“A multicounty agency authorized to plan for and
acquire supplemental water supplies, encourage
water conservation and use of recycled water on
a regional basis.”
[BAWSCA Act, AB2058 (Papan-2002)]
Select Results from
BAWSCA Drought
Study and Annual Survey
T om Smegal, CEO/General
Manager June 24, 2025
29% Less Water Used T oday in BAWSCA Region Compared
to FY 1986-87 Despite a 34% Population Increase
0.00 0.20
0.40 0.60
0.80 1.00
1.20 1.40
1.60 1.80
2.00 0
50 100
150
200
250
300
Population (Millions)
Million Gallons Per Day (mgd)
Total Water Use Drought Year Pop
Residential Per Capita Has Decreased by 50% in BAWSCA
Region
Peak: 186.5 gpcd
FY 2023-24: 95.1
Peak: 114.9 gpcd
FY 2023-24: 57.2
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
140
160
180
200
Per Capita Consumption
Gross Per Capita (gpcd) Residential Per Capita (gpcd)
Dashed line indicates drought year
During the 2021-2023 Drought, Effective Communication and Outreach led by BAWSCA was Instrumental
Drought
Statements
Regional
Drought
Messaging
Campaign
Outreach
Materials
Website Update
Workshops and
T ownhalls
Community
Events
Enhanced Water
Conservation
Programs
Tier 2
Implementation
BAWSCA DROUGHT
RESPONSE MEASURES
Water Savings Achieved During the 2021-2023 Drought was Notably Lower than Achieved Previously
• Residential per capita use in
gallons per day (R-GPCD) and
gross per capita use (gross
GPCD) were relatively stable
between the two drought periods
and did not rebound to pre-2014-
17 drought levels
• Slightly lower R-GPCD and
GPCD observed during the 2021-
23 drought
• Demand hardening may have
contributed to the lower water
use reductions
Member Agencies’ R-GPCD and Gross GPCD
Preparing for the Next Drought
• Plan ahead: coordinate with Regional partners including SFPUC in advance of drought to improve flexibility and responsiveness
• Continue to enhance BAWSCA conservation programs to improve overall water use efficiency and drought preparedness
• Agencies should review their AMI structure and contracts to ensure data is available for analysis
• Advocate for continued research into demand hardening • Agencies may need to reevaluate effectiveness of their drought plans due to hardening and message fatigue