DATE: 06/17/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Honorable President and Board Members
FROM: Public Works Department and Utilities Department
2026-233
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AND
CORONA UTILITY AUTHORITY ACTION
SUBJECT:
RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE CITY OF CORONA 2026 POTABLE WATER MASTER
PLAN UPDATE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to adopt the 2026 Potable Water Master Plan update. This master plan assists the with the evaluation of its existing water system infrastructure, updates to the water system hydraulic model, and identification and implementation of appropriate capital improvements to ensure continuous provision of high quality water.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council adopt Resolution No 2026-079, adopting the City of Corona 2026 Potable Water Master Plan.
That the Corona Utility Authority review, ratify, and to the extent necessary, direct the City Council to take the above actions.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The City of Corona (City)’s Utilities Department (Department) operates a domestic water system serving more than 40 square mile service area including Coronita, El Cerrito, and the northern part of Temescal Valley within the City’s sphere of influence. The system consists of 6 pressure zones, approximately 668 miles of transmission and distribution pipelines, 18 storage reservoirs, 20 pressure booster pump stations, 17 active groundwater wells, 4 water treatment plants, and 9 inter-agency connections.
The Potable Water Master Plan (PWMP) is a detailed engineering report that analyzes the City’s water system by evaluating existing infrastructure, identifying water supply and demand characteristics, and updating and calibrating the water system hydraulic model to help shape findings, conclusions, and recommended improvements for up to a 20-year period necessary to maintain the City’s reliability in delivering potable water.
ANALYSIS:
The City’s previous PWMP was completed in 2005. Since then, several changes have taken place, including additional development in the water service area and construction of capital improvement projects to serve City residents. The City contracted with Michael Baker International to prepare the 2026 PWMP.
The 2026 PWMP is a dynamic document that serves as a roadmap and foundation in developing the City’s ten-year capital improvement program. This PWMP evaluates the current condition, capacity, and performance of the existing potable water system and identifies capital improvement projects necessary to meet both current and projected service demands. It also incorporates updated population and land use projections, assesses system deficiencies, and utilizes hydraulic modeling to analyze system performance under existing and future conditions.
The 2026 PWMP recommends improvements to ensure adequate water supply, storage, transmission, distribution, and pressure management throughout the service area. To facilitate the prioritization of the recommended capital improvements, five categories were defined:
Improvements to alleviate any existing deficiencies identified by the hydraulic model.
Improvements to address aging infrastructure.
Improvements to provide a looped water system.
Improvements in conjunction with current and future developments. Improvements to ensure system resiliency.
The recommended capital improvements will be prioritized and implemented though the Capital Improvement Program and annual budget process. Adoption of the 2026 PWMP does not constitute approval or authorization of any specific capital improvement project.
In addition to identifying future capital improvements, the 2026 PWMP establishes updated development standards and design criteria to guide future new development and redevelopment projects. The recommended standards reflect current engineering practices, regulatory requirements, and operational objectives to provide consistent framework for the design, construction, and operation of the potable water system. These standards and criteria address matters such as water main sizing, system looping and redundancy, pressure and velocity requirements, storage capacity, and fire flow standards.
Adoption of the 2026 PWMP will ensure that future development is planned and designed in a manner that is consistent with protection and support of the City’s long-term water system and infrastructure needs.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with the approval of the recommended actions.
However, the 2026 PWMP will be used to develop future Capital Improvement Projects and funding needs.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The adoption and resolution of the Potable Water Master Plan is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense rule that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This Resolution approves a master plan for the implementation of potable water projects and programs. This action does not approve or authorize any construction activity and will not result in any disturbance or effect on an environmental resource. There is no possibility that adopting the 2026 Potable Water Master Plan will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no further environmental review is required.
PREPARED BY: ALAN ZHANG, CIP SUPERVISOR
REVIEWED BY: SAVAT KHAMPHOU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR & TOM MOODY,
UTILITIES DIRECTOR
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 - Resolution No. 2026-079
2. Exhibit 2 - 2026 Potable Water Master Plan
3. Exhibit 3 - 2026 Potable Water Master Plan Appendices