May 12, 2026
Agenda Item No.12
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
Mark Vukojevic, Utilities Director - 949-644-3011, [email protected] PREPARED BY:
Steffen Catron, Water Operations Superintendent - 949-644-3011, [email protected] TITLE:
Set a Public Hearing for the City’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan ABSTRACT:
State law requires all water suppliers to prepare an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) every five years for long-term water supply planning. In conjunction with this requirement, the City of Newport Beach must also update its Water Shortage Contingency Plan, which outlines specific responses to potential water shortages. Staff recommends that the City Council set a future public hearing to review and approve the City’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and the Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
a) Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; b) Receive the draft 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and the Water Shortage Contingency Plan for review; and c) Set the date of June 9, 2026, for a public hearing on the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and the Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
DISCUSSION:
As a domestic water supplier of its size, the City is required to prepare, adopt and file an UWMP with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) every five years. The last plan was prepared and presented in June 2021. The purpose of the UWMP is to document and publicly communicate the City’s long-term roadmap for water reliability. Key plan objectives include evaluating supply and demand over a 20-year horizon, enhancing drought, water conservation and emergency preparedness, and documenting a robust drought response plan.
The DWR reviews the submitted plans to ensure compliance with requirements identified in the Urban Water Management Planning Act (Division 6 Part 2. 6 of the Water Code § 10610 - 10656). The 2025 UWMP is required to be updated and submitted to the DWR by July 1, 2026.
The Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) is the City’s operational manual for preparing for and responding to water shortages. The plan ensures a predictable and transparent process for the public during water supply interruptions. The WSCP is required to be completed simultaneously with the UWMP to comply with California Water Code Section 10632 and is nearly identical to the plan prepared in 2021. The WSCP is aligned with the Newport Beach Municipal Code Chapter 14.16 (Water Conservation and Supply Regulations). To satisfy State requirements without amending the existing Municipal Code, the City submitted a “crosswalk” demonstrating the alignment between the WSCP and the current Water Conservation and Supply Regulations.
Through a regional partnership led by the Municipal Water District of Orange County, the City joined 33 other local agencies in contracting with Carollo Engineers to prepare its 2025 UWMP. This collaborative approach reduced costs by sharing regional data and streamlining reporting requirements. While part of a joint effort, the City's final UWMP is uniquely tailored to its needs and meets all California Water Code standards.
The City’s water supply reliability is exceptionally strong, both today and for the future. The City’s resilience is rooted in its primary source: the Orange County groundwater basin. Managed by the Orange County Water District (OCWD), a global leader in water recycling and groundwater management, this partnership ensures a stable foundation. With the City’s investment in additional local groundwater wells, the City is moving toward a state of water abundance, significantly reducing its reliance on costly and volatile imported water from Northern California and the Colorado River.
The draft 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) are attached to this report and are available for review on the City’s website, alongside previous iterations. To ensure broad public awareness beyond standard noticing procedures, two notices will be published in the Daily Pilot over the next two weeks. Staff is requesting that the City Council formally receive both draft plans, initiate the public comment period, and set a public hearing for June 9, 2026, to consider final input and adopt the plans.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The adopted budget includes sufficient funding for the cost to prepare the plan. It was expensed to the 701 Water Enterprise Fund professional services account. Implementation is carried out and funded through the Water Fund’s operational and capital improvement accounts.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A – 2025 Draft Urban Water Management Plan
Attachment B – 2025 Draft Water Shortage Contingency Plan Set a Public Hearing for the City’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan May 12, 2026
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