City Council/Public Financing Authority
May 5, 2026

City of Huntington Beach
2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan

April 2026 / DRAFT

City of Huntington Beach
2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan

April 2026 / DRAFT

Prepared By: Prepared For:

Carollo Engineers, Inc. City of Huntington Beach
707 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 3920 2000 Main Street
Los Angeles, California 90017 Huntington Beach, California 92648 Phone: 213.489.1587 Phone: 714.536.5431
https://www.carollo.com https://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov

In collaboration with:

2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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pw://Carollo/CA/MWDOC/204447-000000/03 Reports and Studies/02 Deliverables/Grp1_HB UWMP /HuntingtonBeach_2025 WSCP.docx

Contents
SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION AND WSCP OVERVIEW 1

1.1 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Requirements and Organization 1

1.2 Integration with Other Planning Efforts 2
SECTION 2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 3

2.1 City Service Area 4

2.2 Relationship to Wholesalers 5

2.3 Relationship With Wholesaler Water Shortage Planning 6

2.3.1 MET Water Surplus and Drought Management Plan 6

2.3.2 MET Water Supply Allocation Plan 8

2.3.3 MWDOC Water Supply Allocation Plan 9
SECTION 3 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND
RESPONSE PLANNING 10

3.1 Water Supply Reliability Analysis 10

3.2 Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment Procedures 11

3.2.1 Decision-Making Process 11

3.2.2 Data and Methodologies 13

3.3 Six Standard Water Shortage Levels 16

3.4 Shortage Response Actions 17

3.4.1 Supply Augmentation 18

3.4.2 Demand Reduction 18

3.4.3 Operational Changes 18

3.4.4 Additional Mandatory Restrictions 18

3.4.5 Seismic Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan 20

3.4.6 Shortage Response Action Effectiveness 20

3.5 Communication Protocols 21

3.6 Compliance and Enforcement 21

3.7 Legal Authorities 21

3.8 Financial Consequences of WSCP 22

3.9 Monitoring and Reporting 22

3.10 WSCP Refinement Procedures 23

3.11 Special Water Feature Distinction 23

3.12 Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Availability 24
SECTION 4 REFERENCES 24
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Appendices

APPENDIX A DWR SUBMITTAL TABLES
APPENDIX B HUNTINGTON BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 14.18 WATER MANAGEMENT

PROGRAM

APPENDIX C WATER SHORTAGE COMMUNICATION PLAN

APPENDIX D NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING (PENDING)

APPENDIX E ADOPTED WSCP RESOLUTION (PENDING)
Tables
Table 1 Cross Reference for Standard vs Supplier Shortage Levels 17 Table 2 Agency Contacts and Coordination Protocols 21
Figures
Figure 1 City of Huntington Beach Service Area 4
Figure 2 Regional Location of the City of Huntington Beach and Other MWDOC Member Agencies 6
Figure 3 Resource Stages, Anticipated Actions, and Supply Declarations 7 Figure 4 AWSDA Reporting Timeline 12
Figure 5 Water Shortage Contingency Plan AWSDA Framework 13

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Abbreviations
% percent
AF acre-feet
AWSDA Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment
BPP Basin Production Percentage
CAMP4W MET’s Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water
City City of Huntington Beach
DDW Division of Drinking Water
DRA Drought Risk Assessment
DVL Diamond Valley Lake
DWR California Department of Water Resources
EOC Emergency Operations Center
EOP Emergency Operations Plan
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FY Fiscal Year
GRP OCWD’s Groundwater Resilience Plan
GSP Groundwater Sustainability Plan
IAWP Interim Agricultural Water Program
IRP Integrated Water Resources Plan
LHMP Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
MCL Maximum Contaminant Level
MET Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

MWDOC Municipal Water District of Orange County
ND non detect
NIMS National Incident Management System
OC Basin Orange County Groundwater Basin
OCWD Orange County Water District
PCH Pacific Coast Highway
PFAS Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
PFOA Perfluorooctanoic Acid
PFOS Perfluorooctane Sulfonate
PPT parts per trillion
Producers Groundwater Producers
SEMS California Standardized Emergency Management System Supplier Urban Water Supplier
SWP State Water Project
UWMP Urban Water Management Plan
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Water Code California Water Code
WEROC Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County WSAP Water Supply Allocation Plan
WSCP Water Shortage Contingency Plan
WSDM Water Surplus and Drought Management Plan

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SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION AND WSCP OVERVIEW
The Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) is a strategic planning document designed to prepare for and respond to water shortages. This WSCP complies with California Water Code (Water Code) Section 10632, which requires that every Urban Water Supplier (Supplier) shall prepare and adopt a WSCP as part of its Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP). This level of detailed planning and preparation is intended to help maintain reliable supplies and reduce the impacts of supply interruptions.

The WSCP is the City of Huntington Beach’s (City) operating manual that is used to prevent catastrophic service disruptions through proactive, rather than reactive, management. A water shortage, when the water supply available is insufficient to meet the normally expected customer water use at a given point in time, may occur due to a number of reasons, such as drought, climate change, and catastrophic events .

This plan provides a structured guide for the City to deal with water shortages, incorporating prescriptive information and standardized action levels, along with implementation actions in the event of a catastrophic supply interruption. This way, if and when shortage conditions arise, the City’s governing body, its staff, and the public can easily identify and efficiently implement pre-determined steps to manage a water shortage. A well-structured WSCP allows real-time water supply availability assessment and structured steps designed to respond to actual conditions, enabling efficient management of any shortage with predictability and accountability.

The WSCP also describes the City’s procedures for conducting an Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment (AWSDA) that is required by Water Code Section 10632.1 and is to be submitted to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) on or before July 1 of each year, or within 14 days of receiving final allocations from the State Water Project (SWP), whichever is later. The City’s 2025 WSCP is included as an appendix to its 2025 UWMP which will be submitted to DWR by July 1, 2026. However, while developed in conjunction with the UWMP, this WSCP is a standalone document and can be amended, as needed, without amending the UWMP. Furthermore, the Water Code does not prohibit a Supplier from taking actions not specified in its WSCP, if needed, without having to formally amend its UWMP or WSCP.

1.1 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Requirements and
Organization
The WSCP provides the steps and water shortage response actions to be taken in times of water shortage conditions. WSCP has prescriptive elements, such as an analysis of water supply reliability; the water shortage response actions for each of the six standard water shortage levels that correspond to water shortage percentages ranging from 10 percent (%) to greater than 50%; an estimate of potential to close supply gap for each measure; protocols and procedures to communicate identified actions for any current or predicted water shortage conditions; procedures for an AWSDA; monitoring and reporting requirements to determine customer compliance; and reevaluation and improvement procedures for evaluating the WSCP.
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This WSCP is organized into three main sections, with Section 3 aligned with Water Code Section 16032 requirements:

Section 1 Introduction and WSCP Overview gives an overview of the WSCP fundamentals.

Section 2 Background Information provides a background on the City’s water service area.

Section 3 Water Shortage Contingency Preparedness and Response Planning.

Section 3.1 Water Supply Reliability Analysis provides a summary of the water supply analysis and water reliability findings from the 2025 UWMP.

Section 3.2 Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment Procedures provide s a description of procedures to conduct and approve the AWSDA.

Section 3.3 Six Standard Water Shortage Stages explains the WSCP’s six standard water shortage levels corresponding to progressive ranges of up to 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and more than 50% shortages.

Section 3.4 Shortage Response Actions describes the WSCP’s shortage response actions that align with the defined shortage levels.

Section 3.5 Communication Protocols addresses communication protocols and procedures to inform customers, the public, interested parties, and local, regional, and state governments, regarding any current or predicted shortages and any resulting shortage response actions.

Section 3.6 Compliance and Enforcement describes customer compliance, enforcement, appeal, and exemption procedures for triggered shortage response actions.

Section 3.7 Legal Authorities describes the legal authorities that enable the City to implement and enforce its shortage response actions.

Section 3.8 Financial Consequences of the WSCP provides a description of the financial consequences of and responses for drought conditions.

Section 3.9 Monitoring and Reporting describes monitoring and reporting requirements and procedures that ensure appropriate data is collected, tracked, and analyzed for purposes of monitoring customer compliance and to meet state reporting requirements.

Section 3.10 WSCP Refinement Procedures addresses reevaluation and improvement procedures for monitoring and evaluating the functionality of the WSCP.

Section 3.11 Special Water Feature Distinction provides a required definition for inclusion in a WSCP per the Water Code.

Section 3.12 Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Availability describes the process the City followed to adopt its WSCP.

1.2 Integration with Other Planning Efforts
As a retail water supplier in Orange County, the City considered other key entities in the development of this WSCP, including the Municipal Water District of Orange County ([MWDOC] (regional wholesale supplier)), the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California ([MET] (regional wholesaler for Southern California and the direct supplier of imported water to MWDOC)), and Orange County Water District ([OCWD] (Orange County Groundwater Basin manager and provider of recycled water in North 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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Orange County)). As a MWDOC member agency, the City also developed this WSCP with input from several coordination efforts led by MWDOC.

Some of the key planning and reporting documents that were used to develop this WSCP are:
 MWDOC’s 2025 UWMP provides the basis for the projections of the imported supply availability over the next 25 years for the City’s service area.
 MWDOC’s 2025 WSCP provides a water supply availability assessment and structured steps designed to respond to actual conditions that will help maintain reliable supplies and reduce the impacts of supply interruptions.
 MWDOC’s 2023 Orange County Water Reliability Study is a planning document to help guide planning for future water supply reliability for water providers in Orange County and provide input on regional water supply issues for MET.
 2025 Orange County Water Demand Projection Model Technical Memorandum is a collaborative effort amongst MWDOC, OCWD, and all retail water suppliers in Orange County that developed water demand projections to produce regionally consistent forecasts across all Orange County water agencies.
 OCWD’s 2025 Groundwater Resilience Plan (GRP) is an adaptive strategies management plan outlining strategic projects to secure reliable future water supplies in the Orange County Basin.  MET’s 2025 UWMP uses assumptions that fall within the plausible futures contemplated in MET’s Integrated Water Resources Plan to evaluate MET’s future imported water supply reliability.  MET’s 2025 WSCP provides a water supply availability assessment and guide for MET’s intended actions during water shortage conditions.
 OCWD’s 2023-24 Engineer’s Report provides information on the groundwater conditions, water supply, and basin utilization of the Orange County Groundwater Basin (OC Basin).  OCWD’s 2022 Basin 8-1 Alternative is an alternative to the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the OC Basin, provides significant information related to sustainable management of the basin in the past and hydrogeology of the basin, including groundwater quality and basin characteristics, and addresses DWR’s recommendations to ensure long-term basin sustainability.  City of Huntington Beach 2025 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) provides the basis for the seismic and other natural and natural disaster risk analysis of the water system facilities.  Huntington Beach Capital Improvement Program of the City’s service area provides information on water infrastructure planning projects and plans to address any required water system improvements.

SECTION 2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The City was incorporated in 1909 and is governed by a seven-member elected City Council. In 1964, the City's Water Division was established as a Division of the Public Works Department. The City is a predominantly residential community located along the California coastline in Orange County. It is a charter city. From 1936 to 1964, the water system serving the City was owned and operated by the Southern California Water Company. In 1964, the City purchased the private system and the City's Water Division was established as a Division of the Public Works Department. In 2003, the Public Works Wastewater Section was incorporated into the Water Division to form the Utilities Division. 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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2.1 City Service Area
The City is located 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 90 miles northwest of San Diego along the Southern California Coast of Orange County. The City's water service area is 27.3 square miles.

The City is generally flat, with elevations ranging from a low of about five feet below sea level to 120 feet above sea level. The City also has 71 parks and public facilities and 8.5 miles of beaches. The City formerly supplied water to Sunset Beach, which is approximately 68 acres of land located off of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near Huntington Harbor. A map of the City's water service area is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 City of Huntington Beach Service Area

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2.2 Relationship to Wholesalers
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California: MET is the largest water wholesaler for domestic and municipal uses in California, serving approximately 19 million customers. MET wholesales imported water supplies to 26 member cities and water districts in six Southern California counties. Its service area covers the Southern California coastal plain, extending approximately 200 miles along the Pacific Ocean from the City of Oxnard in the north to the international boundary with Mexico in the south.

This encompasses 5,200 square miles and includes portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties. Approximately 85% of the population from the aforementioned counties reside within MET's boundaries.

MET is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of 38 appointed individuals with a minimum of one representative from each of MET’s 26 member agencies. The allocation of directors and voting rights are determined by each agency’s assessed valuation. Each member of the Board shall be entitled to cast one vote for each ten million dollars ($10,000,000) of assessed valuation of property taxable for district purposes, in accordance with Section 55 of the Metropolitan Water District Act. Directors can be appointed through the chief executive officer of the member agency or by a majority vote of the governing board of the agency. Directors are not compensated by MET for their service.

MET is responsible for importing water into the region through its operation of the Colorado River Aqueduct and its contract with the State of California for SWP supplies. Member agencies receive water from MET through various delivery points and pay for service through a rate structure made up of volumetric rates, capacity charges and readiness to serve charges. Member agencies provide estimates of imported water demand to MET annually in April regarding the amount of water they anticipate they will need to meet their demands for the next five years.

The Municipal Water District of Orange County: In Orange County, MWDOC and the Cities of Anaheim, Fullerton, and Santa Ana are MET member agencies that purchase imported water directly from MET.

Furthermore, MWDOC purchases both treated potable and untreated water from MET to supplement its retail agencies’ local supplies.

The City is one of MWDOC’s 27 member agencies purchasing imported water from MWDOC. The City’s location within MWDOC’s service area is shown in Figure 2. 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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Figure 2 Regional Location of the City of Huntington Beach and Other MWDOC Member Agencies

2.3 Relationship With Wholesaler Water Shortage Planning The WSCP is designed to be consistent with MET’s Water Surplus and Drought Management (WSDM) Plan, MWDOC’s Water Supply Allocation Plan (WSAP), and other emergency planning efforts as described below. MWDOC’s WSAP is integral to the WSCP’s shortage response strategy in the event that MET or MWDOC determines that supply augmentation (including storage) and lesser demand reduction measures would not be sufficient to meet a projected shortage levels needed to meet demands.

2.3.1 MET Water Surplus and Drought Management Plan
MET evaluates the level of supplies available and existing levels of water in storage to determine the appropriate management stage annually. Each stage is associated with specific resource management actions to avoid extreme shortages to the extent possible and minimize adverse impacts to retail customers should an extreme shortage occur. The sequencing outlined in the WSDM Plan reflects anticipated responses towards MET’s existing and expected resource mix.

Surplus stages occur when net annual deliveries can be made to water storage programs. Under the WSDM Plan, there are four surplus management stages that provides a framework for actions to take for

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surplus supplies. Deliveries in Diamond Valley Lake (DVL) and in SWP terminal reservoirs continue through each surplus stage provided there is available storage capacity. Withdrawals from DVL for regulatory purposes or to meet seasonal demands may occur in any stage.

The WSDM Plan distinguishes between shortages, severe shortages, and extreme shortages. The differences between each term are listed below:
 Shortage: MET can meet full-service demands and partially meet or fully meet interruptible demands using stored water or water transfers as necessary (Stages 1-3).  Severe Shortage: MET can meet full-service demands only by making withdrawals from storage, calling on its water transfers, and possibly calling for extraordinary conservation and reducing deliveries under the Interim Agricultural Water Program (IAWP) (Stages 4-5).  Extreme Shortage: MET must allocate available imported supplies to full-service customers (Stage 6).

There are six shortage management stages to guide resource management activities. These stages are defined by shortfalls in imported supply and water balances in MET’s storage programs. When MET must make net withdrawals from storage to meet demands, it is considered to be in a shortage condition.

Figure 3 gives a summary of actions under each surplus and shortage stages when an allocation plan is necessary to enforce mandatory cutbacks. The goal of the WSDM plan is to avoid Stage 6, an extreme shortage (MET, 2026b).

Source: MET’s 2025 UWMP.

Figure 3 Resource Stages, Anticipated Actions, and Supply Declarations MET’s Board of Directors adopted a Water Supply Condition Framework in June 2008 to communicate the urgency of the region’s water supply situation and the need for further water conservation practices. The

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framework has four conditions, each calling increasing levels of conservation. Descriptions for each of the four conditions are listed below:
 Baseline Water Use Efficiency: Ongoing conservation, outreach, and recycling programs to achieve permanent reductions in water use and build storage reserves.  Condition 1 Water Supply Watch: Local agency voluntary dry-year conservation measures and use of regional storage reserves.
 Condition 2 Water Supply Alert: Regional call for cities, counties, member agencies, and retail water agencies to implement extraordinary conservation through drought ordinances and other measures to mitigate use of storage reserves.
 Condition 3 Water Supply Allocation: Implement MET’s WSAP.

As noted in Condition 3, should supplies become limited to the point where imported water demands cannot be met, MET will allocate water through the WSAP (MET, 2026a).

2.3.2 MET Water Supply Allocation Plan
MET’s imported supplies have been impacted by a number of water supply challenges as noted earlier. In case of extreme water shortage within the MET service area is the implementation of its WSAP.

MET’s Board of Directors adopted the WSAP in February 2008 to fairly distribute a limited amount of water supply and applies it through a detailed methodology to reflect a range of local conditions and needs of the region’s retail water consumers (MET, 2026a).

The WSAP includes the specific formula for calculating member agency supply allocations and the key implementation elements needed for administering an allocation. MET’s WSAP is the foundation for the urban water shortage contingency analysis required under Water Code Section 10632 and is part of MET’s 2025 UWMP.

MET’s WSAP was developed in consideration of the principles and guidelines in MET’s 1999 WSDM Plan with the core objective of creating an equitable “needs-based allocation”. The WSAP’s formula seeks to balance the impacts of a shortage at the retail level while maintaining equity on the wholesale level for shortages of MET supplies of greater than 50% supply shortage. The formula takes into account a number of factors, such as the impact on retail customers, growth in population, changes in supply conditions, investments in local resources, demand hardening aspects of water conservation savings, recycled water, extraordinary storage and transfer actions, and groundwater imported water needs.

The formula is calculated in three steps: 1) base period calculations, 2) allocation year calculations, and 3) supply allocation calculations. The first two steps involve standard computations, while the third step contains specific methodology developed for the WSAP:

Step 1: Base Period Calculations – The first step in calculating a member agency’s water supply allocation is to estimate their water supply and demand using a historical based period with established water supply and delivery data. The base period for each of the different categories of supply and demand is calculated using data from the two most recent non-shortage years.

Step 2: Allocation Year Calculations – The next step in calculating the member agency’s water supply allocation is estimating water needs in the allocation year. This is done by adjusting the base period estimates of retail demand for population growth and changes in local supplies. 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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Step 3: Supply Allocation Calculations – The final step is calculating the water supply allocation for each member agency based on the allocation year water needs identified in Step 2.

In order to implement the WSAP, MET’s Board of Directors makes a determination on the level of the regional shortage, based on specific criteria, typically in April. The criteria used by MET includes current levels of storage, estimated water supplies conditions, and projected imported water demands. The allocations, if deemed necessary, go into effect in July of the same year and remain in effect for a 12-month period. The schedule is made at the discretion of the Board of Directors (MET, 2026) As demonstrated by the findings in MET’s 2025 UWMP both the Water Reliability Assessment and the Drought Risk Assessment (DRA) demonstrate that MET is projecting to be able to mitigate the challenges posed by hydrologic variability, potential climate change, and regulatory risk on its imported supply sources through the significant storage capabilities it has developed over the last two decades, both dry-year and emergency storage (MET, 2026b).

Although MET’s 2025 UWMP forecasts that MET will be able to meet projected imported demands throughout the projected period from 2026 to 2050, uncertainty in supply conditions can result in MET needing to implement its WSAP to preserve dry-year storage and curtail demands (MET, 2026b).

2.3.3 MWDOC Water Supply Allocation Plan
To prepare for the potential allocation of imported water supplies from MET, MWDOC worked collaboratively with its 27 retail agencies to develop its own WSAP that was adopted in January 2009 and amended in 2016. The MWDOC WSAP outlines how MWDOC will determine and implement each of its retail agency’s allocation during a time of shortage.

The MWDOC WSAP uses a similar method and approach, when reasonable, as that of the MET’s WSAP.

However, MWDOC’s plan remains flexible to use an alternative approach when MET’s method produces a significant unintended result for the member agencies. The MWDOC WSAP model follows five basic steps to determine a retail agency’s imported supply allocation:

Step 1: Determine Baseline Information – The first step in calculating a water supply allocation is to estimate water supply and demand using a historical base period with established water supply and delivery data. The base period for each of the different categories of demand and supply is calc ulated using data from the last two non-shortage years.

Step 2: Establish Allocation Year Information – In this step, the model adjusts for each retail agency’s water need in the allocation year. This is done by adjusting the base period estimates for increased retail water demand based on population growth and changes in local supplies.

Step 3: Calculate Initial Minimum Allocation Based on MET’s Declared Shortage Level – This step sets the initial water supply allocation for each retail agency. After a regional shortage level is established, MWDOC will calculate the initial allocation as a percentage of adjusted base period imported water needs within the model for each retail agency.

Step 4: Apply Allocation Adjustments and Credits in the Areas of Retail Impacts and Conservation – In this step, the model assigns additional water to address disparate impacts at the retail level caused by an across-the-board cut of imported supplies. It also applies a conservation credit given to those agencies that have achieved additional water savings at the retail level as a result of successful implementation of water conservation devices, programs, and rate structures. 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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Step 5: Sum Total Allocations and Determine Retail Reliability – This is the final step in calculating a retail agency’s total allocation for imported supplies. The model sums an agency’s total imported allocation with all of the adjustments and credits and then calculates each agency’s retail reliability compared to its Allocation Year Retail Demand.

The MWDOC WSAP includes additional measures for plan implementation, including the following (MWDOC, 2016):
 Appeal Process – An appeals process to provide retail agencies the opportunity to request a change to their allocation based on new or corrected information. MWDOC anticipates that under most circumstances, a retail agency’s appeal will be the basis for an appeal to MET b y MWDOC.  Melded Allocation Surcharge Structure – At the end of the allocation year, MWDOC would only charge an allocation surcharge to each retail agency that exceeded their allocation if MWDOC exceeds its total allocation and is required to pay a surcharge to MET. MET enforces allocations to retail agencies through an allocation surcharge to a retail agency that exceeds its total annual allocation at the end of the 12-month allocation period. MWDOC’s surcharge would be assessed according to the retail agency’s prorated share (acre-feet over usage) of MWDOC amount with MET.

Surcharge funds collected by MET will be invested in its Water Management Fund, which is used in part to fund expenditures in dry-year conservation and local resource development.  Tracking and Reporting Water Usage – MWDOC will provide each retail agency with water use monthly reports that will compare each retail agency’s current cumulative retail usage to their allocation baseline. MWDOC will also provide quarterly reports on its cumulative retail usage versus its allocation baseline.
 Timeline and Option to Revisit the Plan – The allocation period will cover 12 consecutive months and the Regional Shortage Level will be set for the entire allocation period. MWDOC only anticipates calling for allocation when MET declares a shortage; and no later than 30 days from MET’s declaration will MWDOC announce allocation to its retail agencies.

SECTION 3 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND

RESPONSE PLANNING
The City’s WSCP is a detailed guide of how the City intends to act in the case of an actual water shortage condition. The WSCP anticipates a water supply shortage and provides pre-planned guidance for managing and mitigating a shortage. Regardless of the reason for the shortage, the WSCP is based on adequate details of demand reduction and supply augmentation measures that are structured to match varying degrees of shortage will ensure the relevant stakeholders understand what to expect during a water shortage situation.

3.1 Water Supply Reliability Analysis
Per Water Code Section 10632 (a)(1), the WSCP shall provide an analysis of water supply reliability conducted pursuant to Water Code Section 10635, and the key issues that may create a shortage condition when looking at the City’s water asset portfolio. 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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Understanding water supply reliability, factors that could contribute to water supply constraints, availability of alternative supplies, and what effect these have on meeting customer demands provides the City with a solid basis on which to develop appropriate and feasible response actions in the event of a water shortage. For the 2025 UWMP, the City worked collaboratively with MWDOC, OCWD, and MWDOC’s other retail water agencies to produce long-term projected water use over the next 25 years, in five-year increments, for each agency (MWDOC, 2025).

The City also conducted a DRA to evaluate a drought period that lasts five consecutive water years starting from the year following when the assessment is conducted (2026-2030). An analysis of both assessments determined that the City is capable of meeting all customers’ demands from 2025 through 2050 for a normal year, a single dry year, and a drought lasting five consecutive years with significant imported water supplemental dedicated drought supplies from MWDOC/MET and ongoing conversation program efforts. The City also has added reliability through receiving the majority of its water supply from groundwater from the OC Basin and supplemental imported supplies from MET/MWDOC. As a result, there is no projected shortage condition due to drought that will trigger customer demand reduction actions until MWDOC notifies the City of insufficient imported supplies.

More information is available in the City’s 2025 UWMP Sections 6 and 7 (Huntington Beach, 2026).

3.2 Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment Procedures Per Water Code Section 10632.1, the City will conduct an AWSDA pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 10632 and by July 1st of each year, beginning in 2022, submit an AWSDA with information for anticipated shortage, triggered shortage response actions, compliance and enforcement actions, and communication actions consistent with the Supplier’s WSCP.

The City must include in its WSCP the procedures used for conducting an AWSDA. The AWSDA is a determination of the near-term outlook for supplies and demands and how a perceived shortage may relate to WSCP shortage stage response actions in the current calendar year. This determination is based on information available to the City at the time of the analysis. Starting in 2022, the AWSDA is due by July 1 of every year.

This section documents the decision-making process required for formal approval of the City’s AWSDA determination of water supply reliability each year, the key data inputs, and the methodologies used to evaluate the water system reliability for the coming year, while considering that the year to follow would be considered dry.

3.2.1 Decision-Making Process
The following decision-making process describes the functional steps that the City will take to formally approve the AWSDA determination of water supply reliability each year.

3.2.1.1 City Steps to Approve the AWSDA Determination
The AWSDA will be predicated on the OCWD Basin Production Percentage (BPP) and on MWDOCs AWSDA outcomes.

The City produces local groundwater from the OC Basin managed by OCWD. The OC Basin is not adjudicated and as such, pumping from the OC Basin is managed through a process that uses financial 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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incentives to encourage Groundwater Producers (Producers) to pump a sustainable amount of water. The framework for the financial incentives is based on establishing the BPP, the percentage of each Producer’s total water supply that comes from groundwater pumped from the OC Basin. The BPP is set uniformly for all Producers by the OCWD Board of Directors on an annual basis. Based on the projected water demand and modeled water supply, over the long-term, OCWD anticipates sustainably supporting a BPP of 85%; however, volumes of groundwater and imported water may vary depending on OCWD's actual BPP projections. A supply reduction that may result from the annual BPP projection will be included in the AWSDA.

While the City’s primary source of water is OCWD groundwater, any remaining source to meet retail demands comes from the purchase of imported water from MWDOC. MWDOC surveys its member agencies annually for anticipated water demands and supplies for the upcoming year. MWDOC utilizes this information to plan for the anticipated imported water supplies for the MWDOC service area. This information is then shared and coordinated with MET and is incorporated into their analysis of their service area’s annual imported water needs. Based on the year’s supply conditions and WSDM actions, MET will present a completed AWSDA for its member agencies’ review from which they will then seek Board approval in April of each year. Additionally, MET expects that any triggers or specific shortage response actions that result from the AWSDA will be approved by their Board at that time. Based upon MET’s Assessment and taking into consideration information provided to MWDOC through the annual survey, MWDOC will provide an anticipated estimate of imported supplies for the City to incorporate into the AWSDA.

The City Water Department designee will be responsible for approving the AWSDA in years when no shortage is identified and submitting it to DWR by July 1. In years where a water shortage is identified, the AWSDA will be presented to City Council and submitted to DWR prior to the July 1 deadline.

Figure 4 AWSDA Reporting Timeline

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3.2.2 Data and Methodologies
The following paragraphs document the key data inputs and methodologies that are used to evaluate the water system reliability for the coming year, while considering that the year to follow would be considered dry.

3.2.2.1 Assessment Methodology
The City will evaluate water supply reliability for the current year and one dry year for the purpose of the AWSDA. The AWSDA determination will be based on considerations of unconstrained water demand, local water supplies, MWDOC imported water supplies, planned water use, and infrastructure considerations. The balance between projected in-service area supplies, coupled with MWDOC imported supplies, and anticipated unconstrained demand will be used to determine what, if any, shortage level is expected under the WSCP framework as presented in Figure 5. The WSCP’s standard shortage levels are defined in terms of shortage percentages. Shortage percentages will be calculated by dividing the difference between water supplies and unconstrained demand by total unconstrained demand. This calculation will be performed separately for anticipated current year conditions and for assumed dry year conditions.

Figure 5 Water Shortage Contingency Plan AWSDA Framework

3.2.2.2 Locally Applicable Evaluation Criteria
Within Orange County, there are no significant local applicable criteria that directly affect reliability.

Through the years, the water agencies in Orange County have made tremendous efforts to integrate their systems to provide flexibility to interchange with different sources of supplies. There are emergency agreements in place to ensure all parts of the County have an adequate supply of water. In the northern part of the County, agencies have the ability to meet a majority of their demands through ground water with very little limitation, except for the OCWD BPP.

The City will also continue to monitor emerging supply and demand conditions related to supplemental imported water from MWDOC/MET and take appropriate actions consistent with the flexibility and

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adaptiveness inherent to the WSCP. The City’s AWSDA was based on the City’s service area, water sources, water supply reliability, and water use as described in Water Code Section 10631, including available data from state, regional, or local agency population, land use development, and climate change projections within the service area of the City. Some conditions that affect MWDOC’s wholesale supply and demand, such as groundwater replenishment, surface water and local supply production, can differ significantly from earlier projections throughout the year.

If a major earthquake on the San Andreas Fault occurs, it has the potential to damage all three key regional water aqueducts and disrupt imported supplies for up to six months. The region would likely impose a water use reduction ranging from 25-35% until the system is repaired. However, MET has taken proactive steps to handle such disruption, such as constructing DVL, and prepositioning necessary reconstruction resources to quickly recover from such a seismic event, which mitigates potential impacts.

DVL, along with other local reservoirs, can store a six to twelve-month supply of emergency water (MET, 2026a).

3.2.2.3 Water Supply
As detailed in the City’s 2025 UWMP, the City meets its customers’ demands with a combination of local groundwater from the OC Basin and imported water from MWDOC/MET. The City’s main source of water supply is groundwater, with imported water making up the rest of the City’s water supply portfolio. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25, the City relied on 87% groundwater and 13% imported water. It is projected that by 2050, the water supply portfolio will change to approximately 85% groundwater (consistent with OCWD’s long-term 85% BPP projection) and 15% imported water, and the City can purchase more MET imported water through MWDOC should the need arise (Huntington Beach, 2026).

3.2.2.4 Unconstrained Customer Demand
The WSCP and AWSDA define unconstrained demand as expected water use prior to any projected shortage response actions that may be taken under the WSCP. Unconstrained demand is distinguished from observed demand, which may be constrained by preceding, ongoing, or future acti ons, such as emergency supply allocations during a multi-year drought. WSCP shortage response actions to constrain demand are inherently extraordinary; routine activities such as ongoing conservation programs and regular operational adjustments are not considered as constraints on demands.

The City’s DRA reveals that its supply capabilities are expected to balance anticipated total water use and supply, assuming a five-year consecutive drought from FY 2025-26 through FY 2029-30 (Huntington Beach, 2026). This is based on the water demand projection model, in a single dry year, demand is expected to increase by seven percent above a normal year (MWDOC, 2025).

For the City, the five consecutive dry year demand scenario is based on the demand model’s multiple dry year methodology. In accordance with the econometric demand model approach used to develop UWMP demand projections, a single hot/dry year was first identified based on weather conditions that produced the greatest demand response. Consecutive dry years were then represented by applying incremental scaling factors to this single hot/dry year demand to account for the compounding effects of persistent warm and dry conditions over time. These scaling factors show long‑term relationships between regional water use and multi‑year temperature and precipitation deficits and are applied sequentially to simulate second through fifth consecutive dry years. This approach is consistent with the demand modeling framework summarized in Chapter 7 of the City’s UWMP.
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3.2.2.5 Planned Water Use for Current Year Considering Dry Subsequent Year Water Code Section 10632(a)(2)(B)(ii) requires the AWSDA to determine “current year available supply, considering hydrological and regulatory conditions in the current year and one dry year.” The AWSDA will include two separate estimates of City’s annual water supply and unconstrained demand using: 1) current year conditions, and 2) assumed dry year conditions. Accordingly, the AWSDA’s shortage analysis will present separate sets of findings for the current year and dry year scenarios. The Water Code does not specify the characteristics of a dry year, allowing discretion to the Supplier. The City will use its discretion to refine and update its assumptions for a dry year scenario in each AWSDA as information becomes available and in accordance with best management practices.

Supply and demand analyses for the single-dry year case were based on conditions affecting the SWP as this supply availability fluctuates the most among MET’s, and therefore MWDOC and the City’s, sources of supply. Severe drought conditions in 2021-2022 affected must of the Western United States, including the Colorado River system, which caused its water supply decrease. As conditions worsened, Lake Mead and Lake Powell (the largest storage units in the system), had a combined total storage capacity of 25% in 2022, a significant decrease from 39% in 2021 (MWDOC, 2025).

The Orange County Water Demand Projection Model isolated the impacts that weather and future climate can have on water demand through the use of a statistical model. The impacts of hot/dry weather conditions are reflected as a percentage increase in water demands from the normal year condition For a single dry year condition (FY 2013-14), the model projects a 5% increase in demand for the OC Basin area where the City’s service area is located (MWDOC, 2025). Detailed information about the model is included in the City’s 2025 UWMP.

The City has documented that it is 100% reliable for single dry year demands from 2025 through 2050 with a demand increase of 7% from normal demand with significant reserves held by MET, local groundwater supplies, and conservation (Huntington Beach, 2026).

3.2.2.6 Infrastructure Considerations
The AWSDA will include consideration of any infrastructure issues that may pertain to near-term water supply reliability, including repairs, construction, and environmental mitigation measures that may temporarily constrain capabilities, as well as any new projects that may add to system capacity. MWDOC closely coordinates with MET and its member agencies, including the City, on any planned infrastructure work that may impact water supply availability. Throughout each year, MET regularly carries out preventive and corrective maintenance of its facilities within the MWDOC service area that may require shutdowns to inspect and repair pipelines and facilities and support capital improvement projects. These shutdowns involve a high level of planning and coordination between MWDOC, MWDOC’s member agencies, and MET to ensure that major portions of the distribution system are not out of service at the same time. Operational flexibility within MET’s system and the cooperation of member agencies allow shutdowns to be successfully completed while continuing to meet all system demands.

Specifically for the City, as of March 2026 there are no foreseen near-term infrastructure issues that would impact supply.
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3.2.2.7 Other Factors
For the AWSDA, any known issues related to water quality would be considered for their potential effects on water supply reliability.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of manmade chemicals that includes perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). PFAS compounds were once commonly used in many products including, among many others, stain- and water-repellent fabrics, nonstick products (e.g., Teflon), polishes, waxes, paints, cleaning products, and fire-fighting foams.

Beginning in the summer of 2019, the California State Division of Drinking Water (DDW) began requiring testing for PFAS compounds in some groundwater production wells in the OCWD area.

MET has voluntarily monitored PFAS in its source and treated waters since 2017. Most samples have shown non detect (ND) for all tested PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS. A limited number of other PFAS— such as PFHxA, PFBA, PFPeA, PFDoA, PFTA, and PFBS, have been detected only at trace levels below their method detection limits. PFOA and PFOS have not been detected in MET’s imported or treated water supplies. Some member agencies, however, have detected these compounds in local groundwater wells, which may require treatment or source management to comply with emerging DDW regulations. As DDW and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establish enforceable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS, some agencies may supplement their local supplies with increased purchases of MET water (MET, 2026b).

EPA finalized the first national drinking water standards for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These standards include enforceable MCLs for PFOA and PFOS set at 4 parts per trillion (ppt). In May 2025 the EPA announced that it would extend the compliance deadline for PFOA and PFOS from 2029 to 2031 to provide additional time for testing, planning, and installation of treatment technologies. While MET and its member agencies continue to monitor and test PFAS in imported and local sources, the delay in the federal compliance date allows additional time to evaluate treatment options, coordinate funding, and plan system upgrades necessary to meet forthcoming federal PFAS standards.

PFAS have been detected in the OC Basin in very small amounts (parts per trillion), entering primarily via the Santa Ana River whose flows infiltrate into the basin. Despite playing no role in releasing PFAS into the environment, OCWD is working with its cities and retail water districts to remove it from lo cal water supplies in order to comply with new state and federal regulations. More than 100 wells have been impacted due to various state and federal regulations. Fifteen impacted agencies will have to t emporarily purchase more costly imported water to replace PFAS contaminated supplies. As of 2025, 53 impacted wells are back online due to close to a billion dollars being spent on state-of-the-art testing, research and piloting of different treatment systems, and design and construction of treatment plants that are now operational.

3.3 Six Standard Water Shortage Levels
Per Water Code Section 10632 (a)(3)(A), Suppliers must include the six standard water shortage levels that represent shortages from the normal reliability as determined in the AWSDA or cross-reference their shortage levels to the standard levels. The shortage levels have been standardized to provide a consistent regional and statewide approach to conveying the relative severity of water supply shortage conditions.

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communication and state policy uncertainty associated with the many different local definitions of water shortage levels.

The six standard water shortage levels correspond to progressively increasing estimated shortage conditions (up to 10, 20, 30, 40, 50%, and greater than 50% shortage compared to the normal reliability condition) and align with the response actions the Supplier would implement to meet the severity of the impending shortages (Table 1).

Table 1 Cross Reference for Standard vs Supplier Shortage Levels Submittal Table 8-1: Cross-reference for Standard vs Supplier Shortage Levels Water Code Section 10632(a)(3)(B)

Check the box if the Supplier uses the Standard six levels of water shortage.

Proceed to the next table.

Standard
Shortage
Levels
Percent
Shortage
Range
Suppliers
Shortage
Levels
Percent Shortage Range
1 Up to 10%

2 Up to 20%

3 Up to 30%

4 Up to 40%

5 Up to 50%

6 >50%

NOTES:

3.4 Shortage Response Actions
Water Code Section 10632 (a)(4) requires the WSCP to specify shortage response actions that align with the defined shortage levels. The City has defined specific shortage response actions that align with the defined shortage levels in DWR Tables 8-2 and 8-3 (Appendix A). These shortage response actions were developed with consideration to the system infrastructure and operations changes, supply augmentation responses, customer-class or water use-specific demand reduction initiatives, and increasingly stringent water use prohibitions.

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3.4.1 Supply Augmentation
The supply augmentation actions are described in DWR Table 8-2 (Appendix A). These augmentations represent short-term management objectives triggered by the MET’s WSDM Plan and do not overlap with the long-term new water supply development or supply reliability enhancement projects. Supply Augmentation is made available to the City through MWDOC and MET. The City relies on MET’s reliability portfolio of water supply programs including existing water transfers, storage and exchange agreements to supplement gaps in the City’s supply/demand balance. MET has developed significant storage capacity (over 5 million acre feet [AF]) in reservoirs and groundwater banking programs both within and outside of the Southern California region. Additionally, MET can pursue additional water transfer and exchange programs with other water agencies to help mitigate supply/demand imbalances and provide additional dry-year supply sources.

MWDOC, and in turn its retail agencies, including the City, have access to supply augmentation actions through MET. MET may exercise these actions based on regional need, and in accordance with their WSCP, and may include the use of supplies and storage programs within the Colorado River, SWP, and in-region storage. The City has the ability to augment its supply to reduce the shortage gap by up to 100% by purchasing additional imported water through MWDOC or pumping additional groundwater in the OC Basin; however, both are subject to rate penalties from MWDOC and OCWD, respectively.

3.4.2 Demand Reduction
The demand reduction measures that would be implemented to address shortage levels are described in DWR Table 08-3 (Appendix A). This table indicates which actions align with specific defined shortage levels and estimates the extent to which the actions will reduce the gap between supplies and demands to deliver the outcomes necessary to meet the requirements of a given shortage level. This table also identifies the enforcement action, if any, associated with each demand reduction measure.

3.4.3 Operational Changes
During shortage conditions, operations may be affected by supply augmentation or demand reduction responses. The City will consider their operational procedures when it completes its AWSDA or as needed to identify changes that can be implemented to address water shortage on a short -term basis, such as temporarily altering maintenance cycles, deferring planned system outages, and adjusting the flow and routing of water through its system to more effectively distribute available supply across the service area .

3.4.4 Additional Mandatory Restrictions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(D) calls for “additional, mandatory prohibitions against specific water use practices that are in addition to state-mandated prohibitions and appropriate to the local conditions” to be included among the WSCP’s shortage response actions. The City will identify additional mandatory restrictions as needed based on the existing Huntington Beach Municipal Code Chapter 14.18 Water Management Program (Appendix B). Emergency Response Plan (Hazard Mitigation Plan) A catastrophic water shortage would be addressed according to the appropriate water shortage level and response actions. It is likely that a catastrophic shortage would immediately trigger Shortage Level 6 and response actions have been put in place to mitigate a catastrophic shortage. In addition, there are several Plans that address catastrophic failures and align with the WSCP, including MET’s WSDM and WSAP, the 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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City’s LHMP, and the Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County (WEROC)’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

3.4.4.1 MET’s WSDM and WSAP
MET has comprehensive plans for stages of actions it would undertake to address a catastrophic interruption in water supplies through its WSDM and WSAP. MET also developed an Emergency Storage Requirement to mitigate against potential interruption in water supplies resulting from catastrophic occurrences within the Southern California region, including seismic events along the San Andreas Fault.

In addition, MET is working with the state to implement a comprehensive improvement plan to address catastrophic occurrences outside of the Southern California region, such as a maximum probable seismic event in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta that would cause levee failure and disruption of SWP deliveries.

3.4.4.2 Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County Emergency Operations Plan
In 1983, the Orange County water community identified a need to develop a plan on how agencies would respond effectively to disasters impacting the regional water distribution system. The collective efforts of these agencies resulted in the formation of WEROC to coordinate emergency response on behalf of all Orange County water and wastewater agencies, develop an emergency plan to respond to disasters, and conduct disaster training exercises for the Orange County water community. WEROC , administered by MWDOC, was established through the creation of an indemnification agreement among its member agencies to protect each other against civil liabilities and to facilitate the exchange of resources. WEROC is unique in its ability to provide a single point of contact for the representation of all water and wastewater utilities in Orange County during a disaster. This representation is to the county, state, and federal disaster coordination agencies. Within the Orange County Operational Area, WEROC is the recognized contact for emergency response for the water community, including the City.

As a member of WEROC, the City will follow WEROC’s EOP in the event of an emergency and coordinate with WEROC to assess damage, initiate repairs, and request and coordinate mutual aid resources in the event that the City is unable to provide the level of emergency response support required by the situation .

The EOP defines the actions to be taken by WEROC Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staff to reduce the loss of water and wastewater infrastructure; to respond effectively to a disaster; and to coordinate recovery operations in the aftermath of any emergency involving extensive damage to Orange County water and wastewater utilities. The EOP includes activation notification protocol that will be used to contact partner agencies to inform them of the situation, activation status of the EOC, known damage or impacts, or resource needs. The EOP is a standalone document that is reviewed annually and approved by the MWDOC Board every three years.

WEROC is organized on the basis that each member agency is responsible for developing its own EOP in accordance with the California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), National Incident Management System (NIMS), and Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 to meet specific emergency needs within its service area.

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County. The EOC can be activated during an emergency situation resulting from both natural and man - made causes, and can be activated through automatic, manual, or standby for activation.

WEROC recognizes four primary phases of emergency management, which include:
 Preparedness: Planning, training, and exercises that are conducted prior to an emergency to support and enhance response to an emergency or disaster.
 Response: Activities and programs designed to address the immediate and short-term effects of the onset of an emergency or disaster that helps to reduce effects on water infrastructure and speed recovery. This includes alert and notification, EOC activation, direction and control, and mutual aid.  Recovery: This phase involved restoring systems to normal, in which short-term recovery actions are taken to assess the damage and return vital life-support systems to minimum operating standards, while long-term recovery actions have the potential to continue for many years.  Mitigation/Prevention: These actions prevent the occurrence of an emergency or reduce the area’s vulnerability in ways that minimize the adverse impacts of a disaster or emergency.

The EOC Action Plans provide frameworks for EOC staff to respond to different situations with the objectives and steps required to complete them, which will in turn serve the WEROC member agencies. In the event of an emergency that results in a catastrophic water shortage, the City will declare a water shortage condition of up to Level 3 for the impacted area depending on the severity of the event, and coordination with WEROC is anticipated to begin at Level 4 or greater (WEROC, 20 21).

3.4.4.3 City of Huntington Beach Emergency Response Plan The City will also refer to its current American Water Infrastructure Act Risk and Resilience Assessment and Emergency Response Plan in the event of a catastrophic supply interruption.

3.4.5 Seismic Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan
Per the Water Code Section 10632.5, Suppliers are required to assess seismic risk to water supplies as part of their WSCP. The plan also must include the mitigation plan for the seismic risk(s). Given the great distances that imported supplies travel to reach Orange County, the region is vulnerable to interruptions along hundreds of miles of aqueducts, pipelines and other facilities associated with delivering the supplies to the region. Additionally, the infrastructure in place to deliver supplies is susceptible to damage from earthquakes and other disasters.

In lieu of conducting a seismic risk assessment specific to the City’s 2025 UWMP, the City has included their LHMP, as required under the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390). The LHMP describes the City’s approach to proactively decreasing threats before disaster occurs, including water supply specific mitigation actions such as improving security and alert systems, upgrading back-up power systems, and retrofitting existing flood control infrastructure. (Huntington, 2017). 

3.4.6 Shortage Response Action Effectiveness
For each specific Shortage Response Action identified in the plan, the WSCP also estimates the extent to which that action will reduce the gap between supplies and demands identified in DWR Tables 8-2 and 8-3 (Appendix A). To the extent feasible, the City has estimated percentage savings for the chosen 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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suite of shortage response actions, which can be anticipated to deliver the expected outcomes necessary to meet the requirements of a given shortage level.

3.5 Communication Protocols
Timely and effective communication is a key element of the WSCP implementation. Per Water Code Section 10632 (a)(5), the City has established communication protocols and procedures to inform customers, the public, interested parties, and local, regional, and state governments regarding any current or predicted shortages as determined by the AWSDA described pursuant to Section 10632.1; any shortage response actions triggered or anticipated to be triggered by the AWSDA described pursuant to Section 10632.1; and any other relevant communications. The City’s Water Shortage Communication Plan is documented in Appendix C.

3.6 Compliance and Enforcement
Per the Water Code Section 10632 (a)(6), the City has defined customer compliance, enforcement, appeal, and exemption procedures for triggered shortage response actions. Communication p rocedures to ensure customer compliance are described in Section 3.5 Communication Protocols and customer enforcement, appeal, and exemption procedures are defined in the City’s existing Municipal Code Chapter 14.18 Water Management Program (Appendix B).

3.7 Legal Authorities
Per Water Code Section 10632 (a)(7)(A), the City has provided a description of the legal authorities that empower the City of Huntington Beach to implement and enforce its shortage response in the City’s Municipal Code Chapter 14.18 Water Management Program (Appendix B).

Per Water Code Section 10632 (a)(7) (B), the City shall declare a water shortage emergency condition to prevail within the area served by such wholesaler whenever it finds and determines that the ordinary demands and requirements of water consumers cannot be satisfied without depleting the water supply of the distributor to the extent that there would be insufficient water for human consumption, sanitation, and fire protection.

Per Water Code Section 10632 (a)(7)(C), the City shall coordinate with any agency or county within which it provides water supply services for the possible proclamation of a local emergency under California Government Code, California Emergency Services Act (Article 2, Section 8558). Table 2 identifies the contacts for all cities or counties for which the Supplier provides service in the WSCP, along with developed coordination protocols, can facilitate compliance with this section of the Water Code in the event of a local emergency as defined in subpart (c) of Government Code Section 8558.

Table 2 Agency Contacts and Coordination Protocols
Contact Agency Coordination Protocols
City Manager City of Huntington Beach In person/Phone/Email/Memo City Council City of Huntington Beach Memo/Council Meeting Director of Public Works Orange County Public Works
Department Call/email
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3.8 Financial Consequences of WSCP
Per Water Code Section 10632(a)(8), Suppliers must include a description of the overall anticipated financial consequences to the Supplier of implementing the WSCP. This description must include potential reductions in revenue and increased expenses associated with implementation of the shortage response actions. This should be coupled with an identification of the anticipated mitigation actions needed to address these financial impacts.

During a catastrophic interruption of water supplies, prolonged drought, or water shortage of any kind, the City will experience a reduction in revenue due to reduced water sales. Throughout this period of time, expenditures may increase or decrease with varying circumstances. Expenditures may increase in the event of significant damage to the water system, resulting in emergency repairs. Expenditures may also decrease as less water is pumped through the system, resulting in lower power costs. Water shortag e mitigation actions will also impact revenues and require additional costs for drought response activities such as increased staff costs for tracking, reporting, and communications.

The City receives water revenue from a service charge and a commodity charge based on consumption.

The service charge recovers costs associated with providing water to the serviced property. The service charge does not vary with consumption and the commodity charge is based on water usage. Rates have been designed to recover the full cost of water service in the charges. Therefore, the total cost of purchasing water would decrease as the usage or sale of water decreases. In the event of a drought emergency, the City will impose excessive water use penalties on its customers, which may include additional costs associated with reduced water revenue, staff time taken for penalty enforcement, and advertising the excessive use penalties. The excessive water use penalties are further described in the City’s Municipal Code Chapter 14.18 Water Management Program (Appendix B).

However, there are significant fixed costs associated with maintaining a minimal level of service. The City will monitor projected revenues and expenditures should an extreme shortage and a large reduction in water sales occur for an extended period of time. To overcome these potential revenue losses and/or expenditure impacts, the City may use reserves. If necessary, the City may reduce expenditures by delaying implementation of its Capital Improvement Program and equipment purchases to reallocate funds to cover the cost of operations and critical maintenance, adjust the work force, implement a drought surcharge, and/or make adjustments to its water rate structure.

Based on current water rates, a volumetric cutback of 50% and above of water sales may lead to a range of reductions in revenues. The impacts to revenues will depend on a proportionate reduction in variable costs related to supply, pumping, and treatment for the specific shortage event. The City has set aside reserve funding as a Drought Reserve Fund to mitigate short-term water shortage situation.

3.9 Monitoring and Reporting
Per Water Code Section 10632(a)(9), the City is required to provide a description of the monitoring and reporting requirements and procedures that have been implemented to ensure appropriate data is collected, tracked, and analyzed for purposes of monitoring customer compliance and to meet state reporting requirements.

Monitoring and reporting key water use metrics is fundamental to water supply planning and management. Monitoring is also essential in times of water shortage to ensure that the response actions 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
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are achieving their intended water use reduction purposes, or if improvements or new actions need to be considered (see Section 3.10). Monitoring for customer compliance tracking is also useful in enforcement actions.

Under normal water supply conditions, potable water production figures are recorded daily. Weekly and monthly reports are prepared and monitored. This data will be used to measure the effectiveness of any water shortage contingency level that may be implemented. As levels of water shortage are declared by MET and MWDOC, the City will follow implementation of those levels as appropriate based on the City ’s risk profile provided in UWMP Chapter 6 and continue to monitor water demand levels. When MET calls for extraordinary conservation, MET’s Drought Program Officer will coordinate public information activities with MWDOC and monitor the effectiveness of ongoing conservation programs.

The City will participate in monthly member agency manager meetings with both MWDOC and OCWD to monitor and discuss monthly water allocation charts. This will enable the City to be aware of import and groundwater use on a timely basis as a result of specific actions taken responding to the City’s WSCP.

3.10 WSCP Refinement Procedures
Per Water Code Section 10632 (a)(10), the City must provide reevaluation and improvement procedures for systematically monitoring and evaluating the functionality of the water shortage contingency plan to ensure shortage risk tolerance is adequate and appropriate water shortage mitigation strategies are implemented as needed.

The City’s WSCP is prepared and implemented as an adaptive management plan. The City will use the monitoring and reporting process defined in Section 3.9 to refine the WSCP. In addition, if certain procedural refinements or new actions are identified by City staff, or suggested by customers or other interested parties, the City will evaluate their effectiveness, incorporate them into the WSCP, and implement them quickly at the appropriate water shortage level.

It is envisioned that the WSCP will be periodically re-evaluated to ensure that its shortage risk tolerance is adequate and the shortage response actions are effective and up to date based on lessons learned from implementing the WSCP. The WSCP will be revised and updated during the UWMP update cycle to incorporate updated and new information. For example, new supply augmentation actions will be added, and actions that are no longer applicable for reasons such as program expiration will be removed.

However, if revisions to the WSCP are warranted before the UWMP is updated, the WSCP will be updated outside of the UWMP update cycle. In the course of preparing the AWSDA each year, City staff will routinely consider the functionality of the overall WSCP and will prepare recommendations for City Council if changes are found to be needed.

3.11 Special Water Feature Distinction
Per Water Code Section 10632 (b), the City has defined water features in that are artificially supplied with water, including ponds, lakes, waterfalls, and fountains, separately from swimming pools and spas, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 115921 of the Health and Safety Code, in the City’s Municipal Code Chapter 14.18 Water Management Program (Appendix B).
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3.12 Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Availability
Per Water Code Section 10632 (a)(c), the City provided notice of the availability of the Public Review Draft 2025 UWMP and 2025 WSCP and notice of the public hearing to consider adoption of the WSCP. The Public Review Drafts of the 2025 UWMP and the 2025 WSCP were posted prominently on the City’s website in advance of the public hearing on May 5, 2026. Copies of the draft WSCP were also made available for public inspection at the City Clerk’s and Utilities Department offices and public hearing notifications were published in local newspapers. A copy of the published Notice of Public Hearing is included in Appendix D.

The City held the public hearing for the draft 2025 UWMP and draft WSCP on May 5, 2026, at the City Council meeting. The City Council reviewed and approved the 2025 UWMP and the WSCP at its May 5, 2026 meeting after the public hearing. See Appendix E for the resolution approving the WSCP.

By July 1, 2026, the City’s adopted 2025 UWMP and WSCP was filed with DWR, California State Library, and the County of Orange. The City will make the WSCP available for public review on its website no later than 30 days after filing with DWR.

Based on DWR’s review of the WSCP, the City will make any amendments to its adopted WSCP, as required and directed by DWR.

If the City revises its WSCP after the UWMP is approved by DWR, then an electronic copy of the revised WSCP will be submitted to DWR within 30 days of its adoption.

SECTION 4 REFERENCES
City of Huntington Beach. (2026). 2025 Urban Water Management Plan.

City of Huntington Beach. (2017, December). Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MET). (2026a, March). 2025Water Shortage Contingency Plan.

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MET). (2026b, June). 2025 Urban Water Management Plan.

Municipal Water District of Orange County. (2016). Water Supply Allocation Plan.

Municipal Water District of Orange County. (2025, December 30). Orange County Water Demand Projection Model Technical Memorandum.

Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County (WEROC). (2021). WEROC 2021 Annual Report.

2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH

APPENDIX A DWR SUBMITTAL TABLES

2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH

Submittal Table 8-1: Cross Reference for Standard vs Supplier Shortage Level Submittal Table 8-1: Cross-reference for Standard vs Supplier Shortage Levels Water Code Section 10632(a)(3)(B)

Check the box if the Supplier uses the Standard six levels of water shortage.

Proceed to the next table.

Standard Shortage Levels Percent Shortage Range Suppliers Shortage Levels Percent Shortage Range 1 Up to 10%
2 Up to 20%
3 Up to 30%
4 Up to 40%
5 Up to 50%
6 >50%
NOTES:

2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-2: Supply Augmentation and Other Actions Submittal Table 8-2 Retail: Supply Augmentation and Other Actions Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(A),(C) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no) Shortage
Level
Supply Augmentation
Methods and Other Actions
by Water Supplier
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the WUEdata
online submittal tool
How much is this going to reduce
the shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or
Reference
(OPTIONAL) Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction
Value
(May be a
range)
(AF)
Add additional rows as needed
1 through 6 Other Purchases Percentage 0 - 100% Additional imported water purchases through MWDOC
1 through 6 Other Purchases Percentage 0 - 100%
Additional groundwater
pumping in the Orange
County Groundwater Basin
DWR NOTES: Units of measure (AF, CCF, MG) must remain consistent throughout the UWMP as reported in Submittal Table 2-3.

NOTES: Additional imported water purchases and groundwater pumping may be subject to rate penalties from MWDOC and OCWD, respectively.
2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3: Demand Reduction Actions
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
Add additional rows as needed
0 Landscape - Prohibit
certain types of
landscape irrigation
Statewide Prohibition
is Required
Watering or irrigation of
nonfunctional turf (NFT) on State and
local government properties,
commercial, industrial and
institutional owned landscapes,
homeowners' associations common
area landscapes, and local
government facilities in disadvantaged
communities (DAC) is prohibited. See
Note 1 below
No
0 Other water feature or
swimming pool
restriction
Statewide Prohibition
is Required
All decorative water features must re-
circulate water or users must secure a
waiver from the City.

Yes
0 Other Statewide Prohibition
is Required
Washing or hosing down vehicles is
prohibited except by use of a
handheld container, hose with an
automatic shut off device, or at a
commercial car wash.

Yes
2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
0 Other - Prohibit use of
potable water for
washing hard surfaces
Statewide Prohibition
is Required
Washing hard or paved surfaces is
prohibited except to alleviate safety or
sanitary hazards using a handheld
container, hose with an automatic
shut off device, or a low-volume high
pressure cleaning machine that
recycles used water.

Yes
0 Landscape - Restrict or
prohibit runoff from
landscape irrigation
Statewide Prohibition
is Required
Watering vegetated areas in a manner
that causes excessive water flow or
runoff onto an adjoining sidewalk,
driveway, street, alley, gutter, or ditch
is prohibited.

Yes
0 Landscape - Other
landscape restriction or
prohibition
Statewide Prohibition
is Required
Irrigating ornamental turf on public
street medians is prohibited. Yes
0 Landscape - Other
landscape restriction or
prohibition
Statewide Prohibition
is Required
No landscape watering shall occur
within 48 hours after measurable
precipitation.

Yes
0 Landscape - Limit
landscape irrigation to
specific times

On-going Long Term-
Conservation Savings
Measure. Not
Watering or irrigation with a device
that is not continuously attended to is
limited to fifteen (10) minutes per day
Yes
2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
applicable to Water
Shortage Contingency
Plan quantifiable
savings.
per valve. Low flow drip type systems,
water efficient stream rotor systems,
and sensor/weather-controlled
systems are exempt.
0 Other - Customers must
repair leaks, breaks,
and malfunctions in a
timely manner

On-going Long Term-
Conservation Savings
Measure. Not
applicable to Water
Shortage Contingency
Plan quantifiable
savings.

Fix leaks or faulty sprinklers
promptly/within 5 day(s). Yes
0 CII - Restaurants may
only serve water upon
request

On-going Long Term-
Conservation Savings
Measure. Not
applicable to Water
Shortage Contingency
Plan quantifiable
savings.

CII - Restaurants may only serve water
upon request Yes
0 CII - Lodging
establishment must
On-going Long Term-
Conservation Savings
Measure. Not
CII - Lodging establishment must offer
opt out of linen service Yes
2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
offer opt out of linen
service
applicable to Water
Shortage Contingency
Plan quantifiable
savings.
0 CII - Other CII
restriction or
prohibition

On-going Long Term-
Conservation Savings
Measure. Not
applicable to Water
Shortage Contingency
Plan quantifiable
savings.

No single pass cooling systems may be
installed in new or remodeled
buildings.

Yes
0 Other - Prohibit vehicle
washing except at
facilities using recycled
or recirculating water

On-going Long Term-
Conservation Savings
Measure. Not
applicable to Water
Shortage Contingency
Plan quantifiable
savings.

All new commercial car wash and
laundry facilities must re-circulate the
wash water or obtain a waiver from
the City of Huntington Beach.

Yes
0 CII - Commercial
kitchens required to
On-going Long Term-
Conservation Savings
Measure. Not
Food preparation establishments must
use water efficient kitchen spray
valves.

Yes
2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
use pre-rinse spray
valves
applicable to Water
Shortage Contingency
Plan quantifiable
savings.
0 Landscape - Limit
landscape irrigation to
specific times

On-going Long Term-
Conservation Savings
Measure. Not
applicable to Water
Shortage Contingency
Plan quantifiable
savings.

Watering or irrigation of vegetated
areas is prohibited between 9 am and
5 pm except by use of a handheld
device, hose equipped with an
automatic shutoff device, or for
adjusting or repairing an irrigation
system for short periods of time.

Yes
0 Other - Require
automatic shut of hoses
On-going Long Term-
Conservation Savings
Measure. Not
applicable to Water
Shortage Contingency
Plan quantifiable
savings.

Use a shutoff nozzle on hoses. Yes
0 Other
On-going Long Term-
Conservation Savings
Measure. Not
Unauthorized use of hydrants is
prohibited. Authorization for use
must be obtained from water supplier.

Yes
2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
applicable to Water
Shortage Contingency
Plan quantifiable
savings.
1 Expand Public
Information Campaign Percentage 0-3% Community Outreach and Messaging (Expand Public Information Campaign) Yes
1 Expand Public
Information Campaign Percentage 0-1% Encourage customers to wash only full loads when washing dishes or clothes. Yes
1 Expand Public
Information Campaign Percentage 0-1% Encourage customers to use pool covers to minimize evaporation. Yes
1 Other - Customers must
repair leaks, breaks,
and malfunctions in a
timely manner
Percentage 0-1% Fix leaks or faulty sprinklers
promptly/within 72 hours. Yes
1 Landscape - Other
landscape restriction or
prohibition
Percentage 0-5%
New residential automated irrigation
systems must be equipped with rain
sensors that shut off the system when
it rains, or smart controllers or evapo-
transpiration sensors that use
Yes
2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
weather-based data to set efficient
watering schedules.
1 Improve Customer
Billing Percentage 0-3% AMI Customer Leak Reports with
Detection and Repair Assistance Yes
1 Provide Rebates for
Landscape Irrigation
Efficiency
Percentage 0-1% Expanded/Enhanced Rebate Programs Yes
1 Provide Rebates on
Plumbing Fixtures and
Devices
Percentage 0-1% Provide Rebates on Plumbing Fixtures
and Devices Yes
1 Provide Rebates for
Turf Replacement Percentage 0-1% Provide Rebates for Turf Replacement Yes 1 Increase Water Waste
Patrols Percentage 0-1% Increase Water Waste Patrols Yes 2 Other - Customers must
repair leaks, breaks,
and malfunctions in a
timely manner
Percentage 0-1% Fix leaks or faulty sprinklers within 48 hours. Yes
2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
2 Landscape - Limit
landscape irrigation to
specific days
Percentage 5-10%
Irrigation shall be limited to 3 days per
week turf watering when using
potable water. Plant containers, trees,
shrubs and vegetable gardens may be
watered additional days using only
drip irrigation or hand watering.

Yes
2 Water Features -
Restrict water use for
decorative water
features, such as
fountains
Percentage 0-1%
Filling or refilling ornamental lakes and
ponds is prohibited. Ornamental lakes
and ponds that sustain aquatic life of
significant value and were actively
managed prior to the storage
declaration are exempt.

Yes
2 Improve Customer
Billing Percentage 0-1% Improve customer billing reports to include more details on water use Yes
2 Decrease Line Flushing Percentage 0-1% Decrease Line Flushing Yes 3 Other - Customers must
repair leaks, breaks,
and malfunctions in a
timely manner
Percentage 0-1% Fix leaks or faulty sprinklers within 24 hours Yes
2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
3 Other - Prohibit use of
potable water for
construction and dust
control
Percentage 0-1%
Require a construction water use plan
be submitted to the water supplier
that addresses how impacts to existing
water users will be mitigated (such as
dust control).

Yes
3 Landscape - Limit
landscape irrigation to
specific days
Percentage 10-25%
Irrigation shall be limited to 2 days per
week turf watering when using
potable water. Plant containers, trees,
shrubs and vegetable gardens may be
watered additional days using only
drip irrigation or hand watering.

Yes
4 Reduce System Water
Loss Percentage 0-5%
Real Loss Reduction - Pressure
Management and More Aggressive
Leak Detection and Repair
Yes
4 Landscape - Limit
landscape irrigation to
specific days
Percentage 5-20%
Irrigation shall be limited to 1 days per
week turf watering when using
potable water. Plant containers, trees,
shrubs and vegetable gardens may be
watered additional days using only
drip irrigation or hand watering.

Yes
2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
5 Landscape - Prohibit all
landscape irrigation Percentage 5-10%
All irrigation is prohibited except with
hand-held bucket or hand-held hose
equipped with a positive self-closing
shut off nozzle or device.

Yes
5 Moratorium or Net
Zero Demand Increase
on New Connections
Percentage 0-2% Moratorium or Net Zero Demand
Increase on New Connections Yes
6 Landscape - Prohibit all
landscape irrigation Percentage 0-1%
Previous waivers for watering during
an establishment period will be
revoked.

Yes
6 Other Percentage 0-1%
The city of Huntington Beach may
discontinue service to consumers who
willfully violate any water
conservation provisions
Yes
6 Landscape - Prohibit all
landscape irrigation Percentage 0-5%
The City of Huntington Beach may
shut off all non-essential water
services. All irrigation is prohibited.

Yes
6 Other Percentage 0-70%
Water use for public health and safety
purposes only. Customer rationing
may be implemented.

Yes
DWR NOTES: Units of measure (AF, CCF, MG) must remain consistent throughout the UWMP as reported in Submittal Table 2 -3. 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Submittal Table 8-3 Retail: Demand Reduction Actions
Water Code Section 10632(a)(4)(B) and (E)
Yes Is the Supplier completing this table using the standard six levels? (yes/no)

Shortage Level
Demand Reduction
Actions
Drop down list
These are the only
categories that will be
accepted by the
WUEdata online
submittal tool. Select
those that apply.

How much is this going to reduce the
shortage gap?
Additional Explanation or Reference
(OPTIONAL)
Penalty, Charge, or
Other Enforcement?
For Retail Suppliers
Only
Drop Down List
Volume or
Percentage
Drop down
Shortage Gap
Reduction Value
(May be a range)
(AF)
NOTES: Note 1: NFT irrigation requirements begin January 1, 2027 for State and local government properties, January 1, 2028 for comm ercial, industrial and institutional owned landscapes, January 1, 2029 for homeowners' associations common area landscapes, and January 1, 2031 for local government properties in disadvantaged communities (DAC).

2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH

APPENDIX B HUNTINGTON BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE
CHAPTER 14.18 WATER MANAGEMENT

PROGRAM

Below is the weblink to the current ordinance (last accessed on May 3, 2021) http://www.qcode.us/codes/huntingtonbeach/view.php?topic=municipal_code-14-14_18 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH

APPENDIX C WATER SHORTAGE COMMUNICATION
PLAN

2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH

APPENDIX D NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING (PENDING)

2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
APRIL 2026 / DRAFT / CAROLLO

CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH

APPENDIX E ADOPTED WSCP RESOLUTION (PENDING)