CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
May 18, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita D. Scott, City Manager
Submitted by: Chris Diggs, Water Resources Director
SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING – ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE CITY OF POMONA’S 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN AND A RESOLUTION APPROVING POMONA’S 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
Conduct a Public Hearing; and
Adopt the following resolution (Attachment No. 1):
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-48 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE CITY OF POMONA’S 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN: PART 1, PART 2 CHAPTER 4, PART 3, AND PART 4 APPENDIX D Adopt the following resolution (Attachment No. 2):
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-49 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE CITY OF POMONA’S 2025 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A public hearing is required prior to consideration and approval of the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and the 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP). The 2025 UWMP and WSCP were prepared pursuant to the Urban Water Management Planning Act and the California Water Code.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) requires urban water suppliers to prepare and adopt an UWMP and WSCP and to update both documents at least once every five years, in years ending in six and one.
The WSCP is included within the UWMP, Part 2, Chapter 4 as Appendix D-7 and establishes the City’s framework for responding to water supply shortages.
Approval and filing of the UWMP and WSCP ensures the City remains eligible for grant and loan funding, including drought assistance, from DWR.
SB1439/GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLICABILITY:
☐ When this box is checked, it indicates the agenda item is subject to the Levine Act SB1439 requirements. Councilmembers are reminded to check their campaign contributions and determine whether they have received a campaign contribution of $500 or more that would require disclosure and/or recusal from discussing or acting on this agenda item. Campaign contributions of $500 or more made 1) by any person or entity who is identified in the agenda report as the applicant or proposer or 2) on behalf of the applicant or participant, including a parent, subsidiary or otherwise related business entity, or 3) by any person who has a financial interest in the agenda item requires a councilmember to comply with SB1439.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the proposed action. All programs contained within the UWMP and WSCP are currently funded through the Water Fund.
Adoption and submittal of the UWMP and WSCP are required to maintain eligibility for DWR grant and loan funding, including drought assistance programs.
PUBLIC NOTICING REQUIREMENTS:
Notice was sent to cities, counties, and water agencies on March 18, 2026, that the City prepared its UWMP and notifying them of the public hearing date and time. In accordance with California Water Code, Section 10642, a Notice of Public Hearing was published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin on May 4, 2026, and May 11, 2026 (Attachment No. 3).
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION:
None related to this UWMP or WSCP.
DISCUSSION:
The City’s UWMP provides a comprehensive framework for long-term water supply planning. The UWMP evaluates water supplies, demands, and system reliability under normal, single-dry, and multiple-dry year hydrologic conditions.
The UWMP was prepared in compliance with California Water Code Sections 10608 through 10657 and is consistent with the California Department of Water Resources Urban Water Management Plan Guidebook 2025, dated January 2026. The UWMP was also prepared in coordination with regional partners as part of a Regional Urban Water Management Plan (RUWMP), supporting integrated regional water resource planning and supply reliability.
Urban Water Management Plans provide a long-term planning framework to ensure adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and projected demands under varying hydrologic and regulatory conditions. Approval and filing of the UWMP ensures continued eligibility for DWR funding and drought assistance programs.
Since 2020, several updates to State guidance have been incorporated; however, these updates do not materially affect the preparation of the City’s UWMP:
Water Loss Standard Reporting. Updated guidance allows suppliers to report progress toward compliance with the 2028 Water Loss Standard.
Direct Potable Reuse. The State Water Resources Control Board has adopted regulations for direct potable reuse since the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, with corresponding updates to supply and demand reporting tables.
Lower Income Housing. Additional guidance has been provided allowing optional reporting of methodologies used to estimate water use for lower income housing.
Reporting Groundwater Recharge and Other Water Storage. Revised guidance distinguishes between long-term and short-term storage to prevent double counting.
The WSCP included in Part 2, Chapter 4, Appendix D-7 of the UWMP, establishes the City’s framework for responding to water supply shortages, including defined shortage stages, demand reduction measures, enforcement actions, and communication protocols. The WSCP includes analysis of supplies, demands, and water use efficiency programs under shortage conditions.
The WSCP includes no substantive changes from the 2020 Water Shortage Contingency Plan. Minor editorial updates were made for clarity and consistency; however, the content, procedures, and response actions remain unchanged.
The WSCP reflects integration with recent State legislation and updated water management requirements, including the following:
Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668 (Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life). These laws establish long-term water use efficiency standards and require urban water suppliers to meet defined water use targets. The WSCP supports compliance through its shortage response framework and demand reduction strategies.
Assembly Bill 1572. This legislation prohibits the use of potable water for irrigation of non-functional turf (ornamental grass not used for recreation) on commercial, industrial, institutional, and HOA common area properties, with phased implementation beginning in 2027 through 2029 and expanded applicability to certain public agency properties by 2031. The City is currently working on an amendment to Ordinance No. 4122 to ensure full compliance.
The WSCP also incorporates expanded risk planning beyond drought conditions to include catastrophic events such as earthquakes and infrastructure failures, as well as consideration of climate change impacts, identified within Part 1, Chapter 2 of the Regional Urban Water Management Plan.
If approved, staff will provide DWR with the approved documents and resolutions being considered.
Prepared by:
Julie Carver
Environmental Compliance Supervisor
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment No.1 – Resolution No. 2026-48
Attachment No.2 – Resolution No. 2026-49
Attachment No.3 – Public Notice
Public Hearing for the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan