high or medium priority
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basin. The South Lahontan Basin is
categorized as low priority.-
3.8. OTHER CONDITIONS
As required by CWC section 10631(b)(2), for
basins that have not been adjudicated,
information as to whether DWR has
identified the basin or basins as overed or
has projected that the basin will become
overed, an UWMP must include a detailed
description of the efforts being undertaken
by the urban water supplier to eliminate the
long-term over condition.
According to DWR, the Fremont Valley
Subbasin is not listed as a critically overed
basin (California Department of Water
Resources, 2025). According to DWR Bulletin
118-80, “critical conditions of over” in a
basin is “when continuation of present water
management practices would probably
result in significant adverse over-related
environmental, social, or economic impacts”
(DWR, 2025).
3.9. GROUNDWATER PRODUCTION
The City has historically relied on
groundwater pumping for majority of its
water supply (see Table 3-2). This table also
show the quantities of groundwater the City
has pumped over the last ten (10) years with
a maximum of 1,241 MG in 2018. 1,241 MG
is around 86.1% of the total pumping
capacity 1,442 MG.
The following tables show the quantities of
groundwater the City has pumped in the last
five years through 2025. The amount of
groundwater pumped by the City over the
last five (5) years is shown in Table 3-2.
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Figure 3.8 Representative Groundwater Level Hydrographs (June 2026) 56 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Table 3-2: Overall Groundwater Production
Year Production
(MG)
2020 919
2021 886.2
2022 839.3
2023 799.2
2024 762.8
2025 797.3
Average: 834
2015-2020 Avg.
(2020 UWMP) 1,170
As can be seen from the amounts shown,
overall water production decreased slightly
from 2021 to 2025. This is most likely a result
of the lingering effects of the State
mandated drought restrictions (see Section
7) and only a slight increase in the City’s
population.
3.10. PROJECTED WATER SUPPLIES
The amount of groundwater projected to be
pumped in 5-year increments over the next
twenty-five (25) years is shown in Section 7.
AVEK, the City’s wholesale supplier, has
shown in its 2025 UWMP supply projections
that it will be able to meet full service
demands under all three (3) hydrologic
scenarios.
CWC section 10631(k) requires the
wholesale agency to provide information to
the urban retail water supplier for inclusion
in its UWMP which identifies and quantifies
the existing and
planned sources of
water available from
the wholesale agency.
Section 7.6 indicates
the wholesaler’s water
availability projections
by source for the next twenty-five (25) years
as provided to the City by AVEK.
In addition to imported water supply
availability, Section 7.6 also shows the
amount of groundwater supply available to
the City over the next twenty-five (25) years.
3.10.1. Planned/Projected Supply Projects
The 2023 Water Master Plan recommends
replacing at least five (5) miles of the aging
steel water mains per year with PVC pipe
(there are a total of approximately 85 miles
of water main within the city). The
completion of the water main replacement
program is expected to substantially reduce
the volume of “unaccounted” water lost by
leakage. Other proposed projects are shown
in Tables 7-1 & 7-2 of the 2023 Water Master
Plan.
The City has no feasible opportunity for the
development of a water desalination system
as a long-term supply. With no nearby or
convenient sources of saline water to
The City
rehabilitates its
wells and
reservoirs on a
recurring basis
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desalinate, the cost of providing the water
and then treating would outweigh the
benefits.
3.11. SURFACE WATER
The City routinely receives water from AVEK.
AVEK water is more expensive for the city
than pumping ground water. For this reason,
the City intends to retain and maintain its
AVEK use and rights of use but will try to
minimize its use to minimize costs. In the
event of an emergency, it is possible the City
may be able to increase the water supply
from one or both these agencies on a
temporary basis. However, if the situation is
drought-related, it is likely the water
supplied from AVEK will be affected by the
same situation and an increased supply to
the City may not be possible. AVEK has
developed water banking facilities to
mitigate the variability of the State Water
Project supply. With only seventy-seven
percent (77%) pumping capacity projected
though 2050, the City can easily increase its
groundwater pumping and or implement
restrictions on its customers to make sure
demand does not exceed available supply.
3.12. TRANSFERS OR EXCHANGES
The City has two (2) interconnections with
other agencies [AVEK and MPUD] that are
capable of transferring water to the City
during emergencies.
3.13. RELIABILITY OF SUPPLIES
The reliability of water supplies with regard
to regular threats to reliability, including
droughts and competition for supplies, is
discussed in detail in Section 7:. The reliability
of supplies with regard to irregular threats to
reliability, including catastrophic events or
emergencies (earthquake/power outage) is
discussed in Section 8:.
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4.1. OVERVIEW
Recycled water is defined as domestic
wastewater purified through primary,
secondary and tertiary treatment. The
Southern California region, from Ventura
County to San Diego County, discharges over
one (1) billion gallons of treated wastewater
to the ocean each day. Since recycled water
is acceptable for a variety of non-potable
water purposes such as irrigation,
groundwater recharge, and
commercial/industrial processes, it is
considered a reliable and drought-proof
water source and could greatly reduce the
region’s reliance on imported water. As
technological improvements continue to
reduce treatment costs, and as public
perception and acceptance continue to
improve, more reuse opportunities should
develop, which will increase demands for
recycled water. Recycled water is a critical
part of the California water picture because
of the likelihood of droughts.
This Section describes the City’s existing
wastewater collection and treatment
system, and identifies existing and future
recycled water use in the City. This section
also includes estimates of recycled water
supply and demand through 2050.
4.2. WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM
The existing sewer system encompasses the
City’s collection system and treatment
facilities. Within the City, approximately
thirty-four percent (34%) of the existing
residences are connected to the City sewer
4 Section 4:
Recycled Water
Opportunities
Recycled water has
increased overall
water supply
reliability for many
cities throughout
California.
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system (1,100 units) and sixty-six percent
(60%, 1,900 units) utilize onsite wastewater
treatment and disposal (septic tanks and
leach lines). Per the General Plan, the
expected build out of the City would involve
11,578 EDUs (Equivalent Dwelling Units). An
EDU is a source of wastewater which is equal
to that produced by a typical single-family
residence.
Table 4-1 estimates the average daily
wastewater flows from residential users
connected to the sewer system, estimated
flows from current septic systems, a
potential prison expansion of 1,512 beds in
the next ten (10) to twenty (20) years, and
the permitted WWTP capacity.
Table 4-1 Collection System Demand Projections
Scenario EDUs
Residential Flow
(MGD @ 240
gpd/EDU)
Prison (MGD)
Total Avg.
Flow (MGD)
Avg. Permitted
Flow (MGD)
Existing
Connections
1,100 0.264
0.303
(current)
0.567 1.0
Existing Septic
Units
1,900 0.456
0.303
(current)
1.023 1.0
City Buildout 11,578 2.779
0.663 (current
+ expansion)
3.442 1.0
The estimated cost of the expansion of the
collection system is $156.5 million (in 2022
dollars). At the City buildout of 11,578 EDUs,
this would equate to $13,500 per EDU. This
does not include the cost to homeowners to
abandon their septic system and connect to
the collection system. This could cost an
addition $3,000 to $4,000 per EDU.
An important consideration of the treatment
plant approach is the need to accommodate
system phasing. The City faces a number of
existing issues at its Wastewater Treatment
Plant, along with the need to expand
operation in order to accommodate growth,
particularly from the future expansion at the
prison. The existing plant is currently
designed and permitted at 1.0 MGD average
day flow; the plant currently treats roughly
0.65 MGD on average based on flow meter
records. During peak days, the treatment
facilities are reaching their treatment
capacity. With an additional 0.3 to 0.66 MGD
from a planned 1,512-bed expansion at the
prison and 1.5 MGD from projected future
flows within the community, the treatment
plant needs to be upgraded to
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accommodate up to 3.5 MGD average flows,
and 6.0 MGD peak flows.
4.2.1. Wastewater Treatment
The City of California City faces a number of
issues with its sanitary sewer collection
system and wastewater treatment plant.
Chief among these issues are concerns over
existing treatment processes and
accommodating future growth within the
City.
Evaluating and analyzing the City’s facilities
and their capabilities on a regular basis is
important for continuing to provide
adequate service to City residents. State and
Federal law changes also necessitate reevaluating previous projections and
planning. California
City is located in the
northern portion of
Antelope Valley, in the
southeastern portion
of Kern County, or
roughly 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The
City of California City was incorporated in
1965, and the sewer system now serves over
1,300 customers. California City is the thirdlargest land area of any city in California, spanning 203.63 square miles. The largest
customer of the City’s existing wastewater
flow and treatment capacity is the nearby
California City Correctional Facility prison.
The City’s existing treatment plant is
permitted to treat 1.0 MGD average and
peak flow of 2.0 MGD. The current waste
discharge requirements (WDR) that the
treatment plant operates under were set by
the State in 2000. Primary treatment
consists of a headworks and two (2) aeration
basins. Secondary treatment is composed of
two (2) secondary clarifiers and a return
activated sludge/waste activated sludge
station. The treatment plants existing
tertiary treatment is composed of a filter
influent lift station, two (2) cell flocculation
chambers, four (4) up-flow sand filtration
units, and a chlorine gas disinfection
chamber. Sludge is sent to ten (10) sand
drying beds before being disposed of via
landfill, with the City removing 49 tons of
sludge in the year 2020.
The sanitary sewer collection system
currently spans forty-three (43) miles of
pipe. As with the City’s population and
services, much of the infrastructure that
serves the residents of California City are
also in the City’s main roads. The City and
other reference sources were consulted in
assembling data to conduct the analysis of
the City for the implementation of a
wastewater collection and treatment
system. GIS Data obtained included land use,
parcels, streets, digital contours, City
boundaries, etc.
The sewer system
now serves over
1,300 customers
spanning fortythree (43) miles of
pipe.
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The data collected was reviewed within the
context of wastewater production for the
current year, a future 5- to 10-year period,
and a 20-year period, with ultimate
populations expected to inhabit the City and
its SOI. GIS data for land uses, City
boundaries, streets and digital contour data
were used to create sub-catchments, or
drainage sub-basins. Given the elevation and
characteristics of each sub-catchment, a
representative sewer trunk pipeline
alignment was chosen. These facilities were
loaded with the wastewater generation
factors derived and modeled for conveyance
to the wastewater treatment and disposal.
The analysis also determined that due to the
relatively flat geography in much of the City,
sewage lift stations and force mains would
be required in multiple locations to deliver
this wastewater to the treatment facility.
Several options were considered for the
treatment plant including the development
of facility staging strategies that would
maximize the performance and cost
effectiveness of long-term treatment and
disposal options.
The 2023 Wastewater System Master Plan
concluded with the development of the
potential capital improvement requirements
that may be needed to provide a systemwide sewer system for the area at build-out.
Figure 4.1 and Figure 4.2 shows the City of
California City’s WWTP.
Figure 4.1 City of California City’s WWTP (2023)
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4.2.2. Wastewater Flows
The quantities of wastewater generated are
proportional to the City’s population and the
water used by its residents. The wastewater
flows are metered at the influent and
effluent of the WWTP, before being
discharged. Total wastewater collected in
the City over the past five (5) years is shown
in Table 4-2.
Table 4-2 Wastewater Flows Collected in
City
Year Wastewater
(AF)
Wastewater
(MG)
2021 706 230
2022 707 230
2023 606 197
2024 456 148
2025 489 159
Avg: 593 193
Due to projected increase of detainees in the
CCC, wastewater flows are expected to
slightly change over this UWMP planning
period (2050). The City anticipates that
future wastewater flows can be estimated
using the projected demands shown in Table
6-8 multiplied by an average return rate of
thirty-four percent (34%) from 2030 through
2050. Table 4-3 shows the projected
wastewater flows.
Table 4-3 Projected Wastewater Flows
Collected in City
Year
Wastewater
(AF)
Wastewater
(MG)
2030 1,109 361
2035 1,133 369
2040 1,156 377
2045 1,180 385
2050 1,204 392
Since approximately thirty-four percent
(34%) of the existing residences are
connected to the City sewer system and the
remaining sixty-six percent (66%) utilize
onsite wastewater treatment, such a return
rate was used for a conservative projection
of future wastewater flows. The projected
demands already accounted for increasing
number of detainees.
The City’s WWTP is designed to treat an
average permitted flow of 1.0 MGD, which is
insufficient to handle the projected flow
rates from 1.01 MGD (2030) to 1.07 MGD
(2050).
4.3. CURRENT AND FUTURE RECYCLED
WATER
The City currently has tertiary treatment
facilities that are used to generate recycled
water discharged to either onsite
percolation ponds or the Central Park Lake
(Figure 6.1) for use on the Tierra del Sol golf
course. Effluent in the summer months is
used for the golf course irrigation. During the
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winter months, once storage basins are full,
a percentage of approximately one percent
(1%) or 2.2 MG is diverted to WWTP
percolation ponds. Figure 4.2 shows the City
of California City’s WWTP in relation to the
Central Park Lake and Tierra del Sol golf
course.
Total recycled water produced and/or used
in the City was determined by taking the
difference in effluent from the WWTP and
amount discharged to the percolation ponds
over the past five (5) years, and is shown in
Table 4-4.
Table 4-4 Recycled Water Produced and/or
Used in City
Year Recycled Water
Produced or Used (MG)
2021 172
2022 182
2023 181
2024 128
2025 120
Avg: 156
As it stands, the existing chlorine treatment
facilities are at the end of their useful life,
and expensive to operate/maintain when
the golf course does not pay the City for this
water in any capacity. In order to continue
tertiary treatment, the City is investigating
potential construction of new tertiary filters
(MBR, disc filters, or multimedia filtration)
and UV treatment processes (to replace the
chlorine gas addition and contact basin),
totaling over $2,000,000 in initial cost along
with continued operation and maintenance
(O&M) costs with no revenue generated for
the City from the recycled water.
The second option considered was
secondary disinfection of the effluent, with
construction of a hypochlorite disinfection
feed system, a new pump station, and a
250,000-gallon storage tank.
This recycled water would only be suitable
for use in dust control for construction, with
contractors paying for its usage. The
remaining effluent
would be disposed of
in the onsite
percolation ponds. To
facilitate this, an
additional 10-acre
disposal pond would
need to be
constructed. The estimated construction
cost for the hypochlorite disinfection system
and 10-acre pond was determined by City
staff to be approximately $2,000,000.
4.3.1. Projected Recycled Water Use
As a result of these high costs and lack of
funding sources, the City will no longer
produce or discharge recycled water by
2028. Therefore, it is projected that recycled
water will not be available within the City’s
service area from 2030 to 2050.
The City is
investigating
potential
construction of
new tertiary
filters.
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Figure 4.2 Existing WWTP and Disposal Site (Wastewater Master Plan, March 2023) 66 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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5.1. OVERVIEW
The quality of a natural body of water varies
over time and location, and these variables
must be recognized by water agencies.
During periods of intense rainfall,
contaminants can be washed into receiving
waters, although dilution of existing
contaminants may also occur. Conversely,
during a drought, the concentration of
existing contaminants may increase without
additional incoming flows. These principles
apply to both surface water and
groundwater. As groundwater levels
fluctuate, groundwater passes through
different layers of rock and sediment and
receives substances native to those strata.
Also, groundwater wells that have not been
used over long periods of time can have
water quality issues resulting from stagnant
water. For these reasons, City of California
City (City) monitors its wells for water quality
as required by State and Federal regulations.
This Section provides a general description
of the City’s water sources, water quality
monitoring and reporting, and water
treatment. A discussion of potential water
quality impacts on the reliability of supplies
is also provided.
5.2. WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
5.2.1. Federal Regulations
In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking
Water Act (SDWA) in order to protect public
health by regulating the nation's municipal
drinking water supply. As part of the SDWA,
5 Section 5:
Water Quality
The City’s
groundwater Well 14
(pictured) is sampled
and tested to ensure
high quality drinking
water.
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powers were given to the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate drinking
water. The 1996 amendment to the SDWA
required monitoring of new types of
contaminants. Since the 1996 amendment
to the SDWA, the EPA has identified over
ninety (90) contaminants in its National
Primary Drinking Water Regulations
(NPDWR) or “primary standards”). The main
categories the EPA has identified include:
biological microorganisms, disinfectants,
disinfection byproducts, inorganic
chemicals, organic chemicals, and
radionuclides. As required by the SDWA,
water agencies must provide annual Water
Quality Reports to its customers.
5.2.2. State Regulations
Water quality regulations have changed
since the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974.
Several state, regional and county agencies
have jurisdiction and responsibility for
monitoring water quality. The actual
regulations on water quality have also
changed over the years. This is the result of
the discovery of new contaminants,
changing understanding of the health effects
of previously known as well as new
contaminants, development of new
analytical technology, and the introduction
of new treatment technology. All water
purveyors are subject to drinking water
standards set by the EPA and the State
Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).
The California Department of Public Health
(CDPH) previously oversaw the water quality
of the State's drinking water program and
the environmental lab accreditation
program. As of July
2014, those programs
were transferred to
the SWRCB. Under the
SWRCB, the Division of
Drinking Water (DDW)
regulates public
drinking water
systems, including setting the maximum
contaminant levels (MCLs) and regulating
the operation of water systems. In addition
to the SWRCB, several regional and county
agencies have jurisdiction and responsibility
for monitoring water quality and
contaminant sites.
5.2.3. State Drinking Water Standards
The State of California has established two
(2) main types of drinking water standards:
1. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)
2. Public Health Goal (PHG)
MCLs are the drinking water standards to be
met by public water systems. The levels set
by the State consider a contaminant’s health
risk, detectability, treatability, and costs of
treatment. MCLs are further broken down
into two (2) types:
1. Primary MCL – Health Related
2. Secondary MCL – Taste & Odor
In 2014, the
State’s drinking
water program
was transferred
from the Health
Department to
SWRCB.
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Secondary MCLs are not federally
enforceable according to the most recent
SDWA amendments. However, they are
regulated by the State of California. DDW
publishes a list of Secondary MCLs, which
include Copper, Iron, and Zinc.
PHGs are established by the Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
(OEHHA). They are concentrations of
drinking water contaminants that pose no
significant health risk if consumed for a
lifetime, provided risk levels are not
exceeded. Public water systems often use
PHGs to provide information regarding
drinking water contaminants in their annual
water quality reports. PHGs are not
regulatory standards. However, state law
requires the SWRCB to set drinking water
standards for chemical contaminants as
close to the corresponding PHG as is
economically and technologically feasible.
5.2.4. Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6)
As of the 2020 UWMP, California had
previously established a maximum
contaminant level (MCL) of ten (10) parts per
billion (ppb) for hexavalent chromium (Cr6),
which took effect on October 1, 2024. This
concentration can be described as one drop
in an Olympic-size swimming pool. Prior to
this, Cr6 was regulated under California's
total chromium MCL of 50-ppb. The Federal
Standard is currently set at 100-ppb. The
SWRCB is currently evaluating treatment
technologies and cost estimates for
Chromium-6 removal.
5.2.5. City Standards
To ensure quality of its water, the City
conducts sampling and testing of water on a
daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Testing is
performed at several locations of the City’s
distribution system, as well as at the source
(City wells). Results of the water quality
testing are posted annually to the City’s
website. The City’s water quality reports
since 2014, are archived at the following link:
californiacityca.gov/CC/index.php/consumer-confidencereport The testing is conducted on several
parameters, including organic & inorganic
chemicals, bacteriological contaminants,
pesticides and herbicides, and radiological
contaminants. The City contracts with
certified laboratories to perform water
quality testing. The City’s Annual Water
Quality Reports (also known as “Consumer
Confidence Reports”) are filed with DDW
and released to customers. The annual
reports identify regulated substances
(Primary MCLs), secondary substances
(Secondary MCLs), and unregulated
substances (PHGs). The City identifies all
detected substances in the annual reports.
According to the City’s 2024 Annual Water
Quality Report, the results for this type of
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testing indicate that lead and copper were
not detected above the action level (AL).
5.3. QUALITY OF WATER SOURCES
The two (2) main sources of the City’s water
supply are Groundwater from the Fremont
Valley basin and imported water from AVEK.
Since AVEK draws the majority of its water
from the SWP, the quality of the City's
imported water supply is closely related to
the quality of this source.
5.3.1. Imported Water Quality
AVEK is responsible for providing water of a
high quality throughout its service area. The
water delivered by AVEK is tested both for
currently regulated contaminants and for
additional contaminants of concern. AVEK’s
supplies originate primarily from the SWP.
The SWP contains low levels of total disolved
solids (TDS) while its level of organic
materials is higher than most, lending to the
formation of disinfection byproducts. One of
the measures for determining drinking water
quality is the concentration of a constituent
known as trihalomethanes (THM).
Implementing an award-winning water
treatment method, “geopurification,” AVEK
has achieved record low levels of THM.
Figure 5.1 Native Rock adds to the Salinity of the Colorado River Water Supplies 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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5.3.3. Groundwater Quality
California’s Groundwater Bulletin 118
characterizes the Fremont Valley
Groundwater Basin as sodium bicarbonate in
the southeast, sodium bicarbonate or
calcium-sodium sulfate in the southwest,
sodium sulfate-bicarbonate to sodium
chloride in the north, and complex with
variable mixtures of sodium, calcium,
chloride, sulfate, and bicarbonate in the
central region. These chemical compositions
not only affect localized water quality (and
therefore, groundwater pumping) but can
also influence concentrations throughout
the groundwater basin through
groundwater flow resulting from highvolume pumping. The total dissolved solids (TDS) content of groundwater is high in this
region. Some of the contaminants affecting
groundwater use in the region include
arsenic, gross alpha particle activity,
uranium, fluoride, TDS, and boron.
5.4. IMPACTS OF WATER QUALITY
Water quality dictates the management
strategies a water supplier will implement,
including, but not limited to, the selection of
water sources, treatment alternatives,
blending options, and modifications to
existing treatment facilities. A direct result of
the degradation of a water source is the
need to install wellhead treatment before
consumption. The poorer quality of the
source water, the greater the need (and
cost) for treatment. This can also decrease
water supply reliability. Due to the number
of groundwater wells in the City’s water
system, the City has a degree of redundancy
in the event of water quality impairments
with a particular well. Figure 5.2 shows a
general procedure that the City may take
when one of the City’s wells is detected to
have water quality concerns.
The City’s water system is and has been in
compliance with all DDW water quality
standards.
5.4.1. Impacts of Abandoned Wells
The presence of abandoned groundwater
wells represents a potential hazard to the
quality of the groundwater basin.
Abandoned and improperly destroyed wells
can act as conduits for contaminants to
reach drinking water supplies. It is vital for
the long-term protection of the basin that
abandoned wells be
located and destroyed.
While it is the
landowner’s
responsibility to
destroy an abandoned
well, local water
agencies should be proactive about making
sure that abandoned wells are in fact
destroyed. The destruction of abandoned
groundwater wells should be performed in
accordance with state standards. CWC
Section 13750.5 requires that those
responsible for the destruction of water
Abandoned
private wells can
pose a water
quality concern if
left unaddressed.
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wells possess a C-57 Water Well Contractor’s
License. Whenever a water well is destroyed,
a report of completion must be filed with the
California DWR within sixty (60) days of the
completion of the work. DDW and Kern
County (County) are responsible for
permitting and inspecting construction and
destruction of wells.
State policy for all functional and abandoned
wells is to establish a “well site control
zone”, the area immediately surrounding the
well alternatively referred to as the
“wellhead”. The purpose of this zone is to
provide protection from vandalism,
tampering, or other threats at the well site.
The size of this zone can be determined by
using a simple radius, or an equivalent area.
The well site control zone should be
managed to reduce the possibility of surface
flows reaching the wellhead and traveling
down the unprotected casing. SWRCB-DDW
regulations recommend a minimum radius
of 50 feet for well site control zones for all
public water systems in the state. The
requirement applies to abandoned wells as
well as functional activities that could
potentially lead to “source water
contamination” according to EPA regulations
(IWRP, 2007). Additionally, well owners are
responsible for destroying abandoned wells
per the Public Health and Safety Code, Part
9.5, Section 115700.
Figure 5.2 Well 14 Chemical Injection
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5.4.2. Groundwater Contamination
Response
Currently, the City has a WSCP, Annex of the
Kern County Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP),
Cross Connection Control Plan (CCCP) for
both the City of California City system and
Wonder Acres system, and Sewer System
Management Plan (SSMP) that includes an
Overflow Emergency Response Plan (OERP)
that work in conjunction to handle the
effects of potential groundwater
contamination and mitigate disasters such
as sudden water shortages. This information
is provided in Section 8.
The WSCP can provide guidance for dealing
with the effects of a water shortage, which
may be due to groundwater contamination.
The City also has emergency response
policies in place to respond to emergencies.
Two (2) recent tests of the City’s emergency
response network were seen in the year
2020, when the City
responded to the
Covid-19 pandemic,
and in 2021, when
Governor Newsom
issued a State of
Emergency due to
drought that required Statewide
correspondence with Level 2 of agency’s
WSCP. In the event of a groundwater
contamination shortage, the City will work in
conjunction with the County’s Emergency
Operations Center to deal with the effects of
potential water shortages.
5.4.3. Sanitary Surveys by DDW
The quality of water dictates numerous
management strategies a water purveyor
will implement, including, but not limited to,
the selection of water sources, treatment
alternatives, blending options, and
modifications to existing treatment facilities.
A direct result from the degradation of a
water source is increased treatment cost
before consumption. The poorer the quality
of the source water, the greater the
treatment cost. This in turn can decrease
water supply reliability by potentially
decreasing the total supply.
A Watershed Sanitary Survey examines the
potential sources of contaminants in the
watersheds and includes recommendations
for managing these effects. Per DDW
guidelines, the Watershed Sanitary Surveys
must be updated every five (5) years. Since
the City does not use any surface water
directly, the City does not prepare
Watershed Sanitary Surveys. However, the
City is still subject to periodic inspections by
DDW staff every three (3) years. The Sanitary
Surveys conducted by DDW include
inspection and evaluation of the following:
1. Water Sources
2. Treatment
3. Distribution System
4. Finished Water Storage
The City will work
with AVEK and the
County’s
Emergency
Operations Center.
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5. Pumping Facilities
6. Monitoring & Reporting
7. System Management/Operation
8. Operator Compliance (with State
Requirements)
The City’s previous Sanitary Survey
Inspection occurred in 2022.
5.4.4. Impacts on Management &
Reliability
As a result of the City’s water quality policies,
the City has not experienced water quality
issues that affect its ability to meet
demands. As shown in Figure 8.1, when wells
are offline, additional groundwater will be
available through other wells to supplement
water supplies and additional water may be
purchased from AVEK.
Therefore, the City does not anticipate any
significant impacts to water supply reliability
due to water quality issues.
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6.1. OVERVIEW
The City’s water consumption is subject to
significant change from year to year.
Further, water use within the City’s service
area is also variable over the course of a
given month or due to climate conditions.
This section explores the water usage trends
within the City and quantifies total water
usage per customer type. In addition, the
provisions of Senate Bill x7-7 (Water
Conservation Act) are explored in detail.
6.2. COVID PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON THE
WATER SYSTEM
As a result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) Pandemic, Commercial and
Institutional water use had declined. On
March 19, 2020, an Executive Order and
Public Health Order directed all Californians
to stay home, except to go to an essential job
or to shop for essential needs. It was then
modified on May 4, 2020. The Regional Stay
Home Order, announced December 3, 2020,
triggered additional restrictions after the
region was announced to have less than
fifteen percent (15%) ICU availability. It
prohibited private gatherings of any size,
closed sector operations except for critical
infrastructure and retail, and required 100%
masking (with certain exceptions as
indicated in guidance for use of face
coverings) and physical distancing. The
Regional Stay Home Order was lifted January
25, 2021. During his 2021 State of the State
Address Governor, Gavin Newsom reported
that California had administered nearly
eleven (11) million doses of the vaccine, and
6 Section 6:
Water Use
Water use within the
City’s service area
includes residential,
commercial,
institutional, and
landscape irrigation.
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that the State was well on its way to seeing
an end to this pandemic.
The DDW has stated that the PWS
operations are designated as essential
functions and staff and suppliers are not
restricted by any current orders. This has
allowed water system operators and
maintenance workers to keep the PWS
providing safe and clean drinking water to its
customers.
The COVID‑19 pandemic temporarily altered
water‑use patterns and utility operations
across California. Stay‑at‑home orders in
2020 and 2021 led to higher residential
water use, while commercial, industrial, and
institutional demand declined due to
widespread facility closures. Many agencies
observed shifts in
peak‑hour demand
and changes in spatial
distribution, with more
water used in
neighborhoods and
less in business
districts. Although
these patterns gradually normalized as
restrictions eased, the pandemic highlighted
how quickly demand can shift during major
disruptions.
Water utilities also experienced operational
and financial impacts during the pandemic.
Many households faced economic hardship,
leading to increases in delinquent customer
payments and reduced revenue stability for
some agencies. Utilities also had to deal with
staffing shortages, supply‑chain delays, and
the need for enhanced safety protocols to
maintain essential services. While most
systems remained resilient, the pandemic
underscored the importance of emergency
planning, financial reserves, and operational
flexibility for maintaining reliable water
service during large‑scale disruptions.
6.3. CURRENT CITY WATER NEEDS
Water use within the City’s service area
includes residential potable use, landscape
irrigation use, commercial and institutional
uses, and of course water losses. Water use
is variable and depends on a number of
factors which include seasonal climate
changes, demographic shifts, changes in
land use or redevelopment, and of course
legislation. Since the City’s service area is
largely residential, changes in residential
plumbing fixtures and customer usage habits
can significantly affect water usage.
6.4. CLIMATE IMPACTS ON WATER USE
California faces changes in water use habits
due to a variety of issues including
population growth, regulatory restrictions,
and climate change (including the severe
drought of 2020-2022). More specifically,
weather unpredictability (more extreme
drought and flood events) poses additional
challenges to water agencies, not only due to
The Covid-19
Pandemic has
impacted water
use in the
residential and
commercial
sectors.
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impacts on water supplies but also due to
impacts on water demands.
Since the preparation of the 2020 UWMP,
there have been local and statewide
influences on water use in the City. California
experienced a multi-year drought from 2020
through 2022, with precipitation
consistently below average and record-high
temperatures which exacerbated water
scarcity. Water year 2022, covering October
2021 to September
2022, ended with
seventy-seven percent
(77%) of average
precipitation, following
an even drier 2021,
making the three-year
stretch drier than the previous record dry
period of 2013–2015. Snowpack, a critical
water source, fell to thirty-five percent (35%)
of average by April 1, 2022, despite a strong
start in December. Drought severity varied
regionally, with the Central Valley and
northern basins experiencing the most
extreme conditions.
Environmental Impacts: The drought led to
dry soils, reduced water availability, and
increased wildfire risk. Wildfire activity
fluctuated, with 4.3 million acres burned in
2020, decreasing to 2.57 million acres in
2021 and 362,455 acres in 2022, reflecting
both drought intensity and mitigation
efforts. Reduced snowpack and low
precipitation stressed rivers, reservoirs, and
groundwater systems, affecting ecosystems
and water supply reliability.
Agricultural and Economic Impacts:
Agriculture was heavily affected, particularly
in the Sacramento Valley and rice-producing
counties. In 2022, 750,000 acres of farmland
were idled, more than half in the
Sacramento area. Direct economic losses to
farm activity were estimated at $1.2 billion
in 2022, up from $810 million in 2021, with
additional losses of $845 million in food
processing industries, totaling $2 billion in
value-added losses and 19,420 jobs lost.
Increased evapotranspiration due to higher
temperatures further stressed crops,
requiring more irrigation to maintain
productivity.
Regional and Temporal Variability: Drought
intensity varied across the state and over
time. In 2020, drought conditions were less
severe, while 2021 and 2022 saw
widespread and more intense drought,
particularly in the Central Valley. Northern
California basins faced early water
curtailments, and the Sacramento Valley
experienced unprecedented climatological
stress due to limited groundwater pumping
capacity. Despite these challenges,
mitigation measures such as land idling,
water trading, and increased groundwater
pumping helped reduce potential losses.
Snowpack, a
critical water
source, fell to 35%
of average by
April 1, 2022.
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Changes in water usage habits have a special
concern for the State due to the interdependence of many agencies for the transfer and use of water. For example,
some agencies are unable to produce water
locally and are entirely dependent on
imported water sources, while others are
able to produce all water locally (i.e.,
groundwater). Also, some agencies are able
to reduce demands with minimal economic
impacts (only water sales revenues), while
other agencies will
suffer economically
(i.e., agricultural &
industrial users) if
required by State or
local agencies to
reduce water
consumption.
Therefore, the State
will likely face challenges in the near future
to find the correct balance of water supply
allocations to meet demands under various
weather conditions. For State Water Project
(SWP) water rights holders, this is an
extremely critical issue.
6.4.1. California Water Plan Update 2023
DWR’s California Water Plan Update 2023
emphasizes the urgency of climate change
impacts, the need for watershed resilience,
and the importance of equity in water
management. It is designed to ensure that all
Californians benefit from water resources
that are sustainable and resilient to climate
change. There are three themes including:
Addressing Climate Urgency: The plan
recognizes the increasing variability in
California's hydrology due to climate change
and promotes adaptive infrastructure and
emergency planning to enhance resilience.
Strengthening Watershed Resilience: It
encourages coordinated efforts at the
watershed level to integrate engineered
systems with natural processes, to achieve
multiple benefits across water, agriculture,
and ecology.
Achieving Equity: For the first time, the
update includes a dedicated chapter on the
challenges and resources of California Native
American Tribes, ensuring that Indigenous
knowledge and priorities are integrated into
statewide planning.
6.5. WATER USE
6.5.1. Past Water Use
As the population of the City has increased
over the past decade, overall water use
within the City’s service area has also
increased steadily. Annual water
consumption from 2016 to 2020 listed in the
2020 UWMP ranged from a high of 989 MG
in 2018 to a low of 655 MG in 2016 with an
average of 789 MG as shown in Table 6-1.
The State will
likely face
challenges in the
near future to find
the correct
balance of water
supply allocations.
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Table 6-1 City Past Water Use
Year
Total Potable
Consumption
(MG)
Per Capita
(GPCD)
2016 655 231.3
2017 858 228.5
2018 989 225.7
2019 714 226.5
2020 732 168.4
Average: 789 216.1
As indicated by Table 6-1, water use has
been fluctuating, although generally
trending upward since 2016. This correlates
to the increasing population that is shown in
Section 2. Based on the values shown in
Table 6-1, water use had increased by nearly
twelve percent (12%) since 2016.
6.5.2. Recent Water Use
Table 6-2 shows the District’s water
consumption over the past five (5) years.
Table 6-2 City Recent Water Use
Year
Total Potable
Consumption
(MG)
Per Capita
(GPCD)
2021 N/A N/A
2022 839 152.8
2023 799 147.3
2024 763 158.5
2025 797 155.3
Average: 800 153.5
2020 Water Use Target: 270
As shown in Table 6-2, the City experienced
a water demand of 797 MG in the year 2025.
All water distributed through the City service
area is potable drinking water. Annual water
use since 2021 has ranged from
approximately 763 MG to 839 MG, with an
average 800 MG. As indicated by Table 6-2,
water use has been trending downward, and
the City has already reached their 2020
water use reduction target. It is expected
that water-use efficiency will increase in
future years due mostly to conservation
practice and enforcement.
6.6. WATER USE BY SECTOR
6.6.1. Service Connections/Accounts
The City maintains records of water
consumption and, as of July 1, 2025, bills its
customers on a monthly basis for water and
sewer service. Prior to this, customers were
billed bi-monthly. Approximately fifty-oneand-a-half percent (51.5%) of the City’s water demand is residential. CII sectors
account for approximately sixteen-and-ahalf percent (16.5%) of the City’s potable water demand. The remaining portion of the
City’s demand pertains to irrigation
purposes. The City does not provide any
sales to agriculture, nor other agencies,
saline water intrusion barriers, groundwater
recharge, or conjunctive use. Water losses
due to leakage or inaccurate water meters,
are calculated in accordance with CWC
10631(e)(3)(B). The total number of service
connections and water consumption is
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shown in Table 6-3, respectively.
Table 6-3 Service Connections (2025)
Sector Service
Accounts
Single Family Residential 4,750
Multi-Family Residential 121
Commercial/Institutional 87
Industrial 0
Landscape Irrigation 22
Other 0
Total Connections: 4,980
Approximately ninety-eight percent (98%) of
the total service connections are residential
(single- or multi- family), since the City
consists primarily of residential properties.
Single-family comprises the largest
individual sector with eighty-four percent
(95%) of the total service connections.
Commercial and institutional accounts
comprise approximately one-and-a-half
percent (1.5%) of the total accounts. The City
currently has no industrial accounts. The City
has approximately twenty-two (22)
landscape irrigation accounts, including
Central Park. There are multiple grasscovered landscapes in its service area (including sports fields and parks). The parks
and schools within the City are not Cityowned, but the City meters these locations and bills for the use of water.
The City’s water rates are listed in Section
8.14. Water sales data is compiled by City
water staff and submitted to DWR in the
Electronic Annual Report (eAR). The total
water consumption by customer type since
2021 is shown on Table 6-4. As indicated by
Table 6-4, Single-Family Residential
accounts are the highest consuming sector in
the City since most of the City is zoned for
single-family accounts (with higher densities
for multi-family accounts).
Figure 6.1 Central Park Lake
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Table 6-4 Recent Water Demand by Sector (MG)
Sector 2022 2023 2024 2025
Single-Family Residential 398.1 402.9 413.9 397.4
Multi-Family Residential 20.6 15.7 15.4 14.4
Commercial/Institutional 201.5 121.3 79 64.9
Industrial 0.83 0.73 0.74 0.2
Landscape Irrigation 12.4 62.4 46.9 80.3
Agricultural 0.94 0.4 1.2 0.04
Other 1.8 3.1 3.4 7.0
Total Water Sales: 636.2 606.5 560.5 564.1
Water Loss
(Real Loss + Apparent Loss) 203 193 202 233
Total Water Consumption
(Total Supply into System): 839 799 763 797
Notes: Estimated Water Loss values were determined from City internal supply/demand data.
Notes: Insufficient data from the City for 2021 has been sorted as outlier and therefore not included in the data analysis.
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Figure 6.2 Current Water Demand by Sector (in 2025)
Single Family
41.7%
Multi-Family
Commercial 1.5%
6.8%
Institutional
16.5%
Landscape
Irrigation
8.4%
Other
0.7%
Loss
24.4%
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6.6.2. Distribution System Losses
Distribution system water losses (also
known as “real losses”) are the physical
water losses from the water distribution
system and the supplier’s storage facilities,
up to the point of customer consumption.
These losses are reported in Table 6-4
It is currently estimated that the water
losses from the City’s distribution system in
2025 are 24.4% of water produced and
therefore, the volume of water loss is
reported as 233 MG. These losses are largely
attributed to water line breaks and water
theft.
As indicated by Table 6-4, the City's Water
Loss ranged from 193 to 887 MG, which on
average is approximately twenty-five
percent (25%) of the total water supply into
the City's distribution system. Water Loss is
determined as the sum of apparent loss and
real loss, as determined in each years
Validated Water Loss Audit. Examples of
Water Loss consists of routine flushing,
unmetered use, and main breaks, to name a
few. Although water losses have cost
impacts on water agencies, they cannot be
prevented entirely.
Instead, effort is directed at controlling the
quantity of water losses (to a cost-effective
extent) in order to reduce the cost impact of
water losses on water operations. For this
reason, the City’s Staff prepares annual
Water Loss Audits, using AWWA software.
The 2020 Audit shows that the City’s Leakage
Index (the ratio of real loss to unavoidable
loss) was 2.9, which is below the 75th
percentile and above the median of Water
Purveyors. The City’s Validated Water Loss
Audits can be found on DWR’s WUE Portal:
wuedata.water.ca.gov/awwa_plans
6.6.3. 2028 Water Loss Standard
CWC Section 10608.34 requires SWRCB to
develop water loss performance standards
for urban retail water suppliers. Executive
Orders B-37-16 and B-40-17 direct SWRCB
and DWR to minimize water waste through
system leaks. Water loss performance
standards became effective in 2023. As part
of a proposed water conservation
regulation, urban retail water suppliers (not
individual households or businesses) will be
held to "urban water use objectives." An
urban water use objective is the sum of
standard-based budgets for a subset of
water uses, such as residential outdoor use,
as further described in Section 6.7.
Retail Suppliers must meet water loss
standards by January 1, 2028, calculated on
a system level. Ongoing compliance will be
on a three-year average basis. The baseline
period for the 2028 Water Loss Standard is
2017-2020. Real loss and apparent losses
used to calculate the standard are the
average real losses and apparent losses in
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the baseline period. SWRCB staff can initiate
an adjustment process for any system that
has significant changes in data compared to
the baseline if at least three (3) compliance
assessments have passed. Suppliers can
request an adjustment to the baseline
period data if significant data improvements
have been made.
Suppliers must either meet their apparent
loss standard (equivalent to their baseline
period (2017-2020) apparent losses) or
submit an inventory of all apparent losses.
Meeting the apparent loss standard is not
required as long as an inventory of apparent
losses is submitted.
The City’s Baseline Real Loss is 1,243.1
gallons per mile of pipe per day (gpmd) and
Real Loss Standard is 474.1 gpmd, resulting
in a Required Real Loss Reduction from
Baseline of 62%. Apparent Loss Standard is
8.2 gallons per service connection per day
(gpscd).
6.7. URBAN WATER USE OBJECTIVE
The “Making Conservation a California Way
of Life” regulation went into effect on
January 1, 2025 and establishes unique
efficiency goals for each urban retail water
supplier in California and provides those
suppliers flexibility to implement locally appropriate solutions. The regulation seeks to cultivate long-term practices that help
communities adapt to California’s ongoing
water challenges. The regulation requires
suppliers to:
• Annually calculate urban water use
objectives for a subset of urban water
uses: residential indoor water use,
residential outdoor water use, real
water loss, and commercial, industrial,
and institutional (CII) landscapes with
dedicated irrigation meters (DIMs).
• Carry out performance measures for
CII water us.
• Annually report to SWRCB.
The City’s Compliance Summary Report,
prepared by SWRCB staff on September 30,
2025, summarizes the supplier’s compliance
with annual reporting requirements under
the “Making Conservation a California Way
of Life” regulation for the state fiscal year
2023-2024. This report was due on January
1, 2025. The City’s fiscal year 2024-2025
report was not submitted; therefore, no
Compliance Summary Report was further
made available.
6.7.1. Key Highlights from the Report
The following points are a summary of
Sections 2 through 6 of the City’s
Compliance Summary Report for fiscal year
2023-2024:
• The report was initially submitted on
January 15, 2025, but later revised and
re-submitted on June 10, 2025.
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• The supplier has met its calculated
objective for fiscal year 2023-2024.
• The supplier has no approved
variances or temporary provisions for
fiscal year 2023-2024.
• The report contains three (3) data
quality flags: Real water loss reported
as 0, missing, or negative; DIMs and InLieu Tech did not explain "Other" BMP; No CII BMP customer identification
method was specified.
6.7.2. Objectives Calculated with Future
Standards
The water use objectives will become
progressively lower as standards change
through 2040. Table 6-5 compares the
current water use objective and reported
water use to future efficiency requirements;
the full summary can be found in Section 7
of the City’s Compliance Summary Report.
While this table does not capture how future
water use objectives will be influenced by
changes in local climatology, service area
population, square footage of irrigated
landscapes, and other data that will factor
into future water use efficiency objectives, it
is provided as a tool for local planning
purposes.
Table 6-5 Objectives Calculated with Future Standards
Fiscal Year FY 23-24 Use
(MG)
Calculated/Projected Objective
(MG)
Current use lower than
objective?
24-25 470.7 542.6 Yes
25-26 470.7 500.4 Yes
30-31 470.7 474.5 Yes
35-36 470.7 444.2 No (objective is 5.6% lower)
40-41 470.7 429.9 No (objective is 8.6% lower)
As Table 6-5 shows, the City has met its
calculated objective for fiscal year 2023-
2024. The City’s Compliance Summary
Report can be located on DWR’s WUE Portal:
wuedata.water.ca.gov/uwuo_plans
6.8. WATER CONSERVATION ACT
6.8.1. Act Background (SBx7-7)
Due to the limited amount of water allowed
to be pumped in the San Joaquin Delta, the
California State Legislature drafted the
Water Conservation Act of 2009 (SBx7-7) to
protect statewide water sources. The
legislation called for a twenty percent (20%)
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reduction in water use in California by the
year 2020. The legislation amended the
Water Code to call for 2015 and 2020 water
use targets in the 2010 UWMPs, updates or
revisions to these targets in the 2015 and
2020 UWMPs, and allows DWR to enforce
compliance to the new water use standards.
In essence, the bill requires each urban retail
water supplier to develop urban water use
targets to help meet the twenty percent
(20%) goal by 2020 and an interim ten
percent (10%) goal by 2015.
The bill establishes methods for urban retail
water suppliers to determine their targets to
help achieve statewide water reduction
targets, which may or may not be a strict
twenty percent (20%) level. The retail water
supplier must select one of the four targetsetting methods as described in Section
2.4.3. The retail agency may also choose to
comply with SBx7-7 as an individual or as a
region in collaboration with other water
suppliers. Under the regional compliance
option, the retail water supplier is mandated
to report the water use target for its
individual service area. The bill also includes
reporting requirements in the 2010, 2015,
and 2020 UWMPs. Beginning in 2016, failure
to comply with interim and final targets
makes a retail agency ineligible for grants
and loans from the state needed to attain
water self-sufficiency by 2020; however, if
an agency which is not in compliance
documents a plan and obtains funding
approval to come into compliance, it could
then become eligible for grants or loans.
In addition to an overall statewide twenty
percent (20%) water use reduction, the
objective of SBx7-7 is to reduce water use
within each hydrologic region in accordance
with the agricultural and urban water needs
of each region. Currently, DWR recognizes 10
separate hydrologic regions in California as
shown in Figure 6.3. Each hydrologic region
was established for planning purposes and
corresponds to the State's major drainage
areas. The service area of the City is located
in the South Lahontan Hydrologic Region
(HR), as shown in Figure 6.4.
Wholesale water suppliers, including AVEK,
are not required to determine baseline daily
per capita water use, urban water use target,
interim urban water use target, or
compliance daily per capita water use.
Instead, wholesale water suppliers are
required to include in their UWMPs
discussions of programs they intend to
implement to support the retail water
suppliers, such as the City, in attaining their
reduction goals and targets.
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Figure 6.3 California's 2020 Water Conservation Goals
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Figure 6.4 South Lahontan Hydrologic Region
The City
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6.8.2. Exempt Agencies
If an agency has a baseline per capita water
use of 100 GPCD or less, that agency will not
have to adhere to any reduction targets as
that agency is already considered water
efficient. In such a case, that agency must
document in subsequent UWMPs that its
water usage is still under 100 GPCD.
6.8.3. SBx7-7 Baseline & Target
The City previously established water use
targets for 2015 and 2020. DWR provided
guidelines for determining these targets in
its Methodologies guidebook for the 2010
and 2015 UWMPs. In the 2010 and 2015
UWMPs, the City's baseline water use and
targets were determined based on the
procedures shown in Figure 6.5 and Figure
6.6. If an agency's 10-year baseline is slightly
higher than the Hydrologic Region's target,
that agency still must achieve a five percent
(5%) reduction from its 5-year baseline. If an
agency has a per capita water use of 100
GPCD or less, that agency will not have to
adhere to any reduction targets as that
agency is already considered water efficient.
Although the City does use recycled water, a
10-year instead of a 15-year rolling average
was previously calculated. The City’s
baseline water use is 337.8 GPCD, which was
calculated from a 10-year period from
January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2010.
Table 6-6 shows historic (January 1, 2001 to
December 31, 2010) water use and provides
the base period annual water use used to
calculate the baseline water use for City. The
data was used to calculate the continuous
10-year and 5-year average baseline.
Regardless of the compliance method
adopted by the City it will need to meet the
minimum water use target of five percent
(5%) reduction from a 5-year baseline as
calculated.
As shown in Table 6-7, the City’s 10-yr and 5-
yr baselines were determined to be 337.8
GPCD and 324.4 GPCD, respectively. The
City’s baseline water use was then compared
to the regional compliance target to
determine the applicable reduction amounts
per the SBx7-7 additions to the water code.
The legal stipulations applicable to the City
and the required target to be enforced by
DWR are shown in Table 6-7.
The selected SBx7-7 target was 270 GPCD
[twenty percent (20%) reduction from its 10-
year baseline] because this amount is
greater than 162 GPCD [five percent (5%)
reduction from the South Lahontan HR's
target]. Since the City's minimum reduction
requirement of 308 GPCD [five percent (5%)
reduction from its 5-year baseline] is greater
than 270 GPCD, the City can select Method
1 (270 GPCD) as its 2020 water use target.
Therefore, the District's compliance target
for 2020 per capita water consumption was
270 GPCD in accordance with Section
10608.22 of the Code.
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Figure 6.5 Procedure for Determining Baseline Per Capita Water Use Figure 6.6 Procedure for Determining Target Per Capita Water Use 4 Compile
Water Use
Rates over 10
Years
3 Water Use /
Population
= Rate
2 Potable
Water Use
1 Service Area
Population
5 Select
Higher
Target
4 ...Calculate
95%
Reduction
Target
3 If < 95%
Hydrologic
Region...
2 Compare to
95%
Hydrologic
Region
1 Set 80%
Reduction
Target
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Table 6-6 California City Water Use
Year Service Area Population Total Potable
Consumption (MG)
Per Capita (GPCD)
2001 10,816 1,308 331.3
2002 10,977 1,320 329.5
2003 11,138 1,335 328.4
2004 11,301 1,641 397.8
2005 11,687 1,573 368.8
2006 12,528 1,714 374.8
2007 13,705 1,764 352.6
2008 14,556 1,664 313.2
2009 14,338 1,598 305.3
2010 14,120 1,423 276.1
10-yr. Baseline (2001 - 2010) (SB7: 10608.20) 337.8
5-yr. Baseline (2006-2010) (SB7: 10608.22) 324.4
State Hydrologic Region Baseline 237
State Hydrologic Region Target 170
Table 6-7 California City SBx7-7 2020 Water Use Targets Min. Reduction Requirement
(10608.22)
20% Target
(10608.20) (b)(1)
5% Reduction from Regional Target
(10608.20) (b)(3)
308 270 162
2020 Per Capita Target: 270
Interim (2015) Target: N/A
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6.8.4. SBx7-7 Target Compliance
Although the requirements of SBx7-7 were
stringent, the City has seen an increase in
water efficiency in the past ten years. This is
due in part to State legislation, stricter
conservation measures, saturation of watersaving plumbing fixtures, and overall water conservation awareness. As indicated by
Table 6-7, the City has achieved its 2020
target. The City can maintain its
consumption rates below the SBx7-7 target
by continuing to focus on water
conservation.
6.9. PROJECTED WATER DEMAND
Future water use projections must consider
significant factors which will affect water
demand, such as development and/or
redevelopment, and climate patterns.
Climate conditions will continue to be a
major influence on demand as it will lead to
more frequent and severe drought
conditions, that will increase demand at
times when these supplies are limited.
6.9.1. Low-Income Water Demands
Future water projections include water
savings as they are based on reducing gpcd
by 2 gpcd per year through several water
saving management methods the City is
using. Regarding Low Income, the City is
located in rural California were typically low
income, very low income, moderate income,
and higher income residence and homes are
mingled together throughout the City. The
City does not solicit income information.
Low-income projections are included in the
single and multi-family dwelling line in Table
6-8 below.
6.9.2. Projected Water Use by Sector
For planning purposes, the City's projected
water use for 2030-2050 is broken down by
sector in Table 6-8. The estimates per sector
are based on the ratios of water use by
sectors shown in Table 6-4 and the
population projections shown in Table 2-6.
Figure 6.7 also shows the Projected Water
Demand by Sector in 2050.
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Table 6-8 Projected Water Demand by Sector (MG)
Sector 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Water Service Area Population 15,464 15,797 16,130 16,463 16,796 Consumption Rate (GPCD) 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3
Demands
Single-Family Residential 524 535 546 558 569
Multi-Family Residential 23 23 24 24 25
Commercial / Institutional 176 179 183 187 191
Landscape Irrigation 71 73 74 76 77
Industrial 1 1 1 1 1
Agricultural 1 1 1 1 1
Other 4 4 4 4 4
Total Water Sales: 799 816 833 851 868
Water Loss
(Real Loss + Apparent Loss) 264 269 275 281 286
Total Water Consumption
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Figure 6.7 Projected Water Demand by Sector (in 2050)
Single Family
569 MG
Multi-Family
25 MG
Commercial/ Institutional
184 MG
Landscape Irrigation
77 MG
Industrial
1 MG
Agricultural
1 MG
Loss
286 MG
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7.1. OVERVIEW
Drought conditions continue to be a critical
issue for Southern California's water supply.
The recent drought of 2020-2022 has
impacted deliveries of imported water to
Southern California cities. The documented
deliveries of water from the State Water
Project (SWP) for Water Year 2022 (October
1 st, 2022, to September 30, 2023) indicate
that the volume of water delivered to SWP
Contractors was the lowest since Water Year
2020. Therefore, it is important that
agencies manage water consumption and
reduce reliance on imported water through
local groundwater and surface water
supplies. Water agencies should prepare for
prolonged droughts for up to five (5) years to
ensure a reliable supply of water.
Since the City does rely on imported water,
drought conditions are a critical issue for the
City’s water supply. A strong understanding
of water supply sources, and the current
state, regional, and local issues affecting
those sources, are a first step to properly
managing supply and demand. Water
agencies should prepare for prolonged
droughts for up to five (5) years to ensure a
reliable supply of water.
This Section discusses historic and recent
droughts in the State and in the region. This
Section also compares projected supply to
projected demand over a 25-year planning
period (through 2050) for various climate
scenarios. Demand and supply projections
are provided in Table 7-1 - Table 7-7.
7 Section 7:
Reliability Planning
The City can purchase
water from the State
Water Project
(pictured left) through
AVEK, which enhances
the City’s supply
reliability.
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7.2. HISTORIC DROUGHTS
Climate data has been recorded in California
since 1858. Since then, California has
experienced several periods of severe
drought, including: 1928-34, 1976-77 and
1987-91, 2007-2009, 2011-2017 and most
recently in 2020-2022. In addition to these,
California has also experienced several
periods of less severe drought. Among the
previously listed droughts, the year 1977 is
still considered to be the driest year of
record in the Four Rivers Basin by DWR
(these rivers flow into the Sacramento Delta
and are the source of water for the State
Water Project) which had an all-time low of
15 million acre-feet of average annual
runoff.
In 1983, as a result of previous droughts, the
State legislature enacted the UWMP Act,
which requires the preparation of an UWMP.
Several subsequent amendments have been
made to the Act to include such elements as
public coordination, recycled water, and
contingency response plans are included in
UWMPs.
In 1991, as a result of the 1987-1991
drought, over one hundred water agencies
and environmental groups came together to
form the California Urban Water
Conservation Council (CUWCC) to manage
the impacts of drought and promote water
conservation. In January 2018, the CUWCC
became the California Water Efficiency
Partnership (CalWEP), and consists of over
two hundred (200) water agencies and
private companies. CalWEP assists its
member agencies with public policy,
research, and education tools.
As a result of the drought of 2007-2009,
Governor Schwarzenegger signed the Water
Conservation Act of 2009 (SBx7-7), requiring
mandatory water conservation up to twenty
percent (20%) by 2020.
In January of 2014, Governor Brown
declared a state of emergency and directed
state officials to take all necessary actions to
prepare for water shortages. As the drought
continued into Water Year 2015, Governor
Brown issued an executive order in April
2015, which mandated a statewide twentyfive percent (25%) reduction in water use, with each agency assigned specific target
reductions.
At the local level, water agencies have
enacted their own ordinances to deal with
the impacts of drought. The City’s WSCP, as
contained in Section 8:, deals with Water
Conservation.
7.3. RECENT DROUGHT (2020-2022)
California experienced a significant and
prolonged drought in 2020-2022. The
drought depleted reservoir levels across the
state, as reflected by Figure 7.1. On July 8,
2021, Governor Newsom declared a state of
emergency and issued an Executive Order
calling for a statewide voluntarily reduction
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of fifteen percent (15%) from consumer’s
2020 levels in order to preserve the State's
surface and groundwater supplies, better
prepare for the potential for continued dry
conditions next year, and to join existing
efforts by agricultural water users, public
water systems, and governmental agencies
to respond to water shortages. On October
19, 2021, Governor Newsom issued an
Executive Order declaring a statewide
drought emergency.
Figure 7.1 Governor Newsom at Lake
Mendocino in Ukiah on April 21, 2021
In May 2022, Governor Newsom ordered the
SWRCB to evaluate the adoption of
regulations banning irrigation of “nonfunctional” turf (or grass), such as decorative grass adjacent to large industrial and
commercial buildings. The ban would not
include residential lawns or grass used for
recreation, such as school fields, sports
fields, and parks. The DWR estimated this
ban alone would result in potential water
savings of several hundred thousand acrefeet. An acre-foot of water serves the needs of approximately three households for a
year.
In March 2024 DWR finalized the 2024 State
Water Project Long-Term Drought Plan. The
2024 State Water Project Long-Term Drought
Plan consolidates information and actions
taken during past droughts along with
descriptions of the actions taken by the SWP
to plan for and prepare for future droughts.
The scope of the SWP’s drought planning
activities is driven by the role the SWP plays
within California’s water management
system during times of drought. The SWP’s
planning is specific to its role as a wholesale
water provider. The
SWP’s drought planning
is different from the
planning by other water
managers that are
responsible for providing
water directly to end-use
customers. For these
water managers, drought planning generally
includes identifying a portfolio of different
water supplies and demand management
actions that ensure a minimum amount of
water can be provided with a set degree of
certainty. Retail water suppliers have a “duty
to serve” water demand within their service
areas and must have detailed contingency
plans for meeting demand during drought
conditions.
2024 SWP
Drought Plan
consolidates
information and
actions taken
during past
droughts.
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Although the recent droughts have more
significantly impacted northern and centralvalley agencies that use SWP water for agriculture, the City is indirectly impacted by
the recent drought conditions on Northern
California Waters since this water source is
the majority source of water imported from
the MWD.
7.4. STATE WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY
As a result of continued drought challenges
to the State’s water supplies, SWP
Contractors understand the unpredictability
of imported water allocations from the SWP.
With participation of the SWP Contractors,
DWR strives to meet the water needs of
Southern California by developing new
projects to increase the capacity of its
supplies while encouraging its member
agencies to develop local supply projects to
meet the needs of its customers. Also, DWR
is committed to developing and maintaining
high-capacity storage reservoirs, including
both DWR-owned and Contractor-owned
(such as Diamond Valley Lake, an MWDowned reservoir, the largest in Southern California), to meet the needs during times
of drought and emergency.
The large reservoirs help to avoid the
repercussions of reduced supplies not only
from the SWP but also the Colorado River
Aqueduct (CRA). Throughout the Southern
California Region, a total of three (3) DWRowned reservoirs, nine (9) MWD-owned reservoirs, and twenty-four (24) SDCWA
reservoirs contain up to 2.2 million acre-feet
(MAF) of water storage.
One of the State’s largest reservoirs, Lake
Oroville in Butte County, experienced low
water conditions at Enterprise Bridge (Figure
7.5). On this date (October 4, 2022), the
water storage was 1.22 MAF, thirty-five
percent (35%) of the total capacity.
Figure 7.6 shows an aerial view of highwater conditions at Enterprise Bridge. On this date (June 12, 2023), the water storage
was 3.52 MAF, 100% of the total capacity.
Rainfall during the 2024-2025 water year
was also below the average, with a total
recorded rainfall at the City’s Main Office of
13.02 inches.
7.4.1. State Water Project (SWP)
Reliability
As a SWP contractor, AVEK has a “Table A”
allocation of up to 144,844 acre-feet per
year (AFY). Since AVEK began receiving SWP
water, however, the average amount of
water received each year was approximately
fifty-eight percent (58%) of the full Table A
amount. On an annual basis, each of the
twenty-nine (29) SWP Contractors request
amounts of SWP water based on their
anticipated yearly demand. Each SWP
contractor’s Water Supply Contract contains
a “Table A” amount that identifies the
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maximum amount of water that a contractor
may request. However, the amount of SWP
water actually allocated to contractors each
year is dependent on a number of factors
that can vary significantly from year to year.
The availability of SWP
supplies is generally
less than their full
Table A amounts in
many years and can be
significantly less in
very dry years. After
receiving the requests,
DWR assesses the amount of water supply
available based on precipitation, snowpack
on Northern California watersheds, volume
of water in storage, projected carry over
storage, and Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay
Delta regulatory requirements. For example,
according to the State Water Project
Delivery Reliability Report (2023), the total
SWP annual delivery of water to contractors
ranged from a low of 278 thousand acre-feet
(TAF) in 2022 to a high of 3,094 TAF in 2017.
Due to the uncertainty in water supply,
contractors are not typically guaranteed
their full Table A amount, but instead receive
a percentage of that amount based on
available supply. For instance, the current
DWR Notice to Contractors 26-01 (January
2026) indicated that the initial allocation is
set at thirty percent (30%), which higher
than the ten percent (10%) per initial
allocation. For AVEK, the current allocation
based on the Notice to Contractors for this
year is set at 43,454 AF (14,160 MG).
The reliability of the SWP impacts the
Contractors ability to plan for future growth
and supply. SWP Contractors can seek out
other local supply sources or transfer
agreements (such as transfers with Colorado
River rights holders). Although not directly
important for the City, matters involving the
SWP do impact the City indirectly.
SWP supplies are
typically less than
the maximum
“Table A” amounts
requested by the
Contractors each
year.
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Figure 7.2 Lake Oroville During Drought of 2020-2022 (October 4, 2022) Figure 7.3 Lake Oroville After Drought (June 12, 2023)
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Figure 7.4 California State Reservoir Levels (May 2026) 102 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Figure 7.5 SWP Table A Deliveries
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7.5. CITY SUPPLY RELIABILITY
As the City obtains its water sources from a
combination of local groundwater and
imported water, the supply reliability is
based on the reliability of the Fremont Valley
Groundwater Basin (Basin) and AVEK’s
agreements.
The Basin is considered to be a reliable
source of supply since its current storage
levels far exceed any planned pumping. The
City has historically used mostly
groundwater to meet all of their water
demands. Groundwater supplies are not
immediately impacted by droughts, and, as a
result, there is no history of any water supply
deficiencies for the City water system. Even
during the 1976-1977 droughts, records
indicate a sufficient supply of water.
Historically, the City has obtained
approximately two-and-a-half percent (2.5%)
of its water supply from AVEK. The source of
AVEK water is the State Water Project with
the water delivered through the California
Aqueduct. The AVEK water is thus subject to
variability in supply and in reliability. The
supply variability is a function of hydrologic
conditions in northern California. The
reliability is a function of environmental
conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin
River Delta. The Delta is extremely
vulnerable to earthquakes, rising sea levels
and droughts. If there is a water shortage,
AVEK or its customers could enact shortage
measures that protect against extended
drought conditions. When this occurs,
California City will utilize more groundwater.
Regarding the groundwater supply, the most
likely reasons the City would have a
deficiency would be due to coliform
contamination, pump failure, well collapse
or other mechanical or structural failure.
Another scenario would be a declining
groundwater table due to lack of recharge.
In this scenario, well pumps would need to
be lowered and/or the well deepened. The
City has a goal to maintain sufficient standby
well capacity to meet peak month water
demand with the largest well out of service.
With sufficient standby well capacity, a short
term loss of a well would not affect overall
water supply.
In addition, the most immediate threat of
water shortage could arise from damage due
to an earthquake, or an extended power
outage. An exceptionally long hot spell
during summer months or high winds
causing power outages are the main concern
due to climate. Customers are encouraged
to water lawns during early morning hours
and for shorter period of time when
temperatures exceed normal. The water
system is gravity fed from a 2.5 MG tank,
kept a minimum two-thirds (2/3) full at all
times. During an extended power supply
emergency, the City can institute a water
conservation emergency which would limit
water use.
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7.5.1. Reliability of Alternative Sources
Recycled Water Reliability
Since recycled water is produced from
wastewater, this source has the advantage
of consistently being available during any
type of average, single-dry, or multiple-dry
year as discussed in Section 3. If the City
were to use recycled water at some point in
the future, it would genuinely add to the
City’s overall supply reliability, especially
since approximately seven percent (7%) of
the City’s water is used for landscape
irrigation (i.e. lawns, parks, athletic fields,
etc).
7.6. DROUGHT RISK ASSESSMENT
The quantity of supply available from
different water supply sources can vary from
one year to the next depending on
hydrologic conditions. The drought risk
assessment is an assessment of the
reliability of the City’s water supplies by
comparing projected future water demands
with expected available water supplies
under three different hydrologic conditions:
(1) normal water year, (2) single dry year,
and (3) multiple dry years. For the sake of
this UWMP, the multiple dry-year period is
taken to be five (5) years. Future supply and
demand conditions can be determined from
the following data:
• Population forecasts
• Water supply capacity
• Recent water use trends
The data described has been provided in the
previous sections, including Section 3
(Water Sources & Supplies), and Section 6
(Water Use). The projected comparisons in
this Section are based on data from those
previous sections.
7.6.1. Basis for Projected Demands
To project future demands, it was assumed
that total demand will change annually
based on changes in population multiplied
by the individual demand per-person (also
known as the “per-capita” consumption rate
-see Section 6). The per-capita rates used in
the future projections were based on actual
water use data from the last ten (10) years,
excluding 2021. The 2021 data point showed
a statistically significant departure from the
overall trend, given its deviation from the
expected behavior, the data point was
excluded from average projections. The
City’s averages for the last ten (10) years
were used as the basis to project demands
through the year 2050. To project demands
and supplies, the following was assumed:
• Consumption rate of 188.3 gallons per
capita per day (GPCD) as the average
consumption of the City in the last ten
(10) years
• Consistent consumption rate of 188.3
GPCD throughout the water supply vs.
demand projection (from 2026 to 2050)
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The City’s consumption rate in 2020 was
168.4 GPCD, and the City’s consumption rate
in 2025 was 155.3 GPCD. This amounts to an
average decrease of approximately one-anda-half percent (1.5%) annually.
For drought-period demands, is expected
that there will be a small degree of increase
due to the lack of rainfall on landscapes. To
project demands during single and multiple
(five) year drought periods, the following
increase factors will be assumed:
• Dry Year: six percent (6%)
• Multiple Dry Years: eight percent
(8%), thirty-four percent (34%), two
percent (2%), ten percent (10%), and
eighteen percent (18%)
The City’s single dry year and multiple dry
year demand rate increases are based on
AVEK’s rates, as shown in their 2025 UWMP.
Although only a small portion of the City’s
supply is delivered through AVEK, its
demand projections were used as a
conservative basis for planning because
AVEK relies heavily on State Water Project
(SWP) supplies, which are the most likely to
be constrained during drought conditions.
Using AVEK’s drought‑year demand factors
provides a conservative benchmark to
ensure the analysis reflects potential
reductions in SWP availability and associated
impacts on regional supply reliability. These
values are also reflected in DWR Submittal
Table 7-1 in Appendix E. During the recent
drought of 2011 to 2017, water agencies in
the State experienced an increase in water
demands, until former Gov. Brown’s
Emergency Declaration in 2015.
Nevertheless, the increase factors listed are
reasonable for the purposes of demand
projections since they provide reasonable
estimates of increases in water use for
irrigation during dry years.
7.6.2. Basis for Projected Supplies
As for projected supplies, because the City’s
supplies are generally drought-proof as
stated previously in this Section, it is very
unlikely that supplies will be restricted, even
during multi-year periods. Thus, for
conservative planning purposes, the City’s
projected water supplies will be based off of
100% of its active well capacity and
imported/purchased water. With a current
total supply capacity of approximately 2,080
gpm (including City’s three (3) active wells
and Imported water supplies through AVEK).
7.6.3. Tabular Comparisons
Table 7-1 - Table 7-7, shown on the following
pages, provides an analysis of the City’s
supply and demand projections to the year
2050. Figure 7.6 and Figure 7.7 show a visual
pie-chartfor the year 2050. Based on the data
contained in these tables, the City can
expect to meet future demands for all
climate conditions through 2050.
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Table 7-1 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Normal Water Year (MG)
Water Sources 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Population
Water Service Area Population 15,464 15,797 16,130 16,463 16,796 Consumption Rate (GPCD)1 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3
Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total)2 1,063 1,085 1,108 1,131 1,154 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies3
(Estimated Production) 1,063 1,085 1,108 1,131 1,154
Minimum Available Supply 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715
Demand
Estimated Potable Water Demand 1,063 1,085 1,108 1,131 1,154 Estimated Recycled Water Demand 0 0 0 0 0
Total Estimated Demand 1,063 1,085 1,108 1,131 1,154
Compare to Avg. Demand from 2016-
2025 (1,006 MG) 106% 108% 110% 112% 115%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity4 653 630 607 584 561
Notes:
1. Total Demand = Consumption Rate x Projected Population a. Average consumption rate of last 10 years = 188.3 gallons per capita per day (GPCD)
2. Minimum Available Supply is based on the following supply capacities:
a. Groundwater production capacity represents the City’s three (3) active wells operating capacity of 2,600 gpm (1,367 MG)
b. Purchased water capacity represents the City’s ability to purchase AVEK’s one (1) month summer capacity disbursed evenly over a four (4) month period during a given year (349 MG). This excludes purchased water capacity from MPUD in order to plan more conservatively.
3. Projected groundwater pumping and purchased water is set equal to the projected water consumption (demands) shown in Table 6-8. Although, the City plans to utilize groundwater pumping to maximum capacity before purchasing water.
4. No other potable supply sources are expected to become available. 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Table 7-2 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Single Dry Year (MG)
Water Sources 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Population
Water Service Area Population 15,464 15,797 16,130 16,463 16,796 Consumption Rate (GPCD) 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3
Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,126 1,151 1,175 1,199 1,223 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,126 1,151 1,175 1,199 1,223
Minimum Available Supply 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715
Normal Year Supply 1,063 1,085 1,108 1,131 1,154
% of Normal Year 106% 106% 106% 106% 106%
Demand
Total Dry Demand1 1,126 1,151 1,175 1,199 1,223
Normal Year Demand 1,063 1,085 1,108 1,131 1,154
% of Normal Year 106% 106% 106% 106% 106%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 589 565 540 516 492
Notes:
1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Single Dry Year Increase of 106%.
2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7-1. 108 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Table 7-3 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2026-2030) (MG)
Water Sources 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Population
Water Service Area Population 14,784 14,850 14,917 14,983 15,464 Consumption Rate (GPCD) 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3
Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,097 1,367 1,046 1,133 1,254 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,097 1,367 1,046 1,133 1,254
Minimum Available Supply 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715
Normal Year Supply 1,016 1,020 1,025 1,030 1,063
% of Normal Year 108% 134% 102% 110% 118%
Demand
Total Dry Demand1 1,097 1,367 1,046 1,133 1,254
Normal Year Demand 1,016 1,020 1,025 1,030 1,063
% of Normal Year 108% 134% 102% 110% 118%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 618 348 670 583 461
Notes:
1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Multiple Dry Year Increases of 108%, 134%, 102%, 110%, and 118%.
2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7-1. 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Table 7-4 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2031-2035) (MG)
Water Sources 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
Population
Water Service Area Population 15,531 15,597 15,664 15,730 15,797 Consumption Rate (GPCD) 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3
Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,153 1,436 1,098 1,189 1,281 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,153 1,436 1,098 1,189 1,281
Minimum Available Supply 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715
Normal Year Supply 1,067 1,072 1,076 1,081 1,085
% of Normal Year 108% 134% 102% 110% 118%
Demand
Total Dry Demand1 1,153 1,436 1,098 1,189 1,281
Normal Year Demand 1,067 1,072 1,076 1,081 1,085
% of Normal Year 108% 134% 102% 110% 118%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 563 279 617 526 434
Notes:
1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Multiple Dry Year Increases of 108%, 134%, 102%, 110%, and 118%.
2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7-1. 110 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Table 7-5 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2036-2040) (MG)
Water Sources 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040
Population
Water Service Area Population 15,863 15,930 15,997 16,063 16,130 Consumption Rate (GPCD) 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3
Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,177 1,467 1,121 1,214 1,308 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,177 1,467 1,121 1,214 1,308
Minimum Available Supply 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715
Normal Year Supply 1,090 1,095 1,099 1,104 1,108
% of Normal Year 108% 134% 102% 110% 118%
Demand
Total Dry Demand1 1,177 1,467 1,121 1,214 1,308
Normal Year Demand 1,090 1,095 1,099 1,104 1,108
% of Normal Year 108% 134% 102% 110% 118%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 538 248 594 501 407
Notes:
1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Multiple Dry Year Increases of 108%, 134%, 102%, 110%, and 118%.
2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7-1. 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Table 7-6 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2041-2045) (MG)
Water Sources 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045
Population
Water Service Area Population 16,196 16,263 16,330 16,396 16,463 Consumption Rate (GPCD) 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3
Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,202 1,497 1,145 1,239 1,335 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,202 1,497 1,145 1,239 1,335
Minimum Available Supply 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715
Normal Year Supply 1,113 1,118 1,122 1,127 1,131
% of Normal Year 108% 134% 102% 110% 118%
Demand
Total Dry Demand1 1,202 1,497 1,145 1,239 1,335
Normal Year Demand 1,113 1,118 1,122 1,127 1,131
% of Normal Year 108% 134% 102% 110% 118%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 513 218 571 476 380
Notes:
1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Multiple Dry Year Increases of 108%, 134%, 102%, 110%, and 118%.
2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7-1. 112 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Table 7-7 California City Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2046-2050) (MG)
Water Sources 2046 2047 2048 2049 2050
Population
Water Service Area Population 16,529 16,596 16,662 16,729 16,796 Consumption Rate (GPCD) 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3 188.3
Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,227 1,528 1,168 1,264 1,362 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,227 1,528 1,168 1,264 1,362
Minimum Available Supply 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715 1,715
Normal Year Supply 1,136 1,140 1,145 1,150 1,154
% of Normal Year 108% 134% 102% 110% 118%
Demand
Total Dry Demand1 1,227 1,528 1,168 1,264 1,362
Normal Year Demand 1,136 1,140 1,145 1,150 1,154
% of Normal Year 108% 134% 102% 110% 118%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 489 187 547 451 353
Notes:
1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Multiple Dry Year Increases of 108%, 134%, 102%, 110%, and 118%.
2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7-1. 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Figure 7.6 Projected Normal Water Supply: Year 2030
Notes:
1. See Notes Under Table 7-1.
2. Surplus = Minimum Available Supply – Demands
Min Available
Supply
(1,715 MG)
Demands
(1,063 MG)
Surplus
(653 MG)
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Figure 7.7 Projected Normal Water Supply: Year 2050
Notes:
1. See Notes Under Table 7-1.
2. Surplus = Minimum Available Supply – Demands
Min Available
Supply
(1,715 MG)
Demands
(1,154 MG)
Surplus
(561 MG)
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7.7. ENSURING ADEQUATE SUPPLY
As indicated by Table 7-1 to Table 7-7 and
Figure 7.6 to Figure 7.7, the City will be able
to meet demands from 2030 through 2050
for all future climatic conditions. If supplies
need to be increased in the future, this can
most likely be accomplished through reactivation of the City’s Water Treatment Plant and expansion to accommodate
additional wells, through the drilling of new
wells, additional imported water, or through
purchasing of recycled water. Besides
expanding water supplies, there is also the
measure of demand management (water
conservation), which has more immediate
impacts and helps demands to be met using
the supplies that are already at hand.
Finally, droughts will be addressed by
following the criteria of the City's WSCP
along with implementation of the regional
contingency plans. These programs are
discussed in Section 8. For these reasons,
the City is confident that an adequate
amount of supply can be provided to meet
demands for all weather conditions through
2050.
7.8. WSCP SUPPLY AUGMENTATION
Although the City does not expect to have a
water supply shortage through 2050, as
indicated by Table 7-1 to Table 7-7, severe
and extent droughts may cause the WSCP to
be enacted. The City will rely on the
implementation of the WSCP to augment the
City’s reduced supply during consecutively
dry years. The WSCP supply augmentation
benefits during a five-year drought are
shown in standard These values are also
reflected in DWR Submittal Table 7-5 in
Appendix E.
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8.1. INTRODUCTION
In addition to prolonged droughts that can
gradually decrease water supplies, water
supplies may be interrupted in a number of
sudden, catastrophic ways. Sudden
catastrophes may include earthquakes,
power outages, pumping equipment failures,
or spikes in groundwater contaminants that
cannot be remedied quickly. Water shortages
can also be a result of intentional or accidental
manmade catastrophes, such as acts of
terrorism or chemical spills into nearby canals
or groundwater spreading grounds. It is
important that the City of California City (City)
has a plan in place to manage its water system
during short or long-term water shortages.
Long term, water shortages can be addressed
through conservation and supply
augmentation. Short-term water shortages
are best handled though a “Contingency
Plan.” A Water Shortage Contingency Plan
(WSCP) is a required component of the City’s
UWMP, which provides guidance on stages of
action to be undertaken by the City in
response to water supply shortages. A WSCP
is an independent document that is
incorporated into the City’s UWMP.
This Section serves as the City’s WSCP. The
City's response to water shortages will be a
coordinated effort between City staff and
other local and regional water agencies.
During a water shortage emergency, the City
will activate this WSCP. The intent of the plan
is to reduce the effect of shortages on the
City’s customers. In compliance with the
Water Code requirements, this plan hassix (6)
8 Section 8:
Contingency Planning
Diesel-powered
pumps can provide
emergency water
supplies during
sudden
catastrophes.
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water shortage levels (up to 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-,
50-percent, and greater than fifty percent
(50%) shortage compared to the normal
reliability condition).
8.2. NEED FOR CONTINGENCY PLANS
The recent drought of 2020-2022 significantly
depleted the State’s supply of water and
posed a challenge to many agencies
throughout the State. Following the drought,
the State experienced a wet winter in 2022.
Climate-driven weather extremes, long-term
water supply uncertainty, and aging
infrastructure are stressing a system built for
a different era. The modernized California
Water Plan 2028 is allowing the state’s
opportunity to respond with a clear,
actionable, and durable approach to
statewide water planning.
The WSCP is the City’s operational plan in the
event of a water shortage. Water shortages
would occur when available water supplies
are insufficient to meet normal customer
water demands. Various causes can bring
about a water shortage, including population
growth, climate change, drought, natural
disasters, and other catastrophic events.
The WSCP shall address the ten following
elements:
1. Water supply reliability analysis
2. Annual water shortage assessment
procedures
3. Six standard water shortage stages
4. Shortage response actions
5. Communication protocols
6. Compliance and enforcement
7. Legal authorities
8. Financial consequences of WSCP
implementation
9. Monitoring and reporting
10. WSCP refinement procedures
In addition, the modernization of the
California Water Plan 2028 is being directed
by Senate Bill 72 (SB 72). This legislation
provides a clear directive: move statewide
water planning from description to direction.
The California Water Plan 2028 will be
modernized to:
• Identify and evaluate effective water
management strategies, informed by
economic considerations
• Quantify beneficial uses of water at a
watershed scale throughout California
• Expand engagement across all sectors as
DWR develops the Water Plan
• Establish clear water supply targets that
help align state, regional, and local actions
8.2.1. Recent California Water Code
Amendments
There have been minor changes to the CWC
affecting the 2025 UWMPs, with only some
affecting WSCPs. The changes are described in
Section 1.3. In addition, the following
measures were taken in recent years that
affect WSCPs:
Starting January 1, 2025, major water
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suppliers were required to significantly
reduce water delivery by 2040 to build
drought resilience into everyday life.
The 2025 update to Title 24 (including the
forthcoming enforcement beginning January
1, 2026 for many permit-applications)
introduces a number of changes targeting
reducing water consumption and improving
system efficiency. Among the most important
provisions:
• Lower maximum flow-rates for toilets,
showerheads, and faucets (for example,
toilets continue to be capped at
approximately 1.28 gallons per flush in
many cases).
• Requirements to reduce pipe sizing and
hot-water wait times to reflect lowervolume fixtures and shorter delivery distances.
• Enhanced documentation and compliance
measures: designers must show that
plumbing layouts meet both water
efficiency and energy criteria under Title
24 Part 6 and CALGreen (Title 24, Part 11).
• Greater emphasis on seismic bracing of
plumbing and efficient plumbing system
design, reflecting California’s dual
challenges of drought and quake-risk.
The SWRCB has adopted emergency
regulations to encourage Californians to use
water wisely and make conservation a way of
life.
8.3. LEGAL AUTHORITY
As indicated by Sections 8.1 and 8.2, the City
has the legal obligation to prepare and
implement a WSCP during times of drought or
sudden supply interruptions. This WSCP
includes a listing of shortage response actions
per CWC § 10632 (a)(3)(A), including the
means by which the City will declare a water
shortage and authorize response actions. The
remaining Sections of this WSCP describe the
City’s response actions in greater detail.
8.4. WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY ANALYSIS
Southern California is expected to experience
an increase in regional demands in the years
2030 through 2050 as a result of population
growth. Although increases in demand are
expected, future demands are effectively
limited due to the requirements of SBx7-7. It
can be reasonably expected that the majority
of agencies have met or were near their
compliance targets for 2020 and will continue
to meet, or will soon meet, their per-capita
usage limit in the future.
The data in AVEK’s 2025 UWMP shows supply
reliability projections for average and single
dry years and is important to effectively
project and analyze supply and demand over
the next twenty-five (25) years for many
regional agencies. Projected supplies during
single and multiple dry year scenarios indicate
AVEK’s projected supply will exceed its
projected single dry year demands in all years.
Likewise, for average years, AVEK’s supply
exceeds projected demands for all years.
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Due to the semi-arid nature of the City’s
climate and as a result of past drought
conditions, the City is vulnerable to water
shortages due to its climatic environment and
seasonally hot summer months. Section 7
describes the water availability during single
and multiple dry year scenarios. Table 7.1
summarize the supply and demand
comparisons during normal, single-dry year,
and multiple dry year, respectively. As shown,
the City is capable of providing a reliable
supply of water to meet the future demands.
8.4.1. WSCP Re-Adoption
Once the WSCP is revised, the City Council will
be required to re-adopt the revised WSCP.
This will require a public hearing to receive
public comments on the WSCP. The revised
WSCP will replace the former WSCP, and will
then remain effective until the City elects to
update the WSCP.
A WSCP previously submitted in 2020 or later
may be reused; however, it must first be
reviewed, and if no updates are needed, it can
be readopted as is. It must be indicated in the
UWMP that a review was conducted and that
a previous WSCP is being readopted. Even
when no changes are made, the WSCP must
undergo a new review and adoption process
as part of the 2025 UWMP document. Section
7 of the 2025 UWMP may be used as a
reference to the re-adopted WSCP.
8.5. City Staff Response
The City has completed a planning process to
prepare for the impacts of hazards that could
impact the City’s service area. The City
worked with its neighbors and stakeholders to
prepare a detailed, multi-hazard plan and to
identify steps to be taken in advance to
mitigate impacts from those hazards. Through
the hazard mitigation planning process, the
City engaged its customers to inform them
about risk and seek their input on ways that
the City can reduce that risk and become
more resilient.
The County of Kern Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard
Mitigation Plan - City of California City Annex
(Appendix I) is the City’s first formal plan
pursuant to the Disaster Mitigation Act of
2000 (Public Law 106-109). The plan promotes
sound policy to protect the City’s critical
assets from the impacts of natural hazards. It
identifies resources, information, and
strategies for reducing risk from those
hazards. Elements and strategies in the plan
were selected because they meet a program
requirement and because they best meet the
needs of the City and its community.
All residential and commercial the City
customers are the ultimate beneficiaries of
this hazard mitigation plan. The plan strives to
reduce risk for City assets that are vital for its
continuity of operations following hazard
events. The City provides essential services
(water supply and wastewater collection), and
its ability to continue to provide these services
will be critical to the area’s ability to recover
from a hazard event. This plan provides a
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Routine
Water Quality Test
Wellhead Sampling
Detection of Constituents
Above MCL
Determine Type of Constituent and
Identify Source
Temporarily
Shut Down Well
Short-Term Duration
(Days or Weeks)
Flush & Test Well
Determine if Flushing is Sufficient or
if Aquifer Zones Need to be Isolated
Determine if Well Needs
Rehab or
Well-Head Treatment
OR Determine if Depth of Well Pump
Intake Needs to be Adjusted to Avoid
Aquifer Zones of High Concentration
No
Flusing in Previous Step
Was Sufficient.
Water Quality is Good.
Return Well to Service
Yes
Keep Well Shut-Down
While Improvements
are Constructed
(Typically Months-Long)
Construct
Improvements
Or Remove Well Pump
and Adjust Depth of
Pump Intake
Re-Active Well
Once Construction
is Complete
End Result is
Fully
Operational
System
Increase Pumping
from Other Wells in the Interim
Until Well is Restored to Service
Figure 8.1 Basic Overview of
Water Quality Contamination
Response for City Wells
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viable planning framework for all hazards that
are likely to impact the City. Participation in
development of the plan by key stakeholders
helped ensure that outcomes will be mutually
beneficial. The plan’s goals and
recommendations lay the groundwork for
implementing local mitigation activities and
partnerships.
The City maintains ongoing mitigation actions
to ensure continuity of essential services
during hazard events. As part of this effort,
backup power generators are installed across
critical facilities, including water and
wastewater infrastructure, emergency service
buildings, and designated heating and cooling
centers. This measure exemplifies the City’s
broader approach to reducing operational
vulnerabilities and sustaining core functions
during earthquakes, high‑wind events,
extreme heat, freeze conditions, and other
hazards that may disrupt normal power
supply.
8.6. ANNUALWATER SUPPLY AND
DEMAND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
Under CWC Section 10632(a)(2), beginning by
July 1, 2022, each urban water supplier is
required to prepare their annual water supply
and demand assessment (Annual Assessment)
and submit an Annual Water Shortage
Assessment Report to DWR. The Annual
Water Shortage Assessment Report will be
due by July 1 of every year, as required by
CWC Section 10632.1.
This section outlines City’s procedures used in
conducting an Annual Assessment, including
the following: 1) written decision-making
process for determining water supply
reliability; and 2) key data inputs and
assessment methodology for evaluating the
water supply reliability for the current year
and one dry year.
8.6.1. DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
The City’s Annual Assessment will be primarily
based on daily recorded water production and
supply figures, which are reported to the
General Manager on a daily basis throughout
the year. Water consumption is monitored
regularly through the metering of all the City
service connections in its distribution system.
To determine its water supply reliability and
actual reductions in water use during declared
water shortages or emergencies, the City can
rely on its daily records as well as the the City
Water Production Reports including the
monthly totals. These periodical analyses are
used by the City to manage resources to meet
projected demands and adjust to changing
conditions (i.e., precipitation) throughout the
year.
As of 2023, City staff has reviewed water
production data and water consumption data
starting in January of that year, with the intent
to prepare an Annual Water Shortage
Assessment Report to the City Council by May
each year. The Final Report can then be
submitted to DWR by July 1 of each year,
which are shown on DWR’s WUE Portal:
wuedata.water.ca.gov/wsda_plans
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Figure 8.2: Sample Annual Assessment Decision-Making Process Timeline
8.7. WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY
PLANNING
This Section describes the City’s policies and
ordinances to deal with water shortages. The
City’s water supply comes mainly from
groundwater pumping. As discussed in
Section 7, the City has a reliable water
supply and is not vulnerable to seasonal and
climatic shortages for the normal, dry-year,
and multiple dry-year scenarios through
year 2050.
The City’s WSCP illustrates specific water
supply conditions that trigger the activation
of voluntary and mandatory rationing
efforts. It explains what the ability is to meet
projected short-term demands during
extended dry periods and emphasizes some
of the significant proactive measures that
enhance the City’s ability to respond to
interruptions in water supply should a
natural or manmade disaster occur. The
contingency plan outlines the planned
response to failures in the infrastructure of
the water system in the event of an
earthquake, extensive power outage, or
another catastrophic event. Finally, this
section provides details about prohibitions
and penalties against specific water uses
during water shortages and evaluates
potential impacts to the water funds should
water sales decrease because of supply
shortages.
The City has enacted several actions related
to water conservation.
California City adopted an Emergency
Response Plan in 1999. They also
participated in a functional disaster exercise
in conjunction with County or State officials.
Emergency exercises will be conducted
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annually. Although utility loss is covered in
the plan, a more precise water contingency
plan is as follows:
Triggering Events
1. Reductions in specific water supplies
2. Dropping groundwater level
3. Changes in water quality
4. System failures
5. Disaster
Stages of Action
City personnel first will evaluate the water
shortage and recommend actions to Council
and call a special meeting if needed.
Evaluation will be based on the following
conditions:
1. Cause of water shortage
2. Possible duration of shortage
3. Amount of shortage based on % of
normal water demand
8.8. STAGES OF ACTIONS
The City has prepared a 4-stage conservation
plan to invoke during a declared water
shortage. The plan includes voluntary and
mandatory rationing depending on the
severity of the water supply shortage.
Table 8-1 provides a summary of the one
stage of action that has been enacted by the
City’s Board.
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Table 8-1 Retail: Stages of Water Shortage Contingency Plan Shortage
Level
Percent
Shortage Range
Shortage Response Actions
(Narrative description)
1 Up to 10% Contamination loss or supply below normal
2 Up to 20% Contamination loss or supply below normal
3 Up to 30% Contamination loss or supply below normal
4 Up to 40% Contamination loss or supply below normal
5 Up to 50% Contamination loss or supply below normal
6 >50% Contamination loss or supply below normal
Submittal Table 8-1
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Levels
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8.10. PROHIBITION ON END USERS
In compliance with CWC section 10632(a)(4)
and CWC section 10632(a)(5), prohibitions
on end users are defined in the City of
California City’s “No Waste” Ordinance
includes prohibitions on various wasteful
water uses such as lawn watering during
mid-day hours, washing sidewalks and
driveways with potable water, and allowing
plumbing leaks to go uncorrected more than
24 hours after customer notification. The
Fire Department personnel will also be
notified to stop flowing hydrants (except
when necessary).
As the water purveyor, the City of California
City must provide the minimum health and
safety water needs of the community at all
times. The water shortage response is
designed to provide a minimum of fifty
percent (50%) of normal supply during a
severe or extended water shortage. The
rationing program triggering levels shown
below were established to ensure that this
goal is met. Rationing stages may be
triggered by a shortage in one water source
or a combination of sources. Although an
actual shortage may occur at any time during
the year, a shortage (if one occurs) is usually
forecasted by the Water Department on or
about April 1 each year.
The City’s potable water sources are
groundwater and imported surface water.
Rationing stages may be triggered by a
supply shortage or by contamination in one
source or a combination or source. Because
shortages overlap stages, triggers
automatically implement the more
restrictive stage.
The City has established the following
allocation method for each customer type.
• Single Family Hybrid of Per-capita
and Percentage Reduction
• Multi-family Hybrid of Per-capita and
Percentage Reduction
• Commercial Percentage Reduction
• Industrial Percentage Reduction
• GVT/Institutional Percentage Reduction
• Recreational Percentage
Reduction-vary by efficiency
• New Customers Per-capita (no
allocation for new landscaping during a
declared water shortage).
Based on current and project customer
demand, the Emergency Plan indicates the
water allocated to each customer type by
priority and rationing stage during a
declared water shortage.
Individual customer allotments are based on
a five-year period. This gives the city a more
accurate view of the usual water needs of
each customer and provides additional
flexibility in determining allotments and
reviewing appeals. However, no allotment
may be greater than the amount used in the
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most recent year of the five-year based
period.
The Public Works Director shall classify each
customer and calculate each customer’s
allotment according to the Sample Water
Rationing Allocation Method. The allotment
shall reflect seasonal patterns. Each
customer shall be notified of their
classification and allotment by mail before
the effective date of the Water Shortage
Emergency. New customers will be notified
at the time the application for service is
made. In a disaster, prior notice of allotment
may not be possible, notice will be provided
by other means. Any customer may appeal
the Public Works Director’s classification on
the basis of use or the allotment on the basis
of incorrect calculation.
Table 8-2 summarizes the mandatory
restrictions and prohibitions placed on end
users.
Table 8-2 Retail Only: Restrictions and Prohibitions on End Uses Shortage Level Demand Reduction Actions
Additional Explanation
or reference
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement
Permanent
Landscape – Restrict or Prohibit
runoff from landscape irrigation
Warning/ Penalty Yes
Permanent
Landscape – Limit Landscape
Irrigation to specific times
Warning/ Penalty Yes
Permanent
Other – Customer must repair
leaks, breaks, and malfunctions
in a timely manner
Warning/ Penalty Yes
Permanent
Other – Require automatic
Shutoff hoses
Warning/ Penalty Yes
Permanent
Other – Prohibit use of potable
water for construction and dust
control
Allowed but higher
rates charged
Yes
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8.10.2. Landscape Irrigation
The following summarizes landscape
irrigation restrictions for Stage 1:
• Restrict or prohibit runoff from
landscape irrigation;
• Limit landscape irrigation to specific
times; and
• Limit landscape irrigation to specific
days.
8.10.3. Commercial, Industrial, And
Institutional (CII)
The following summarizes CII restrictions for
Stage 1:
• None.
8.10.4. Water Features And Swimming
Pools
The following summarizes restrictions on
water features and swimming pools for
Stage 1:
• Restrict water use for decorative water
features, such as fountains.
8.10.5.Other Restrictions
The following summarizes other restrictions
for Stage 1:
• Require automatic shut off hoses.
8.11. PENALTIES, CHARGES, OTHER
ENFORCEMENT OF PROHIBITIONS
Any customer violating the regulations and
restrictions on water use set forth in the “No
Water” Ordinance shall receive a written
warning for the first such violation. Upon a
second violation, the customer shall receive
a written warning and the City may
disconnect services if the violation
continues. The violator shall pay the cost of
service disconnection and re-connection.
Any willful violation occurring subsequent to
the issuance of the second written warning
shall constitute a misdemeanor and may be
referred to the Kern County District
Attorney’s office for prosecution pursuant. If
water service is disconnected, it shall be
restored only upon payment of the turn-on
charge fixed by the City Council.
8.12. CONSUMPTION REDUCTION
METHODS
In compliance with CWC section 10632(a)(5),
consumption reduction methods are actions
that are taken by the City to reduce water
demand within the service area whereas the
prohibitions (see Section 8.2) limit specific
uses of water. DWR allows water agencies,
such as the City, to make their own
determinations as to which methods and
which stages for employing the methods are
most appropriate for a service area.
8.12.1. Consumption Reduction Goals
The consumption reduction goals for
Shortage Level 6 is greater than fifty (50%)
reduction.
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8.12.2. Categories Of Consumption
Reduction Methods
The following consumption reduction
methods listed in the Guidelines have been
implemented by the City:
• Expand Public Information Campaign –
Examples include begin or enlarge media
campaign; create bill insert with
conservation information; write articles
for local newspaper; conduct water
efficiency workshops for different
customer sectors.
• Improve Customer Billing –Examples
include billing all metered users.
• Offer Water Use Surveys – Examples
include City staff working with water
users to identify areas of water waste
and areas of conservation.
• Decrease Line Flushing – Examples
include City staff decreasing the
frequency of water line flushing and the
volume of water discharged during a
flushing event.
• Reduce System Water Loss – Examples
include City staff making water line
repairs in a timely manner and working
to decrease water theft.
• Increase Water Waste Patrols –
Examples include implement Water
Waste Patrol program; increase staffing
for Water Waste Patrol; increase
authority of Water Waste Patrol.
Table 8-3 provides a summary of the
consumption reduction methods currently
employed by the City.
Table 8-3 Retail Only: Stages of Water Shortage Contingency Plan – Consumption Reduction Methods
Shortage Level
Supply Augmentation Methods and
Other Actions by Water Supplier
How much is this going to reduce
Shortage Gap?
Permanent Expand Public Information Campaign 10%
Permanent Improve Customer Billing 5%
Permanent Offer Waer Use Surveys 5%
Permanent Decrease Line Flushing 5%
Permanent Reduce System Water Loss 10%
1-4 Increase Water Waste Patrols 10%
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8.13. DETERMINING WATER SHORTAGE
REDUCTIONS
The following discussion is provided to
comply with CWC section 10632(a)(9). The
City’s water system is supplied by
groundwater wells and surface water. Each
well has a flow meter that records the
amount of water entering the City’s
distribution system. Additionally, the surface
water supplied by AVEK is metered and
monitored by the City. The City uses these
meters to monitor actual reductions in water
use within the service area.
8.14. REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE
IMPACTS
The following discussion is provided to
comply with CWC section 10632(a)(7). Most
operating costs for most water agencies are
fixed rather than a function of the amount of
water sold. Thus, when conservation
programs are undertaken, it is frequently
necessary to raise water rates because the
revenue generated is based on lower total
consumption while the costs, and resulting
revenue required, are basically fixed.
Typically, water rates need to be increased
by the percentages listed in Table 8.4 when
the indicated stages are implemented.
However, reductions in water demands,
especially peak demands, can delay the need
to develop costly new water sources in
growing communities. The City currently
charges water customers a flat fee based on
meter size plus a volumetric charge for water
use. As of September 2023, the City is going
through the Prop 218 process to adjust
water rates to properly fund the water
system and needed improvements.
The City does have an emergency fund for
system upkeep. The City’s water rates
increased three percent (3%) a year per a
Proposition 218 hearing in 2008. The
increase was approved at the March 10,
2008 Board meeting. The City also reviews
the water connection fees yearly for new
developments. A portion of the fee is put in
the capital improvements account, and the
other portion is placed in a separate account
to help pay for the KDWD (Kern Delta Water
District) seeped water. The City is currently
considering establishing a fund to mitigate
the impacts of a water shortage, particularly
considering SGMA. The fund would then be
used to stabilize water rates during periods
of water shortage.
The City has fixed base charges currently in
the rate structure that generates some
revenue even if no water is used. These rates
range from $30 per month for a 3/4-inch
meter to $4,240 per month for an 8-inch
meter. Most residential customers use a 3/4-
inch meter, which has a rate of $30 per
month. The base rates allow the City to avoid
being impacted by revenue losses during
water shortages. The following actions could
take place under such circumstances:
• Implement a conservation surcharge
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URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
• Delay capital improvement projects
• Consider temporary increase of water
rates to meet operation and maintenance
costs
Table 8.4 City of California City Current
Water Rates
Tier Pricing
(for ¾” Meter)
Base
(0-6 HCF) $30 flat rate
Tier 2
(6-9 HCF) $5 per HCF
Tier 3
(10-15 HCF) $1 per HCF
Tier 4
(16-25 HCF) $2 per HCF
Tier 5
(26-40 HCF) $3 per HCF
Tier 6
(40+ HCF) $4 per HCF
A combination of the measures outlined may
be used to offset or diminish the effects of
lost revenues. The City issued an RFP in
February 2026 seeking a comprehensive
water and wastewater rate study that meets
all State of California requirements,
including full compliance with Proposition
218. As part of this effort, the City is
proposing temporary rate increases to
stabilize utility finances while long term rate
structures are evaluated.
8.15. RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE
In compliance with CWC section 10632(a)(8),
the City Council initially responded with
urgency ordinances in 2015 to set forth
State‐issued and additional City water use
policies and restrictions to achieve the
conservation mandated for the City, which
had been thirty-six percent (36%).
Implementation of the urgency ordinance
provisions did not yield the desired
conservation results plus it became apparent
to State and local officials that the drought
and water crisis prompting mandated
conservation would extend beyond 2015.
Therefore, the Council later adopted
Resolution No. 05-15-2623 to provide more
consistent and long‐term conservation
policies and enforcement.
8.16. CATASTROPHIC SUPPLY
INTERRUPTION
The following discussion is provided to
comply with CWC section 10632(a)(3). The
Act refers to catastrophic interruptions as
regional power outages, natural disasters,
and other disasters that stop the water
supply.
A disaster that damages the main water lines
causing leakage and to loss or contamination
of stored water supplies and or a disaster
that causes power outages for extended
periods of time, not allowing well operation,
could potently deplete water storage
reservoirs. Well #03 (700 gpm) (367.92 MG)
is a Natural Gas well that can operate in the
event of a power outage. Some of the risk
associated with the disaster(s) are mitigated
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by the fact that the water storage tanks are
in different sections of the City, and the eight
four wells are located thought the city. A
disaster in one area hopefully would not
affect or would have minimal effect on other
areas.
8.17. SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENT AND
MITIGATION PLAN
California City lies within the Mojave
Desert’s Mojave Block/Eastern California
Shear Zone, an area of elevated seismic
activity influenced by regional movement
between the North American and Pacific
Plates. Several active and potentially active
faults are located near the Planning Area,
most notably the Garlock Fault,
approximately 10 miles northwest, which
forms the northern boundary of the Mojave
Block and has a history of moderate seismic
events. The San Andreas Fault, California’s
most active fault system, is located about 39
miles southwest. Additional local structures
include the Lockhart Fault within the
Planning Area and the Muroc Fault to the
southeast, though the latter has not shown
Holocene activity.
In lieu of conducting their own seismic risk
assessment, which can be a lengthy process,
suppliers can comply with the CWC
requirement by submitting the relevant local
hazard mitigation plan or multi-hazard
mitigation plan, if available. The City was one
of the agencies that is included in the County
of Kern Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation
Plan, specifically in the City of California City
Annex (Appendix I).
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9.1. OVERVIEW
This section provides a comprehensive
description of the water conservation
programs that the City has implemented, is
currently implementing, and plans to
implement to meet urban water reduction
targets. The City is not a signatory to the
Memorandum of Understanding regarding
Urban Water Conservation in California and
therefore, is not a member of the California
Urban Water Conservation Council. For
responding to the Act, the City will address
the six Demand Management Measures
(DMMs) described in CWC section
10631(f)(1)(B). Descriptions of the City's
DMMs are provided below.
The City has water conservation and
recycling programs in place. It takes the
issues of water conservation seriously and is
implementing BMPs as necessary to achieve
those goals. California DWR has expanded
on typical BMPs in the form of Demand
Management Measures (DMMs), which are
discussed below.
9.2. DWR DMMs FOR 2025 UWMPs
The DMMs are intended to reduce long-term
urban demands from what they would have
been without their implementation. The
DMMs are in addition to programs which
may be instituted during occasional water
supply shortages.
i. Water Waste Prevention Ordinances
9 Section 9:
Conservation
Measures
Conservation
measures are an
essential part of
the City’s policies.
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ii. Metering
iii. Conservation Pricing
iv. Public Education & Outreach
v. Programs to Assess and Manage
Distribution System Real Loss
vi. Water Conservation Program
Coordination and Staffing Support
vii. Other Demand Management
Measures that have a significant
impact on water use
As with previous UWMPs, agencies that are
members of CalWEP can submit the BMP
annual reports in lieu of providing a
description of each DMM in the UWMP.
9.3. CalWEP BMPs
An active member of the CalWEP has signed
the MOU and implements the water
conservation measures stipulated by the
CalWEP (Figure 9.1). According to CalWEP,
an agency “implements” a conservation
measure by achieving and maintaining the
level of activity called for in each BMP's
definition, as described in the MOU. This
requires a minimum level of staffing and
funding efforts. To document the
implementation of a BMP, an agency is
required to submit annual BMP reports to
CalWEP that document the implementation
of each BMP.
Figure 9.1 CUWCC became CalWEP in
January 2018
The City is not currently a member of
CalWEP. However, the City is implementing
the same conservation measures as
described in the previous sub-section.
9.4. CITY CONSERVATION MEASURES
The City of California City (City) is committed
to implementing water conservation
programs and encourages its customers to
conserve water whenever possible. The
CalWEP BMPs are broad measures aimed at
reducing water use either directly (rebates
and fixture changes), or indirectly (through
awareness). As a smaller, low-density
community surrounded by significant open
space, the City is unique compared to many
of the other urban, “built-out” member
agencies. As such, the City’s conservation
efforts are tailored to address the
characteristics of their specific community.
Over the past several years, the City has
focused primarily on public information
efforts, irrigation, and landscape limitations,
and reducing water losses/waste. The City
has focused less on rebates and retrofits as
water efficient appliance and fixtures have
saturated the market over the past few
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decades. Nevertheless, the City is committed
to using “good faith effort” to implement all
of the BMPs as described in this section.
California City’s 2015 mandatory water
measures required residents to cut potable
water use by 25% during the statewide
drought and prohibited wasteful outdoor
practices such as irrigation that causes
runoff, watering during or within 48 hours of
rainfall, using potable water on sidewalks or
driveways, operating non‑recirculating
fountains, and washing vehicles without a
shut‑off nozzle. Outdoor watering was
restricted to specific days and banned
between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., and restaurants
could only serve water upon request. New
construction landscaping had to use drip or
micro‑spray systems. Violations carried fines
up to $500 per incident, with the city
enforcing these rules under state emergency
authority that allowed penalties up to
$10,000 per day for non‑compliance.
9.5. WATER SURVEY PROGRAM
This program involves making free water
audits available, upon request, to all
residential customers. The audit would
include identification of any leaks inside or
outside the home, reviewing water usages
with the customer and recommending
improvements for the customer to
implement.
City of California City has installed water
meters on each water service connection.
Within the city service area, residential
meters are read on a monthly basis. The City
requires separate irrigation meters for
customers with large landscaping areas to
distinguish outdoor water from indoor water
use and for the facilitation of recycled water
conversions. The City’s CI, CII customers are
required to have fire sprinkler systems, and
since 2012, the City has required residential
fire sprinklers in all new single and multifamily construction.
The City has been continuously replacing its
metering infrastructure with AMI since
2006. With the AMI technology, meter
readings are fed from meters to a handheld
collector, which transmits meter reads to
City computers. The information is then
transformed into customer reports that
detail water usages, time of use, and leak
detection. The system increases meter
reading accuracy and efficiency and provides
hour-by-hour meter reads, significantly
improving customer service levels. As of
2015, approximately twenty percent (20%)
of the City customers are served by AMI.
Implementation of AMI will allow the City to
automate meter reading and provide realtime water use data to City staff and customers that can be used to aggressively
target leaks and atypically high-water use
during normal years and periods of water
shortage. Implementation of AMI will also
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increase City’s communication with
customers and allow customers to view
water use in near real-time through the
City’s staff.
City crews provide water audits free of
charge to customers who question or doubt
the data being generated by their meters.
The audits will at least consist of manual
meter reads to confirm usage reported by a
handheld data collection device used to
electronically read meters.
City staff can also provide an assessment of
a customer’s water use by checking for leaks,
irrigation use and signs of water wasting.
Calls from customers requesting an audit
total to less than six (6) per calendar year
and are generally performed to the
satisfaction of the customer.
Meter retrofits and outreaching programs
currently have an annual budget of $150,000
for mostly contractual work. The staff costs
for implementing this DMM are absorbed by
the water enterprise operational budget.
9.6. RESIDENTIAL PLUMBING RETROFIT
This DMM involves installing water savings
devices within residences, business and
other usage locations to reduce the amount
of water used or to limit the amount of water
delivered to the connection. These devices
include low flow showerheads, faucet
aerators with flow restrictors and low flow
toilets. State law began requiring low-flow
fixtures on all new construction in 1978, with
an increase in stringency of the regulation in
1992, which required Ultra-Low-Flush
toilets.
The City requires all new construction to
install low‐flow devices such as toilets and
showerheads but does not have an
enforceable ordinance requiring the
replacement of high flow fixtures for older
homes and businesses with their low‐flow
counterparts. A citywide retrofit program for
older service connections has not been
conducted to date.
The City estimates that there over 3,500
single family units that were constructed
before the low‐flow fixture requirements.
It’s anticipated that funding and
implementing retrofits for the older service
connections would require one dedicated
and certified staff member at an annual cost
of $100,000 per year plus the cost of specific
materials which the water enterprise does
not have funding for at the present time. No
specific budget has been set‐aside for this
DMM at this time.
9.7. METERING AND COMMODITY RATES
The Metering DMM entails installing water
meters on all new connections and
implementing a plan to retrofit all existing
unmetered connections.
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The City’s water system is fully metered and
in full compliance with the State of California
Assembly Bill No. 2572 (AB 2572). However,
the continuing drought and water crisis
along with the City’s inability to consistently
uphold the State’s conservation standard
has led to the citywide meter replacement
and conversion to AMI reading system that
will help in detecting usage abnormalities via
radio communication. Once an AMI system
is fully installed and operational, with a
balance of approximately 2,000 meters
needed to be upgraded and replaced. The
coordination, funding and implementation
of this plan is on going. The current annual
budget for implementing this DMM is
$480,000.
9.8. CONSERVATION PRICING
This DMM would implement a tiered water
rate structure to encourage conservation.
The City already has implemented this type
of rate structure.
The current meter rate plan was approved in
2014. The typical water bill is made up using
a fixed monthly charge based on the size of
meter and water usage billed by tiers. The
following tables detail the current tiered
billing structure. At the time the current rate
structure was approved, it was seen as a
significant change, particularly for existing
metered customers using the previous rate
plan in which a fixed fee purchased an
allowance of water before the usage rate
could be assessed. Therefore, tiered usage
rates and other more complicated plans that
could have encouraged more conservation
were not seen as practical options. Rather,
the approved rates were seen as a first step
and easier transition towards conservation
that at least discouraged wasting. Since the
current rates were approved, a multi‐year
statewide drought and the State’s
enforcement of conservation measures and
standards has prompted to the City to revisit
tiered rates and other rate alternatives to
compel its customers to be more proactive
with conservation and engaged with our
water crisis. The Prop 218 water rate process
is currently ongoing.
9.9. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
The following describes the public education
and outreach efforts by the City to promote
water conservation and other water-related
topics.
As mentioned in Section 5.2.5, results of the
water quality testing are shown in Consumer
Confidence Reports posted annually to the
City’s website. The City uses mailings when
necessary to provide customers additional
information on water conservation and
other demand management measures;
however most of this information is posted
annually to the City’s website. Display cases
and bulletin boards at City facilities augment
the mailings by providing a permanent
posting of the most current City mailings.
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The City monthly water bill distributed to all
water service customers is another vehicle
used by the City for public education
purposes. The bill presents information
regarding comparable previous year water
usage so that the public can self-monitor
their water demand. The bill also contains a
space for public service announcements that
are used to remind citizens of conservation
and demand management measures. The
City’s water conservation measures can be
found in the link below:
californiacity-ca.gov/CC/index.php/waterconservation
9.10. PROGRAMS TO ASSESS AND MANAGE
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM REAL LOSS
The City has several programs to manage
distribution system loss.
1) Leak detection program
• Daily water patrol helps to detect
visible leaks.
• Customer calls on possible water
leaks, when received, are inspected
the same day.
• All leaks are repaired as soon as
possible.
• When repairing a leak, 1)
underground dig alert is notified to
let other utilities know of
underground excavations and 2) the
water leak is repaired.
2) Regular meter testing
• Several meters are flow tested
regularly throughout the City for
accuracy.
• Meters are also flow tested by
request of a customer.
• Meters are replaced, if needed.
9.11. WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM
AND STAFFING SUPPORT
The following provides a description of the
City’s water conservation program and
staffing support.
A Water Conservation Coordinator (WCC)
would be responsible for coordinating water
conservation programs and activities
including the public information program
and education program.
The has a full‐time WCC and has also utilized
available staff on a part‐time basis to patrol
all service areas of the City to monitor water
use and enforce the water use policies.
These patrols were routinely used during
2015, 2016 and played a major role in getting
the City’s water customers to reduce their
water usage.
The City’s 2016‐2017 fiscal year budget calls
for funding the City’s first full‐time meter
department technicians that will primarily
read and install meters but will also support
the Conservation Coordinator to enforce
water use policies.
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URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
The City budgets approximately $150,000
annually to fund the new meter technicians
and Conservation Coordinator to ensure that
water audit and leak detection programs are
conducted.
The contact information for City-related
water conservation program is provided
below:
Joe Barragan, Public Works Director
(760) 373-7162
9.12. OTHER DEMAND MANAGEMENT
MEASURES THAT IMPACT GPCD
The City does not currently employ any other
DMMs that affect GPCD.
9.13. PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION TO
ACHIEVE WATER USE TARGETS
The City plans to use all DMMs described
above, if needed, to achieve its water use
targets.
City of California City, CA
Presentation of
2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
August 25, 2026
UWMP Background
Planning Tool for Water Agencies
Source of Information for Updates to General Plans and Other Planning Documents
Required by State Law
UWMP Defined
Urban Water Management Planning Act (1983)
Multiple Amendments to the Act Since 1983
Most Significant Amendment to Date:
Water Conservation Act of 2009 (SBx7-7 –Steinberg)
UWMP Legal Foundations
Who is Required to Prepare an Urban Water Management
Plan (UWMP)?
Urban Water Suppliers with 3,000 Customers OR
Urban Water Suppliers with 3,000 Acre-Feet per Year (AFY) Supply 1 AF = 0.325 MG or 1 MG = 3.1 AF
UWMPs are Filed Every 5 years (2020, 2025, etc.) with Dept. of Water Resources
Deadline for 2025 UWMPs (July 1, 2026)
Agencies that Submit after July 1, 2026 are Still Eligible for State Grants or Loans
UWMP Requirements
CWC § 10608.40: Clarified Reporting for SBx7-7
CWC § 10631(d)(3)(C): Water Losses
CWC § 10609.25: Updates to DMMs
CWC § 10609.4: UWUO and Water Use Reporting
CWC § 10618.14: Irrigation of Nonfunctional Turf
CWC § 10608.12: Definitions
CA Water Code Updates
to 2025 UWMPs
Content of City’s UWMP
1. Introduction
2. Service Area Designation
3. Water Sources & Supplies
4. Recycled Water Opportunities
5. Water Quality
6. Water Use
7. Reliability Planning
8. Contingency Planning
9. Conservation Measures
Contents of CITY’s 2025 UWMP
UWMP
HIGHLIGHTS
Current water service area population: 14,063
In July 2025, a fire broke out at the main building of California City Public Works Yard
1. Lost over 30 years of documentation relating to contracts, maps, grant documentation and groundwater production.
California City Correctional Facility Closed as state prison in March 2024 and opened in 2025 to house U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement Detainees
City’s water service area is projected to experience steady growth over the next two decades, with aprojected water service area population in 2050 of 16,796.
UWMP HIGHLIGHTS
WATER SERVICE AREA
City Water Service Area & Zoning Map
The City’s water supply is primarily obtained from local groundwater basins (98% Groundwater Sources)
The City also has access to imported water from the
Antelope Valley – East Kern Water Agency (AVEK) and the Mojave Public Utility District (MPUD)
There were no imported water supply purchases in years 2022 - 2025
UWMP HIGHLIGHTS
SUPPLIES
The City currently pumps groundwater from three (3) active potable water wells within the Fremont Valley Groundwater Basin There are eight (8) total wells in the system
Recent well production in 2025 = 797 MG
Total well pumping capacity is approx. 1,367 MGY
Projected pumped amounts will be based on the projected water demands
UWMP HIGHLIGHTS
SUPPLIES
Well 2A (Active)
Westside Water Bank
Over the past five (5) years the City has generated an average of 593 AF (193 MG) of wastewater.
Wastewater is treated at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and is discharged to the percolation ponds or the Central Park Lake for use on the Tierra del Sol golf course. Over the past five (5) years the City has produced an average of 156 MG of recycled water
Due to high costs and lack of funding sources, the city will no longer produce recycled water by 2028
UWMP HIGHLIGHTS
Recycled Water Potential
Central Park lake
Current water demands 2025: 797 MG (including water loss) Current 155 GPCD, meeting 2020 Per Capita Targe of 270 GPCD
2025 UWMP projects demands to year 2050. Gradual
improvements in water-use efficiency are projected to help offset new growth; however, this was not included in order to plan more conservatively
Projected Water Demands for 2050: 1,154 MG (including water loss)
UWMP HIGHLIGHTS
DEMANDS
Six (6) Stages of shortages
1) 10%, 2) 20%, 3) 30%, 4) 40%, 5) 50%, and 6) >50%
Permanent conservation measures in place
UWMP HIGHLIGHTS
WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
Upper Rancho Reservoir
Water supply capacities (groundwater and imported
water) are sufficient to meet demands, even under
drought conditions, through 2050
Recycled water will not be available by 2030
City should use provisions of Water Shortage
Contingency Plan (WSCP) for sudden shortages or
disasters
CONCLUSIONS
Adopt the UWMP by Council Resolution
Adopt the WSCP by Council Resolution
Within Thirty (30) Days of Adoption:
Submit Adopted UWMP to DWR (online submittal)
Provide CD Copies to State Library and County
Make the UWMP Available to the Public (i.e. website)
Next Steps
Questions
Thank You
CB 3
COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
August 25, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Sean Grayson, City Manager
SUBJECT: Consideration of Appointment of Two Community Members to Serve on the Potentially Dangerous or Vicious Dog Review Board
BACKGROUND:
In 2025 the City revised the requirements for members to be appointed to the City’s Potentially Dangerous and Vicious Dog Review Board. The purpose of the review board is to review any petition filed by Animal Control that seeks to declare a dog a potentially dangerous or vicious dog.
The City had previously issued notice of vacancies for the board and issued a new notice on July 10, 2026 (attached). On July 28, 2026, Councilmember Shawn Bradley was appointed to the Potentially Dangerous or Vicious Dog Review Board as the City Council appointee / liaison. The City seeks two (2) additional members at large who shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older and shall reside in the city. Individuals with special skills or knowledge regarding canines and canine behavior are highly recommended and desired but not required. Each member shall be appointed by the City Council and serve for a two-year term or until a successor is appointed, whichever is last to occur. Such members serve at the pleasure of the city council and may at any time be removed by a vote of the majority of the city council. The City accepted applications through August 14, 2026, with a total of three being received as attached.
It is requested that the City Council review the three applications and make an appointment of two new Potentially Dangerous or Vicious Dog Review Board members.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact from this action.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council appoint two community members to the Board.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Notice of Vacancy for the City’s Potentially Dangerous and Vicious Dog Review Board
2. Application: Perry
3. Application: Perez
4. Application: Contresceri
NOTICE OF VACANCIES
CALIFORNIA CITY FOR THE POTENIALLY DANGEROUS
AND VICIOUS DOG REVIEW BOARD
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there are three vacancies on the California City Potentially Dangerous or Vicious Dog Review Board. These seat terms will begin on September 1, 2026.
Below is the information regarding the board and the background needed to submit an application for appointment to a seat on the Vicious Dog Review Board:
Sec. 6-1.404. - Establishment of Review Board.
(a) A potentially dangerous or vicious dog review board is hereby established consisting of three (3) members appointed by the City Council. (b)The review board shall consist of three (3) members at large who shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older and shall reside in the city. Individuals with special skills or knowledge regarding canines and canine behavior are highly recommended and desired but not required. Each member shall be appointed by the City Council and serve for a two-year term or until a successor is appointed, whichever is last to occur. Such members serve at the pleasure of the city council and may at any time be removed by a vote of the majority of the city council. (c)The purpose of the review board is to review any petition filed by Animal Control that seeks to declare a dog as a potentially dangerous or vicious dog.
Applications will be reviewed by the City Council who will make appointments to the Potentially Dangerous and Vicious Dog Review Board by a majority vote for each appointed member, at the August 25, 2026 City Council meeting. The newly appointed members of the Board will begin their terms September 1, 2026. Terms of office are two years and will expire on August 31, 2028.
Applications must be given to the City Clerk prior to the deadline on August 14, 2026. Applications are available at the City Clerk’s office, City Hall, 21000 Hacienda Blvd., California City, CA 93505.
The application is also available online at https://www.californiacity-ca.gov/CC/. The City Council will establish an interview schedule for applicants who will be notified of their interview time(s) by email.
DATED: July 25, 2026
______________________
John Paul Maier, MBA, MMC
Deputy City Manager /. City Clerk
Notices Posted: Chamber of Commerce, Notified by a copy of this Notice:
City Hall, inside/outside boards Mayor, Council and City Manager City Attorney
Revised 07/21/2026
(760)373,8661
APPLICATION FOR APPOINTMENT I
Suhmit Applkatioh To: CJty Clerk's Office
21000 Hacienda Blvd.
California City, CA 93S05
Name ltMo..Y1cla, y-ey(. L.
City C.c.\1·kV\,lO... Cf¼ State G'APhone Number 4-4 z - l( 3 s -'%Y'.1.<R Position(s) Sought: (List in order ofpre(erenc�)
2. 3.
4. Occupation \/ G hv \ V'G.v� -rec. liwtic;� vi
Business Name �l C f �. pe,+ . ..... CJ,n(G ....... ..... . .
Phone Number 7lfl.()- 37 3 - ] 51>7
Education - List schools attended and/or graduated, as well as degree(s):
Fax Number
21000 lia.ciend;i Blvd.
California City, CA 93505
https;//ww.w.caUforniacity-ca.go.v/CC/
Pa�e 1 of 2
Josephine Marie Contresceri
California City CA 93505
[email protected]
Potentially Dangerous or Vicious Dog Review Board
IT Service Desk Manager
Arroyo High School, El Monte CA - graduated with general diplomaPasadena City College, Pasadena CA - obtained AA and Certificate in Radio Productio I have not previously held any formal government position, but I have been actively involved in advocating for animal welfare and public safety in California City and my previous home city. I have spoken before the City Council about the community’s stray dog crisis, the need for consistent enforcement, public education, accessible spay and neuter services, microchipping, and stronger partnerships with local rescue organizations.
I am a resident of California City. I care about both public safety and the humane treatment of animals. California City hasexperienced serious incidents involving loose and aggressive dogs, and I believe these cases deserve careful, fair, and timelyreview. As a foster and volunteer with rescue dogs, it has taught me that each situation must be evaluated individually, based on thefacts, the dog’s behavior, the actions of the owner, and the potential risk to the community. I would bring an objective andthoughtful perspective while supporting responsible pet ownership and the safety of our residents and animals.I am associated with Fetch Animal Rescue as a volunteer foster and I occassionally assist with adoption events. I do not haveany financial interest in the organization or in the outcome of matters that may come before the committee. However, I woulddisclose my association if a case involved Fetch Animal Rescue or anyone with whom I have worked directly. If necessary,I would recuse myself from the discussion and decision to ensure the process remains fair and impartial.
I have been a dog owner throughout my life and have cared for many dogs with different personalities, needs, andtemperaments. I have also fostered rescue dogs. My life experiences have given me a strong understanding of dog behavior,responsible ownership, proper care, and the importance of recognizing situations that may present a safety concern. 7/29/2026 1100
NB 1
4937-1331-1689 v1
APPEAL STAFF REPORT
August 25, 2026
TO: City Council
FROM: John Paul Maier, MBA, MMC, Deputy City Manager / City Clerk SUBJECT: Appeal of the City Manager’s Decision Denying the Appeal of the Deputy City Manager Approval of the Business License Issued to CoreCivic for the California City Correctional Facility, 22844 Virginia Boulevard
BACKGROUND:
CoreCivic submitted its 2026 Business License renewal application to the City of California City (City) for processing on August 22, 2025. The renewal application was approved by the City on February 26, 2026, following approval of the related Site Plan Review. On February 27, 2026, Dignity Not Detention Coalition appealed the City’s approval of CoreCivic Inc.’s Business License.
On July 7, 2026, the Appeal was heard by Sean Grayson, City Manager. The Applicant (CoreCivic) and the Appellant (Dignity Not Detention Coalition) provided brief presentations to Mr. Grayson.
On July 9, 2026, Mr. Grayson sent Ms. Laner a letter of determination, providing the following Hearing Officer’s Determination (see Attachment 4, the Decision of City Manager, for full text):
“Based upon a preponderance of the evidence, the Appellant failed to show that the City Clerk erred or did not comply with the requirements of the CCMC when s/he issued a Business License to CoreCivic, Inc. on February 26, 2026. Thus, the appeal filed by the Appellant is denied, and the issuance of the Business License is upheld.” On July 13, 2026, Ms. Laner submitted an Appeal of the City Manager’s decision (see attached for full text).
DISCUSSION:
On February 26, 2026, City Planner Anu Doravari completed the review of the Site Plan Review application and issued the SPR determination letter. The determination letter was provided to John Malloy of CoreCivic on February 26, 2026.
Following the issuance of the SPR determination, staff completed the remaining administrative processing of the Business License renewal. Upon confirmation that the required Site Plan Review process had been completed, the City issued CoreCivic Inc.’s 2026 Business License on February 26, 2026.
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The Business License was issued after completion of the required Site Plan Review process and in accordance with the City’s administrative procedures for business license renewals or new applications, including but not limited to California City Municipal Code (CCMC) Title 3, Article 3, Division 2 (Business Licenses) beginning at Section 3-2.3.201. This process includes the standard submittal of the application and payment.
The City’s approval of the Business License was subsequently appealed by the Dignity Not Detention Coalition under CCMC Section 1-4.08.
STANDARD OF REVIEW AND BURDEN OF PROOF:
The Council hears this appeal de novo under CCMC section 1-4.04(d). Because this appeal involves the issuance of a license, CCMC section 1-4.04(e) places the burden of proof squarely on the Coalition to support overturning the prior decision. The City Manager already found the Coalition failed to carry that burden. To prevail here, the Coalition must identify a specific requirement of Division 2 of Chapter 3 that CoreCivic’s application failed to satisfy, or a specific code provision the Clerk violated in issuing the license. It has identified neither.
ANALYSIS:
Division 2 sets fixed, objective criteria for issuance. The applicant must file a verified application containing the items listed in CCMC section 3-2.3.203(b), pay the fee in advance under Section 3-
2.3.211(b), and satisfy Section 3-2.3.211(d): “No license shall be issued unless the place of business and the purposes and methods of conducting such business, conform to health, fire and zoning regulations.”
CoreCivic did all of that. Its application was complete and verified, the fee was paid, and building, fire, and planning staff each confirmed conformance with their respective regulations. Once those boxes were checked, nothing in the chapter authorized the City Clerk to withhold the license.
Whether the Site Plan Review was properly granted is attached to the land use approval, SPR 25-
09. Under the CCMC, this business license appeal hearing is not properly a second forum for the SPR dispute. If, however, the Coalition prevails on the SPR appeal, the zoning conformance finding and predicate changes, and the City has revocation grounds under Section 3-2.3.208(c).
The Coalition has not identified any requirement of the licensing chapter that CoreCivic failed to meet or that the City Clerk failed to apply. The application was complete, the fee was paid, and building, fire, and planning each confirmed conformance. The City Clerk properly approved the business license as the code required.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this appeal.
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HEARING NOTICE:
This item has been noticed in accordance with CCMC Section 1-4.08. The Notice was posted in three locations, including on the City’s website.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Receive and file the informational update regarding the issuance of CoreCivic Inc.’s 2026 Business License.
2. Conduct the Appeal Hearing
3. Uphold the decision of the City Manager denying the appeal and uphold the decision by the City Clerk for the Issuance of CoreCivic Inc.’s 2026 Business License.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Business License Application
Attachment 2: Site Plan Review Issuance Letter
Attachment 3: Business License
Attachment 4: City Manager’s Determination Letter
Attachment 5: Dignity Not Detention Coalition’s Appeal Letter Attachment 6: Notice of Public Hearing – Appeal of City Manager’s Decision for the Issuance of CoreCivic Inc.’s 2026 Business License
Attachment 7: Dignity Not Detention Coalition’s Correspondence – Request for Continuance Business License Application
City of California City
21000 Hacienda Blvd
California City, CA 93505
[email protected]
License # ____________________
Approved by __________________
Processed by__________________
Processed On _________________
760-373-7140
Name of Business
Business Address
Business Phone #
Nature of Business
Business
Owner(s) Name
Mailing
Address
Email
Address
Have you had a license for this business in the past?
Do you own or rent the space Own Rent (If rent, building owner/landlord Yes No
Phone Number
Will the business have Annual Gross Income of $10.000 or more? Business Emergency Contact: Name
ABC License #
(Required for Alcohol & Liquor Sales)
Expiration Date
State/County Licensing Information:
Seller's Permit #
Health Certificate #
(Required for Food Services – attach copy)
Contractors:
State License #
State License Type
(Required for Contractors)
Commercial Business & Fire Life Safety Inspection for Local Businesses:
Inspection Required Annually
Yes No
Planned Business
Begin Date
Date
See the California City Master Fee Schedule on our website. Click here for cost of fees.
By signing below, I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing information is true and correct. I agree to all of the terms of the City of California City business license requirements. I comply with the relevant state and county license requirements for my business and am aware that the City of California City business license does not cover state and county license requirements for my business.
Signature Date
Printed Name