Agenda packet — Santa Barbara City Council, June 16, 2026 (part 1 of 6)

CITY OF SANTA BARBARA

CITY COUNCIL
Randy Rowse
Mayor
Kelly McAdoo
City Administrator
Kristen W. Sneddon
Mayor Pro Tempore
Oscar Gutierrez
Ordinance Committee Chair
John S. Doimas
City Attorney
Eric Friedman
Finance Committee Chair
Meagan Harmon
Mike Jordan
Wendy Santamaria
City Hall
735 Anacapa Street
http://www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov
JUNE 16, 2026, 2:00 PM
AGENDA
IN-PERSON PUBLIC COMMENT: At the beginning of each meeting of the City Council, Finance Committee, or Ordinance Committee, any member of the public may address the City Council concerning any item not on the Council's agenda. Any person wishing to make such address should first complete and deliver a "Request to Speak" form prior to the time that public comment is taken up by the City Council. Each speaker will be given a total of 3 minutes to address the Council. Pooling of time is not allowed during general public comment. The time allotted for general public comment at the beginning of the 2:00 p.m. session is 30 minutes.

Any member of the public who did not speak during the 2:00 p.m. session but who submitted a request to do so during the 2:00 p.m. 30 minute session may do so at the end of the meeting when the additional “Public Comment (If Necessary)” is announced. The City Council, upon majority vote, may decline to hear a speaker on the grounds that the subject matter is beyond their jurisdiction.

REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT: Members of the public wishing to speak must “raise their hand” in the Zoom platform by selecting the virtual hand icon when their item is called. The keyboard shortcut for this is Alt+Y for Windows and Option+Y for Macs. City staff will activate the speaker’s microphone when the speaker’s name is called. The speaker will then need to unmute themselves. The keyboard shortcut for this is Alt+M for Windows or Command-Shift-A for Macs.

HOW TO REMOTELY OBSERVE AND/OR SPEAK LIVE AT A MEETING
• Web: https://santabarbaraca-gov.zoom.us/j/89359334270 (Participation via Zoom) • Telephone: Dial 1-669-900-6833, Enter Webinar ID: 893 5933 4270 (press *9 to raise/lower hand; press *6 to mute/unmute) • Online Streaming: Council meetings are streamed live at www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/CAP • TV: Each regular City Council meeting is broadcast live in English and Spanish on City TV Channel 18 and rebroadcast in English on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 8:00 a.m., and in Spanish on Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

Each televised Council meeting is closed captioned for the hearing impaired. Check the City TV program guide at www.santabarbaraca.gov/citytv for rebroadcasts of Finance and Ordinance Committee meetings.

WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT: Public comments may also be submitted via email to [email protected] prior to the beginning of the Council Meeting. All public comments submitted via email will be provided to City Council and will become part of the public record.
(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)
ORDER OF BUSINESS: Regular meetings of the Finance Committee and the Ordinance Committee begin at 12:00 p.m. The regular City Council meeting begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

REPORTS: Copies of the reports relating to agenda items are available for review at http://www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/CAP.In accordance with state law requirements, this agenda generally contains only a brief general description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at the meeting. Should you wish more detailed information regarding any particular agenda item, you are encouraged to obtain a copy of the Council Agenda Report (a "CAR") online at the City's website (http://www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/CAP). Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the City Council after distribution of the agenda packet are posted to the City’s website as soon as reasonably feasible.

CONSENT CALENDAR: The Consent Calendar is comprised of items that will not usually require discussion by the City Council. A Consent Calendar item is open for discussion by the City Council upon request of a Councilmember, City staff, or member of the public. Items on the Consent Calendar may be approved by a single motion. Should you wish to comment on an item listed on the Consent Agenda, after turning in your "Request to Speak" form, you should come forward to speak or raise your hand in Zoom at the time the Council considers the Consent Calendar.

LANGUAGE TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION: The City of Santa Barbara offers live Spanish translation and interpretation for City Council Meetings via the Wordly platform. Follow the directions below to access the service. • Go to: https://attend.wordly.ai/join/QQBV-6746
o Ensure the Session ID QQBV-6746 is displayed.
o Select “Spanish” and click on the “Attend” button.
o You can now read the captions on your device and/or listen to the translation of the City Council meeting. o Click the speaker button to hear a text-to-speech version of the translated dialogue. • If you have any questions or concerns, please contact City TV at 805-564-5311.

SPANISH INTERPRETATION: If you need interpretation of your communications to Council from Spanish into English, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 564-5309 or by email at [email protected]. If possible, notification of at least 48 hours will usually enable the City to make arrangements.

INTERPRETACIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Si necesita una interpretación del español al inglés, para sus comunicaciones al Consejo, comuníquese con la Oficina del Secretario Municipal al 564-5309, o por correo electrónico a [email protected]. Si es posible, la notificación de al menos 48 horas generalmente permitirá a la Ciudad hacer los arreglos.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: If you need auxiliary aids or services or staff assistance to attend or participate in this meeting, please contact the City Administrator's Office at 564-5305 or by email at [email protected]. If possible, notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will usually enable the City to make reasonable arrangements. For those who need accessibility accommodation in using the “raise hand” function and/or registering to participate in the Zoom session, please contact the Clerk’s office by 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting for assistance. Additionally, a speaker may email [email protected] by 5:00 p.m. the day before a meeting, stating which item they wish to speak on. Specialized services, such as sign language interpretation or documents in Braille, may require additional lead time to arrange. 06/16/2026 Santa Barbara City Council Final Agenda Page 1 JUNE 16, 2026 AGENDA
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING - 2:00 P.M.

CALL TO ORDER

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

ROLL CALL

CHANGES TO THE AGENDA

CONSENT CALENDAR

1. Subject: Waiver of Reading in Full of Ordinances and Resolutions Recommendation: That Council waive the reading in full of all ordinances and resolutions on the consent agenda and the public hearing consent agenda and authorize reading by title only, pursuant to City Charter Section 511, unless otherwise requested by a member of the City Council; this waiver shall not apply to emergency ordinances, which shall be read in full as required by Section 511.

2. Subject: An Ordinance Extending the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Monthly Remittance to the Director of Finance from 10 Days to 15 Days [Ordinance Adoption]
Recommendation: That Council adopt, by reading of title only, an Ordinance of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Amending the Santa Barbara Municipal Code Section 4.08.070 by Extending the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Monthly Remittance to the Director of Finance from 10 Days to 15 Days After the Close of the Calendar Month.

3. Subject: Introduction of an Ordinance Approving a Lease Agreement with the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at the Airport [Ordinance Introduction; Agreement]
Recommendation: That Council introduce and subsequently adopt, by reading of title only, an Ordinance of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Approving and Authorizing the Airport Director to Execute a Lease Agreement with the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commencing Upon the Effective Date of the Enabling Ordinance. 06/16/2026 Santa Barbara City Council Final Agenda Page 2

4. Subject: Introduction of an Ordinance Authorizing a Utility Easement to Southern California Edison for the Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities at the Harbor Main Parking Lot at 401 Shoreline Drive [Ordinance Introduction]
Recommendation: That Council introduce and subsequently adopt, by reading of title only, an Ordinance of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Approving and Authorizing the Public Works Director to Execute a Public Utility Easement Deed to Southern California Edison on City of Santa Barbara Property Located at the Harbor Main Parking Lot.

5. Subject: Intent to Levy Parking and Business Improvement Area Assessment Rates and Annual Assessment Report for Fiscal Year 2027 [Resolution]
Recommendation: That Council:

A. Adopt, by reading of title only, a Resolution of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Declaring Council’s Intention to Levy Parking and Business Improvement Area Assessment Rates for Fiscal Year 2027, at a Public Hearing to be held on June 30, 2026, at 2:00pm; and
B. Approve the Parking and Business Improvement Area Annual Assessment Report for Fiscal Year 2027.

6. Subject: Gibraltar Reservoir Caretaker’s Residence Rehabilitation Project [Resolution; Agreement]
Recommendation: That Council:

A. Determine that complying with the formal competitive bidding procedures under Municipal Code Section 4.52.070, subsection A, is not in the best interest of the City of Santa Barbara for the rehabilitation of the Gibraltar Dam Caretaker Residence;
B. Authorize issuance of a Best Interest Waiver under Municipal Code Section

4.52.070, subsection L, to authorize a contract of $1,085,560 for the Gibraltar Reservoir Caretaker’s Residence Rehabilitation Project; and authorize the Public Works Director to execute the contract and approve expenditures up to $217,112 for contract change orders and quantity variations, for a total authorized amount not to exceed $1,302,672; and C. Adopt, by reading of title only, a Resolution of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Amending Resolution No. 25-066, Adopting the Budget for Fiscal Year 2026, to Appropriate $1,302,672 for the Gibraltar Reservoir Caretaker’s Residence Rehabilitation Project.
06/16/2026 Santa Barbara City Council Final Agenda Page 3

7. Subject: First Amendment for Special Inspection Services for the Santa Barbara Police Station Project [Agreement]
Recommendation: That Council authorize the Public Works Director to execute the First Contract Amendment with Pacific Materials Laboratory, Inc. for increased funding for the same scope of special inspection services for the Santa Barbara Police Station Project, Contract No. 28608, in the amount of $415,394, for a total contract amount of $584,544, and to authorize $16,915 for potential extra services that may result from necessary changes or increases in the scope of work, for a total expenditure authority of $601,459.

8. Subject: First Lease Amendment to Agreement No. 26630 with Federal Express at Santa Barbara Airport [Agreement]
Recommendation: That Council approve and authorize the Airport Director to execute the first lease amendment to lease agreement no. 26,630 with Federal Express Corporation for the continued operation of an air cargo and sortation facility at 495 South Fairview Avenue at Santa Barbara Airport, and ratifying the amendment effective April 1, 2023.

9. Subject: Amendments to Professional Service Agreements for Permit, Plan Check, and Inspection Services [Agreement]
Recommendation: That Council:

A. Authorize the Community Development Director to execute the second amendment to Santa Barbara City Agreement No. 22500243 with Interwest Consulting Group, Inc., to increase the agreement amount by $150,000, for a total contract amount of $350,000, to provide permit, plan check, and inspection services; and
B. Authorize the Community Development Director to execute the third amendment to Santa Barbara City Agreement No. 22500114 with Jason Addison Smith Consulting Services, Inc., DBA JAS Pacific, to increase the agreement amount by $100,000, for a total contract amount of $579,000, to provide permit, plan check, and inspection services.

10. Subject: Approval of Contract Amendment with Belfor USA Group, Inc. for Flood Mitigation Services at Airport Buildings [Agreement] Recommendation: That Council approve and authorize the Airport Director to execute the Third Amendment to Contract Number 28809 with Belfor USA Group, Inc., for flood mitigation services at airport buildings. 06/16/2026 Santa Barbara City Council Final Agenda Page 4

11. Subject: Marketing and Promotions with Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association [Agreement]
Recommendation: That Council authorize the City Administrator to execute an agreement in the amount of $150,000 with Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) for marketing and promotions from July 1, 2025, through December 31, 2026.

12. Subject: Haley Street Youth Center Lease Renewal with Channel Islands YMCA [Agreement]
Recommendation: That Council authorize the City Administrator to execute a three-year lease agreement with the Channel Islands YMCA for the Haley Street Youth Center commencing on July 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2029.

13. Subject: Summer Fun Recreation Program with Santa Barbara Unified School District [Agreement]
Recommendation: That Council authorize the Parks and Recreation Director to enter into an agreement with the Santa Barbara Unified School District for the Summer Fun Recreation program.

14. Subject: Ratification of the Fiscal Year 2027 Cachuma Conservation Release Board Budget
Recommendation: That Council ratify the Cachuma Conservation Release Board’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, with the City of Santa Barbara’s proportional share not to exceed $506,503.
06/16/2026 Santa Barbara City Council Final Agenda Page 5

CONSENT PUBLIC HEARING

15. Subject: Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan Public Hearing and Adoption
Recommendation: That Council:

A. Hold a Public Hearing to review the Public Draft of the City’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan;
B. Hold a Public Hearing to review the Public Draft of the City’s 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan;
C. Adopt and authorize the Water Resources Director to transmit the City’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan to the California Department of Water Resources, such adoption to include modifications as may be approved by the Water Resources Director to ensure compliance with State Urban Water Management Plan requirements; and
D. Adopt and authorize the Water Resources Director to transmit the City’s 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan to the California Department of Water Resources, such adoption to include modifications as may be approved by the Water Resources Director to ensure compliance with State Water Shortage Contingency Plan requirements.

GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT

PULLED CONSENT ITEMS
06/16/2026 Santa Barbara City Council Final Agenda Page 6

CITY COUNCIL ADMINISTRATIVE AND ATTORNEY REPORTS

CITY ADMINISTRATOR

16. Subject: Approval of Development and Disposition Agreements and Related Agreements for the Paseo Nuevo Redevelopment Project [Ordinance Introduction; Agreement]
Recommendation: That Council:

A. Find that the Paseo Nuevo Redevelopment Project is consistent with the Plan Santa Barbara General Plan Program Environmental Impact Report (SCH No. 2009011031) and is exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, as documented in the Section 15183 Environmental Checklist prepared for the Project, and direct the filing of a Notice of Determination under Public Resources Code Section 21154 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15094;
B. Introduce and subsequently adopt, by reading of title only, an Ordinance of the City of Santa Barbara Approving and Authorizing Execution of (1) the Paseo Nuevo Redevelopment Project Development And Disposition Agreement Between The City Of Santa Barbara And PNSP Real Estate, LLC, (2) The Paseo Nuevo Redevelopment Project Development And Disposition Agreement Between The City Of Santa Barbara And DSP Santa Barbara Sub LLC, And (3) Related Agreements Necessary Or Convenient For Implementation Of The Projects Described Therein, Including Transfer Of Fee Title To Exempt Surplus City Owned Property – APNs 037-400-001; 037-400-002; 037-400-003; 037-400-004; 037-400-005; 037-400-006; and 037-400-019;
C. Authorize the City Administrator and City Attorney to take such further actions and execute ancillary agreements, instructions, or other documents necessary or convenient to close escrow and implement the agreements; and
D. The title of the Ordinance and/or Resolution has been read; if there is no objection from any Councilmember present, further reading is waived pursuant to Santa Barbara City Charter § 511.
06/16/2026 Santa Barbara City Council Final Agenda Page 7

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

17. Subject: Approval of Amendment for One-Year Extension of Community Workforce Agreement with Tri Counties Building and Construction Trades Council [Agreement]
Recommendation: That Council authorize the Public Works Director to execute an amendment to the City of Santa Barbara’s existing Community Workforce Agreement with Tri Counties Building and Construction Trades Council extending the term of the agreement by one year to July 20, 2027.

18. Subject: Review and Comment on the Draft Safe Streets for All Action Plan Recommendation: That Council review and comment on the Draft Safe Streets for All Action Plan.

PUBLIC HEARING

FINANCE DEPARTMENT

19. Subject: Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Operating and Capital Budget Deliberations [Ordinance Introduction]
Recommendation: That Council:

A. Approve certain adjustments to the FY2027 Recommended Budget identified by staff as detailed in the Schedule of Recommended Adjustments;
B. Provide final direction to staff based on the Council’s review of the FY2027 Recommended Budget over the last several weeks;
C. Introduce and subsequently adopt, by reading of title only, an Ordinance of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Amending Santa Barbara Municipal Code Section 4.24.190 to Adjust the Appropriations of Funds from the Utility Services Tax;
D. Provide direction to staff regarding the draft Resolution of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Regarding the FY2027 budget, being out of compliance with Resolution No. 23-124, the Policies for Reserves; and E. The title of the Ordinance and/or Resolution has been read; if there is no objection from any Councilmember present, further reading is waived pursuant to Santa Barbara City Charter §511.
06/16/2026 Santa Barbara City Council Final Agenda Page 8

CITY ADMINISTRATOR

20. Subject: Adoption of Technology Interruption Policy and Outreach Policy Resolutions Pursuant to SB 707 [Resolution]
Recommendation: That Council:

A. Adopt, by reading of title only, a Resolution of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Regarding Disruption of Telephonic or Internet Service During Public Meetings;
B. Adopt, by reading of title only, a Resolution of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Determining Reasonable Efforts to Encourage Public Participation in Meetings Pursuant to Government Code 54953.4; and C. The title of the Ordinance and/or Resolution has been read; if there is no objection from any Councilmember present, further reading is waived pursuant to Santa Barbara City Charter section 511.

COUNCIL AND STAFF COMMUNICATIONS

COUNCILMEMBER COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT REPORTS & ENGAGEMENTS

PUBLIC COMMENT (IF NECESSARY)

ADJOURNMENT
Ordinance No.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA

BARBARA AMENDING THE SANTA BARBARA MUNICIPAL
CODE SECTION 4.08.070 BY EXTENDING THE TRANSIENT

OCCUPANCY TAX (TOT) MONTHLY REMITTANCE TO THE
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE FROM 10 DAYS TO 15 DAYS AFTER

THE CLOSE OF THE CALENDAR MONTH
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

Each operator shall, on or before the 15th day after the close of each calendar month, or at the close of any shorter reporting period which may be established by the Director of Finance, make a return to the Director of Finance, on forms provided by the Director of Finance, of the total rents charged and received and the amount of tax collected for transient occupancies. At the time the return is filed, the full amount of the tax collected shall be remitted to the Director of Finance. The Director of Finance may establish shorter reporting periods for any certificate holder if the Director of Finance deems it necessary in order to insure collection of the tax and the Director of Finance may require further information in the return. Returns and payments are due immediately upon cessation of business for any reason. All taxes collected by operators pursuant to this chapter shall be held in trust for the account of the City until payment thereof is made to the Director of Finance.

Agenda Item No. 2
City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Airport Department
Subject: Introduction of an Ordinance Approving a Lease Agreement with the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at the Airport [Ordinance Introduction; Agreement]
Recommendation:

That Council introduce and subsequently adopt, by reading of title only, an Ordinance of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Approving and Authorizing the Airport Director to Execute a Lease Agreement with the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commencing Upon the Effective Date of the Enabling Ordinance.

Discussion:

On May 20, 2026, the Airport Commission recommended that City Council approve a new Lease Agreement with the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), for approximately 2,400 square feet of airport property to accommodate Government-owned wind profiling equipment at the Santa Barbara Airport, for a ten-year term commencing July 1, 2026, at annual rent of $3,750, exclusive of utilities.

NOAA currently uses airport property for wind profiler equipment and has operated at this location since 1998. The lease continues the Federal Government's use of a defined portion of airport property for weather observation equipment and related access and utility connections.

The lease term begins July 1, 2026 and ends March 31, 2036. The Government may use the site for operation, maintenance, repair, and replacement of wind profiling and related meteorological equipment. The lease also preserves the Government's ownership of its equipment and provides the Government with access to the site at all times for operational needs.

Agenda Item No. 3
Council Agenda Report
Approval of
Introduction of an Ordinance Approving a Lease Agreement with the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at the Airport [Ordinance Introduction; Agreement]
June 16, 2026

Page 2 ends

Budget/Financial Information:

Approval of the lease will generate $3,750 in annual revenue to the Airport. The Government is separately responsible for utility consumption and utility connection costs associated with the Premises.

A copy of the contract/agreement may be requested from Airport for public review by emailing [email protected].

Prepared By: John Feldhans, Airport Properties Manager
Submitted By: Chris Hastert, Airport Director
Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
ORDINANCE NO.____________

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA

BARBARA APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE AIRPORT

DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, NATIONAL

OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION,

COMMENCING UPON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE

ENABLING ORDINANCE

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. In accordance with the provisions of Section 521 of the Charter of the City of Santa Barbara, an Ordinance of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara approving and authorizing execution of agreement number 26RPCA061C with United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for a Meteorological Monitoring site at the Santa Barbara Airport, is hereby approved.

City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Public Works Department
Subject: Introduction of an Ordinance Authorizing a Utility Easement to Southern California Edison for the Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities at the Harbor Main Parking Lot at 401 Shoreline Drive [Ordinance Introduction]
Recommendation:

That Council introduce and subsequently adopt, by reading of title only, an Ordinance of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Approving and Authorizing the Public Works Director to Execute a Public Utility Easement Deed to Southern California Edison on City of Santa Barbara Property Located at the Harbor Main Parking Lot.

Discussion:

On July 19, 2022, the City of Santa Barbara (City) Council approved the execution of an agreement with Carbon Solutions Group EV, LLC (CSG), a recognized provider of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging solutions for municipalities across California, and accepted funding for installing EV charging stations at various City-owned locations. One of the critical sites selected for this initiative is the Harbor Main Parking Lot, located at 401 Shoreline Drive (APN 033-120-018), between the Harbor Main Parking Lot and Shoreline Drive, north of Marina 2.

With a grant from the California Transportation Commission, and electrical infrastructure provided by Southern California Edison (SCE), CSG will install ten EV charging stations at the Harbor Main Parking Lot. Working closely with City staff, SCE has identified the optimal location for the necessary above-ground, pad-mounted transformer and related equipment, which will be situated in the turf area separating the Harbor Main Parking Lot and Shoreline Drive. This will require minor trenching within the turf area and parking lot.

For these purposes, an easement must be granted to SCE. City staff have reviewed this action and recommend that City Council approve the adoption of this Ordinance.

Budget/Financial Information:

Agenda Item No. 4
Council Agenda Report
Introduction of an Ordinance Authorizing a Utility Easement to Southern California Edison for the Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities at the Harbor Main Parking Lot at 401 Shoreline Drive [Ordinance Introduction] June 16, 2026

Page 2 ends

Since the easement for this installation pertains to a City project, it will be granted to SCE at no cost and will have no direct financial impact on the City.

Sustainability Impact:

The EV chargers will help the City move towards its carbon neutrality goal by 2035. This action aligns with the City’s Adopted Climate Action Plan, Transportation Actions, and Measure T-6.3: Add new publicly accessible EV charging stations through the City and City-owned facilities. The fast-charging stations are each able to serve 20 or more vehicles per day and will help facilitate and encourage further EV adoption.

Environmental Review:

The Ordinance authorizing a utility easement would not have any direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change to the environment; therefore, the administrative action does not meet the definition of a “Project” under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 (b)(5), which states that administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct physical changes in the environment are not subject to CEQA environmental review. The City’s project includes an EV charging station, which is statutorily exempt from CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15268 (c), and is therefore not subject to CEQA review. The project received a Coastal Exemption on November 30, 2023.

Attachment:

1. Vicinity Map of Harbor Main Parking Lot and Easement Area.

Prepared By: Adam Hendel, P.E., Public Works Operations Manager/CDM/sk Submitted By: Brian D’Amour, P.E., Public Works Director Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator

ATTACHMENT
Vicinity Map of Harbor Main Parking Lot and Easement Area Ordinance No.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA

BARBARA APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE PUBLIC

WORKS DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE A PUBLIC UTILITY

EASEMENT DEED TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON ON

CITY OF SANTA BARBARA PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE

HARBOR MAIN PARKING LOT
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Barbara (City) owns the property commonly known as 401 Shoreline Drive (APN 033-120-018); and
WHEREAS, the City desires to install electric vehicle charging stations on this parcel and requires electrical service for those stations; and WHEREAS, a Grant of Easement for the above stated purpose has been prepared by Southern California Edison, has been approved as to form by the City Attorney, and is on file with the City Clerk.

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

1. The Public Works Director is authorized to execute a Grant of Easement with Southern California Edison in a form approved by the City Attorney.

2. The Public Works Director is authorized to execute any additional documents, as approved by the City Attorney, necessary or convenient to the grant of the easement and to cause the deed to be recorded in the official records of the County of Santa Barbara.

3. The Public Works Director may delegate the authority granted by this Ordinance to appropriate personnel within the Public Works Department.

City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: City Administrator’s Office
Subject: Intent to Levy Parking and Business Improvement Area Assessment Rates and Annual Assessment Report for Fiscal Year 2027 [Resolution]
Recommendation: That Council:

Discussion:

The Parking and Business Improvement Area (PBIA) is an assessment mechanism that supports the ability of the City of Santa Barbara’s Downtown Parking Fund to provide affordable parking rates for customers, visitors, and employees in the Downtown area.

The Downtown Parking Program budget is funded primarily by hourly parking revenues, with additional support from PBIA assessments and parking permit sales. PBIA revenues offset a portion of the cost of operating the Downtown Parking System. This 56-year partnership between the Downtown business community and the Downtown Parking Program helps keep Santa Barbara’s Downtown economically viable.

California State Law requires City Council to prepare and adopt an annual report prior to the beginning of each fiscal year. The report must describe any proposed changes to the PBIA’s district boundaries, benefit zones, business classifications, and method and basis of levying assessments. For Fiscal Year 2027, staff proposes a status quo assessment.

On May 14, 2026, the Downtown Parking Committee (DPC), serving as the PBIA Advisory Board, recommended approval of the PBIA Annual Assessment Report for Fiscal Year 2027, which is included as an Exhibit to the Resolution. DPC also recommended Council Agenda Item No. 5
Council Agenda Report
Intent to Levy Parking and Business Improvement Area Assessment Rates and Annual Assessment Report for Fiscal Year 2027 [Resolution]
June 16, 2026

Page 2 ends

direct staff to reconsider and reevaluate the PBIA in the next fiscal year and provide direction on the City’s approach to parking revenue generation.

Although the PBIA remains an important funding source, revenues have not kept pace with rising operational costs, and the assessment now covers a declining share of operating expenses. Consistent with DPC’s recommendation, staff proposes a status quo Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2027 with no changes to benefit zones, the basis for levying assessments, or to the calculations, formulas, or business classifications. Staff will revisit the PBIA assessment methodology over the coming year to ensure it remains a reliable and sustainable funding partnership and will return to Council for direction and recommendations.

Budget/Financial Information:

The PBIA assessment usually generates about $1 million in annual revenue. PBIA contributions for Fiscal Year 2026 were budgeted at $1,000,000. However, receipts for the first six months of Fiscal Year 2026 were weaker than expected due to ongoing challenges with collecting delinquent accounts, causing a downward revision of the yearend projection to $950,000. As collections continue to improve, staff expect to receive approximately $1 million in PBIA revenue for Fiscal Year 2027 and will maintain this figure for the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.

Environmental Review:

The intent to levy the Parking and Business Improvement Area Assessment Rates for Fiscal Year 2027 and approval of the Parking and Business Improvement Area Annual Assessment Report for Fiscal Year 2027 falls outside of the definition of a “Project” under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines § 15378 (b)(5) as administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct physical changes in the environment are not subject to CEQA environmental review. The Annual Report will be filed with the City Clerk’s Office as required by law and is available upon request by contacting the Public Works Department at [email protected] or (805) 564-5377.

Prepared By: Sarah Clark, Downtown Services Manager/EP/td Submitted By: Anthony Valdez, Deputy City Administrator Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
Resolution No.

A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
BARBARA DECLARING COUNCIL’S INTENTION TO LEVY

PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA
ASSESSMENT RATES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, AT A PUBLIC
HEARING TO BE HELD ON JUNE 30, 2026, AT 2:00PM.

WHEREAS, pursuant to section 36534 California Streets and Highways Code, it is the intention of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara to conduct a public hearing to determine whether to fix and assess a Fiscal Year 2027 Downtown Parking and Business Improvement Area (hereinafter referred to as PBIA), as such benefit assessment area has been established by Chapter 4.37 of the Santa Barbara Municipal Code, adopted on September 10, 1991; and
WHEREAS, upon the completion of a public hearing, it shall be the intention of the City Council to Levy and Collect a benefit assessment within the PBIA as that area is described in the Final Engineers Report, approved by the City Council on October 5, 1999, and in the 1999 PBIA Area Map, on file with the City Clerk of the City of Santa Barbara; and
WHEREAS, for Fiscal Year 2027, the improvements and activities to be provided shall consist of a transfer of funds to the City's Downtown Services Division of the City Administrator’s Office, which shall be exclusively used to support the maintenance of the low hourly parking rates to all persons who park automobiles within the City-owned or operated hourly public parking lots within the PBIA area; and WHEREAS, a more detailed description of the improvements and activities to be provided to the Downtown area of Santa Barbara and the benefit to the assessed businesses may be found in the Final Engineer's Report, the Addendum to the Final Engineer's Report of Formula and Methodology of Assessments dated April 7, 2010, and the PBIA Annual Assessment Report for Fiscal Year 2027 (hereinafter referred to as Annual Report, attached as Exhibit), which was reviewed and approved by the City's Downtown Parking Committee, serving as the PBIA Advisory Board, as required by Section 4.37.145 of the Santa Barbara Municipal Code, and which Annual Report is on file with the City Clerk and available for review or copying by the public by contacting the Office of the City Administrator.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA THAT:

1. It is the intention of the City Council to levy and collect assessments with the PBIA for the Fiscal Year of 2027, within the boundaries of the PBIA, as such boundaries were established upon the enactment of Chapter 4.37 of the Santa Barbara Municipal Code. It is also the City Council's intention to confirm the method and basis of assessments established by the City Council upon the enactment of Santa Barbara Municipal Code Chapter 4.37, and as described in the Annual Report.

2. The proposed improvements and activities to be provided within the Downtown PBIA for Fiscal Year 2027 will consist of the benefit of reduced on-site parking requirements due to proximity to a public lot, and the maintenance of the low hourly parking rates for those persons using the City's Downtown public off-street parking facilities, as more fully described in the Annual Report. The actual assessments to be levied and collected are described in more detail in the Final Engineer's Report, approved by the City Council on October 5, 1999, and the Addendum to the Final Engineer's Report of Formula and Methodology of Assessments, approved by the City Council on May 25, 2010.

3. Time and place for the public hearing to consider the intention of the City Council shall be during the 2:00 p.m. session of the Council's regularly scheduled meeting of June 30, 2026. On Thursday, June 25, 2026, an Agenda with all items to be heard on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, including the public hearing will be available online at www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/CAP. The agenda includes instructions for participation in the meeting.

4. Written and oral protests to the proposed Downtown PBIA Annual Assessments for Fiscal Year 2027, as described in the Annual Report, may be made at the above-described public hearing provided that such protests are in the form and manner required by Sections 36524 and 36525 of the California Streets and Highways Code.

5. The City Clerk shall give notice of the above-described public hearing by causing a copy of this resolution of intention to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, no less than seven days prior to June 30, 2026.

EXHIBIT
City of Santa Barbara
Parking and Business Improvement Area
(PBIA)
Fiscal Year 2027
ANNUAL

ASSESSMENT
REPORT

EXHIBIT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................3 PROPOSED CHANGES..........................................................................................................3 IMPROVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES.......................................................................................3

ESTIMATED OPERATING COSTS OF THE CITY'S DOWNTOWN PARKING PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027........................................................................................................4 PROJECTED FISCAL YEAR 2027 DOWNTOWN PARKING PROGRAM REVENUES.........5 REVENUE CARRYOVERS......................................................................................................5 PBIA RATES............................................................................................................................6 I. Retail and/or Wholesale Businesses (Including Restaurants) ..........................................6 II. Financial Institutions.........................................................................................................6 III. Stock and Bond Brokerage Offices .................................................................................6 IV. Transit Facilities and Bus Depots....................................................................................6 V. Professional .....................................................................................................................6 VI. All Categories Not Otherwise Provided For.....................................................................6 VII. Hotel and Motels ............................................................................................................6 -3-

EXHIBIT

INTRODUCTION
This report, filed annually as required by the California Parking and Business Improvement Law of 1989, will provide an explanation of any proposed changes, including, but not limited to the boundaries of the adopted City of Santa Barbara Downtown Parking and Business Improvement Area (PBIA) or any benefit zones within the area, the basis for levying the assessments, and any changes in the classifications of businesses.

The PBIA assessments benefit the City of Santa Barbara’s (City) Downtown Parking Management Program, which operates and maintains seven public surface parking lots and five structures in the downtown core business area. Providing a total of 3,215 parking spaces, the program is oriented towards clients and shoppers. The parking system is directed by the City’s Circulation Element to increase the available public parking and reduce the need for employee parking in the downtown core. Employee parking is mitigated by alternative transportation initiatives to increase carpooling, bicycling, and mass transit programs. The Downtown Parking budget is funded primarily by hourly parking revenues, and to a lesser extent, by the PBIA assessment and parking permit revenue. The PBIA revenues are directed solely towards hourly employee salaries and utility costs in support of the operation and maintenance of the parking lots. Revenues derived from hourly parking fees and monthly permits support the balance of operating expenses remaining from the PBIA assessment and alternative transportation programs.

Attached hereto and incorporated by reference is the “Addendum to the Parking and Business Improvement Area Final Engineer's Report of Formula and Methodology of Assessment dated October 5, 1999” (Addendum), which is on file at the City Clerk's Office, and which shall form the basis of the Annual Report.

PROPOSED CHANGES
For Fiscal Year 2027, there are no changes to the PBIA benefit zones, the basis for levying the assessments or any changes in the classifications of businesses.

IMPROVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The PBIA assessments replace the requirements placed on businesses to provide their own onsite customer parking. A parking rate, designed to promote short-term customer and client parking, is currently in effect in all City-operated Downtown Parking lots. These facilities are maintained and operated by the City's Downtown Parking staff. -4-

EXHIBIT

ESTIMATED OPERATING COSTS OF THE CITY'S DOWNTOWN
PARKING PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027

EXPENSES PBIA PARKING PROGRAM TOTAL
Allocated Costs $2,242,305 $2,242,305
Appropriated Reserves $10,000 $10,000
Credit Card Fees $331,469 $331,469
Hourly Salaries & Benefits $597,768 $1,649,755 $2,247,523 Permanent Salaries & Benefits $2,980,292 $2,980,292
Transfers $1,155,000 $1,155,000
Special Projects $130,093 $130,093
Supplies & Services $1,290,427 $1,290,427
Utilities $402,232 $0 $402,232
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES $1,000,000 $9,789,341 $10,789,341 Capital Program Expenses $1,155,000 $1,155,000
TOTAL EXPENSES $1,000,000 $10,944,341 $11,944,341
-5-

EXHIBIT
PROJECTED FISCAL YEAR 2027 DOWNTOWN PARKING

PROGRAM REVENUES

REVENUE TOTAL
Hourly Revenue $7,194,931
Monthly Parking $1,638,615
Billed Revenue $123,000
Bicycle Parking $4,000
Electric Vehicle Charging Fees $2,000
Interest Income $145,000
Project Planner Revenue $30,000
Transfers In $1,155,000
Rents $403,649
Residential Permits $101,500
Special Parking $58,500
Misc & Insurance Reimbursements $11,500
TOTAL OPERATING REVENUES $10,867,695
PBIA Assessment $1,000,000
TOTAL REVENUE $11,867,695
The PBIA assessments, as estimated, will cover approximately 9.3% of the annual operating expenses for Fiscal Year 2027.

REVENUE CARRYOVERS
No excess PBIA revenues will be carried over from the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget. -6-

EXHIBIT

PBIA RATES
A more detailed basis for levying the assessment is explained in the Addendum to the 1999 Engineer's Report. Rates for the categories below are shown for annual assessment. To determine quarterly payments, divide rates by four.

I. Retail and/or Wholesale Businesses (Including Restaurants) GROUP A: Average sale of less than $20, $0.56 per $100 of gross sales.

GROUP B: Average sale between $20 and $100, $0.29 per $100 of gross sales.

GROUP C: Average sale of more than $100, $0.16 per $100 of gross sales.

GROUP D: Movie theaters only, $0.16 per $100 of gross sales.

GROUP E: Fitness Facilities/Health Clubs, $0.29 per $100 of gross sales.

Average sale is computed by dividing the total gross sales for the year by the number of sales transactions.

II. Financial Institutions
$0.48* per square foot of usable space.

III. Stock and Bond Brokerage Offices
$81.30* per broker.

IV. Transit Facilities and Bus Depots
$0.06* cents per square-foot of usable building space.

V. Professional
$32.50* per person practicing the profession, and $16.30* for each non- professional.

VI. All Categories Not Otherwise Provided For
GROUP A: Educational Facilities (non-public) - $0.19* per square foot of usable building space.

GROUP B: Miscellaneous: $0.19* per square foot of usable space.

VII. Hotel and Motels
# of assessed rooms x $1.50/day x 30 days x 3 months x .50 occupancy = quarterly charges
Assessed rooms = # of guest rooms (-) on-site parking spaces provided No patron parking credit would be offered as it is part of the calculation.

City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Department of Water Resources
Subject: Gibraltar Reservoir Caretaker’s Residence Rehabilitation Project [Resolution; Agreement]
Recommendation:

That Council:

4.52.070, subsection L, to authorize a contract of $1,085,560 for the Gibraltar Reservoir Caretaker’s Residence Rehabilitation Project; and authorize the Public Works Director to execute the contract and approve expenditures up to $217,112 for contract change orders and quantity variations, for a total authorized amount not to exceed $1,302,672; and
C. Adopt, by reading of title only, a Resolution of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara Amending Resolution No. 25-066, Adopting the Budget for Fiscal Year 2026, to Appropriate $1,302,672 for the Gibraltar Reservoir Caretaker’s Residence Rehabilitation Project.

Discussion:

Background
The Gibraltar Dam Caretaker’s residence is an operational necessity for the protection and management of the Gibraltar Reservoir, one of the City of Santa Barbara’s (City’s) most vital municipal water assets. The Gibraltar Dam caretaker provides essential roundthe-clock presence at the dam and operational control over the Gibraltar Reservoir. Given the remote location of the dam, travel to and from Santa Barbara over a narrow, winding dirt road, can take over an hour under good conditions and can be completely impassable Agenda Item No. 6
Council Agenda Report
Gibraltar Reservoir Caretaker’s Residence Rehabilitation Project [Resolution; Agreement]
June 16, 2026

Page 2 ends

for days and weeks following storm events, making daily commuting infeasible. During heavy winter storms, the caretaker serves as the City’s first responder tasked with monitoring and operating the dam release gates to protect water supply and downstream life and properties.

The caretaker residence is essential for safe operation of the Gibraltar Reservoir. The City has a duty to provide a safe operational environment for its personnel. The caretaker residence, constructed in the 1960s, has deteriorated to the point of needing full rehabilitation. Water intrusions, rodent and insect damage, aging materials, and noncompliant mechanical and electrical systems have rendered the home unsuitable. An interim travel trailer has been mobilized to provide the caretaker with sufficient temporary shelter; however, a permanent and secure solution must be executed to allow the caretaker and their immediate family to safely remain onsite. A targeted rehabilitation is required to ensure the caretaker has safe, reliable shelter.

By partnering with CGS Engineering Corp., a contractor with a track record of successful projects at this remote site, the City can execute a focused rehabilitation with an experienced partner. Staff is requesting a Best Interest Waiver to bypass formal bidding, as the standard low-bid process would introduce significant delays and the work demands experience with extreme logistical realities given the remote location, limited access, and no-grid electricity.

Cost-Effective Strategy
Faced with a failing structure, the Water Resources and Public Works Departments evaluated options such as premanufactured homes and accessory dwelling units and concluded the most fiscally responsible path forward is to repair the existing house. The Departments partnered with CGS Engineering Corp., to develop a targeted rehabilitation plan to preserve what can be and replace what is necessary to repair and update the house. This approach preserves the existing foundation and most of the structural framing, avoiding grading, and environmental disturbance. This focused method helps the City conserve both time and money by eliminating the need for complete reconstruction.

Justification for Best Interest Waiver
Under Santa Barbara Municipal Code section 4.52.070(L), staff requests a waiver of formal bidding procedures as standard compliance is detrimental to the City's immediate interests. The logistical constraints of this off-grid site and the urgent need to complete weatherproofing prior to the winter storm season make formal bidding highly risky.

Council Agenda Report
Gibraltar Reservoir Caretaker’s Residence Rehabilitation Project [Resolution; Agreement]
June 16, 2026

Page 3 ends

Standard low-bid processes routinely attract contractors unprepared for this site's isolation, risking severe delays or project abandonment. Partnering directly with CGS Engineering Corp., a contractor with an extensive track record of successful work at Gibraltar Dam, ensures the rehabilitation is completed efficiently, safely, and before winter.

Budget/Financial Information:

Inadequate expenditure appropriations exist in the Water Capital Fund budget in Fiscal Year 2026. Adequate, available reserve funds exist in the Water Capital Fund to support this critical action. The requested Best Interest Waiver authorizes a contract of $1,085,560 for the Gibraltar Reservoir Caretaker’s Residence Rehabilitation Project; and authorizes the Public Works Director to execute the contract and approve expenditures up to $217,112 to cover any cost increases that may result from contract change orders for extra work and differences between estimated bid quantities and actual quantities measured for payment in an amount not to exceed $1,302,672.

Sustainability Impact:

This project significantly improves the environmental footprint and energy efficiency of the caretaker facility. The rehabilitation upgrades the building’s thermal performance by removing the outdated roof-mounted heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (more commonly known as HVAC) system in favor of a high-efficiency, dual-fuel system, installing Low-E double-glazed windows, and comprehensively insulating the exterior envelope. Furthermore, the addition of a solar array and battery system moves this offgrid facility toward self-sustaining, clean energy resilience.

A copy of the agreement may be requested from the Public Works Department for public review by emailing [email protected].

Environmental Review:

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15301 (b) and (d), Existing Facilities, this Project meets the specifications of Existing Facilities Class 1 (b) categorical exemption, because the Project includes the replacement of existing, publicly-owned facilities used to provide public utility services. The Project meets Section 15301 Existing Facilities Class 1 (d) categorical exemption, because the Project involves upgrades to facilities to meet current standards of public health and safety.

Water Commission Recommendation:

Council Agenda Report
Gibraltar Reservoir Caretaker’s Residence Rehabilitation Project [Resolution; Agreement]
June 16, 2026

Page 4 ends

Staff presented this item to the City of Santa Barbara Water Commission at its May 21, 2026, meeting. The Commission voted 3-0-2 (three in favor, none opposed, and two absent) in support of staff’s recommendation.

Prepared by: Matthew Ward, Water System Manager/CW/LC/sjc Submitted by: Joshua Haggmark, P.E., Water Resources Director Approved by: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
Resolution No.

A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
BARBARA AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 25-066, ADOPTING
THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, TO APPROPRIATE
$1,302,672 FOR THE GIBRALTAR RESERVOIR
CARETAKER’S RESIDENCE REHABILITATION PROJECT.

WHEREAS, in accordance with the City Charter, the City Administrator filed with the Council a proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025; WHEREAS, the City Council is required to adopt a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1, 2025;
WHEREAS, the City Charter provides that at any public meeting after the adoption of the budget, the City Council may amend or supplement the budget by motion adopted by the affirmative votes of at least a majority of the total members of the City Council; and WHEREAS, as authorized by Resolution No. 25-066, this Resolution approves the amendment to the budget as provided herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

SANTA BARBARA THAT

1. In accordance with the provisions of Section 1205 of the City Charter, the budget for the Fiscal Year 2026, as adopted by Resolution No. 25-066, is hereby amended as follows:

2. The Council approves of appropriating available reserve funds that exist in the Water Capital Reserves into the Water Capital Fund budget in Fiscal Year 2026 in the amount of $1,302,672 in order to fund the CGS Engineering Corp. contract for rehabilitation of the caretaker’s residence at Gibraltar Dam.

City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Public Works Department
Subject: First Amendment for Special Inspection Services for the Santa Barbara Police Station Project [Agreement]
Recommendation:

That Council authorize the Public Works Director to execute the First Contract Amendment with Pacific Materials Laboratory, Inc. for increased funding for the same scope of special inspection services for the Santa Barbara Police Station Project, Contract No. 28608, in the amount of $415,394, for a total contract amount of $584,544, and to authorize $16,915 for potential extra services that may result from necessary changes or increases in the scope of work, for a total expenditure authority of $601,459.

Discussion:

Background
The Santa Barbara Police Station Project (Project) is in the construction phase. Pacific Materials Laboratory, Inc. (PML) is the Special Inspector for the Project to perform inspections as directed by the plans and specifications. PML’s original scope of work included all the required types of construction testing for the Project using estimated quantity of required tests and assumptions under which the tests would be performed.

Several of these variables have changed, such as the number of specific inspections needed on site and inspections from the City of Santa Barbara (City) and the State of California that need to be conducted by a third party and overseen by PML. As a result, the costs for the Project have increased. The additional quantity of inspections requires additional reporting, which also requires additional time and added costs.

Current Status
The Project is currently “out of the ground,” and the contractor is installing the vertical columns and horizontal steel beams, a flooring system made from cross laminated timber, and installing the concrete in the building and parking structure. Special inspections will continue to be needed, and the recommended Amendment to the contract and scope of work is projected to allow PML to finish the inspections needed for the Project.

Agenda Item No. 7
Council Agenda Report
First Amendment for Special Inspection Services for the Santa Barbara Police Station Project [Agreement]
June 16, 2026

Page 2 ends

AB 339 Compliance: Staff has completed all applicable employee organization notification requirements pursuant to Government Code Section 3504.1.

Budget/Financial Information:

With approval of the recommendation, the increase to the contract will be in the amount of $415,394 for a total contract amount of $584,544, plus the extra services allowance that may be needed as a result from necessary changes or increases in the scope of work in the amount of $16,915, for a total expenditure authority of $601,459.

The cost for the recommended Amendment and potential extra services is covered by sufficient existing expenditure appropriations of bond proceeds in Fiscal Year 2026 in the Police Station Capital Project Fund.

Sustainability Impact:

The special inspections required for the Project will ensure it is built in compliance to code and compliance. This work should not result in any sustainability impact.

A copy of the contract/agreement may be requested from the Public Works Department for public review by emailing [email protected].

Environmental Review:

The Public Works Department prepared a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) that examined environmental impacts as required per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of the Project. The MND was prepared in accordance with CEQA (Public Resources Code §21000 et seq.) and the State CEQA Guidelines (Title 14, California Code of Regulations, §15000 et seq.) and was adopted by City Council on July 19, 2022.

Prepared By: Ashleigh A. Sizoo, P.E., City Engineer/BH/sk Submitted By: Brian D'Amour, P.E., Public Works Director Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Airport Department
Subject: First Lease Amendment to Agreement No. 26630 with Federal Express at Santa Barbara Airport [Agreement]
Recommendation:

That Council approve and authorize the Airport Director to execute the first lease amendment to lease agreement no. 26,630 with Federal Express Corporation for the continued operation of an air cargo and sortation facility at 495 South Fairview Avenue at Santa Barbara Airport, and ratifying the amendment effective April 1, 2023.

Discussion:

The Original Lease Agreement
Federal Express Corporation, a Delaware corporation, leases premises from the City at 495 S. Fairview Avenue at Santa Barbara Airport for the operation of an air cargo and sortation facility. The original lease, Agreement No. 26,630 (“Original Agreement”) was approved by Council through Ordinance No. 5933 and became effective March 1, 2020.

The Original Agreement authorized Federal Express Corporation to lease hangar, office, truck parking, and common vehicle parking areas at the Northeast Hangar Facility for an initial ten-year term, with one five-year option to extend.

The leased premises included Hangar 13 and Building 244, consisting of hangar and office space, truck parking, and common vehicle parking areas at 495 S. Fairview Avenue. The original Council Agenda Report, dated January 28th, 2020, noted that Federal Express had made significant investments to adapt the facility for use as an air cargo receiving and processing facility, and that continued tenancy was considered in the best interest of the Airport and the greater Santa Barbara region.

Pursuant to the Original Agreement, Federal Express has operated from this location for many years providing air cargo sorting, distribution, and related services for the Santa Barbara region.

The First Amendment
In 2023, Airport staff and Federal Express prepared a First Lease Amendment to update the leased premises and corresponding rent. The First Lease Amendment expanded and Agenda Item No. 8
Council Agenda Report
First Lease Amendment to Agreement No. 26630 with Federal Express at Santa Barbara Airport [Agreement]
June 16, 2026

Page 2 ends

clarified the premises to include 39,000 square feet of hangar space, 10,410 square feet of adjacent office space, 10,540 square feet of truck parking area, 60 auto parking spaces, and 38,018 square feet of preferential ramp space. Furthermore, the First Lease Amendment revised Article 5, “Rental,” to establish a monthly rental amount of $54,102.89, effective retroactively to April 1, 2023, exclusive of utilities and Common Area Maintenance charges. The amended monthly rent included $50,808.00 for Hangar 13 and adjacent office space, plus $3,294.89 for preferential ramp space, for a total annual rent of $649,234.68.

Though the First Lease Amendment was prepared and approved by Airport Commission in 2023, it was not brought forward to Council for final approval and execution prior to performance of the First Lease Amendment due to staff turnover at that time.

Consequently, staff is now seeking the Council’s approval and ratification of the First Lease Amendment as originally intended by the parties, effective from April 1, 2023.

Approval of the First Lease Amendment will formally document the updated premises, recognize the preferential ramp space included in the tenant’s operation, confirm the amended rental amount, and ratify the amended operational and financial terms under which the parties have been operating since 2023. Except as amended by the First Lease Amendment, all other terms and conditions of the Original Agreement remain in full force and effect.

AB 339 Compliance: Staff has completed all applicable employee organization notification requirements pursuant to Government Code Section 3505.8 (AB 339).

Budget/Financial Information:

The First Lease Amendment increases the monthly rent to $54,102.89, exclusive of utilities and Common Area Maintenance charges, effective retroactively from April 1, 2023. This amount includes $50,808.00 for Hangar 13 and adjacent office space and $3,294.89 for preferential ramp space.

The amendment formalizes the rental amount and premises configuration under which the parties have been operating. Staff will confirm any necessary billing, accounting, or reconciliation adjustments consistent with the effective date of the amendment.

Sustainability Impact:

There is no new sustainability impact associated with this amendment. Federal Express’s continued operation at the Airport remains subject to the terms and conditions of the existing lease, including applicable utility, maintenance, operational, and environmental requirements.

A copy of the contract/ agreement may be requested from the Airport for public review by emailing [email protected].

Council Agenda Report
First Lease Amendment to Agreement No. 26630 with Federal Express at Santa Barbara Airport [Agreement]
June 16, 2026

Page 3 ends

Prepared By: John Feldhans, Airport Properties Manager
Submitted By: Chris Hastert, Airport Director
Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Community Development Department
Subject: Amendments to Professional Service Agreements for Permit, Plan Check, and Inspection Services [Agreement]
Recommendation:

That Council:

A. Authorize the Community Development Director to execute the second amendment to Santa Barbara City Agreement No. 22500243 with Interwest Consulting Group, Inc., to increase the agreement amount by $150,000, for a total contract amount of $350,000, to provide permit, plan check, and inspection services; and B. Authorize the Community Development Director to execute the third amendment to Santa Barbara City Agreement No. 22500114 with Jason Addison Smith Consulting Services, Inc., DBA JAS Pacific, to increase the agreement amount by $100,000, for a total contract amount of $579,000, to provide permit, plan check, and inspection services.

Discussion:

The Community Development Department’s Building and Safety Division is responsible for meeting the state’s Title 24 Building Standards and other local requirements that foster and maintain a safe, accessible, and well-built community. To comply with these standards and regulations thoroughly and efficiently, the City contracts with independent firms that provide building permit plan review and inspections services. These contracted services supplement staff work and are vital to maintaining building permit services in a timely manner.

The proposed amendment allows the City to continue benefitting from contract services that prevent and reduce backlogs in building permit plan checks and accelerate plan check processes, particularly in the downtown State Street corridor. These contract services provide additional program support that improves the customer experience, such as backfill for inspections and plan review staff, and access to specialized expertise.

Agenda Item No. 9
Council Agenda Report
Amendments to Professional Service Agreements for Permit, Plan Check, and Inspection Services [Agreement]
June 16, 2026

Page 2 ends

This amendment would allow the City to respond promptly to anticipated larger projects, high-priority applications, and ongoing trends of increased building permit applications.

This contract enables applications to be reviewed in a timely manner even when the number of submissions exceeds staff capacity.

Building and Safety has an established working relationship with Interwest Consulting Group Inc., and JAS Pacific, who have demonstrated expertise in providing consistent plan check review in a timely manner and in accordance with the State’s Title 24 Building Standards and other local requirements. Authorizing the recommended contract amendment will allow the division to continue to provide timely, professional service.

AB 339 Compliance: Staff has completed all applicable employee organization notification requirements pursuant to Government Code Section 3505.8 (AB 339).

Budget/Financial Information:

The recommended contract amendments are funded from existing appropriated expenditures in Building and Safety’s Fiscal Year 2026 General Fund Budget and are further supported by revenue generated from plan check and inspection fees, which offset the associated costs of the amendments.

Council Agenda Report
Amendments to Professional Service Agreements for Permit, Plan Check, and Inspection Services [Agreement]
June 16, 2026

Page 3 ends

The funding source for the contract amendments is shown below.

Vendor Funding Source Amount
Interwest Existing General Fund Appropriations $150,000 JAS Pacific Existing General Fund Appropriations $100,000 Total $250,000
A copy of the original agreement and amendments may be requested from the Community Development Department for public review by emailing [email protected].

Prepared By: Raven Rutledge, Building and Safety Business Analyst Submitted By: Allison DeBusk, Community Development Director Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Airport Department
Subject: Approval of Contract Amendment with Belfor USA Group, Inc. for Flood Mitigation Services at Airport Buildings [Agreement] Recommendation:

That Council approve and authorize the Airport Director to execute the Third Amendment to Contract Number 28809 with Belfor USA Group, Inc., for flood mitigation services at airport buildings.

Discussion:

In February 2024, a storm caused flooding that impacted Airport Buildings 304, 312, 314, and 315, resulting in water intrusion through the walls and into the interior spaces. The Airport completed initial cleanup and further investigation, which identified water intrusion and potential mold within the walls of the affected buildings. While testing did not identify a health hazard, remediation was recommended to address the findings.

The Airport coordinated with its insurance provider, McLarens Insurance, which conducted a walkthrough of the affected buildings with its preferred vendors. Following vendor quotes and internal review, the Airport selected Belfor USA Group, Inc. (Belfor) to perform the initial demolition, cleaning, and sanitization work. On November 18, 2025, City Council approved a maintenance and repair contract with Belfor in the amount of $309,000 for Phase 1 of the project. This phase included demolition of affected interior walls, removal of impacted materials, and cleaning and sanitization within Buildings 304, 312, 314, and 315.

In December 2025 and January 2026, these same buildings experienced additional flooding events while the original flood mitigation work was pending. As a result, the scope of work increased, including expanded mitigation within one of the affected buildings to address the entire building rather than only the originally identified impacted areas. This expanded scope increased the overall cost of the contract.

Agenda Item No. 10
Council Agenda Report
Approval of Contract Amendment with Belfor USA Group, Inc. for Flood Mitigation Services at Airport Buildings [Agreement]
June 16, 2026

Page 2 ends

Staff is requesting approval of a change order with Belfor in the amount of $326,000, increasing the total contract amount from $309,000 to $635,000. The change order is necessary to complete the expanded demolition, cleaning, sanitization, and mold mitigation work resulting from the additional flooding impacts.

Once the initial mitigation work is complete, the Airport will proceed with the next phase of the project, which will include interior restoration and reconstruction of walls, finishes, and other building components necessary to return the spaces to their pre-flood condition.

That work will be handled under a separate estimate and contract and brought forward for approval as needed.

AB 339 Compliance: Staff has reviewed Government Code Section 3504.1 (AB 339) and determined that the noticing provisions do not apply to this contract.

Budget/Financial Information:

The total cost for demolition and sanitization of the affected Airport buildings will increase to $635,000. There are sufficient existing expenditure appropriations in the Fiscal Year 2026 Airport Operating Fund to cover the additional encumbrance in the amount of $326,000 needed for contract amendment. A claim has been submitted to the City’s insurance provider. The Airport will be responsible for the $250,000 deductible, with eligible costs above the deductible expected to be reimbursed through the claim process.

The increased project cost has been communicated to the City’s insurance provider, and the provider has acknowledged the revised amount.

A copy of the contract/ agreement may be requested from Airport for public review by emailing [email protected].

Prepared By: John Feldhans, Airport Properties Manager
Submitted By: Chris Hastert, Airport Director
Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: City Administrator’s Office
Subject: Marketing and Promotions with Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association [Agreement]
Recommendation:

That Council authorize the City Administrator to execute an agreement in the amount of $150,000 with Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) for marketing and promotions from July 1, 2025, through December 31, 2026.

Discussion:

Between 1977 and 2020, the City of Santa Barbara (City) contracted with the Downtown Organization of Santa Barbara, Inc. (DSB) to provide landscape maintenance, sidewalk cleaning, placement of holiday lighting, and general maintenance of the 00-1200 blocks of State Street and many cross streets between Chapala and Anacapa Streets. The primary purpose of the contract was to maintain State Street in an attractive manner to encourage tourists and residents to visit the State Street Plaza (Plaza).

In Fiscal Year 2021, Downtown Parking assumed responsibility for Plaza maintenance, allowing DSB to focus exclusively on marketing and promotions to stimulate economic activity in Downtown and encourage locals and tourists to patronize Downtown Businesses.

A significant restructuring to DSB took place in 2024 with the formation of a Community Benefit Improvement District (CBID), known as the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA). The CBID is funded through a special assessment on property owners within the district’s boundaries. With the CBID established, the DSB organization dissolved, and its operations and resources were transferred to the DSBIA.

The City had a regular marketing agreement with the DSB. In the reorganization, the City has committed to paying DSBIA for a final 18 month marketing agreement. DSBIA’s plans for Fiscal Year 2026 include community centered marketing and placemaking initiatives that support economic growth, celebrate small businesses, and reinforce Downtown’s Agenda Item No. 11
Council Agenda Report
Marketing and Promotions with Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association [Agreement]
June 16, 2026

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reputation as a vibrant and inclusive destination. Additional details can be found in Attachment A.

Budget/Financial Information:

The total amount for this agreement is $150,000. Funding in the amount of $106,330.13 is available from unspent funds remaining in the Fiscal Year 2025 DSB contract. The remaining $43,669.87 will be funded through City Administrator’s appropriated reserves.

The amount of this contract is intended to support DSBIA marketing and promotional activities for the entirety of Fiscal Year 2026.

A copy of the agreement may be requested from the City Administrator’s Office for public review by emailing [email protected].

Attachment:

1. DSBIA Proposal for Marketing and Placemaking
Prepared By: Adriana Morales, Administrative Analyst III Submitted By: Anthony Valdez, Deputy City Administrator Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
ATTACHMENT 1
Marketing Proposal
Fiscal Year 2025–2026
Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA)
Proposed Budget: $150,000
Overview
The Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) proposes to continue its critical role in marketing, promoting, and activating the downtown district. With a leaner, more targeted scope and a reduced city contract marketing budget of $150,000, DSBIA will prioritize high-visibility campaigns, digital engagement, and strategic partnerships to support economic vitality, drive foot traffic, and enhance downtown’s reputation as a vibrant, inclusive destination in combination with the DSBIA’s assessment and earned program income and sponsorships. This contract will support the implementation of DSBIA’s broader strategic plan with a strong focus on placemaking and identity in an effort to strengthen the downtown brand, beautify key areas, and cultivate deeper civic pride and community engagement.

Core Marketing Strategies (FY 2025–2026)

1. Digital Presence & Storytelling
 Support the rebranding project and launch of a new website  Curate and maintain the weekly “What’s Happening Downtown” e-newsletter  Post regular content such as photos, stories, and reels on @DowntownSantaBarbara (52.5K Instagram followers)
 Use visual storytelling to highlight downtown’s transformation, showcase its merchants, and community organizations within the district
 Boost paid geo-targeted ads to increase downtown visitation by locals  Pitch stories to the media about downtown businesses and placemaking efforts to garner earned media

2. Signature Campaigns & Promotions
 Vacant Window Beautification Campaign: Visually transform empty storefronts with curated displays by local artists and promotional messages supporting the downtown brand
 Shoptober Campaign: month-long promotion highlighting retailers  Downtown Itineraries: “Where to Eat, Sip & Shop” content updated quarterly for locals and visitors
 Giveaways & Incentives: Regular contests and themed promotions to drive engagement and attract new patrons

3. Business & Community Engagement
 Continue regular support for grand openings, ribbon cuttings, and business milestones  Maintain and expand the State Street Flag Program (sponsored rotation with 30+ local nonprofits)
 Enhance business visibility through the production and distribution of the annual Downtown Santa Barbara Map & Guide to hundreds of locations throughout Southern California and the Central Coast
 Explore providing the businesses within the district "seasonal marketing toolkits" to enhance their marketing efforts
 Host regular stakeholder mixers to foster engagement, momentum, and feedback  Provide an annual report that highlights all of DSBIA’s efforts including marketing, events, and placemaking

4. Creative Placemaking & Community Programming Support  Develop an RFP program in 2025 to issue in 2026 to support nonprofit and cultural partners in creating community activations, pop-ups, and temporary art installations  Work with the Office of Arts and Culture to explore opportunities for murals, placemaking features, lighting and site beautification and inclusive public programming that draws diverse audiences
 Offer media and community tours to highlight transformation and placemaking success stories
 Use data insights such as visitation numbers, sales figures, and social media metrics to optimize effectiveness of campaigns and programs, and to guide future strategy Events & Activations
Subject to partnership contributions and sponsorships
 Monthly 1st Thursday Art Walk
 Holiday Happenings (tree lighting ceremony and block party, music activations, and holiday shopping campaigns)
 Partner to host low-cost community activations (e.g., Downtown Dance Classes, Adopta-Dog events)  Development and issuance of an RFP to support additional activations via community partnerships
Budget Overview (Summary)
Estimated Allocation of $150,000
 Staffing & Coordination ($75,000)
 Content Creation, Design, Printing & Ad Spend ($45,000)  Events, Supplies & Promotions ($30,000)
DSBIA is uniquely positioned to deliver strategic, community-centered marketing and placemaking efforts that support economic growth, celebrate small businesses, and uplift downtown Santa Barbara’s public identity. With a track record of results and strong stakeholder trust, DSBIA looks forward to continuing this essential partnership with the City.

City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Parks and Recreation Department
Subject: Haley Street Youth Center Lease Renewal with Channel Islands YMCA [Agreement]
Recommendation:

That Council authorize the City Administrator to execute a three-year lease agreement with the Channel Islands YMCA for the Haley Street Youth Center commencing on July 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2029.

Discussion:

The Parks and Recreation Department administers a number of lease agreements for facility space at below-market rates to local non-profit social service providers at its neighborhood centers.

This 1,500 square foot, ADA accessible facility is located at 701 East Haley Street, in the Eastside neighborhood of Santa Barbara. Since the inaugural lease in 2014, the Channel Islands YMCA offered a variety of programs every week at the “Haley Street Youth and Family Center.” However, during the height of the pandemic, when the facility was closed for an extended period, senior leadership and stakeholders decided to align their Youth & Family Services division more effectively by shifting their outreach and case management from their Noah’s Anchorage Crisis Shelter for minors to the Haley Street location. This undertaking supports the Channel Islands YMCA mission of providing programs to people of all ages, races, religious beliefs, and economic status to promote youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

In March 2022, the Channel Islands YMCA received a grant that funded new office equipment and minor interior facility alterations. The newly renovated facility re-opened in January 2023 and continues to offer free daily drop-in services designed for transitional-age clients aged 18-24 who are no longer eligible for child services. Clients served are experiencing homelessness and housing instability, mental health crisis, and/or need help attaining basic needs such as food and clothing. Administrative staff continue to seek and maintain funding through a variety of sources, ensuring program Agenda Item No. 12
Council Agenda Report
Haley Street Youth Center Lease Renewal with Channel Islands YMCA [Agreement] June 30, 2026

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sustainability and service delivery to vulnerable Santa Barbara clients who need it most.

Now known as the Haley St. Navigation Center, the program remains vital to the community, assisting approximately 250 people annually.

Budget/Financial Information:

The monthly rental rate for leased space is $1.72 per square foot, as proposed in the Fiscal Year 2027 Schedule of Fees and Charges. The total annual revenue in the first year is $30,960. The monthly rent shall be adjusted annually, with a maximum 3% increase each subsequent year on July 1st.

A copy of the agreement may be requested from the Parks and Recreation Department for public review by contacting Courtney Carlson at [email protected].

Prepared By: Aaron Martinez, Senior Recreation Supervisor Submitted By: Jill Zachary, Parks and Recreation Director Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Parks and Recreation Department
Subject: Summer Fun Recreation Program with Santa Barbara Unified School District [Agreement]
Recommendation:

That Council authorize the Parks and Recreation Director to enter into an agreement with the Santa Barbara Unified School District for the Summer Fun Recreation program.

Discussion:

Each year, the City and the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) enter into an agreement to define terms and budget for the administration of the Summer Fun Recreation Program. This long‑standing partnership supports families by providing structured, affordable summer programming for elementary‑aged youth during the summer recess.

Summer Fun Recreation Program
The Summer Fun Program operates at Franklin Elementary School and provides a full‑day schedule of supervised recreation, enrichment and STEAM activities, field trips, and more. Program activities typically include arts and crafts, sports and outdoor games, theme days, reading time, water activities, and age‑appropriate enrichment projects designed to keep children active, engaged, and learning while school is not in session.

The program runs for seven weeks, from June 22 through August 7, aligning with SBUSD’s summer break. Program hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Last Summer, the program served 219 participants, with a daily average attendance of 120, and maintains a similar capacity for the upcoming fiscal year.

The agreement outlines program locations, daily operations, staffing requirements, custodial needs, and facility access. SBUSD provides classroom and outdoor space necessary for daily activities. The City is responsible for program staffing, administration, enrollment, supplies, and management of day‑to‑day operations. Registration is available through the City’s recreation registration system.

Agenda Item No. 13
Council Agenda Report
Summer Fun Recreation Program with Santa Barbara Unified School District [Agreement]
June 16, 2026

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On May 21, 2026, the SBUSD Board approved the execution of the agreement. The agreement is for one year, ending June 30, 2027, aligning with the term of similar joint‑use and program agreements between the City and SBUSD.

Budget/Financial Information:

The Fiscal Year 2027 Summer Fun Recreation Program expenditure budget is $137,484, which includes staffing, training, program supplies, classroom cleaning, and administrative overhead. The program is General Fund subsidized but nominal program fees help to offset the subsidy. The program fee for scholarship recipients is $35, and $490 for all others. Budgeted revenue is $45,750 resulting in an estimated cost recovery rate of 33%.

Scholarships are awarded to families identified by SBUSD as needing financial support or to those who provide proof of low income consistent with the City’s Affordable Housing Income Limits.

SBUSD does not charge the City facility rental fees under this agreement, which helps to reduce program costs and allows the City to maintain fee levels accessible to a broad range of families.

A copy of the contract/agreement may be requested from the Parks and Recreation Department for public review by emailing [email protected].

Prepared By: Adam Porte, Recreation Manager
Submitted By: Jill E. Zachary, Parks and Recreation Director Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Water Resources Department
Subject: Ratification of the Fiscal Year 2027 Cachuma Conservation Release Board Budget
Recommendation:

That Council ratify the Cachuma Conservation Release Board’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, with the City of Santa Barbara’s proportional share not to exceed $506,503.

Discussion:

Background
The Cachuma Conservation Release Board (CCRB) is a joint powers authority agency consisting of three of the four South Coast members of the Cachuma Project: the City of Santa Barbara (City) (represented by Councilmember Kristen Sneddon), Goleta Water District, and Montecito Water District. The Carpinteria Valley Water District withdrew from CCRB on January 1, 2011.

CCRB represents the interests of its members in matters relating to Cachuma Project water rights. It coordinates closely with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), which operates Bradbury Dam and holds the state water rights permits, providing biological and hydrological technical support to help ensure compliance with regulations while protecting the City’s water rights. Major efforts over the years have included providing critical support in responding to and preparing technical information for both the Cachuma Project Federal Biological Opinion and the Cachuma Project State Water Rights Order. A brief update for each is provided below.  Cachuma Project Federal Biological Opinion: The southern California steelhead (steelhead), which occurs in the Santa Ynez River, was listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1997. In response to this listing, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), after consultation with Reclamation, issued the Cachuma Project Federal Biological Opinion (BO) in 2000, which addresses the effects of the Cachuma Project’s operations on steelhead and its designated critical habitat in accordance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Because Reclamation was unable to timely meet Agenda Item No. 14
Council Agenda Report
Ratification of the Fiscal Year 2027 Cachuma Conservation Release Board Budget June 16, 2026

Page 2 ends

certain habitat restoration requirements contained in the BO, Reclamation is again consulting with NMFS pursuant to Section 7, in particular by preparing a new Biological Assessment for Cachuma Project operations. NMFS will use the Biological Assessment to create a new BO that will then govern operations of Cachuma Lake and its effect on steelhead and its designated critical habitat. It is important for CCRB to participate in these efforts by providing biological and hydrological technical support, while also protecting Cachuma Project operations and the City’s available water supply.
 Cachuma Project State Water Rights Order: After nearly two decades of work, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted a new water rights order on September 17, 2019. The new order directs Reclamation to increase flows on the Santa Ynez River below Bradbury Dam to provide additional habitat for steelhead and maintain the species in good condition. To minimize impacts on local water users, higher flows will be required only during wetter years. However, this will reduce available storage in Cachuma going into normal and dry years, and it will reduce supplies available for use by the Cachuma Member Units. The new order imposes multiple operational conditions on Reclamation as a permit holder, and City staff are working with CCRB to provide biological and hydrological technical support to help Reclamation develop plans that comply with these conditions.

Proposed Action
On May 8, 2026, the CCRB Board of Directors considered the Draft Fiscal Year 2027 Budget. Each member agency must ratify the CCRB budget for it to become effective.

The proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget totals $1,239,000, which is $216,000 less than the approved Fiscal Year 2026 budget of $1,455,000. This reduction reflects decreased anticipated workload in federal and state consultation processes, while maintaining core legal, regulatory, and technical capabilities. The City’s cost share is 40.88%, which is $506,503 for Fiscal Year 2027.

Budget/Financial Information:

CCRB’s total proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027 is $1,239,000. The recommended Water Operating Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2027 includes sufficient proposed expenditure appropriations to cover the City’s 40.88% cost share of the CCRB budget, which is $506,503.

Environmental Review:

The ratification of the CCRB’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Ratification falls outside of the definition of a “Project” under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Council Agenda Report
Ratification of the Fiscal Year 2027 Cachuma Conservation Release Board Budget June 16, 2026

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section 15378 (b)(5), as administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct physical changes in the environment are not subject to CEQA environmental review. Future actions that meet the definition of a project would be subject to CEQA.

Water Commission Recommendation:

Staff presented this item to the City Water Commission at its May 21, 2026 meeting. The Commission voted 3-0-2 (three in favor, none opposed, and two absent) in support of staff’s recommendation.

Attachment:

1. CCRB Fiscal Year 2026/2027 Budget for Member Agency Approval Prepared By: Dakota Corey, Water Supply and Services Manager/JS/sjc Submitted By: Joshua N. Haggmark, P.E., Water Resources Director Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
TABLE 1
Cachuma Conservation Release Board
APPROVED FY26-27 Budget
Account
Code Account Name
Current
FY26 Approved FY27

ADMINISTRATIVE
5050 Storage Space 5,000 5,000
5100 Audit 15,000 15,000
5200 Liability Insurance 7,000 7,000
5301 Employee Compensation & Payroll Taxes 210,000 220,000 5304 Accounting & Payroll Support 16,000 16,000
5312 Misc. Admin. Expenses 4,000 4,000
5313 Communications/Computer 8,000 8,000
5316 Admin. Fixed Assets 4,000 4,000
5330 Admin. Travel 4,000 4,000
5331 Travel Exp. Federal & State Meetings 12,000 12,000 5332 Transportation 1,000 1,000
Subtotal $286,000 $296,000
LEGAL
7000 General Legal & Regulatory Activities 75,000 75,000 7001 Federal Consultation Support Activities 447,000 351,000 7002 SWRCB Water Rights Activities 501,000 373,000
Subtotal $1,023,000 $799,000

CCRB CONSULTANT ACTIVITIES
6001 Federal Consultation Support * *
7200 SWRCB Biological Technical Support 44,000 15,000
7400 Legislative & Regulatory Support * *
7500 SWRCB Hydrologic Technical Support 51,000 49,000
6500 Contingency 51,000 80,000
Subtotal 146,000 $144,000
TOTAL BUDGET $1,455,000 $1,239,000
Table Footnotes:
* Costs for biological, hydrological and legislative/regulatory support are included under LEGAL account codes. These support services are being provided pursuant to separate agreements between CCRB’s legal counsel and the subject firms. This work is being undertaken in anticipation of litigation and is protected from disclosure under the attorney work product privilege and related statutory and common law privileges.

ATTACHMENT
TABLE 2
Cachuma Conservation Release Board
FY26/27 Member Agency Cost Allocation and Quarterly Assessment

MEMBER AGENCY
Pro
Rata
FY27
Approved
Budget Annual
Goleta Water District 0.4603 1,239,000 570,312
City of Santa Barbara 0.4088 1,239,000 506,503
Montecito Water District 0.1309 1,239,000 162,185
TOTAL ANNUAL 100.00% $1,239,000
Quarterly Assessment * Amount
Goleta Water District 142,578
City of Santa Barbara 126,626
Montecito Water District 40,546
TOTAL QUARTERLY $309,750
Footnotes:
* Assessments may be invoiced at reduced amounts based on actual and projected workload.

City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 16, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Department of Water Resources
Subject: Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan Public Hearing and Adoption
Recommendation: That Council:

Executive Summary:

The City of Santa Barbara 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and Water Shortage Contingency Plan have been prepared pursuant to the requirements of the California Water Code (CWC), Section 10631. An UWMP is a State-mandated report that generally summarizes the actions of water management agencies, with a planning horizon of 25 years. The 2025 UWMP fulfills CWC requirements, mandating certain reporting obligations, including specific water conservation targets. The 2025 UWMP demonstrates the City of Santa Barbara’s long-term water supply and demand balance through 2050 under normal, single-year, and multi-year drought conditions. The WSCP Agenda Item No. 15
Council Agenda Report
Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan Public Hearing and Adoption
June 16, 2026

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establishes a plan for responding to water shortages caused by drought conditions and/or a catastrophic water supply emergency.

The 2025 UWMP key takeaways include:
• The City’s baseline demands are lower than projected in the City’s last UWMP, reflecting updated population trends and the absence of a post-drought rebound in water use. Demand projections are updated as new data becomes available, consistent with adaptive water supply planning. • The City’s diversified water supply portfolio — including surface water, desalination, groundwater, recycled water, and imported supplies — provides flexibility and resilience across a wide range of hydrologic conditions. • The City has sufficient supplies to meet demands through 2050 in a normal, single-dry, and multiple dry-year conditions. In the event of an extended fiveyear drought, 20% of extraordinary conservation would be required during the fifth year.
• The required five-year drought risk assessment (2026 through 2030) assumes persistent dry conditions and shows that the City has sufficient supplies to meet demands.
• The City has decades of sustained investment in water efficiency and operation of a successful water conservation program, resulting in a low per capita water use. The City’s current water demand is comparable to levels observed in the 1950s despite population growth.

Discussion:

This UWMP provides the California Department of Water Resources with a detailed summary of present and future water supplies and demands within the City of Santa Barbara’s (City) service area. Specifically, the UWMP summarizes water supply planning for a 25-year period in five-year increments, identifying water supplies required to meet future needs out to 2050. The UWMP integrates local and regional land-use planning, regional water supply, infrastructure, and water conservation projects, as well as statewide issues of concern like climate change and regulatory revisions. It provides elected officials, managers, and the public with a broad perspective on several water supply issues, including, but not limited to:
• Water demand analysis
• Water supply reliability
Council Agenda Report
Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan Public Hearing and Adoption
June 16, 2026

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• 2026-2030 Drought Risk Assessment
• Water supply during normal and drought conditions
• The City’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan
• Water efficiency and water conservation targets
The City’s guiding water supply planning and policy document is the Long-Term Water Supply Plan (LTWSP), which was updated in 2021 along with the 2020 UWMP. Together these documents are known as the 2020 Enhanced UWMP. This 2025 UWMP is an update to the 2020 Enhanced UWMP, addressing new requirements and regulations while aligning with the City’s LTWSP.

The 2025 UWMP fulfills CWC requirements mandating certain reporting obligations, including specific water conservation targets. The 2025 UWMP demonstrates the City’s long-term water supply and demand balance through 2050 under normal, single-year, and multi-year drought conditions. The WSCP establishes a plan for responding to water shortages caused by drought conditions and/or a catastrophic water supply emergency.

Following the presentation to the City’s Water Commission on April 16, 2026, the Public Draft was released for public review and comment on the City’s website at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/WaterVision. The UWMP is due to the California Department of Water Resources by July 1, 2026. Key UWMP findings are summarized below.

Water Demand Analysis
The City’s baseline demands are lower than projected in the 2020 Enhanced UWMP, reflecting updated population trends and the absence of a post 2014-2019 drought rebound in water use, which was anticipated in the 2020 Enhanced UWMP but not realized. Demand projections are updated as new data becomes available, allowing the City to adapt water supply planning to best meet water demand. The 2025 UWMP projects water demands and supplies to the year 2050 using 2020 U.S. Census data and population growth projections from the Regional Growth Forecast 2050 Santa Barbara County (Santa Barbara County Association of Governments 2019). The demand projections were developed with support from the City’s Community Development Department and presented to the Water Commission in November 2025 and February 2026.

There are uncertainties associated with water demand projections in general. The City considered a range of potential future demand scenarios, presented together as a Council Agenda Report
Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan Public Hearing and Adoption
June 16, 2026

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“demand envelope.” The demand envelope was developed by analyzing multiple demand scenarios that adjust key variables of the baseline demand, including population, employment, an increase in the baseline water-use by customers (demand creep), and incorporating climate change and water-rate change impacts. Each variable has the potential to put upward or downward pressure on the City’s future water demand. The demand envelope can be thought of as a range of plausible water demand futures that may materialize depending on which pressures occur and influence water demand. The baseline demand projection is used for future planning in the UWMP and the City’s Water Conservation Strategic Plan (updated 2026). The demand envelope allows the City to track its demand moving forward as part of its adaptive management strategy and understand trends as they unfold.

Water Supply During Normal and Drought Conditions
The UWMP must analyze water supply availability under normal hydrology, single dry year, and multi-year drought periods. The City’s diversified water supply portfolio includes surface water from Lake Cachuma and Gibraltar Reservoir, ocean desalination, groundwater, recycled water, and imported supplies from the State Water Project (SWP).

This diverse water supply portfolio provides flexibility and resilience across a wide range of hydrologic conditions. Consequently, the City has more than enough water supply to meet demands in normal hydrologic periods.
2026–2030 Drought Risk Assessment
California State Water Code Section 10635(b) requires a Drought Risk Assessment (DRA) for the upcoming five years (2026–2030) based on the five driest years on record (2012–2016). Based on projected demand and available supplies and assuming drought conditions, the 2026-2030 Drought Risk Assessment (DRA) presents the projected supplies used to meet demand and the remaining available supply each year over the next five years. In the supply projection, the City still has supplies available at the end of the five-year drought. Note that these projections contrast with the need to implement extraordinary conservation measures during the 2014–2019 drought due to the reactivation of the desalination facility. The desalination facility provides a reliable annual water supply, and the City is now able to build carryover storage in Cachuma, eliminating the need to implement extraordinary conservation measures.

Water Shortage Contingency Planning
Council Agenda Report
Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan Public Hearing and Adoption
June 16, 2026

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The Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) is a strategic plan that the City uses to prepare for and respond to foreseeable and unforeseeable water shortages. A water shortage occurs when the water supply available is insufficient to meet the normally expected customer water use at a given point in time. A shortage may occur due to a number of reasons, such as degradation of water supply quality (e.g. wildfire), prolonged drought, extended regional power outage, and catastrophic events (e.g., earthquake).

Additionally, the State may declare a statewide drought emergency and mandate that water suppliers reduce demands, as occurred in 2014 and 2022. The WSCP serves as the operating manual that the City will use to prevent catastrophic service disruptions through proactive, rather than reactive, mitigation of water shortages.

The Public Draft 2025 UWMP and WSCP were posted on the City’s website at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/WaterVision in May 2026 for public review and comment.

Water Use Targets
As described in Senate Bill (SB) X7-7, also known as the Water Conservation Act of 2009, it is the intent of the California legislature to increase water use efficiency. The legislature set a goal of a 20 percent per capita reduction in urban water use statewide by 2020. The City’s 2020 target was 117 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) or less. The City achieved an actual per capita water use in 2020 of 92 gpcd, well below the 2020 target. Ongoing compliance with the target set by SB X7-7 is still required as part of the UWMP Act.

Additionally, the State’s 2018 “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life” legislation (finalized in 2023) uses the 2020 target as a backstop for calculating an Urban Water Use Objective (UWUO). The City’s most recently calculated UWUO is 8 percent higher than the SBX7-7 target of 117 gpcd, as reported in the City’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 Annual UWUO and Water Use Report. Since the UWUO is higher than the SB X7-7 water use target, the City must continue to meet the 2020 target. The City has met its calculated objective for Fiscal Years 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 reporting years and, based on current and projected demands, is expected to continue to meet its calculated objective with continued conservation measures.

Council Agenda Report
Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan Public Hearing and Adoption
June 16, 2026

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The City has decades of sustained investment in water efficiency and operation of a successful water conservation program, resulting in a low water use per capita. The City’s current water demand is comparable to levels observed in the 1950s despite population growth. During the UWMP process, the City conducted an analysis of its existing conservation program and updated its Water Conservation Strategic Plan.

Water Conservation Strategic Plan
The Water Conservation Strategic Plan (Conservation Plan) is a supporting document of the 2025 UWMP and future water supply planning efforts. Developed in coordination with Maddaus Water Management, Inc., the Conservation Plan provides an updated assessment of water demands, evaluates the effectiveness of existing conservation programs, and identifies new opportunities to maintain long-term water efficiency. This work builds upon previous analyses and incorporates updated demand forecasts, statewide regulatory requirements under “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life,” and equity considerations informed by the 2024 Alliance for Water Efficiency report, “An Assessment of Water Affordability and Conservation Potential in Santa Barbara, CA.” Additionally, Citywide advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) data also supports improved leak detection and customer engagement.

More than 100 potential conservation measures were screened, with 18 modeled in detail to evaluate savings, costs, and scope of implementation. These measures were organized into three potential program groupings ranging from maintaining the status quo to adopting the full suite of modeled measures. The analysis found that an expansion of current efforts with added equity-focused measures best aligns with the City’s goals.

The Conservation Plan builds upon the City’s longstanding foundation of successful indoor and outdoor water efficiency programs and uses AMI data to strengthen proactive leak response and customer outreach. Additionally, the Conservation Plan positions the City to continue its leadership in water conservation, meet evolving regulatory expectations, and support community members in achieving water-efficient practices.

The Conservation Plan is included as Appendix G of the 2025 UWMP.

Budget/Financial Information:

This action has no financial/budget impact on the City.

Sustainability Impact:

Council Agenda Report
Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan Public Hearing and Adoption
June 16, 2026

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Preparing an UWMP and a WSCP represents careful management of the City’s water supplies and will provide sustainability benefits for the community.

Environmental Review:

Pursuant to California State Water Code Section 10652, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply to the preparation and adoption of an UWMP and WSCP prepared pursuant to California State Water Code Section 10610, et seq.

CEQA Exemption Criteria
Therefore, the City Council is requested to confirm the exemption, approve the Project for CEQA purposes, and authorize the filing of a Notice of Exemption for the Project.

Water Commission Recommendation
This item was presented to the Water Commission at its meeting on April 16, 2026. The Commission voted 5-0-0 in support of staff’s recommendation.

Attachments:

1. 2025 Enhanced Executive Summary

2. 2025 UWMP

3. 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Prepared By: Dakota Corey, Water Supply and Services Manager/JS/sjc Submitted By: Joshua Haggmark, P.E., Water Resources Director Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
2025
Urban Water
Management Plan

CITY OF SANTA BARBARA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 ATTACHMENT 1
Purpose of the Plan
This Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) provides the California Department of Water Resources with a detailed summary of present and future water resources and demands within the City of Santa Barbara’s (City) service area. Specifically, the UWMP provides water supply planning for a 25- year period in five-year increments, identifying water supplies needed to meet future needs out to 2050. The analysis identifies supply reliability under three hydrologic or rainfall conditions: an average (or normal) year, a single-dry year, and multiple-dry years.

The City’s guiding water supply planning document is their Long-Term Water Supply Plan (LTWSP), which was updated in 2021 along with their 2020 UWMP. Together these documents are known as the 2020 Enhanced UWMP.

This 2025 UWMP is an update to the 2020 Enhanced UWMP, addressing new requirements and regulations while aligning with the City’s LTWSP. 23 101
City Limits
Water Service Area
Mission Canyon Area
Service Area
The City is a retail water supplier and serves potable water to a population of approximately 93,000 people through more than 26,200 service connections. These include those located within City limits and in adjacent unincorporated areas such as Mission Canyon, shown in the figure above.

The City serves primarily residential water uses, followed by commercial, landscape irrigation, and industrial uses. The City also provides wastewater collection and treatment services and recycled water used primarily for outdoor irrigation at City parks and golf courses.

City of Santa Barbara Water Service Area
Key Takeaways
The City's 2025 UWMP key takeways include:
• The City’s baseline demands are lower than projected in the 2020 EUWMP, reflecting updated population trends and the absence of a post-drought rebound in water use. Demand projections are updated as new data becomes available, consistent with adaptive water supply planning.
• The City’s diversified water supply portfolio—including surface water, desalination, groundwater, recycled water, and imported supplies—provides flexibility and resilience across a wide range of hydrologic conditions. • The City has sufficient supplies to meet demands through 2050 in a normal, singledry, and multiple dry-year conditions. In the event of an extended five-year drought, 20% of extraordinary conservation would be required during the fifth year. • The five-year drought risk assessment shows that, under current assumptions, the City has sufficient supplies to meet demands even if dry conditions persist. • The City has decades of sustained investment in water efficiency and operation of a successful water conservation program, resulting in a low per capita water use.

The City’s current water demand is comparable to levels observed in the 1950s despite population growth.
• The City’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan serves as the operating manual for proactively managing water shortages and reducing the risk of catastrophic service disruptions.
4 Outreach and Engagement
The City regularly coordinates with multiple agencies who are directly or indirectly involved in the City’s water supplies, including:
• Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board (COMB), a Joint Powers Authority that operates portions of the Cachuma Project and coordinates with the US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) on deliveries of Cachuma Project water. Lake Cachuma is the City’s main source of water supply. The COMB member agencies include the Carpinteria Valley Water District, Goleta Water District, City of Santa Barbara, Montecito Water District, and Santa Ynez River Water Conservation DistrictImprovement District No. 1. • Cachuma Conservation and Release Board (CCRB), a multi-agency advisory body that coordinates on water conservation, storage, and release decisions related to Lake Cachuma to support regional water supply reliability. • The Santa Barbara County Water Agency, which administers the Cachuma Project and contracts with Reclamation. The Santa Barbara County Water Agency also conducts investigations and reports on the County’s water requirements, groundwater conditions, efficient use of water, and other water supply related technical studies.
• The Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA), a Joint Powers Authority that manages and operates Santa Barbara County’s local facilities for distribution and treatment of State Water. CCWA’s member agencies include the City of Santa Maria, City of Guadalupe, City of Buellton, Goleta Water District, City of Santa Barbara, Montecito Water District, Carpinteria Valley Water District, and Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1, and the following nonmember project participants: La Cumbre Mutual Water Company (LCMWC), Vandenberg Air Force Base, Raytheon Company, and Morehart Land Company.

As required for the UWMP, the City notified cities, counties, and other relevant stakeholders of the preparation of the UWMP 60-days ahead of the public hearing and provided notice of the Public Draft for review more than 14-days ahead of the public hearing (see table below).

Agency Sent Notice
of Preparation
Coordination
for Projections
Sent a copy of the
Public Draft for review
CCWA   
COMB   
CCRB  
Santa Barbara County
Water Agency  
United States Bureau of
Reclamation (Reclamation)   
Goleta Water District  
Montecito Water District  
Carpinteria Valley Water
District  
Santa Ynez River Water
Conservation District,
Improvement District No. 1
 
6 7
Water Demand
Total water use includes customer potable water deliveries, water losses in the distribution system, recycled water use, and sales to Montecito Water District. The City tracks total water demand based on production to the potable water and recycled water distribution systems. The combined total is referred to as “system” demand. Figure ES-1 illustrates the system demand and its response to severe drought in the late 1980s, early 1990s, and mid 2010s.

Outside of the economic demand drivers of the 2008 recession, variations from 1998 through 2012 are primarily the result of year-to-year variations in weather.

As shown, variations in historic system demand have been influenced by economic drivers, droughts, and weather.

Future water demands were estimated for the City as part of its Water Conservation Strategic Plan (updated 2026). The major assumptions incorporated in the future baseline demand projection include:
• Baseline customer water use estimated from 2021 to 2024 average water use. • Population growth projections from the Regional Growth Forecast 2050 Santa Barbara County.
• 2023 Housing Element quantified objectives of 3,083 new units to be constructed between 2023 and 2035, including 162 new multi-family units, 78 accessory dwelling units, and two single-family units per year from 2025 to 2035. • Employment projections from California Employment Development Department for the Santa Maria–Santa Barbara Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Figure ES-1: Historic System Demand
8 9
• Distribution water losses align with the City’s water loss standard in gallons per service connection per day and grow with the growth in service connections. • Estimated water savings from the plumbing code.
• The City’s existing Water Conservation Program B and plumbing code implementation, with some additional measures.
• Recycled water demand is based on the average use over the last five years and is projected to be constant through 2050.
• Includes 1,430 AF of sales based on the City’s Water Supply Agreement with Montecito Water District.

There are uncertainties associated with demand projections in general. The City considered a range of potential future demand scenarios, presented together as a “demand envelope” (see Figure ES-2). The demand envelope was developed by analyzing multiple demand scenarios that adjust key variables of the baseline demand, including population, employment, an increase in the baseline water use by customer (demand creep), and incorporating climate change and water rate change impacts. Each variable has the potential to put upward or downward pressure on the City’s future water demand. The demand envelope can be thought of as a range of plausible water demand futures that may materialize depending on which pressures occur and influence water demand.

Figure ES-2: Demand Projection Envelope
The baseline demand projection is used in the UWMP and the City’s Water Conservation Strategic Plan (updated 2026). The demand envelope analysis allows the City to track its demand moving forward as part of its adaptive management strategy and understand trends as they unfold within the demand envelope. 10 11
Water Supplies
The City’s water supply is comprised of the following
sources, also illustrated on page 14-15:
• Lake Cachuma: Reclamation constructed Lake Cachuma and Bradbury Dam in the early 1950s. The City’s share of the annual project yield is 8,277 AFY (Acre-feet per Year). Water is delivered for treatment at Cater Water Treatment Plant (WTP) via the Tecolote Tunnel and South Coast Conduit. The City can store allocated water in Lake Cachuma as carryover, allowing the City to use other available supplies and build up a reserve supply in Lake Cachuma.
• Gibraltar Reservoir: The City has pre-1914 water rights to divert water from the Santa Ynez River. Construction of Gibraltar Dam was completed in 1920.

The reservoir had an initial storage capacity of 15,793 AF. As of 2025, siltation has reduced the reservoir capacity to 4,559 AF. Water from the reservoir is conveyed through Mission Tunnel for treatment at Cater WTP. • Devil’s Canyon Diversion: The City has pre-1914 water rights to divert water from Devil’s Canyon Creek and maintains a small diversion works on Devil’s Canyon Creek below Gibraltar Dam, which diverts water from Devil’s Canyon Creek into Mission Tunnel.
• Mission Tunnel Infiltration: Mission Tunnel is 3.7 miles long and conveys water from Gibraltar Reservoir through the Santa Ynez Mountains to the City.

Infiltration through cracks and fissures into the tunnel from watersheds on both sides of the mountains contributes to the City’s water supply. Infiltration to Mission Tunnel is dependent on rainfall, and averages approximately 942 AFY.

Gibraltar Reservoir
Lake Cachuma
12 13
Where Your Water Comes From
14 15
• State Water Project (SWP): The City’s SWP Table A amount is 3,300 AFY.

The water is conveyed to Lake Cachuma from SWP facilities in the Central Valley via the Coastal Branch of the California Aqueduct. Once in Lake Cachuma, the water is conveyed along with Cachuma Project water, via the Tecolote Tunnel, to Cater WTP for treatment and distribution. • Supplemental Water: The SWP pipeline allows the City to convey supplemental water purchases to augment drought-year supplies. During the recent drought, the City purchased water from other SWP contractors. • Desalination: The Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant was reactivated in 2017 in response to the recent drought. The plant can provide three million gallons per day (MGD) of supply with a design capacity of 3,125 AFY. For conservative planning purposes, the desalination production is assumed to be 2,500 AFY, or 80% of the design capacity.
• Groundwater: The City pumps potable groundwater from Foothill Basin and Storage Unit 1 to supplement their surface water supplies during droughts and allows the groundwater basins to recover during non-drought periods. The City’s sustainable groundwater production is 2,720 AF in the Foothill Basin and 7,000 AF in Storage Unit I over a 10-year period.
• Recycled Water: Recycled water is produced at the El Estero Water Resource Center. Recycled water is distributed through the City’s recycled water system for irrigation of large landscapes and toilet flushing at a handful of public locations. Under normal conditions, the existing recycled water customer demand is ranges from 700 to 900 AFY plus approximately 250 AFY of process water used internally for treatment operations at El Estero WRC.

Water Supply Reliability
Water supply reliability reflects the City’s ability to meet the water needs of its customers with water supplies under plausible hydrological variability, climate conditions, and other factors that affect the City’s water supply and demand.

The diversity of the City’s water supply portfolio and the ability to store multiple years of water demand in Lake Cachuma are key factors in assessing the reliability of the water supply under a variety of hydrologic conditions.

In normal conditions, the City’s primary water supply is surface water from Lake Cachuma (including carryover storage from unused previous Cachuma allocations), Gibraltar Reservoir, and desalination. These supplies are augmented with groundwater production that is typically preserved by the City for droughts and emergencies, SWP deliveries, and recycled water. As shown in Figure ES-3, the City has sufficient supplies in normal years and would use available supplies to prepare for dry periods. For example, unused Cachuma Project water could be stored for use in future years as carryover water. Also, a safety margin of 10% is maintained, consistent with City water supply policies, in case of unanticipated added demand, such as in the case of annexations or supply shortages.
16 17
A single dry year (such as 2016) has little effect on availability of Cachuma supplies since the multiyear reservoir typically has storage available from previous years. However, available supply from Gibraltar Reservoir could potentially be significantly reduced, because Gibraltar is a much smaller reservoir than Cachuma. In this situation, demand could be met by supplemental SWP water, increased groundwater pumping, or additional use of Cachuma supplies.

In the single dry year evaluation conducted for the 2025 UWMP, the impacts of a single dry year were found to be minimized by the City’s diverse water supply portfolio and carryover storage at Lake Cachuma.

Due to limited supplies, in Year 5 of a drought, demand is assumed to be reduced by 20% of normal through extraordinary conservation measures, above and beyond those in the City’s normal conservation program. During the 2014- 2019 extended drought, City customers achieved 40% conservation, so the City is confident that extraordinary conservation can be achieved during an extended drought if necessary.
2026–2030 Drought Risk Assessment
Based on projected demand and available supplies and assuming drought conditions, Figure ES-4 presents the projected supplies used to meet demand and the remaining available supply each year over the next five years. This analysis considers current conditions, including loss of the City’s Cachuma carryover water after the January 2026 spill event. With the City’s diverse supply portfolio and the assumptions used for the drought risk assessment, the analysis projects that Cachuma carryover volume is gained over the next few years for use in 2029 and 2030 as Cachuma allocations decrease under drought conditions. In this scenario, the City still has supplies available at the end of the five-year drought. Note that these projections contrast with the need to implement extraordinary conservation measures during the 2014–2019 drought due to the reactivation of the desalination facility. The desalination facility provides a reliable annual water supply, and the City is now able to build carryover storage in Cachuma, eliminating the need to implement extraordinary conservation measures.
19,257 19,209 19,160 19,112 19,064
2030
0 5,000
Acre-Feet
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
2035 2040
Year
2045 2050
SWP
Groundwater
Mission Tunnel
Cachuma Project
Gibraltar
Desalination
Recycled Water
Total Supply
Demand
22,400
12,307
24,533
12,317
25,977
12,339
22,353
12,366
13,806
12,399
2026
0 5,000
Acre-Feet
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
2027 2028
Year
2029 2030
Supplemental
Water
SWP
Groundwater
Mission Tunnel
Gained Cachuma
Carryover
Cachuma
Carryover Used
Cachuma
Allocation Used
Gibraltar
Desalination
Recycled Water
Total Supply
Demand
Figure ES-3: Projected Potable Water Supplies vs Demand, Normal Year Figure ES-4: 2026–2030 Drought Risk Assessment, Supply and Demand Projections 18 19
Water Shortage Contingency Plan
The Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) is a strategic plan that the City uses to prepare for and respond to
foreseeable and unforeseeable water shortages.

A water shortage occurs when the water supply available is insufficient to meet the normally expected customer water use at a given point in time. A shortage may occur due to a number of reasons, such as water supply quality changes, climate change, drought, regional power outage, and catastrophic events (e.g., earthquake). Additionally, the State may declare a statewide drought emergency and mandate that water suppliers reduce demands, as occurred in 2014 and 2022. The WSCP serves as the operating manual that the City will use to prevent catastrophic service disruptions through proactive, rather than reactive, mitigation of water shortages.

Water Shortage Contingency Plan Stages
Normal
Supply 1
Stage
2 Stage
3 Stage
4 Stage
0−15%
Reduction
0%
Reduction
15−25%
Reduction
25−50%
Reduction
>50%
Reduction
Supply
Reduction
City
Shortage
Stage
Coordination
for Projections
Water
Shortage
Watch
Water
Shortage
Alert
Water
Shortage
Emergency
Catastrophic
Water System
Emergency
Water
Supply
Condition
Standard
Water
Shortage
Levels
Full Cachuma
entitlement is
projected for
the coming
water year,
and there
are no
extraordinary
shortages
in other City
supplies.

Reduction
in Cachuma
entitlement
is projected
for the
coming water
year, or an
extraordinary
reduction in
other City
supplies has
been identified.

Low rainfall
conditions
have resulted
in continued
decline in
Cachuma
storage and/or
entitlement, or
an extraordinary
reduction in
other City
supplies.

Cachuma
supplies are
projected to
be exhausted
during the
coming water
year, or a
catastrophic
interruption
to City water
supplies has
occurred.

Catastrophic
interruption
to City water
supplies has
occurred.

LEVEL 1
(0–10%)
LV. 4
(30–
40%)
LV. 5
(40–
50%)
LEVEL 3
(20–30%)
LEVEL 2
(10–20%)
LEVEL 6
(>50%)
20 21
Water Efficiency and Conservation
Since the severe drought in the late 1970s, the City has been a leader in implementing progressive water conservation programs that support a growing community while keeping water use efficient. The City’s water conservation programs strongly emphasize education and the distribution of incentives and water-saving devices across all customer types. These proactive programs, in conjunction with passive conservation measures such as City ordinances and landscape standards, have resulted in significant reductions in the City’s water demand and a low per capita water use.

To promote conservation and reduce water demand, the City offers several water conservation programs, which together represent one component of the City’s demand management measures.
138,000+
Water e-Sources
Newsletter
emails opened
Water Resources Division
Newsletter
9,674
School Education
Programs
Including K-6 classroom
presentations, 6th grade
LivingWise kits, field trips,
and musical assemblies
413
Mulch Rebates
Rebate of up to two
dump truck loads
of County mulch
delivered per year
259
High-Efficiency
Clothes Washer
Rebates
$150 rebate for replacing
high water using clothes
washers with eligible highefficiency washer models
54 Irrigation and
Landscape
Rebates
Rebates to replace
lawn with water
wise plants and/or
efficient irrigation
870
Water Efficient
Landscape
Standards Reviews
City staff perform plan
checks and inspection for
land development projects
that include new/revised
landscaping
345
Green Gardener
Program
Graduates
Educates local
gardeners in resourceefficient landscape
management
211,000+
Educational
Video Views
Videos on how to read your
meter, check for leaks,
adjust sprinklers, design
water wise gardens, etc.
42,000+
WaterSmart
Leak Alerts
Automated leak alerts sent
via email or mail to alert
customers of continuous
use or burst leaks
1,289
Flume Rebates
Rebate on Flume device
to monitor water use down
to the minute and catch
water leaks quickly
Water Conservation Program Participation from 2021–2025 22 23
To stay involved in Santa Barbara’s ongoing programs and efforts, check out our website at SantaBarbaraCA.gov, and follow us on social media.

City of Santa Barbara @cityofsb @SBCity

VIEW THE FULL

URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

VIEW THE WATER

SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
Public Draft
2025 Urban Water
Management Plan
MAY 2026 CITY OF SANTA BARBARA
ATTACHMENT 2

CITY OF SANTA BARBARA
2025 Urban Water
Management Plan
MAY 2026
Public Draft
Prepared by Water Systems Consulting, Inc
City of Santa Barbara Public Draft

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Water Systems Consulting, Inc. would like to acknowledge the significant contributions of the City of Santa Barbara. The primary contributors are listed below.

Dakota Corey, Water Supply & Services Manager
Jasmine Showers, Water Resources Analyst
Dana Hoffenberg, Water Resources Analyst
Madeline Wood, Water Conservation Analyst
The 2025 Urban Water Management Plan was prepared by Water Systems Consulting, Inc. The primary authors are listed below.

Heather Freed, PE
Corinne Watson, EIT
Rob Morrow, PE
Spencer Waterman
City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | i

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction...................................................................................................................... 1-1

1.1 Introduction: City of Santa Barbara ........................................................................... 1-2

1.2 California Water Code............................................................................................... 1-2

1.3 UWMP Organization ................................................................................................. 1-3

1.4 UWMPs in Relation to Other Efforts.......................................................................... 1-4

1.5 UWMPs and Grant or Loan Eligibility ........................................................................ 1-4

1.6 Demonstration of Consistency with the Delta Plan.................................................... 1-5 2 Plan Preparation .............................................................................................................. 2-1

2.1 Basis for Preparing a Plan ........................................................................................ 2-2

2.2 Regional Planning..................................................................................................... 2-2

2.3 Coordination and Outreach....................................................................................... 2-3 3 System Description .......................................................................................................... 3-1

3.1 System Description................................................................................................... 3-2

3.2 Service Area Climate ................................................................................................ 3-4

3.3 Land Uses within Service Area ................................................................................. 3-7 4 Water Use Characterization ............................................................................................. 4-1

4.1 Non-Potable Versus Potable Water Use ................................................................... 4-2

4.2 Past, Current, and Projected Water Use by Sector ................................................... 4-2

4.3 Water Use for Lower Income Households............................................................... 4-14 5 SB X7-7 2020 Compliance............................................................................................... 5-1

5.1 2020 Target Compliance........................................................................................... 5-2 6 Water Supply Characterization......................................................................................... 6-1

6.1 Water Supply Overview ............................................................................................ 6-2

6.2 Surface Water........................................................................................................... 6-2

6.3 State Water Project................................................................................................... 6-8

6.4 Cater Water Treatment Plant .................................................................................. 6-11

6.5 Groundwater........................................................................................................... 6-13

6.6 Wastewater and Recycled Water............................................................................ 6-20

6.7 Desalinated Water .................................................................................................. 6-25

6.8 Stormwater ............................................................................................................. 6-26

6.9 Water Exchanges and Transfers............................................................................. 6-28 City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | ii

6.10 Future Water Projects.......................................................................................... 6-28

6.11 Energy Use ......................................................................................................... 6-30

6.12 Summary of Existing and Planned Sources of Water .......................................... 6-30 7 Water Service Reliability and Drought Risk Assessment.................................................. 7-1

7.1 Water Service Reliability Assessment....................................................................... 7-2

7.2 Drought Risk Assessment....................................................................................... 7-10 8 Water Shortage Contingency Plan ................................................................................... 8-1

8.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 8-2

8.2 Overview of WSCP Components .............................................................................. 8-2 9 Demand Management Measures ..................................................................................... 9-1

9.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 9-2

9.2 Existing Demand Management Measures................................................................. 9-2

9.3 Reporting Implementation......................................................................................... 9-8 10 Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Implementation ........................................................... 10-1

10.1 Completed Steps for UWMP and WSCP ............................................................. 10-2

10.2 Public Availability................................................................................................. 10-2 References ................................................................................................................................ 1 Appendix A UWMP Checklist ............................................................................................... A Appendix B DWR UWMP Standard Tables .......................................................................... B Appendix C Consistency with the Delta Plan ........................................................................C Appendix D Documentation of Public Noticing, Coordination, and Adoption .........................D Appendix E FY21 to FY25 AWWA Water Audits................................................................... E Appendix F 2026 Water Shortage Contingency Plan............................................................ F Appendix G Water Conservation Strategic Plan....................................................................G City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | iii

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 3-1. City of Santa Barbara Water Service Area ............................................................ 3-2 Figure 3-2. FY2025 Metered Potable and Recycled Water Sales by Sector............................ 3-3 Figure 3-3. Annual Precipitation from 2000-2025 .................................................................... 3-4 Figure 3-4. City of Santa Barbara Land Use Distribution ......................................................... 3-8 Figure 3-5. City of Santa Barbara General Plan Map for Inland Areas .................................... 3-9 Figure 4-1. Historic System Demand....................................................................................... 4-3 Figure 4-2. Historic Population, Production, and Rainfall......................................................... 4-7 Figure 4-3. Demand Scenarios ............................................................................................... 4-9 Figure 4-4. Actual Water Production and Demand Projection Envelope................................ 4-12 Figure 6-1. Groundwater Basins and Well Locations............................................................. 6-13 Figure 6-2. Recent Groundwater Pumping for Foothill and SU1............................................ 6-17 Figure 6-3. 10-Year Drought Storage, Sustainable Yield, and Groundwater Production........ 6-18 Figure 6-4. Recycled Water System...................................................................................... 6-22 Figure 7-1. 70-Year Historical Annual Precipitation at Lake Cachuma .................................... 7-8 Figure 7-2. 10-Year Historical SWP Allocations ...................................................................... 7-8 Figure 7-3. 2026-2030 DRA, Supply and Demand Projections.............................................. 7-14 City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | iv

LIST OF TABLES
Table 2-1. Coordination and Outreach .................................................................................... 2-3 Table 3-1. Climate Data for the City of Santa Barbara, 2000-2025.......................................... 3-5 Table 3-2. Current and Projected Water Service Area Population........................................... 3-7 Table 4-1. Annual Total Water Losses (Real and Apparent Loss) ........................................... 4-5 Table 4-2. Baseline Water Demand and Total Water Use – Current and Projected (AFY) ...... 4-6 Table 4-3. Projected Five Year Water Demand (AFY)........................................................... 4-13 Table 4-4. Existing and Projected Water Demand for Lower Income Households (AFY)....... 4-14 Table 5-1. SB X7-7 2020 Target and Compliance................................................................... 5-2 Table 6-1. Historical Cachuma Allocation for the City of Santa Barbara .................................. 6-3 Table 6-2. Average Table A Deliveries.................................................................................. 6-10 Table 6-3. Table A Deliveries in Selected Drought Conditions .............................................. 6-10 Table 6-4. Groundwater Pumped by Fiscal Year................................................................... 6-17 Table 6-5. Groundwater Recharge by Fiscal Year................................................................. 6-20 Table 6-6. Water Management Processes Energy Consumption .......................................... 6-30 Table 6-7. Actual and Projected Water Supplies (AF) ........................................................... 6-31 Table 7-1. Supply Risks .......................................................................................................... 7-2 Table 7-2. Supply and Demand Comparison, Normal Year..................................................... 7-5 Table 7-3. Supply and Demand Comparison, Single Dry Year................................................ 7-7 Table 7-4. Supply and Demand Comparison, Multiple Dry Years.......................................... 7-10 Table 7-5. Status of City Water Supplies, End of WY2025 and early WY2026 ...................... 7-11 Table 7-6. 2026-2030 DRA Supply Availability Projections ................................................... 7-13 Table 9-1. Water Conservation Program Participation Numbers, FY 2021 to FY2025............. 9-9 City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | v

ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS
AB Assembly Bill
AF Acre-feet
AFY Acre-feet per year
AMI Advanced Metering Infrastructure
ASR Aquifer Storage and Recovery
AWWA American Water Works Association
BA Biological Assessment
BMP Best Management Practices
BO Biological Opinion
CAL GREEN California Green Building Standards Code
CASGEM California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife
CCRB Cachuma Conservation Release Board
CCWA Central Coast Water Authority
CII commercial, industrial, and institutional
CIMIS California Irrigation Management Information System COMB Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board
CWC California Water Code
DCR Delivery Capability Report
DPR direct potable reuse
DRA Drought Risk Assessment
DWR Department of Water Resources
EIR Environmental Impact Report
ETO evapotranspiration
FY Fiscal Year
GPCD Gallons per Capita per Day
GSA Groundwater Sustainability Agency
City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | vi
GSP Groundwater Sustainability Plan
HCF hundred cubic feet
KWH kilowatt-hours
LCMWC La Cumbre Mutual Water Company
LTWSP Long Term Water Supply Plan
MGD million gallons per day
NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service
NO-DES Neutral Output Discharge Elimination System
RHNA Regional Housing Needs Allocation
RWEP Regional Water Efficiency Program
SB Senate Bill
SB X7-7 Senate Bill 7 of Special Extended Session 7
SBCWA Santa Barbara County Water Agency
SBMC Santa Barbara Municipal Code
SGMA Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
SWP State Water Project
SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board
USGS United States Geological Survey
USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
UWMP Urban Water Management Plan
UWMP ACT Urban Water Management Planning Act
UWUO Urban Water Use Objective
WRC Water Resource Center
WSCP Water Shortage Contingency Plan
WTP Water Treatment Plant
WY Water Year
City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 1
Executive Summary
This section summarizes the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan for the City of Santa Barbara. This summary describes the fundamental purpose of the Plan and key takeaways including projected water demand, water service reliability, and
strategies for managing risks to water reliability.

IN THIS S ECTION
• Purpose of the Plan
• Key Takeaways
• Outreach and Engagement
• Water Demand
• Water Supplies
• Water Supply Reliability
• Water Shortage Contingency
Plan
• Water Efficiency and
Conservation
Purpose of the Plan
This Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) provides the California Department of Water Resources with a detailed summary of present and future water resources and demands within the City of Santa Barbara’s (City) service area. Specifi cally, the UWMP provides water supply planning for a 25- year period in fi ve-year increments, identifying water supplies needed to meet future needs out to 2050. The analysis identifi es supply reliability under three hydrologic or rainfall conditions: an average (or normal) year, a single-dry year, and multiple-dry years.

This 2025 UWMP is an update to the 2020 Enhanced UWMP, addressing new requirements and regulations while aligning with the City’s LTWSP. 2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 2
Key Takeaways
The City's 2025 UWMP key takeways include:
• The City’s baseline demands are lower than projected in the 2020 EUWMP, refl ecting updated population trends and the absence of a post-drought rebound in water use. Demand projections are updated as new data becomes available, consistent with adaptive water supply planning.
• The City’s diversifi ed water supply portfolio—including surface water, desalination, groundwater, recycled water, and imported supplies—provides fl exibility and resilience across a wide range of hydrologic conditions. • The City has suffi cient supplies to meet demands through 2050 in a normal, singledry, and multiple dry-year conditions. In the event of an extended fi ve-year drought, 20% of extraordinary conservation would be required during the fi fth year. • The fi ve-year drought risk assessment shows that, under current assumptions, the City has suffi cient supplies to meet demands even if dry conditions persist. • The City has decades of sustained investment in water effi ciency and operation of a successful water conservation program, resulting in a low per capita water use.

City of Santa Barbara Water Service Area
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 4
Outreach and Engagement
The City regularly coordinates with multiple agencies who are directly or indirectly involved in the City’s water supplies, including:
• Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board (COMB), a Joint Powers Authority that operates portions of the Cachuma Project and coordinates with the US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) on deliveries of Cachuma Project water. Lake Cachuma is the City’s main source of water supply. The COMB member agencies include the Carpinteria Valley Water District, Goleta Water District, City of Santa Barbara, Montecito Water District, and Santa Ynez River Water Conservation DistrictImprovement District No. 1. • Cachuma Conservation and Release Board (CCRB), a multi-agency advisory body that coordinates on water conservation, storage, and release decisions related to Lake Cachuma to support regional water supply reliability. • The Santa Barbara County Water Agency, which administers the Cachuma Project and contracts with Reclamation. The Santa Barbara County Water Agency also conducts investigations and reports on the County’s water requirements, groundwater conditions, efficient use of water, and other water supply related technical studies.
• The Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA), a Joint Powers Authority that manages and operates Santa Barbara County’s local facilities for distribution and treatment of State Water. CCWA’s member agencies include the City of Santa Maria, City of Guadalupe, City of Buellton, Goleta Water District, City of Santa Barbara, Montecito Water District, Carpinteria Valley Water District, and Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1, and the following nonmember project participants: La Cumbre Mutual Water Company (LCMWC), Vandenberg Air Force Base, Raytheon Company, and Morehart Land Company. 2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 5
As required for the UWMP, the City notified cities, counties, and other relevant stakeholders of the preparation of the UWMP 60-days ahead of the public hearing and provided notice of the Public Draft for review more than 14-days ahead of the public hearing (see table below).

Agency Sent Notice
of Preparation
Coordination
for Projections
Sent a copy of the
Public Draft for review
CCWA   
COMB   
CCRB  
Santa Barbara County
Water Agency  
United States Bureau of
Reclamation (Reclamation)   
Goleta Water District  
Montecito Water District  
Carpinteria Valley Water
District  
Santa Ynez River Water
Conservation District,
Improvement District No. 1
 
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 6
Water Demand
Total water use includes customer potable water deliveries, water losses in the distribution system, recycled water use, and sales to Montecito Water District. The City tracks total water demand based on production to the potable water and recycled water distribution systems. The combined total is referred to as “system” demand. Figure ES-1 illustrates the system demand and its response to severe drought in the late 1980s, early 1990s, and mid 2010s.

Outside of the economic demand drivers of the 2008 recession, variations from 1998 through 2012 are primarily the result of year-to-year variations in weather.

Beginning in 2013, the dramatic drop in demand indicates the response to the most recent drought, officially declared by the City in 2014. As shown, demands have partially recovered following the 2014-2019 drought and again show variation based on weather.
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 7
As shown, variations in historic system demand have been infl uenced by economic drivers, droughts, and weather.

Future water demands were estimated for the City as part of its Water Conservation Strategic Plan (updated 2026). The major assumptions incorporated in the future baseline demand projection include:
• Baseline customer water use estimated from 2021 to 2024 average water use. • Population growth projections from the Regional Growth Forecast 2050 Santa Barbara County.
• 2023 Housing Element quantifi ed objectives of 3,083 new units to be constructed between 2023 and 2035, including 162 new multi-family units, 78 accessory dwelling units, and two single-family units per year from 2025 to 2035. • Employment projections from California Employment Development Department for the Santa Maria–Santa Barbara Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Figure ES-1: Historic System Demand
Note: Total water demand (dark blue) is quantifi ed as production to the potable water and recycled water distribution systems. 2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 8
• Distribution water losses align with the City’s water loss standard in gallons per service connection per day and grow with the growth in service connections. • Estimated water savings from the plumbing code.
• The City’s existing Water Conservation Program B and plumbing code implementation, with some additional measures.
• Recycled water demand is based on the average use over the last five years and is projected to be constant through 2050.
• Includes 1,430 AF of sales based on the City’s Water Supply Agreement with Montecito Water District.

The upper bound of the demand envelope is the demand creep scenario. The lower bound of the demand envelope combines the two demand scenarios that cause demand to decrease the most, water rate impacts and slower job growth. 2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 9
Figure ES-2: Demand Projection Envelope
The baseline demand projection is used in the UWMP and the City’s Water Conservation Strategic Plan (updated 2026). The demand envelope analysis allows the City to track its demand moving forward as part of its adaptive management strategy and understand trends as they unfold within the demand envelope.

Note: Demand scenarios include total customer potable demand, excluding recycled water demand and sales to other agencies. 2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 10
10 Water Supplies
The City’s water supply is comprised of the following
sources, also illustrated on page 14-15:
• Lake Cachuma: Reclamation constructed Lake Cachuma and Bradbury Dam in the early 1950s. The City’s share of the annual project yield is 8,277 AFY (Acre-feet per Year). Water is delivered for treatment at Cater Water Treatment Plant (WTP) via the Tecolote Tunnel and South Coast Conduit. The City can store allocated water in Lake Cachuma as carryover, allowing the City to use other available supplies and build up a reserve supply in Lake Cachuma.

Lake Cachuma
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 11
• Gibraltar Reservoir: The City has pre-1914 water rights to divert water from the Santa Ynez River. Construction of Gibraltar Dam was completed in 1920.

The reservoir had an initial storage capacity of 15,793 AF. As of 2025, siltation has reduced the reservoir capacity to 4,559 AF. Water from the reservoir is conveyed through Mission Tunnel for treatment at Cater WTP. • Devil’s Canyon Diversion: The City has pre-1914 water rights to divert water from Devil’s Canyon Creek and maintains a small diversion works on Devil’s Canyon Creek below Gibraltar Dam, which diverts water from Devil’s Canyon Creek into Mission Tunnel.
• Mission Tunnel Infi ltration: Mission Tunnel is 3.7 miles long and conveys water from Gibraltar Reservoir through the Santa Ynez Mountains to the City.

Infi ltration through cracks and fi ssures into the tunnel from watersheds on both sides of the mountains contributes to the City’s water supply. Infi ltration to Mission Tunnel is dependent on rainfall, and averages approximately 942 AFY.

Gibraltar Reservoir
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 12
Where Your Water Comes From
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 14
• State Water Project (SWP): The City’s SWP Table A amount is 3,300 AFY.

In normal conditions, the City’s primary water supply is surface water from Lake Cachuma (including carryover storage from unused previous Cachuma allocations), Gibraltar Reservoir, and desalination. These supplies are augmented with groundwater production that is typically preserved by the City for droughts and emergencies, SWP deliveries, and recycled water. As shown in Figure ES-3, the City has sufficient supplies in normal years and would use available supplies to prepare for dry periods. For example, unused Cachuma Project water could be stored for use in future years as carryover water. Also, a safety margin of 10% is maintained, consistent with City water supply policies, in case of unanticipated added demand, such as in the case of annexations or supply shortages.
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 16
A single dry year (such as 2016) has little effect on availability of Cachuma supplies since the multiyear reservoir typically has storage available from previous years. However, available supply from Gibraltar Reservoir could potentially be significantly reduced, because Gibraltar is a much smaller reservoir than Cachuma. In this situation, demand could be met by supplemental SWP water, increased groundwater pumping, or additional use of Cachuma supplies.

Due to limited supplies, in Year 5 of a drought, demand is assumed to be reduced by 20% of normal through extraordinary conservation measures, above and beyond those in the City’s normal conservation program. During the 2014- 2019 extended drought, City customers achieved 40% conservation, so the City is confident that extraordinary conservation can be achieved during an extended drought if necessary.
19,257 19,209 19,160 19,112 19,064
2030
0 5,000
Acre-Feet
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
2035 2040
Year
2045 2050
SWP
Groundwater
Mission Tunnel
Cachuma Project
Gibraltar
Desalination
Recycled Water
Total Supply
Demand
12,399 12,481 12,538 12,557 12,599
Figure ES-3: Projected Potable Water Supplies vs Demand, Normal Year 2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 17
2026–2030 Drought Risk Assessment
Based on projected demand and available supplies and assuming drought conditions, Figure ES-4 presents the projected supplies used to meet demand and the remaining available supply each year over the next five years. This analysis considers current conditions, including loss of the City’s Cachuma carryover water after the January 2026 spill event. With the City’s diverse supply portfolio and the assumptions used for the drought risk assessment, the analysis projects that Cachuma carryover volume is gained over the next few years for use in 2029 and 2030 as Cachuma allocations decrease under drought conditions. In this scenario, the City still has supplies available at the end of the five-year drought. Note that these projections contrast with the need to implement extraordinary conservation measures during the 2014–2019 drought due to the reactivation of the desalination facility. The desalination facility provides a reliable annual water supply, and the City is now able to build carryover storage in Cachuma, eliminating the need to implement extraordinary conservation measures.
22,400
12,307
24,533
12,317
25,977
12,339
22,353
12,366
13,806
12,399
2026
0 5,000
Acre-Feet
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
2027 2028
Year
2029 2030
Supplemental
Water
SWP
Groundwater
Mission Tunnel
Gained Cachuma
Carryover
Cachuma
Carryover Used
Cachuma
Allocation Used
Gibraltar
Desalination
Recycled Water
Total Supply
Demand
Figure ES-4: 2026–2030 Drought Risk Assessment, Supply and Demand Projections 2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 18
Water Shortage Contingency Plan
The Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) is a strategic plan that the City uses to prepare for and respond to
foreseeable and unforeseeable water shortages.

The WSCP establishes clear shortage stages, decision-making criteria, and response actions to ensure reliable water service, protect public health and safety, and equitably manage limited supplies. Through proactive planning, diversified supplies, and adaptive management, the WSCP provides a framework to maintain resilience under both short-term disruptions and prolonged drought conditions. The WSCP is included as Appendix F and is a standalone document from the UWMP.
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 19
19 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Stages
Normal
Supply 1
Stage
2 Stage
3 Stage
4 Stage
0−15%
Reduction
0%
Reduction
15−25%
Reduction
25−50%
Reduction
>50%
Reduction
Supply
Reduction
City
Shortage
Stage
Coordination
for Projections
Water
Shortage
Watch
Water
Shortage
Alert
Water
Shortage
Emergency
Catastrophic
Water System
Emergency
Water
Supply
Condition
Standard
Water
Shortage
Levels
Full Cachuma
entitlement is
projected for
the coming
water year,
and there
are no
extraordinary
shortages
in other City
supplies.

Reduction
in Cachuma
entitlement
is projected
for the
coming water
year, or an
extraordinary
reduction in
other City
supplies has
been identifi ed.

Low rainfall
conditions
have resulted
in continued
decline in
Cachuma
storage and/or
entitlement, or
an extraordinary
reduction in
other City
supplies.

Cachuma
supplies are
projected to
be exhausted
during the
coming water
year, or a
catastrophic
interruption
to City water
supplies has
occurred.

Catastrophic
interruption
to City water
supplies has
occurred.

LEVEL 1
(0–10%)
LV. 4
(30–
40%)
LV. 5
(40–
50%)
LEVEL 3
(20–30%)
LEVEL 2
(10–20%)
LEVEL 6
(>50%)
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 20
Water Efficiency and Conservation
Since the severe drought in the late 1970s, the City has been a leader in implementing progressive water conservation programs that support a growing community while keeping water use efficient. The City’s water conservation programs strongly emphasize education and the distribution of incentives and water-saving devices across all customer types. These proactive programs, in conjunction with passive conservation measures such as City ordinances and landscape standards, have resulted in significant reductions in the City’s water demand and a low per capita water use.

To promote conservation and reduce water demand, the City offers several water conservation programs, which together represent one component of the City’s demand management measures.
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 21
138,000+
Water e-Sources
Newsletter
emails opened
Water Resources Division
Newsletter
9,674
School Education
Programs
Including K-6 classroom
presentations, 6th grade
LivingWise kits, fi eld trips,
and musical assemblies
413
Mulch Rebates
Rebate of up to two
dump truck loads
of County mulch
delivered per year
259
High-Effi ciency
Clothes Washer
Rebates
$150 rebate for replacing
high water using clothes
washers with eligible higheffi ciency washer models
54 Irrigation and
Landscape
Rebates
Rebates to replace
lawn with water
wise plants and/or
effi cient irrigation
870
Water Effi cient
Landscape
Standards Reviews
City staff perform plan
checks and inspection for
land development projects
that include new/revised
landscaping
345
Green Gardener
Program
Graduates
Educates local
gardeners in resourceeffi cient landscape
management
211,000+
Educational
Video Views
Videos on how to read your
meter, check for leaks,
adjust sprinklers, design
water wise gardens, etc.
42,000+
WaterSmart
Leak Alerts
Automated leak alerts sent
via email or mail to alert
customers of continuous
use or burst leaks
1,289
Flume Rebates
Rebate on Flume device
to monitor water use down
to the minute and catch
water leaks quickly
Water Conservation Program Participation from 2021–2025 2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 22
City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan |1-1
1 Introduction
This section provides a brief overview of the City of Santa Barbara and the purpose of this 2025 Urban Water
Management Plan (UWMP). It also describes how the UWMP is organized and its relationship to local and regional planning efforts in which the City is involved.

IN THIS S ECTION
• Introduction
• CA Water Code
• UWMP Organization
• UWMPs in Relation to Other
Efforts
• Funding Eligibility
City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 1-2

1.1 Introduction: City of Santa Barbara
The City of Santa Barbara (City) is responsible for delivering safe and reliable water service to over 93,000 people within its service area, and operates integrated wastewater collection, treatment, and recycling facilities. The City’s primary water supply comes from local surface water reservoirs and an ocean desalination facility, with a smaller portion from groundwater, recycled water and imported State Water sources. The City updated their Long Term Water Supply Plan (LTWSP) and 2020 UWMP in 2021, together known as the 2020 Enhanced UWMP, as their guiding water supply planning document (WSC, 2021). The goal of this 2025 UWMP is to fulfill state-wide requirements of assessing the adequacy, reliability, and management of the City’s water supply aligning with the City’s 2021 LTWSP.

A UWMP checklist, to ensure compliance of this plan with the Urban Water Management Planning Act (UWMP Act) requirements, is provided in Appendix A. In addition, as required by the California Water Code (CWC), standardized tables for the reporting and submittal of UWMP data have been prepared and are included in Appendix B. A selection of these tables is also provided in the body of this plan to present supporting data.

1.2 California Water Code
In 1983, the State of California Legislature (Legislature) enacted the UWMP Act. The law required an urban water supplier providing water for municipal purposes to more than 3,000 customers or serving more than 3,000 acre-feet per year (AFY) to adopt a UWMP every five years. This UWMP must demonstrate water supply reliability under both normal and drought conditions. The UWMP Act applies to wholesale and retail water suppliers.

Since the original UWMP Act was passed, it has undergone significant expansion. Prolonged droughts, groundwater overdraft, regulatory revisions, and changing climatic conditions affect the reliability of each water supplier as well as statewide water reliability overseen by California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and the Legislature. Accordingly, the UWMP Act has grown to address changing conditions.

The current requirements are found in Sections 10610-10656 and 10608 of the CWC.

DWR provides guidance for urban water suppliers by preparing an Urban Water Management Plan Guidebook 2025 (Guidebook), conducting workshops, developing tools, and providing program staff to help water suppliers prepare comprehensive and useful water management plans, implement water conservation programs, and understand the requirements of the CWC.

Suppliers prepare their own UWMPs and submit them to DWR. DWR then reviews the plans to make sure they have addressed the requirements; they submit a report to the Legislature summarizing the status of the plans for each five-year cycle. The Guidebook, finalized in January 2026, was used to complete this 2025 UWMP.

The purpose of this UWMP is for the City to evaluate long-term resource planning and establish management measures to ensure adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and future demands. The UWMP provides a framework to help water suppliers maintain efficient use City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 1-3
of urban water supplies, promote conservation programs and policies, ensure that sufficient water supplies are available for future beneficial use, and provide a response mechanism during drought conditions or other water supply shortages.

The UWMP is a valuable planning tool used for multiple purposes, including:
• Providing a standardized methodology for water utilities to assess their water resource needs and availability.
• Serving as a resource to the community and other interested parties regarding water supply and demand, conservation, and other water-related information. • Providing a key source of information for cities and counties when considering approval of proposed new developments and preparing regional long-range planning documents, such as city and county General Plans.
• Informing other regional and Statewide water planning efforts, such as Integrated Regional Water Management Plans and the California Water Plan.

CWC 10632 also includes requirements for suppliers to prepare a Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP). The WSCP documents a supplier’s plans to manage and mitigate an actual water shortage condition, should one occur because of drought or other impacts on water supplies.

The WSCP is a standalone document that can be updated independently of the UWMP but is referenced and attached to the 2025 UWMP. The WSCP is provided in Appendix F.

1.3 UWMP Organization
The 2025 UWMP is organized as follows:

Section 1 – Introduction and Lay Description
This section provides background information on the UWMP process, new regulatory requirements, and an overview of the information covered throughout the remaining sections.

Section 2 – Plan Preparation
This section provides information on the processes used to develop the UWMP, including coordination and outreach efforts.

Section 3 – System Description
This section describes the City’s water system, service area, population demographics, local climate, and land uses.

Section 4 –Water Use Characterization
This section describes and quantifies the current and projected water uses through 2050 within the water service area.

Section 5 – SB X7-7 Baselines, Targets, and 2025 Compliances This section describes the City’s compliance with the requirements of Senate Bill (SB) X7-7.

City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 1-4
Section 6 – Water Supply Characterization
This section describes and quantifies the current and projected potable and non-potable water supplies.

Section 7 – Water Supply Reliability
This section describes the water service reliability through 2050 and includes the drought risk assessment for the next five years.

Section 8 – WSCP
This section includes an overview of the standalone WSCP. The complete WSCP is included as Appendix F.

Section 9 – Demand Management Measures
This section describes the City’s efforts to promote conservation and reduce water demand, including discussions of specific demand management measures.

Section 10 – Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Implementation This section describes the City’s adoption, submittal to DWR, and implementation of the 2025 UWMP.

1.4 UWMPs in Relation to Other Efforts
This UWMP characterizes water use, estimates future demands and supply sources, and evaluates supply reliability for normal, single-dry, and five consecutive dry years. The UWMP also requires a standalone WSCP, which is summarized in Chapter 8 and provided in Appendix F.

In addition to the 2025 UWMP, the City is involved in several internal and external planning efforts. The City collaborates with a variety of stakeholders to achieve consistency between various planning documents locally and regionally.

Documents that were leveraged in preparation of this UWMP are:
• 2020 Enhanced UWMP
• 2021 LTWSP
• City of Santa Barbara’s Water Conservation Strategic Plan: Making Conservation a Santa Barbara Way of Life (0)
• City of Santa Barbara General Plan (City of Santa Barbara, 2011)

1.5 UWMPs and Grant or Loan Eligibility
For a water supplier to be eligible for a grant or loan administered by DWR, the supplier must have a current UWMP on file that meets the requirements set forth by the CWC. A current UWMP must also be maintained by the supplier throughout the term of any grants or loans City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 1-5
received. The City has prepared the 2025 UWMP under guidance from DWR’s 2025 UWMP Guidebook.

1.6 Demonstration of Consistency with the Delta Plan
Under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) Reform Act of 2009, before State and local public agencies propose a covered action in the Delta, they must prepare a written certification of consistency, with detailed findings regarding whether the covered action is consistent with applicable Delta Plan policies and submit that certification to the Delta Stewardship Council.

Anyone may appeal a certification of consistency, and if the Delta Stewardship Council grants the appeal, the covered action may not be implemented until the agency proposing the covered action submits a revised certification of consistency and no appeal is filed. However, the Delta Stewardship Council may deny the subsequent appeal.

An urban water supplier that anticipates participating in or receiving water from a proposed covered action, such as a multiyear water transfer, conveyance facility, or new diversion that involves transferring water through, exporting water from, or using water in the Delta, should provide information in its 2015, 2020, and 2025 UWMPs that can then be used in the covered action process to demonstrate consistency with Delta Plan Policy WR P1 — Reduce Reliance on the Delta through Improved Regional Water Self-Reliance.

SB X7-1, which was signed in 2009, reformed Delta policy and governance, including requiring development, adoption, and implementation of a “Delta Plan” and establishing a statewide policy to reduce reliance on the Delta in meeting California’s future water supply needs through a statewide strategy of investing in improved regional supplies, conservation, and water use efficiency.

The California DWR does not review this analysis as part of the UWMP approval process; therefore, this information has been prepared as a stand-alone document and is attached as Appendix C. The analysis and documentation provided in Appendix C include the elements described in Delta Plan Policy WR P1 Section (c)(1) that need to be included in a water supplier’s UWMP to support a certification of consistency for a future covered action.

City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 2-1
2 Plan Preparation
This section provides information on the processes used to develop the UWMP, including efforts in coordination and outreach. This chapter details the importance of plan preparation, the merits of including enhanced material in a UWMP, and it provides specific guidance for preparing the document.

IN THIS S ECTION
• Basis for Preparing a Plan
• Regional Planning
• Coordination and Outreach
City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 2-2

2.1 Basis for Preparing a Plan
As mentioned in Section 1, CWC requires suppliers with 3,000 or more service connections, or those supplying 3,000 AFY or more of water to prepare a UWMP. Suppliers are required to update UWMPs at least once every five years on or before July 1, in years ending in six and one, incorporating updated and new information from the five years preceding each update. The City’s 2025 UWMP must be submitted to DWR by July 1, 2026.

The City is preparing an individual UWMP and is not a member of a Regional Alliance. In 2025, the City served approximately 93,334 people in its service area, through approximately 27,600 potable metered connections, and supplied approximately 8,860 acre-feet (AF) of potable water to customers. The City has included all mandatory 2025 data in the development of this UWMP.

Throughout this UWMP, water volume is represented in units of AF unless otherwise noted.

Data in this plan is based on the fiscal year (FY), running from July to June, except where noted. The FY for July 2024 to June 2025 is labeled as FY2025.

2.2 Regional Planning
Lake Cachuma is the City’s main source of water supply. City staff coordinate regularly with the Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board (COMB), a Joint Powers Authority that operates portions of the Cachuma Project and coordinates with the US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) on contract issues and deliveries of project water. The COMB Board meets monthly. An Operating Committee consisting of the Cachuma Member Unit managers and the COMB General Manager, as well as other committees focusing on a variety of topics (including fisheries and public outreach), is scheduled on an as-needed basis.

Additionally, the City coordinates regularly with the Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA) about forecasted water deliveries from the State Water Project (SWP). CCWA is also a Joint Powers Authority. It is composed of eight member agencies and manages and operates Santa Barbara County’s local facilities for distribution and treatment of State Water. The City was also an active participant in the development and adoption of the countywide Integrated Regional Water Management Plan, updated in 2019.

Agencies directly or indirectly involved in matters related to the City’s water supplies include:
• COMB and its member agencies, including Carpinteria Valley Water District, Goleta Water District, City of Santa Barbara, Montecito Water District, and Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1 • Cachuma Conservation Release Board (CCRB) and its member agencies, including Goleta Water District, City of Santa Barbara, and Montecito Water District • CCWA and its member agencies, including City of Santa Maria; City of Guadalupe; City of Buellton; Goleta Water District; City of Santa Barbara; Montecito Water District; Carpinteria Valley Water District; and Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1; and the following nonmember project participants: La City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 2-3
Cumbre Mutual Water Company (LCMWC), Vandenberg Air Force Base, Raytheon Company, and Morehart Land Company
• Santa Barbara County Water Agency

2.3 Coordination and Outreach
The City coordinated with multiple neighboring and stakeholder agencies to prepare the 2025 UWMP. The coordinated efforts were conducted to 1) inform these agencies of the City’s efforts and activities; 2) gather high quality data for use in developing this UWMP; and 3) coordinate planning activities with other related regional plans and initiatives.

CWC Section 10621 requires that suppliers notify cities and counties to which they serve water that the UWMP and WSCP are being updated and reviewed. The CWC specifies that this must be done at least 60 days prior to the public hearing. To fulfill this requirement, the City sent letters of notification of preparation of the 2025 UWMP and 2025 WSCP to all cities and counties within City‘s service area 60 days prior to the public hearing as indicated in Table 2-1 and attached as Appendix D.

During the preparation of the City’s plan, water supply data from CCWA and DWR were reviewed. The City receives wholesale water from the CCWA. The City provided water use projections to CCWA in accordance with CWC, Section 10631. Table 2-1 also lists the agencies that were advised of the opportunity to review the City’s draft plan.

Table 2-1. Coordination and Outreach
Agency
Sent Notice of
Preparation
Coordination
for
Projections
Sent a copy of the
Public Draft for
review

CCWA X X X

COMB X X X

CCRB X X
Santa Barbara County Water Agency X X
United States Bureau of Reclamation X X X
Goleta Water District X X
Montecito Water District X X
Carpinteria Valley Water District X X
Santa Ynez River Water Conservation
District, Improvement District No. 1 X X
City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 3-1
3 System Description
This section describes the City’s water system, service area, population, demographics, local climate, and land uses.

IN THIS S ECTION
• General Description
• Service Area Boundary Map
• Service Area Climate,
Demographics, and
Socioeconomics
• Land Uses
City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | 3-2

3.1 System Description
The City is a coastal community that provides retail water service and wastewater treatment to a population of approximately 93,000, through approximately 27,600 service connections. The City serves varied topography ranging from sea level to 800 feet above sea level.

The City operates a water supply system that serves most of the properties within the City limits (except for the City airport, which is served by the Goleta Water District; and the Coast Village Road and Westmont Road areas, served by Montecito Water District). The City also serves selected areas located outside the City limits, most notably the unincorporated areas known as Mission Canyon and Barker Pass. Figure 3-1 shows the boundaries of the City’s water service map and surrounding area. Since the 2020 UWMP, the City became the water supplier for a neighborhood of about 60 homes within the City limits previously served by Lincolnwood Mutual Water Company.

Figure 3-1. City of Santa Barbara Water Service Area
The City’s potable water system consists of 330+ miles of distribution mains, 12 storage reservoirs, 16 pumping stations, and 8 production wells. The recycled water system is significantly smaller, and produced approximately 990 AF in 2025 through 13.5 miles of City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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distribution mains, 2 storage reservoirs, and 4 pumping stations. The City also operates a wastewater collection system consisting of 255 miles of sewer pipe and 7 lift stations. The City’s wastewater treatment plant, El Estero Water Resource Center (WRC) has a design capacity of 11 million gallons per day (MGD) and an average flow of 6.15 MGD. El Estero WRC includes

2.5 MGD of tertiary filtration and disinfection capacity to produce recycled water for use at the plant and for the recycled water distribution system. The water and wastewater systems are operated and maintained by the City’s Water Resources Department.

Figure 3-2 presents 2025 water sales by sector, to give an overview of the demographic makeup of the City’s water service area. Residential use is predominant. The City is largely built out, though it is assumed that infill and redevelopment will continue at roughly the same rate as in the recent past, resulting in a small amount of new demand in the residential and commercial sectors. In 2011, the City Council adopted the Plan Santa Barbara General Plan. It also certified an addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Plan Santa Barbara, which sets the range of projected demand growth from new development. The report has been amended eight times since then to address substantial changes to Plan Santa Barbara. The City’s Housing Element, which is a component of the General Plan, is updated on an eight-year cycle per state law and was last updated in 2023. The City’s Water Resources and Community Development departments coordinated on the Housing Element and are in agreement on planned development and the probable implementation of approved development. Such informed data gathering on important issues is a means of checking the short-term “reality” of official projections. The relative distribution of demand by sector is expected to remain status quo.

Figure 3-2. FY2025 Metered Potable and Recycled Water Sales by Sector 179
547
775
1,379
1,828
2,536
3,764
2%
5%
8%
14%
18%
25%
37%
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000
Industrial
Landscape Irrigation
Landscape (Non-Potable)
Sales/Transfers/Exchange
Commercial
Multi-Family
Single Family
Sales (AFY)
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3.2 Service Area Climate
The City is located on the central coast of California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It has a temperate Mediterranean style climate, with cool, wet winters and mild, dry summers. Temperatures only rarely fall below freezing in winter. During the late summer and early fall, hot, dry sundowner winds can create high water demand. An average rainfall of approximately 15 inches per year falls mostly during the winter period between December and March. Figure 3-3 shows the annual and average precipitation since 2000.

Table 3-1 shows the average temperatures, precipitation, and evapotranspiration (ETo) for the City, measured at Santa Barbara California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) Station No. 107. The City bills its budget-based irrigation customers based on ETo data from this CIMIS station.

Figure 3-3. Annual Precipitation from 2000-2025 26.2 13.014.5 13.4 17.3 16.119.5 9.6 17.0 11.1 24.2

15.3 11.9

8.6 11.6

8.9 12.7

7.3 13.1

25.7 12.0

17.6 10.8

30.6 23.6

24.9 0
5 10
15 20
25 30
35 20002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 Precipitation (in)
Year
25-yr Average Precipitation (in) Annual Precipitation (in) City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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Table 3-1. Climate Data for the City of Santa Barbara, 2000-2025 Month Average Temp
(ºF)
Average Precipitation
(inches)1 Average ETo (inches)2
January 54.5 2.46 1.81
February 54.5 2.76 2.36
March 56.8 2.44 3.64
April 58.7 1.01 4.50
May 60.5 0.61 4.88
June 62.4 0.34 4.79
July 65.0 0.21 5.51
August 65.8 0.2 5.22
September 65.2 0.19 4.04
October 62.6 0.74 3.23
November 58.0 1.04 2.14
December 53.7 2.96 1.59
Annual Average: 59.8 15.0 43.7
Source: CIMIS Station No. 107, monthly data from 2000 to 2025 (California Department of Water Resources, 2026)

3.2.1 Climate Change
The City has long supported practical measures to improve energy efficiency and implement renewable energy technologies, including use of solar photovoltaic and cogeneration facilities.

In 2012, the City prepared a Climate Action Plan that addressed climate science findings, policy context and regional efforts, benefits of climate protection measures, carbon emission targets, adaptation strategies, and plan implementation. In 2018, the City prepared an Implementation Status Report for the 2012 Climate Action Plan and the Climate Change Report. It recommended the City prepare an update to the 2012 Climate Action Plan and prepare a comprehensive Climate Adaptation Plan that would help determine how the City will transition to 100% renewable energy use by 2030. In 2019, City Council adopted a Strategic Energy Plan.

That plan lays out a road map to meet the City’s 100% renewable electricity goal by 2030 and highlights the renewable energy projects, innovative programs, and strategic policies needed to facilitate transition to renewable energy. Also, in 2021, the City completed the City of Santa Barbara Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Plan, which outlines a phased approach to planning for sealevel rise based on monitoring changing shoreline conditions and taking actions to reduce vulnerabilities when defined thresholds are reached.

Most recently, the City developed and adopted the 2024 Climate Action Plan, with the goal of the City being carbon neutral by 2035. The updated Climate Action Plan establishes a 2-year and 10-year city-wide carbon reduction framework with high impact actions and priorities for City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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building energy use, transportation emissions, the water, wastewater, and solid waste sectors, carbon sequestration, and community potential.

In May 2026, the City Council adopted a Wastewater and Water Systems Climate Adaptation Plan (WSC, 2026) that evaluated impacts on the City's critical water and wastewater systems from hazards worsened by climate change. The plan included an analysis of impacts from flooding, erosion, sea level rise, changing rainfall, wildfire, drought, extreme heat, and groundwater on all parts of the wastewater and water systems with a focus on low-lying coastal areas that face the greatest threat from flooding and erosion. The plan included prioritization of vulnerabilities and recommended actions to improve resilience in phases, based on defined thresholds. The highest risks identified were for the wastewater system from flooding during heavy rainfall events and coastal storms (high ocean waves and storm surge). The largest risk for the drinking water system is from coastal erosion for water lines along the coast, and the plan includes adaptation measures to relocate or protect these lines as erosion thresholds are met in 20 to 50 years.

Climate change impacts on the City’s long-term water demand are discussed in Section 4.2.3.3 and impacts on the City’s supplies are discussed in Section 6.2.

3.2.2 Service Area Population, Demographics, and Socioeconomics According to the US Census, the City had a population of approximately 88,665 in 2020 (U.S.

Census Bureau, 2021). The City’s 2025 population is estimated to be 90,723 based on projected growth rates from 2020 through 2025 in the Santa Barbara County Regional Growth Forecast 2050 prepared by the Santa Barbara County Associations of Governments (SBCAG, 2019). However, as described in Section 3.1, the City’s water service area also includes the adjacent census designated place, “Mission Canyon.” The US Census reported population for Mission Canyon was 2,540 in 2020 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021). To estimate the 2025 Mission Canyon population, the annual growth rate defined in the Mission Canyon Community Plan — Final EIR (0.55%) was applied (Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department, 2014). Resultingly, the estimated Mission Canyon population is 2,611, and the total service area population for 2025 is approximately 93,334.

The City has a mix of housing types, including single-family and multifamily residences. The City is largely built out, though infill and redevelopment will continue, resulting in a small population increase. Population projections were prepared using growth rates from the Santa Barbara County Regional Growth Forecast 2050 for the City and the Mission Canyon Community Plan — Final EIR for Mission Canyon. Table 3-2 shows the current and projected population for the City’s water service area.

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Table 3-2. Current and Projected Water Service Area Population Population Served 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Santa Barbara 90,723 91,909 93,110 94,326 94,704 95,084 Mission Canyon 2,611 2,683 2,758 2,834 2,913 2,994
Total 93,334 94,592 95,868 97,160 97,617 98,078
Sources: 2020 US Census population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021), with City projections based on growth rate from SBCAG’s 2019 Regional Growth Forecast 2050 (SBCAG, 2019) and Mission Canyon projections based on Mission Canyon Community Plan — Final EIR (Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department, 2014).

Santa Barbara is a popular vacation destination, and tourism is an important part of the local economy. In addition, many people commute from around the County and nearby Ventura County to work in the City. It should be acknowledged that population from tourism and commuters is not factored into the population methodology. However, water use from tourism and jobs is accounted for under nonresidential customer categories in the demand projections in Section 4.2.3.

3.3 Land Uses within Service Area
Santa Barbara is predominantly a fully developed urban area characterized by established neighborhoods, minimal vacant parcels, and regulatory measures such as height limitations and architectural design reviews that maintain the city’s distinctive visual identity.

Since 1989, the City has implemented deliberate controls on non-residential expansion, capping new development at approximately 3 million square feet through 2009 and an additional 1.35 million net square feet through 2030. These constraints have directed growth toward infill and redevelopment within existing commercial zones, with market trends favoring mixed-use configurations that integrate residential and commercial functions.

The General Plan Land Use Element has a 20‑year planning horizon and was most recently updated by the City in 2011. As shown in Figure 3-4 and Figure 3-5, land use designations in the General Plan reflect: the predominance of Single Family residential areas (51%); followed by Medium to High Density Residential (16%); Parks and Open Space (11%); Commercial and Office (9%); Institutional including public schools (9%); Goleta Slough Natural Reserve and Shoreline (4%); and Industrial (1%).

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Figure 3-4. City of Santa Barbara Land Use Distribution Source: City of Santa Barbara 2011 General Plan - Land Use Element (City of Santa Barbara, 2011)
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Figure 3-5. City of Santa Barbara General Plan Map for Inland Areas Source: City of Santa Barbara Reference Maps (City of Santa Barbara , 2017) City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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4 Water Use Characterization
This section describes and quantifies the City’s past, current, and future water use through 2050. The City provides potable water to all its customers, which are comprised of about 87% residential and 13% commercial accounts.

IN THIS S ECTION
• Past, Current, and Projected
Water Use by Sector
• Demand Projection Uncertainty
• Water Use for Lower Income
Households
• Climate Change Considerations
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4.1 Non-Potable Versus Potable Water Use
Total water use within the City’s service area consists of potable water and non-potable water demand. In FY2025, recycled water comprised 10% of the City’s water use, while potable water encompassed the remaining 90%. The City’s recycled water demand includes landscape irrigation and process water used at the City’s El Estero WRC. The City’s potable demand includes residential, landscape irrigation, industrial, commercial, and sales to other agencies.

4.2 Past, Current, and Projected Water Use by Sector
The following sections describe the City’s past, current, and project water use by sector, as defined by the Water Code.

In accordance with Water Code Section 10631(d), urban retail water suppliers are required to categorize water usage by sector. The City identifies its water use sectors as defined in the statute, which include the following:
• Single Family
• Multi Family
• Commercial
• Industrial
• Landscape Irrigation
• Sales to other agencies
There are no identified water use sectors in the City’s service area in addition to those listed in the Water Code.

4.2.1 Historical Water Use
Figure 4-1 shows the City’s water demand history. Produced water is used as the traditional indicator of demand since water is produced to meet the demand. The City tracks total water demand based on production to the potable water and recycled water distribution systems. The combined total is referred to as “system” demand. Figure 4-1 illustrates the response to severe drought in the late 1980s and early 1990s and the partial recovery of demand once drastic conservation measures were no longer needed. Outside of the economic demand drivers of the 2008 recession, variations from 1998 through 2012 are primarily the result of year-to-year variations in weather. Beginning in 2013, the dramatic drop in demand indicates the response to the most recent drought, officially declared by the City in 2014. As shown, demands have partially recovered following the 2014-2019 drought.

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Figure 4-1. Historic System Demand
Note: Total water demand (dark blue) is quantified as production to the potable water and recycled water distribution systems.

4.2.2 Distribution System Water Losses
The City, like all water agencies, does have some water loss. In simple terms, water loss is the difference between the amount of water produced and the amount of water billed to customers.

The City has been conducting annual water audits of the water distribution system since 2010 using the approach described in the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Manual M36 – Water Audits and Loss Control Programs (AWWA, 2026). The purpose of the audit is to quantify the City’s real losses (water physically lost from the system through leaks, breaks, theft, and other means), as well as apparent losses (water lost through meter under registration and data handling errors). In addition to conducting annual water loss audits, beginning in 2017, the City has worked with a third-party validator to complete a level 1 validation of each water audit, as required by SB 555. This ensures the data used to compile the audits are as accurate as possible and helps to identify areas where data collection and quality could be improved.

In response to increased water main breaks in the late 1980s, the City Council created an annual Water Main Improvement Program and established a goal of annually replacing 1%, or 0 2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
1976197819801982198419861988199019921994199619982000200220042006200820102012201420162018202020222024 Demand (AFY)
Drought Periods Recession Demand (AFY)
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approximately 3 miles, of the City’s water mains. This goal was an integral part of the Water Capital Improvement Program for over 30 years. In June 2018, the City Council approved increasing the annual replacement goal to 2%, or approximately 6 miles, of the water mains.

This more aggressive replacement goal targets the distribution system’s cast iron mains, which were installed between 1900 and 1950, make up 44% of the City’s distribution system, and have an average life span of 77 years. Doubling the replacement goal will reduce the number of water main breaks, which will reduce the City’s real water losses.

To address water lost during annual maintenance activities, the City invested in a Neutral Output Discharge Elimination System (NO-DES) truck to flush water distribution pipelines.

Before the NO-DES truck was in use, the City would have to perform this annual distribution system maintenance work by flushing water from fire hydrants to storm drains. With NO-DES technology, the City can now flush distribution lines by connecting two fire hydrants to a filtration truck that flushes, recirculates, and filters the water before returning it back to the distribution system.

The City has invested in multiple capital projects to manage system losses. The City launched a comprehensive Meter Replacement Program in 2014 with goals to target and replace all 1ʺ, 3/4ʺ, and 5/8ʺ meters (approximately 25,500 meters) with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)-compatible meters. To date, this work is essentially complete, with only a few of these smaller meters left to replace. In addition, all but 100 of 2,000 meters sized 1½ʺ and larger have been replaced with AMI-compatible meters that more accurately register lower flows.

The City Council approved an AMI pilot project in November 2018, and subsequently a contract for full implementation in August 2021. The AMI system is fully deployed to all City water customers as of spring 2024. The detailed consumption data provided by AMI offers potential to improve the identification of meter inaccuracies and distribution system leaks, ultimately supporting more effective management of both apparent and real water losses. As the City’s AMI data analytics capabilities are further developed, the City will continue to explore these and other potential applications to strengthen system efficiency and water loss management.

Appendix E contains the FY2021 to FY2025 reporting worksheets, and water losses are summarized in Table 4-1. The table shows total water losses (real and apparent loss) range from 35.5 to 14.0 gallons per service connection per day (gpscd) between FY2021 and FY2025.

The City’s FY2025 Water Loss Audit shows the City’s total water losses were 14 gpscd, and real water losses were 10.1 gpscd, which is below the City’s real water loss standard of 28.8 gpscd.

As of report writing, the City is currently undergoing an effort to create a Water Loss Control Strategic Plan to increase the City’s confidence in its water loss calculations, ensure legislative targets are met, and direct strategic and cost-effect water loss control efforts. The City anticipates the plan will be completed by the end of Fiscal Year 2026.

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Table 4-1. Annual Total Water Losses (Real and Apparent Loss) FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025
Total Water Loss, AFY 1,148 747 796 1,041 411
Total Water Loss, gpscd 35.5 23.0 26.9 35.3 14.0
Note: Reported losses for years FY2021-FY2025 based on water loss audits.

4.2.3 Current and Projected Water Use
The following sections describe the City’s projected water demand from customer sales and other water uses, including water loss. A discussion of projected water demand from lowincome households also follows.

The City’s demand projections were prepared to accomplish the following:
• Incorporate updated historical and projected population and commercial growth rates • Evaluate current and future conservation measures using a set of applicable criteria • Quantify the costs and water savings of the conservation measures The City’s guiding document to meet future conservation goals and implement demand management measures is its Water Conservation Strategic Plan (Maddaus Water Management, 2026). The Plan was updated in conjunction with this UWMP and is included in 0. The City’s baseline water demand projection was developed as part of the Water Conservation Strategic Plan, with the most significant assumptions impacting future demand summarized below:
• Baseline customer water use estimated from 2021 to 2024 average water use • Population growth projections from the Regional Growth Forecast 2050 Santa Barbara County (Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, 2019) • 2023 Housing Element quantified objectives of 3,083 new units to be constructed between 2023 and 2035, including 162 new multi-family units, 78 accessory dwelling units, and 2 single-family units per year from 2025 to 2035 (City of Santa Barbara, 2023) • Employment projections from California Employment Development Department for the Santa Maria–Santa Barbara Metropolitan Statistical Area • Distribution water losses align with the City’s water loss standard in gallons per service connection per day and grow with the growth in service connections. • Estimated water savings from the plumbing code
• The City’s existing Water Conservation Program B and plumbing code implementation, with some additional measures
Table 4-2 shows the current and projected baseline demand for the City’s water system at fiveyear intervals. These include metered sales by customer class, sales, and system losses.

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Table 4-2. Baseline Water Demand and Total Water Use – Current and Projected (AFY) Use Type 20251 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Single Family 3,764 3,569 3,440 3,336 3,281 3,233
Multi-Family 2,536 2,558 2,644 2,755 2,775 2,805
Commercial, Institutional,
Governmental 2,007 2,087 2,201 2,243 2,294 2,349
Irrigation 547 536 533 532 529 527
Water Loss2,3 411 1,067 1,080 1,089 1,094 1,100
Unbilled Authorized
Consumption3
131 132 133 135 135 136
Total Customer Demand 9,396 9,949 10,031 10,088 10,107 10,150 Recycled Water 1,024 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020
Total City Service Area
Demand 10,420 10,969 11,051 11,108 11,127 11,169
Sales4 1,379 1,430 1,430 1,430 1,430 1,430
Total Demand 11,799 12,399 12,481 12,538 12,557 12,600
Notes:

1. 2025 is actual water use. 2030-2050 are projected water use.

2. Water Loss includes both real and apparent loss. 2025 reflects actual losses. Out years are projected based on FY21-24 averages.

3. Together, Water Loss and Unbilled Authorized Consumption account for total non-revenue water. The 2025 volume represents the calculation methodology used in the FY24-25 water loss audit and does not include Cater treatment plant process water. Out years are projected based on FY21-24 averages.

4. Sales include the City’s Water Sales Agreement with Montecito Water District.

4.2.3.1 Water Use Reduction Plan
The City has been a leader in water conservation since the late 1980s. The City’s Water Conservation Program has been successful in reducing the use of potable water supplies, achieving compliance with State and federal conservation requirements, and creating a water efficiency ethic in the Santa Barbara community. The City’s long-term commitment to water conservation is evident in reductions in water demand achieved over the past 30 years. As City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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shown in Figure 4-2, the City’s customer potable demand has dropped from approximately 16,600 AFY in the late 1980s to approximately 9,400 AFY in 2025 despite population growth.

Figure 4-2. Historic Population, Production, and Rainfall Note: Production corresponds to the City customer potable demand.

The Conservation Program allows the City to implement water conservation measures in line with current conditions and proposed future regulations. The Conservation Program considers best management practices (BMP) consistent with best practices in the industry and the Water Conservation Act of 2009 (SB X7-7, which requires urban water agencies to collectively reduce statewide per capita water use by 20% before December 31, 2020). SB 606 and AB 1668 were enacted in 2018, following the most recent statewide drought. These bills are intended to implement “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life” legislation to better prepare the State for droughts and climate change through the establishment of individualized efficiency goals for each urban water supplier. The “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life” Regulation became effective January 1, 2025, and requires urban water suppliers to calculate its urban water use objective (UWUO) and demonstrate compliance with the UWUO beginning January 1, 2027. The UWUO includes the following:
• An indoor per-person water use goal of 55 gallons per day until 2025, 47 gallons from 2025 to 2030, and 42 gallons beginning in 2030.

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• A standard for residential outdoor and dedicated irrigation meter water use based on climate and landscaped area of the urban water provider. The landscape efficiency factor used to calculate the residential outdoor water budget is 0.8 through 2035, reduces to 0.63 from 2035 to 2040, and is 0.55 beginning 2040. The landscape efficiency factor used to calculate the dedicated irrigation meter water budget are 0.8 from 2028 to 2035, 0.63 from 2035 to 2040, and 0.45 in 2040 and beyond. • Supplier-specific water distribution system water loss standard. The City’s water loss standard is 28.8 gallons per service connection per day (gpscd) for real water losses and

4.6 gpscd for apparent losses.

The “Making Conservation a California a Way of Life” regulation went into effect on January 1, 2025. Pursuant to the regulation, urban water suppliers are required to submit a reporting form to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) by January 1 of each year. The City has met its calculated objective for the FY23-24 and FY24–25 reporting years and, based on current and projected demands, is expected to continue to meet its calculated objective with continued conservation measures.

The City analyzed and updated its existing conservation program as part of its Water Conservation Strategic Plan update, provided in 0. The analysis includes modeling current and potential water conservation measures by quantifying demand reduction effects of conservation measures along with the effects of plumbing codes and appliance standards.

4.2.3.2 Estimating Water Savings from Codes, Ordinances, and Land Use Plans
The City’s demand projections include the impact of plumbing code changes arising from the Federal Energy Policy Acts of 1992 and 2005 and State legislation relating to plumbing fixtures.

Recent State legislation, such as Assembly Bill (AB) 715, updated California Code of Regulations Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Regulations adopted by the California Energy Commission on September 1, 2015. This State legislation further increased the efficiency requirements for all toilets, showerheads, urinals, and faucets sold in the State. In addition, the State of California addresses plumbing fixture efficiency through building codes such as the California Green Building Standards Code (CAL Green), which first took effect in 2011. CAL Green updates every three years. The most recent effective version is 2022 CAL Green, which was adopted in January 2023. All of the water savings associated with these pieces of legislation are included in the water conservation and demand modeling shown in Table 4-2.

4.2.3.3 Demand Projection Uncertainties
There are uncertainties associated with demand projections in general. The City considered a range of potential future demand scenarios, presented together as a “demand envelope”. The demand envelope includes seven scenarios in which various factors have the potential to put upward or downward pressure on the City’s future water demand are analyzed. The demand envelope can be thought of as a range of plausible water demand futures that may materialize depending on which pressures occur and influence water demand. For example, higher City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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population growth would put an upward pressure on water demand, causing demands to increase, while slower population growth would put downward pressure on future water demand, causing demands to decrease. While the scenarios attempt to analyze the effect of specific demand pressures, often several pressures influence actual water demands simultaneously. Each future demand scenario is a function of the baseline demand projection and includes at least one change to assumptions about the underlying demand pressures. The scenarios are described below and shown in Figure 4-3:

1. Higher population growth

2. Slower population growth

3. Faster job growth

4. Slower job growth

5. Demand creep

6. Climate change impact

7. Rate Impacts
Figure 4-3. Demand Scenarios
Note: Demand scenarios include total customer potable demand, excluding recycled water demand and sales to other agencies.

Faster Housing Growth Scenario
The housing growth assumption for baseline demands is from the City’s Housing Element, which states that approximately 3,001 housing units could be built from 2025-2035. This housing goal is estimated as most likely based on the needs, resources, and constraints for new Fast Housing
Growth
Slow Housing
Growth
Fast Job Growth
Slow Job Growth
Demand Creep
Climate Change
Rate Impact
Baseline Demand
8,000
9,000
10,000
11,000
12,000
13,000
14,000
15,000
AFY
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housing in the City. The most recent update to the State’s long-term housing goals, known as Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), for the City was part of the 6th Cycle Housing Element, and includes 8,001 total units from 2023 to 2031. This is a significant increase in new units from previous housing goals, and the State acknowledges that total housing needs identified through the RHNA process may exceed available resources and the community’s ability to satisfy this need.

The faster housing growth demand scenario includes higher population and housing growth assuming the City were to meet their projected RHNA goals of 8,001 new units from 2023 to 2035. This scenario includes 689 new housing units per year from 2025 to 2035 compared to the 242 new units per year included in the Baseline Demand scenario, resulting in an approximately 6% demand increase compared to the baseline demand by 2050.

Slow Housing Growth Scenario
The slower population growth scenario assumes external factors slow growth in the City, and the Housing Element goals are extended through 2050 instead of being completed by 2035.

This results in 107 new units per year from 2025-2050 compared to the 242 new units included in the Baseline Projection. This scenario results in a 1% lower demand compared to the baseline by 2050.

Fast Job Growth Scenario
The City’s employment growth will directly impact water demand. To consider a scenario in which the City experiences fast job growth, a 20% increase is applied to the Baseline Projection commercial population, resulting in a 5% increase in demand by 2050.

Slower Job Growth Scenario
On the other hand, the City may experience slower job growth over the planning period. To consider this scenario, a 20% decrease is applied to the Baseline Projection commercial users, resulting in a 5% decrease in demand by 2050.

Demand Creep Scenario
Since 2021, the City’s water use has declined due to conservation efforts and public messaging during the dry years of 2021–2022, followed by wetter conditions from 2023 to 2025 that reduced outdoor water demand. The “demand creep” scenario anticipates a gradual increase in per capita water use, reflecting a return to more typical water year (WY) conditions. Under this scenario, baseline water demand is projected to rise steadily, reaching 110% of 2021 demand levels by 2030. This scenario recognizes that several plausible demand pressures could increase demand at the same time, such as customer consumption that outpaces conservation, fast job growth, increased tourism, and hotter temperatures. The demand creep scenario is the upper bound of the demand envelope, with 38% more water demand than baseline by 2050.

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Climate Change
This demand projection applies changes in projected temperature for Santa Barbara developed by Cal Adapt, which is based on analysis in California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment (California Governor's Office of Planning and Research, 2018). Temperature projections used are based on an average of 10 climate models and use the high emission representative concentration pathway 8.5, which assumes “business as usual.” Under this scenario, emissions continue to rise strongly through 2050 and plateau around 2100. This results in a projected temperature increase of 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit from 2025 through 2050 for Santa Barabara.

Under hotter and drier conditions due to climate change, water needed for outdoor irrigation will increase to maintain healthy plants, evaporative losses will increase, and water use for commercial and industrial cooling is expected to rise. This climate change demand scenario increases outdoor demand by 5% from the baseline for every degree Fahrenheit of temperature rise through the planning period using the simple adjustment factor method described in the AWWA guidebook Incorporating Climate Change Impacts into Demand Forecasting (Carollo, 2025). Incorporating projected climate driven impacts results in a 3% increase in water demand through 2050.

Rate Impacts
The City completed a Water Rate Study in 2024 to update water rates through FY28 to meet revenue requirements and cost of water service. The adopted water rates from the rate study include a 10.5% annual increase for 2025 and 2026, and a 10% increase in 2027 and 2028 (HDR, 2024). Water rate increases can lead to reduced customer water use. A literature review of 189 major California utilities evaluated price elasticity of water demand and found price elasticities ranging from -0.2 to -0.51, indicating that a 10% increase in price typically corresponds to a 2.0% to 5.1% reduction in water use (Juhee Lee, 2024). The price elasticity of water is heavily influenced by the agency and rate structure. The City of Santa Barbara is a leader in water use efficiency and conservation in California and should expect price elasticity on the lower range.

From FY24 to FY25 the City implemented the first 10.5% water rate increase and water demand dropped by 1.8%. This results in a -0.17 price elasticity rate if the demand reduction was due only to the rate increase. However, it is likely that the demand reduction from FY24 to FY25 is influenced by the change in water rates, weather, and other external factors, such as the economy.

The City of Santa Cruz evaluated price elasticity following water rate increases in 2018 and found it had a price elasticity of -0.11 (M. Cubed, 2019). Because the City of Santa Barbara and the City of Santa Cruz are both mid-sized coastal California cities with significant investment in long-term water use efficiency and conservation, it was assumed that the -0.11 price elasticity is representative for the City of Santa Barbara as well. A -0.11 price elasticity indicates that for every 1% increase in water rates, water demand is expected to decrease by 0.11%.

To develop the rate impact demand scenario, the adopted annual rate increases were applied through 2028 and are assumed to ramp down to a 5% annual increase from 2028 through 2050.

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The assumed elasticity factor of -0.11 was applied to the projected water rate increases to calculate demand from 2025–2050 for the rate impact scenario. This results in a total decrease in demand of 13.9% by 2050. This scenario should be considered conservative as it likely overpredicts demand decreases in out years; there would likely be demand hardening as customers adapt to higher water rates and implement water efficiency measures.

Uncertainties Analysis
To better understand the demand projection uncertainties, the City defined a demand projection envelope (Figure 4-4) by adjusting the key variables described above, including population, employment, demand creep, climate change, and rate impacts. The upper bound of the demand envelope is the demand creep scenario. The lower bound of the demand envelope combines the two demand scenarios that cause demand to decrease the most, water rate impacts and slower job growth.

Figure 4-4. Actual Water Production and Demand Projection Envelope Note: City customer potable water demand shown, recycled water demand and sales to Montecito Water District.

Based on the City’s demand envelope analysis, housing growth projections, climate change, and employment (commercial, industrial, and institutional) projections have a low impact on demand in 2050, water rate increases have a moderate impact on demand, and demand creep assumptions have a large impact.

Lower Bound Demand
Actual Water Production
Upper Bound Demand
Baseline Demand
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
11,000
12,000
13,000
14,000
15,000
16,000
AFY
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The low impact from housing growth assumptions (approximately 6,200 new units is equivalent to a 1% increase in population) is because most new residents are assumed to be housed in multifamily units or accessory dwelling units, which have a relatively low per capita water use.

Employment projections have a low impact (roughly 5% change with a 20% change in employment), attributed to increased commercial and industrial activity, such as at hotels and restaurants, and the associated water use.

The rate impact scenario results in a moderate impact (roughly a 14% decrease in water demand by 2050). This is due to the cumulative impacts of rate increases every year. However, this scenario is conservative, likely over-predicting demand reductions in out years, and it is reasonable to assume that price elasticity would decline over time with demand hardening.

The variable with the largest demand projection impact (roughly a 38% increase) is the water use of existing customers and the extent to which customer water use patterns change over time or creep back to previous patterns. The assumption represents a difference of roughly 1,000 AFY by 2030 and 3,900 AFY by 2050. This scenario highlights the importance of the City’s conservation program and demand management measures, which have influenced a culture of water efficiency within the City, discussed in Chapter 9.

The baseline demand projections in Table 4-2 represent the most plausible future demand projection and were used in this plan and the City’s updated Water Conservation Strategic Plan.

The demand envelope analysis allows the City to track its demand moving forward and understand trends as they unfold within the demand envelope. The UWMP baseline demand projections account for existing and future requirements set by SB 606 and AB 1668, the “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life” Regulation.

4.2.4 Characteristic Five-Year Water Use
In addition to past and projected uses, the UWMP more closely analyzes anticipated conditions for the next five years (2026 – 2030) as part of a drought risk assessment (DRA) (see Section

7.2). The demand projection over the next five years is shown in Table 4-3, and anticipates a relatively stable demand. The demands are reported without drought conditions (also known as unconstrained demand), so they do not account for potential water shortage measures that the City could enact if an extended drought emerges from recent dry WYs.

Table 4-3. Projected Five Year Water Demand (AFY)
Year FY26 FY27 FY28 FY29 FY30
Demand 12,307 12,317 12,339 12,366 12,399
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4.3 Water Use for Lower Income Households
Table 4-4 projects water needed to serve lower income households, defined as those earning less than 80% of area median income, adjusted for family size. Based on the 2024 American Community Survey, an estimated 15.2% of the City’s total population is classified as low income, and this group is assumed to fall within the multi-family water use category (U.S.

Census Bureau, 2024). Lower‑income demand was calculated by applying the proportion of multi‑family residents estimated to be low‑income (approximately 30.7%) to the projected multi‑family water demand from 2025 through 2050. These demands are included in the overall water demand projections in Table 4-2.

Table 4-4. Existing and Projected Water Demand for Lower Income Households (AFY) Year 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Lower Income
Household Demand 780 800 820 850 850 860
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5 SB X7-7 2020 Compliance
This section describes the City’s compliance in 2020 with SB X7-

7. IN THIS S ECTION
• SBX7-7 Compliance
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5.1 2020 Target Compliance
SB 7 of Special Extended Session 7 (SB X7-7) was incorporated into the UWMP Act in 2009 and requires that all water suppliers increase water use efficiency with the overall goal to decrease per-capita water consumption within the state by 20% by the year 2020. SB X7-7 required water suppliers to calculate their actual 2020 gross water use to determine whether they had met their 2020 target. Ongoing compliance with the targets set by SB X7-7 is still required as part of the UWMP Act.

As described in the City’s 2020 UWMP, the City’s 2020 target was 117 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) or less. The City achieved an actual per capita water in 2020 of 92 gpcd, below the 2020 target as shown in Table 5-1.

Additionally, the State’s “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life” legislation uses the 2020 target as a backstop for calculating the Urban Water Use Objective (UWUO), described in Section 4.2.3.1. The City’s 2020 target is lower than its calculated UWUO, with a calculated UWUO plus excluded water demand of 13,970 AF compared to the SB X7-7 target of 12,933 AF as reported in the City’s FY2024 Annual UWUO and Water Use Report, resulting in a capped UWUO that aligns with the 2020 target (City of Santa Barbara, 2025).

Table 5-1. SB X7-7 2020 Target and Compliance
2020 TARGET
(GPCD)
ACTUAL 2020 WATER USE
(GPCD)

DID SUPPLIER ACHIEVE

TARGETED REDUCTION FOR
2020?
117 92 Yes
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6 Water Supply Characterization
This section describes and quantifies the City’s current and projected potable and non-potable water supplies. It provides a narrative description of each supply source and quantifies the supply availability for each supply source.

IN THIS S ECTION
• Water Supply Overview
• Water Supply Characterization
• Energy Intensity
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6.1 Water Supply Overview
The City has invested over several decades to develop a diverse water supply portfolio, which includes the following sources:
• Cachuma Project
• Gibraltar Reservoir
• Devil’s Canyon Creek
• Mission Tunnel
• SWP
• Groundwater
• Desalination
• Recycled Water
A summary of each water source is provided in this section.

6.2 Surface Water

6.2.1 Cachuma Project
Reclamation constructed Lake Cachuma and Bradbury Dam as part of the Cachuma Project in the early 1950s. Interim seismic retrofits were completed in 1996, and permanent repairs were deemed substantially complete in 2001. The federally owned and operated dam is located on the Santa Ynez River 25 miles northwest of Santa Barbara. The drainage area for the reservoir is 417 square miles (including the Gibraltar Reservoir drainage area).

Lake Cachuma
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Lake Cachuma originally had a storage capacity of 205,000 AF at an elevation of 750.0 feet (NGVD 29 datum) in 1952. In a 2013 bathymetric survey, the storage capacity at an elevation of 750.0 feet was 184,121 AF, indicating about 21,000 AF of storage loss due to sedimentation (Wallace Group, 2014). Gate extensions (flashboards) on the Bradbury Dam spillway gates were installed in April 2004, which raised the maximum elevation to 753.0 feet and increased the storage to 193,305 AF. However, the additional storage is dedicated for water used for fish habitat and does not increase storage for water supply purposes.

The Cachuma Project was completed in 1956 and is currently operated at a total annual supply yield of 25,714 AFY in non-drought periods for the advantage of the five water agencies benefiting from project water. These agencies — referred to collectively as the Cachuma Member Units — are the City of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria Valley Water District, Goleta Water District, Montecito Water District, and Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1. The City’s current share of the annual yield is 32.19%, or 8,277 AFY, in normal years. The City’s historic percent allocations of Lake Cachuma are shown in Table 6-1. Water is conveyed from Lake Cachuma through the Santa Ynez Mountains to the South Coast via the 6.4-mile Tecolote Tunnel, through the 24.3-mile South Coast Conduit, and to three regulating reservoirs.

Table 6-1. Historical Cachuma Allocation for the City of Santa Barbara Water Year Allocation1(%)
2014 55%
2015 0%
2016 0%
2017 0%, 40%
2018 40%
2019 20%, 100%
2020 100%
2021 100%
2022 0%, 70%
2023 100%
2024 100%
2025 100%
Note:

1. Allocations are expressed as a percentage of each agency’s contract entitlement (8,277 AFY for the City). Allocations are set based on reservoir storage/hydrology and project operating criteria and may be revised during the water year as conditions change.

Where two percentages are shown, they represent the initial allocation and the subsequently updated (final) allocation for that water year.

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Cachuma Project Master Contract
Reclamation operates the Cachuma Project pursuant to a water rights permit issued by the SWRCB. Project water, or that portion of the water stored in Lake Cachuma that has been allocated to Cachuma Member Units for water supply purposes, is administered via the Cachuma Master Contract between the Reclamation and the Santa Barbara County Water Agency. In this capacity, the Santa Barbara County Water Agency (SBCWA) acts on behalf of the Cachuma Member Units.

The Cachuma Master Contract was last renewed in 1996 for a 25-year term. Renewal discussions started again in 2017, and in September 2020, Reclamation extended the contract through September 2023, delaying execution of another long-term Master Contract. On September 24, 2020, the Santa Barbara County Public Works Director executed the First Amendment to the City’s Cachuma Member Unit Agreement with SBCWA, ensuring continued water deliveries from the Cachuma Project to the City. This agreement mirrors the terms and conditions of the three-year extension in the Master Contract. In 2023, a subsequent short-term extension was adopted, delaying progress on a long-term Master Contract once again. The Second Amendment now extends the agreement through September 30, 2026.

Cachuma Project Carryover Water Storage
Carryover water is annually allocated Cachuma water that has not been used by a Cachuma Member Unit in the year it was allocated. Historically, Cachuma Member Units have been allowed to bank carryover water in Lake Cachuma until the carryover water is used or until the Bradbury Dam spills, which then erases all banked carryover water. The City is also pursuing the ability to store non-project water in the lake, specifically Gibraltar Reservoir pass-through water (see Section 6.2.2). The lake is the City’s largest storage option, and Cachuma carryover water is essential to the City’s long-term water supply planning. The City’s water supplies have been developed around the planned use and storage of Cachuma carryover water. Cachuma carryover water provides an incentive for community conservation, operation of desalination and recycled water systems, and the development of new supplies, such as potable reuse.

Cachuma Project State Water Rights Order
The first water right permit for the Cachuma Project was issued in 1958. On September 17, 2019, the SWRCB adopted an order for a new water rights permit for the Cachuma Project. The current permit is the culmination of nearly 20 years of legal proceedings to protect water rights holders and address long-term declines in native Southern California steelhead populations in the Lower Santa Ynez River (downstream of Bradbury Dam). The new order will result in higher downstream flows during wet years, which will reduce available storage in the Cachuma Reservoir going into normal and dry years, and reduce the supplies available to Cachuma Member Units, including the City.

Cachuma Project Biological Opinion
In 2000, a Biological Opinion (BO) was issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for the Reclamation’s operation and maintenance of Bradbury Dam (the Cachuma Project).

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NMFS is the agency that oversees protection of Southern California steelhead, which was listed as endangered in 1997. The BO addresses the effects of the proposed Cachuma Project operations on steelhead and its designated critical habitat in accordance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

In 2013, the Reclamation, with support from the CCRB, developed a Biological Assessment (BA) that included proposed revisions to the project operations to improve habitat conditions for steelhead trout while still maintaining water supplies. In 2014, the NMFS formally initiated a reconsultation of the BO, for which the BA served as a basis document. NMFS issued a draft BO in 2016 based on this BA. Reclamation did not agree with certain provisions in the draft and submitted a new proposed operating plan and supporting BA in 2019 that incorporates operating requirements from the 2019 Water Rights Order.

CCRB, of which the City is a member along with Montecito and Goleta Water Districts, is currently assisting Reclamation in responding to NMFS’s feedback and requests for additional information regarding the revised BA. Once finalized, NMFS will use this BA to produce a new BO that governs Cachuma Project operations. The desired outcome is a non-jeopardy opinion for steelhead by NMFS. Similar to the State water rights decision, a revised BO is important because it will affect Cachuma Project operations and the amount of water available for water supply purposes.

6.2.2 Gibraltar Reservoir
The City has pre-1914 water rights to divert water from the Santa Ynez River. Gibraltar Dam, which is City owned and operated, is located on the Santa Ynez River, about eight miles north of Santa Barbara and upstream of where Lake Cachuma was subsequently constructed.

Construction of Gibraltar Dam was completed in 1920. The dam formed Gibraltar Reservoir, which had an initial storage capacity of 15,793 AF.

From the beginning, siltation in Gibraltar has been an issue, particularly following wildfires. In 1948, siltation had reduced the reservoir’s volume by about half, and the dam was raised 23 feet to its current height of 1,400 feet above sea level. Prior to the 2007 Zaca Fire, which burned 60% of the 216-square-mile Gibraltar watershed, the reservoir’s volume was 6,786 AF. The additional sediment load resulting from the 2007 Zaca Fire reduced the reservoir’s storage capacity by 1,535 AF. The 2016 Rey Fire also burned within the Gibraltar watershed, which resulted in an additional loss of 303 AF. Bathymetric surveys performed on the reservoir since 2017 demonstrate that Gibraltar has suffered an overall reduction of 2,336 AF in storage capacity over the past eight years, leaving the reservoir with a current storage capacity of 4,559 AF (City of Santa Barbara, 2025). Per the LTWSP RiverWare model simulation (1942–2019), the current reliable supply during normal conditions for Gibraltar Reservoir is 3,510 AFY.

Gibraltar Reservoir
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In 1989, the City entered into
the Upper Santa Ynez River
Operations Agreement (PassThrough Agreement) with
other Santa Ynez River water
agencies. The City agreed to
defer its planned enlargement
of the Gibraltar Reservoir in
exchange for provisions that
would allow the City to “pass
through” a portion of its
Gibraltar water to Lake
Cachuma for storage and
delivery through Cachuma
Project facilities. Due to the
impact of the Zaca Fire on the
Gibraltar Reservoir, the City
elected to commence this
phase of operations and is
working with the Reclamation
to negotiate a “Warren Act”
contract as the preferred
approach of accounting for the
City’s pass-through water.

To execute a Warren Act contract, the Reclamation must prepare an environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act. The Reclamation released a draft environmental assessment that has gone through public review. The final environmental assessment has yet to be released by the Reclamation. Staff worked with the Reclamation in 2019 to review and negotiate draft Warren Act contract language. Staff continues to wait for a response from the Reclamation regarding outstanding environmental assessment issues. Reclamation has indicated that they are unlikely to finalize the Warren Act Contract until a new BO is issued by NMFS. The pass-through operations will allow the City to maximize its Gibraltar water rights, while the reservoir continues to lose capacity from sediment settling in the reservoir.

Water from Gibraltar Reservoir is conveyed to the Cater Water Treatment Plant (WTP) for treatment via Mission Tunnel, which is described in Section 6.2.4. Water quality is affected by turbidity during high-flow periods in the Santa Ynez River, which temporarily interrupts diversions. In addition, as described for Cachuma Project supplies above, the Zaca Fire (2007), Rey Fire (2016), and Thomas Fire (2017) temporarily caused increased total organic carbon loading in Gibraltar water following the wildfire events.

Source: Mike Eliason from Santa Barbara County Fire
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6.2.3 Devil’s Canyon Creek
The City has pre-1914 water rights to divert water from Devil’s Canyon Creek and maintains a small diversion works on Devil’s Canyon Creek below Gibraltar Dam, which diverts water from Devil’s Canyon Creek into Mission Tunnel. From 1976 to 2025, the annual yield ranged from 0 AFY to 557 AFY and averaged 123 AFY. Devil’s Canyon runs dry during periods of low precipitation. Water, when available, is diverted to help improve the quality of Gibraltar’s water, as it flows into Mission Tunnel. Diverted water is counted as a part of allowable diversions under the Pass-Through Agreement.

6.2.4 Mission Tunnel
Mission Tunnel conveys
water from Gibraltar
Reservoir through the Santa
Ynez Mountains to the City.

The tunnel construction was
originally completed in 1910,
and rehabilitation work was
completed in 1994. The
tunnel is 3.7 miles long from
the North Portal (located
approximately 1,700 feet
downstream of Gibraltar
Dam) to the South Portal
(located along Mission
Creek, approximately 3 miles
north of downtown Santa
Barbara). Infiltration into the tunnel from watersheds on both sides of the mountains contributes to the City’s water supply. Water supplies from infiltration to Mission Tunnel have varied from a low of 500 AFY in 1951 to a high of 2,063 AFY in 1979, with an average annual yield of 1,125 AFY based on analysis in the EIR for the Cachuma Project water rights hearings (Impact Sciences, Inc., 2012).

For the 2025 UWMP, Mission Tunnel’s average supply yield was estimated as 942 AF using a risk‑adjusted projection from the 2021 LTWSP (WSC, 2021). The projection applies a 20% reduction to the baseline average annual yield to reflect anticipated decreases in cumulative infiltration associated with climate‑driven factors. Examples of these climate factors include prolonged dry periods and more intense storm events that increase runoff and reduce infiltration.

Tunnel infiltration augments water conveyed from Gibraltar Reservoir and flows to the Cater WTP via the penstock hydroelectric facility and Lauro Reservoir.

Mission Tunnel
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6.3 State Water Project
In 1963, the Santa Barbara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District executed a water supply contract with the DWR for delivery of up to 57,700 AFY from the SWP. In 1979, a bond election for construction of in-County facilities to convey the water failed to be passed by the voters. As a result, the County sought financing through agreements with local water purveyors. The contracts with local water purveyors totaled 45,486 AFY. The difference between the initial water supply contract amount (57,700 AF) and the total contract amount from local water purveyors (45,486 AF), is referred to as Suspended Table A water (12,214 AF).

The State Water Contract defines the maximum amount each project contractor is entitled to request each year, which is referred to as the “Table A” amount. The City’s SWP Table A amount is 3,300 AFY, including a 10% drought buffer. The City has a share of the pipeline capacity equal to approximately that amount.

In 1991, the CCWA was formed to construct, manage, and operate Santa Barbara County’s local facilities for distribution and treatment of State water. Construction of the conveyance facilities was completed in 1997 and includes the 102-mile Coastal Branch of the California Aqueduct and the 42-mile Santa Ynez Extension ending at Lake Cachuma. From Lake Cachuma, State Water is conveyed through Tecolote Tunnel to the City’s Cater WTP (similar to the Cachuma Project water).

The State Water Contract with DWR was first executed in 1963 and was initially held by Santa Barbara County. In March 2021, the Santa Barbara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District approved extension of the contract from 2035 to through 2085. In August State Water Project
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2020, DWR and the SWP Contractors implemented the Water Management Amendments to the State Water Contract to improve water transfer flexibility. In June 2021, CCWA and its Member Agencies, including the City, filed a lawsuit regarding the State Water Contract. In September 2025, CCWA approved a settlement, which included the following key terms: the County assigns the State Water Contract to CCWA, the litigation is dismissed, settlement payments are made, and the County may re-acquire up to 1,700 AFY of Suspended Table A water if CCWA pursues a project to reclaim Suspended Table A water. The new contract with CCWA was approved by DWR on December 16, 2025.

6.2.6 SWP Projections
DWR prepares a biennial report to assist SWP contractors and local planners in assessing the availability of supplies from the SWP. In December of 2025, DWR issued its most recent update, the Draft 2025 DWR SWP Delivery Capability Report (DCR). In this update, DWR provides SWP supply estimates assuming existing SWP facilities for SWP contractors to use in their planning efforts, including their 2025 UWMPs. The 2025 DCR includes DWR’s estimates of SWP water supply availability under both existing (2025) and future (2045) conditions (DWR, 2025).

DWR’s estimates of SWP deliveries are based on a computer model that simulates monthly operations of the SWP and Central Valley Project systems. Key inputs to the model include the facilities included in the system, hydrologic inflows to the system, regulatory and operational constraints on system operations, and contractor demand for SWP water. In conducting its model studies, DWR must make assumptions regarding each of these key inputs.

For the 2025 DCR existing conditions model scenario, DWR applied the existing facilities, hydrologic inflows to the model based on 100 years of historical inflows (1922–2021), and current regulatory and operational constraints. The 2025 DCR incorporates recent regulatory restrictions including the 2018 Coordinated Operation Agreement Amendment, 2024 BOs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the NMFS, the 2024 Incidental Take Permit issues by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and contractor demand at maximum Table A Amounts. The long-term average allocation reported in the 2025 DCR for the existing conditions study provides an appropriate estimate of the SWP water supply availability under current conditions.

To evaluate SWP supply availability under future conditions, the 2025 DCR includes a model study representing hydrologic and sea-level rise conditions in 2043 for three future scenarios:
50th percentile, 75th percentile, and 90th percentile level of concern. Previous reports only included a single future central tendency scenario, which is generally compatible with the 50th percentile scenario. For the long-term planning purposes of this UWMP, the long-term average allocations reported for the future conditions study from 2025 DCR is the most appropriate estimate of future SWP water supply availability. Because the City uses the SWP as a backup supply source when other local supplies are limited, and to be consistent with previous City water resource planning documents, the 50th percentile level of concern scenario is used to estimate future SWP availability during a Normal Year. This scenario includes a projected City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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temperature increase of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, 1.5% wetter average precipitation, and 15 cm sea level rise in the Delta compared to current conditions (DWR, 2025).

As Table 6-2 shows, the City assumes a straight-line reduction in long-term average allocation from 54% in 2025 to 48% in 2045, based on the 2025 DCR existing and future conditions, respectively. The straight-line reduction is extrapolated to 47% in 2050. The City has confirmed with CCWA its intent to use these estimates for future planning, except as such projections may be modified for sensitivity analysis of future water supply reliability.

Table 6-2. Average Table A Deliveries
Drought Condition 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Table A Allocation (%) 54% 53% 51% 50% 48% 47%
Table A Yield 1,784 1,736 1,688 1,639 1,591 1,543
Note: Based on DWR’s 2025 SWP DCR, assuming a straight-line reduction in allocation from 2025 to 2050.

DWR’s 2025 DCR indicates that the modeled single dry year SWP water supply allocation is 2% under future conditions using 1977 hydrology. However, historically the lowest SWP allocation to the City was 5% in 2014, 2021, and 2022. DWR’s 2025 DCR projects that the lowest consecutive six-year period for the SWP system has an average allocation of 14%-15% under future conditions based on 1929 to 1933 hydrology. The SWP projections for a single dry year and multiple dry years provided by CCWA and based on DWR’s 2025 DCP are presented in Table 6-3.

Table 6-3. Table A Deliveries in Selected Drought Conditions Hydrologic Year Table A Allocation (%) Table A Allocation (AF) Single Dry Year
2015 5% 165
Multiple Dry Years
1929 15% 495
1930 15% 495
1931 15% 495
1932 15% 495
1933 14% 462
Note: Provided by CCWA and based on DWR’s 2025 SWP DCR (DWR, 2025).

6.3.7 Storage and Supplemental Water Purchases
The SWP pipeline provides the City with the ability to convey supplemental water to augment drought-year supplies. During the 2014-2019 drought, the City purchased supplemental water through the CCWA to supplement their supplies when local supplies (Cachuma and Gibraltar) were limited.

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SWP water and supplemental water are essential during a drought, but the City’s only existing option for storing SWP water is San Luis Reservoir, which is not preferable for long-term storage since the water is lost when the reservoir spills. Additionally, the use of San Luis Reservoir for carryover storage will be severely limited if the Delta Conveyance Project is implemented because of new operating regimes.

SWP water is prohibited from being stored in Lake Cachuma for more than 30 days under normal circumstances. However, the Reclamation granted temporary suspension of this rule during the 2014-2019 drought in response to unprecedented meager water allocations and low lake levels. Long-term reliability of the SWP continues to decline, especially in drought years.

The City continues to work with CCWA to identify preferred methods for increasing the certainty of SWP water and supplemental water during extended drought conditions.

6.4 Cater Water Treatment Plant
The City treats water from Lake Cachuma, Gibraltar Reservoir, Devil’s Canyon Creek, Mission Tunnel, and the SWP at the City’s regional Cater WTP, which has a capacity of 37 MGD. Cater WTP provides treated water to City customers and treated Lake Cachuma and SWP water allocated to Montecito Water District and Carpinteria Valley Water District.

Cater Water Treatment Plant
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The water treated at Cater WTP first passes through Lauro Reservoir, which is operated by the City. Water from Lake Cachuma via the Tecolote Tunnel, including SWP water, and water from Gibraltar Reservoir, Devil’s Canyon Creek, and Mission Tunnel mixes in Lauro Reservoir prior to treatment. Water from Gibraltar Reservoir, Devil’s Canyon Creek, and Mission Tunnel passes through the Gibraltar Hydroelectric Facility prior to entering Lauro Reservoir. In normal precipitation years when Gibraltar Reservoir is full, power generated at the hydroelectric facility can offset 100% of Cater WTP’s electricity needs.

The City is in the process of constructing a pump station and conveyance pipeline to pump desalination product water to the Cater WTP. The project will improve water supply reliability and resilience for the City and other water agencies in southern Santa Barbara County.

Water Quality
Lake Cachuma and Gibraltar Reservoir historically have had good water quality for drinking water purposes. However, the Zaca Fire (2007), White Fire (2013), Rey Fire (2016), Whittier Fire (2017), and Thomas Fire (2017) have collectively burned significant portions of the Gibraltar and Cachuma watersheds. These fires caused significant short-term impacts to water quality with increased total organic carbon (TOC) levels in Lake Cachuma and even more so in Gibraltar Reservoir. The residual long-term impacts of the fires included sustained elevated levels of TOC requiring enhanced treatment, increased solids production and disposal, and accelerated ongoing sedimentation in the reservoirs, reducing storage capacity. Elevated levels of TOC remained in Lake Cachuma and Gibraltar Reservoir for 16 years until the winter of 2022-2023 when the watersheds experienced 203% of normal rainfall, which filled the reservoirs, exchanging the volume of the reservoirs several times, and finally flushing out the lingering elevated TOC levels back to pre-Zaca Fire levels.

Following the Zaca Fire and stricter regulations on disinfectant by-products in the distribution system, the City installed an ozone pre-treatment system at Cater WTP. Ozone replaced the use of chlorine at the beginning of the treatment process, allowing for significant TOC reduction prior to the addition of chlorine at the end of the process for disinfection compliance. The City is also currently in design of a dedicated chlorine contract basin at the Cater WTP to ensure regulatory disinfection compliance, add storage capacity and redundancy, and allow for operational flexibility at the plant. Seismic upgrades to Cater’s existing 5 million gallon reservoir are included in the project, which should improve reliability and enhance resiliency for the distribution of treated water citywide.

COMB previously developed a Lake Cachuma Water Quality and Sediment Management Study in conjunction with agencies that manage, operate, and use the lake and its watershed for drinking water purposes, including the City. The study evaluated management actions, such as sampling, data collection and management, in-lake treatment and monitoring, erosion control, and watershed management for drinking water reservoirs. Some of the lessons learned from the study, such as enhanced data collection and management strategies and real-time nutrient monitoring, could be applied at Gibraltar Reservoir.

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6.5 Groundwater
The City actively implements conservation measures and sustainable management practices to maximize the efficient use of groundwater resources. The City pumps groundwater from two hydrogeologic basins: Foothill Basin and the Santa Barbara Basin, which includes Storage Unit I (Figure 6-1).

Under its a conjunctive use program, the City increases pumping of groundwater during periods of drought or emergency to replace diminished surface water supplies. During normal to wet years, the City reduces groundwater pumping and prioritizes available surface water supplies, allowing the hydrogeologic basins to recharge naturally. The City is also exploring the augmentation of natural recharge by injecting treated surface water into the Foothill Basin.

Moving forward, the City is considering limiting groundwater pumping to each basin’s sustainable yield to maximize available storage for use during extended drought conditions.

This section provides a description of each basin, along with the City’s groundwater management strategies.

Figure 6-1. Groundwater Basins and Well Locations
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6.5.1 Foothill Basin
The Foothill Basin, referred to as Basin No. 3-53 in DWR Bulletin 118, is an approximately 4.5- square-mile groundwater basin bounded by tertiary sedimentary rocks of the Santa Ynez Mountains to the north and northeast; the Goleta fault to the northwest; the Modoc, More Ranch, and Mesa faults to the southwest; and the Mission Ridge fault to the southeast. The lower boundary of the basin was formed by tertiary sedimentary rock. The principal aquifer of the basin is the Santa Barbara Formation. This formation is primarily composed of marine sand, silt, and clay and has a maximum thickness of approximately 400 feet. The entirety of the formation is overlain by alluvium, except where it crops out south of the Goleta fault (Freckleton, 1989).

Water quality in the Foothill Basin is relatively good, and only wellhead disinfection is required.

The primary pumpers of the basin include the City, which operates two municipal production wells in the basin, and La Cumbre Mutual Water Company, which pumps up to 300 AFY.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) developed a three-dimensional finite-difference model for the Foothill Basin in 1989 (Freckleton, 1989). The calibrated model estimated recharge was 905 AFY (438 AFY from stream recharge and 367 AFY from aerial recharge). The production from other pumpers in the basin was approximately 450 AFY, leaving about 450 AFY for the City. It is important to note that the 1989 USGS study result of 905 AFY was interpreted as the estimated recharge to the Foothill Basin in the 2015 UWMP, and did not define sustainable yield. The 1989 study noted significant limitations to the finite difference model, including imprecise conceptualization of the natural system, lack of precise data on pumping, recharge water levels, and aquifer hydraulic characteristics.

The USGS has since improved understanding of the Santa Barbara and Foothill Basins and developed a calibrated three-dimensional density-dependent groundwater flow-and-solute transport model that was documented in USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5059:

Santa Barbara and Foothill groundwater basins Geohydrology and optimal water resources management — Developed using density dependent solute transport and optimization models (Nishikawa, 2018). In the 2018 report, the USGS defined sustainable yield as the volume of groundwater that can be pumped from storage without causing water-level drawdowns at selected wells. As part of the 2018 USGS study, the USGS developed a multi-objective simulation-optimization model to derive optimal management strategies and estimate the maximum pumping rates. Groundwater modeling analyses performed in the USGS study estimated that the drought yield available to the City from Foothill Basin groundwater storage is 8,100 AF over a 10-year period (Nishikawa, 2018). However, the USGS did not identify a sustainable yield for the Foothill Basin.

From 2022 through 2024 the City collaborated with the USGS again to develop a sustainable yield for the basin, with a management goal to utilize groundwater resources while not depleting the basin. The updated study determines that the Foothill Basin annual sustainable yield is 572 AFY. The City shares the Foothill basin with Lincolnwood Mutual Water Company (LCMWC), which can pump up to 300 AFY. After accounting for LCMWC’s groundwater share, the City City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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could sustainably pump about 272 AFY from the Foothill Basin. The study also refines the sustainable pumping yield to 5,721 AF over 10 years (Stanko, Jachens, 2025). The estimated maximum pumping capacity for the City’s two production wells in Foothill Basin is 780 AF per year.

6.5.2 Storage Unit I
Storage Unit I and Storage Unit III (discussed subsequently) are recognized collectively by DWR as the Santa Barbara Basin (and are labeled Basin No. 3-17 in DWR’s Bulletin 118).

Storage Unit I underlies downtown Santa Barbara and covers approximately seven square miles. It is bounded to the northwest by the Mission Ridge fault; to the northeast by the Santa Ynez foothills at the Sycamore and Lagoon faults; to the southeast by the Mesa fault; to the east by the Montecito Groundwater Basin; and to the southeast by the Pacific Ocean (Martin, 1984).

The unconsolidated deposits range in thickness from less than 200 feet to more than 1,000 feet and have been divided into five zones, including the shallow zone, the upper producing zone, the middle zone, the lower producing zone, and the deep zone. The upper producing and lower producing zones are the main water-producing zones of the basin, with the lower producing zone being the major source of groundwater for wells located within the basin (Martin, 1984).

Groundwater at all of the City’s production wells in Storage Unit I requires treatment at the Ortega Groundwater Treatment Plant prior to use as potable water. The Ortega Groundwater Treatment Plant treats naturally occurring constituents, primarily sulfides, iron, and manganese.

The City is the only known major pumper in this basin, operating four municipal wells. The Vera Cruz well was the fifth operational well, but has been abandoned due to challenging water treatment requirements.

Corporation Yard Well in
Storage Unit I
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As with the Foothill Basin, the City increases pumping from Storage Unit I during periods of drought or emergency to replace diminished surface water supplies. During normal to wet years when surface water is available, pumping from the groundwater basins is decreased, and the basins are allowed to recharge. Natural recharge can be augmented by injecting treated surface water at the San Roque Well in Storage Unit I. The City is considering pumping the sustainable yield of the groundwater basins while maximizing available storage for backup during drought.

Seawater intrusion into Storage Unit I is a key concern because the groundwater basin is in contact with seawater from the Pacific Ocean that can flow into the basin during periods of heavy pumping. Under normal periods of little or no pumping, the groundwater flow is toward the ocean, which stops intrusion and pushes the seawater interface seaward. The City works with the USGS regularly to monitor the groundwater quality of Storage Unit I as indicated by measured chloride concentrations. Three of six groundwater monitoring wells located between the ocean and the municipal supply wells have historically shown chloride levels greater than 1,000 milligrams/liter. This is indicative that seawater contamination is linked to heavy pumping in the basin, although no significant degradation of municipal production wells has occurred.

Along with the Foothill Basin, the USGS developed a multi-objective simulation-optimization model in 2018 to estimate pumping levels during a critical drought period that represent a compromise between maximizing production and minimizing seawater intrusion in Storage Unit I. The model estimated a drought yield available to the City from Storage Unit I groundwater storage of roughly 16,100 AF over a 10-year period, depending on level of seawater intrusion that is allowed into the basin (Nishikawa, 2018). As with the findings for the Foothill Basin, this study did not identify a new sustainable yield.

As discussed above, the City and the USGS recently developed updated sustainable yield values for both the Foothill Basin and Storage Unit I. The Storage Unit I basin management goal is to utilize the basin without causing seawater intrusion as measured by chloride concentrations. The City chose to model the effects of pumping and seawater intrusion at its Sentinel Well, the groundwater well that is closest to the Pacific Ocean, about 500 feet from shore. The Storage Unit I sustainable yield was determined to be approximately 7,000 AF over 10 years without increasing chlorides at the Sentinel Well. The City is the primary pumper in Storage Unit I and can sustainably pump approximately 700 AF per year (Stanko, Jachens, 2025). The estimated maximum pumping capacity of the City’s groundwater wells in Storage Unit I is 2,540 AFY.

6.5.3 Storage Unit III
As noted above, Storage Unit I and Storage Unit III are recognized collectively by DWR as the Santa Barbara Basin (No. 3-17 in DWR’s Bulletin 118). Storage Unit III lies to the southwest of Storage Unit I and covers an area of about 2.5 square miles. Its geology is quite similar to Storage Unit I although it is much smaller. The basin is bounded to the north by the Mesa fault, to the west by an unnamed fault, to the south by the Lavigia fault, and to the east by an offshore fault. Like Storage Unit I, Storage Unit III consists of five zones. The City previously operated a well in this basin, the Valle Verde well, as a supplement to the recycled water system.

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Groundwater quality in the basin is quite poor. The major source of water to wells in this unit is the lower producing zone, which ranges from 100 to 140 feet thick (Frechleton, Martin, & Nishikawa, 1998).

The average annual yield is approximately 200 AFY (Frechleton, Martin, & Nishikawa, 1998).

Assuming approximately 100 AFY of pumping by other private wells, the City could pump up to 100 AFY. However, the City does not currently operate a well in this basin and potable supply projections assume no use of water from Storage Unit III.

6.5.4 Historical Pumping
Recent pumping by the City, shown in Table 6-4, is based on volumetric meter data. As shown in Figure 6-2, the City substantially increased groundwater pumping in the later years of the 2014-2019 drought and has substantially reduced groundwater pumping since 2018 to allow the basins time to recover.

Table 6-4. Groundwater Pumped by Fiscal Year
Basin FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25
Foothill Basin 0 0 0 62 0
Storage Unit I 0 0 578 0 0
Figure 6-2. Recent Groundwater Pumping for Foothill and SU1 434 751 1,112 1,164 706 1,060 399 792 1,669 2,481 2,172 164
432
199
-- 578
62 -
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500
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AFY
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Based on the City’s water level and water quality monitoring, groundwater modeling estimates of available yield, and historical pumping records, the groundwater basins are in long-term balance. Figure 6-3 compared the 10-year drought storage yield and sustainable groundwater yield to the City’s actual groundwater production over the last ten years.

Figure 6-3. 10-Year Drought Storage, Sustainable Yield, and Groundwater Production

6.5.5 Groundwater Management
The City, in partnership with the USGS, has been the lead water agency studying the Foothill and SU1 basins through data collection and groundwater modeling for decades. The City preserves its groundwater resources by actively employing conservation measures and sustainable management practices, including the use of alternative supplies (described in other sections), with resulting in-lieu recharge, and the following groundwater management actions:
• Groundwater level and water quality monitoring
• Metering and measuring of groundwater pumping
• Groundwater well permitting
• Groundwater modeling to estimate sustainable yield
• Recharge and Conjunctive Use Programs
The City’s groundwater basins were rated “very low” priority based on the prioritization analysis by DWR following passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014.

The SGMA requires governments and water agencies within “high” and “medium” priority basins to form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) and develop and implement a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to bring groundwater basins into balance within 20 years of implementing their sustainability plans. The City is not required to form a GSA or prepare a 16,090
8,130
7,000
2,720
4,370
1,130
0 2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
Storage Unit 1 Basin Foothill Basin
AF
10-Year Drought Storage Yield
10-Year Sustainable Groundwater Yield
10-Year Actual Groundwater Production (WY 2016 – WY 2025) City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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GSP because of the very low priority assigned to local groundwater basins but is considering preparing an abbreviated version of a GSP or a basic groundwater management plan to better facilitate groundwater management.

Groundwater Level and Water Quality Monitoring
In partnership with the USGS, the City has been collecting groundwater monitoring data for several decades. Water level and water quality data are collected at over 24 monitoring wells that are owned and maintained by the City. All data collected, along with maps of monitoring well locations, are available on USGS’s website. In addition, the City monitors and reports groundwater levels under the California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring (CASGEM) program.

Metering and Measuring of Groundwater Pumping
Pumping from all of the City’s groundwater production wells is metered and measured, and the City obtains pumping information from LCMWC, the other major pumper in the Foothill Basin. In addition, the City’s Municipal Code Chapter 14.32.040 prohibits the construction of new wells in the City’s service area unless the parcel cannot be feasibly served by the City’s distribution system, and Chapters 14.32.050 and 14.32.055 require that any new private wells that are constructed have metering capabilities and that measured pumping is reported.

Groundwater Well Permitting
The City administers permitting of all new groundwater wells within the City boundaries, and groundwater wells are subject to requirements in the City’s Municipal Code Chapter 14.32.

Groundwater well permits for wells within the Foothill Basin but outside of City boundaries are administered by the County of Santa Barbara. The City is working to update a comprehensive database of groundwater wells within the basins.

Recharge and Conjunctive Use Programs
To promote groundwater recharge, the City manages its hydrogeologic basins conjunctively with surface water supplies. During normal to wet years, the City prioritizes the use of surface water supplies and reduces groundwater pumping to support natural recharge to its hydrogeologic basins. During droughts and emergencies, the City increases its groundwater pumping to account for diminished surface water supplies. Through these conjunctive use management efforts, the City creates active in-lieu recharge of the groundwater basin.

In addition to natural and in-lieu recharge efforts, the City is exploring artificial replenishment in the Foothill Groundwater Basin through the use of treated surface water injections at the San Roque Well. In 2021, the SWRCB approved pilot testing of the City’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project at the well. The ASR pilot project injected potable drinking water into the Foothill Groundwater Basin through the San Roque Well to replenish the aquifer and store water in wet years and recover the water from the basin in drier years. The City piloted the project from spring 2023 through spring 2024 and successfully injected 49 AF of water with no observed changes to groundwater quality at the well site or surrounding monitoring wells. In March 2026, the City was issued a revised notice of applicability and monitoring program for the City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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SWRCB’s General Waste Discharge Requirements for Aquifer Storage and Recovery Projects that Inject Drinking Water into Groundwater (General Permit) for the San Roque Well. On average, the City is permitted to inject 400 gpm per month, with opportunity to inject 506 gpm as a monthly maximum.

Table 6-5 shows the volume of groundwater recharged over the last five years through the ASR project. Demands for the ASR project injection water is not included in the long-term demand projections because the City plans to inject water only in years with available surface water. The demand for the injection water will be determined by City Staff on an annual basis.

Table 6-5. Groundwater Recharge by Fiscal Year
Basin FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25
Foothill Basin
Recharge (AFY) 0 0 0 49 0

6.6 Wastewater and Recycled Water
This section presents both recycled water supplies and uses, combining aspects of both Chapter 4 (System Water Uses) and Chapter 6 (System Supplies). Refer to DWR’s UWMP Standardized Tables, Tables 6-2 through 6-6 in Appendix B. A map of the existing recycled water system is presented in Figure 6-4.

6.6.1 Recycled Water Coordination
The following agencies are responsible for collecting, treating, or discharging municipal wastewater within the City’s water service area:
• City of Santa Barbara: The City is responsible for collection, treatment, and discharge of municipal wastewater for the vast majority of wastewater created within City limits and portions of the County. The City owns and operates the El Estero WRC and produces recycled water to supply the City’s existing recycled water distribution system. • Mission Canyon Sewer District: This district is responsible for collection of wastewater in a portion of the Mission Canyon area of the County that is located outside City limits but within the City’s water service area. Wastewater collected by the Mission Canyon Sewer District is conveyed through the City’s wastewater collection system to the City’s El Estero WRC for treatment.
• Goleta Sanitary District: This district is responsible for collection, treatment, and discharge of wastewater for a limited number of parcels on the western edge of the City.

Goleta Sanitary District owns and operates its own wastewater treatment plant, which also produces recycled water.

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6.6.2 Wastewater Collection, Treatment, and Disposal
The City operates a wastewater collection system consisting of 256 miles of sewer pipe and seven lift stations. The City also owns and operates a treatment plant, El Estero WRC, which has a design capacity of 11 MGD and a long-term average flow of about 6.0 MGD. The treatment process at the City’s El Estero WRC includes secondary treatment for all wastewater collected and tertiary treatment for the City’s recycled water system. Secondary effluent that does not go through the tertiary treatment process is discharged to the Pacific Ocean.

6.6.3 Recycled Water System Description
The City initiated planning for a recycled water project in the early 1980s. Phase I was completed at El Estero WRC in 1989. It included a tertiary treatment plant with carbon filtration and disinfection, a 600,000-gallon distribution reservoir and pumping station, and 5.1 miles of distribution main. Phase II was completed in 1992, which added an additional pumping station, a 1.5- million-gallon reservoir at the Santa Barbara Golf Club, and 8.3 miles of distribution main.

In 2015, the City completed upgrades to its tertiary treatment plant to include an ultrafiltration treatment process.

Under normal conditions, the existing recycled water customer demand is ranges from 700 to 900 AFY plus approximately 250 AFY of process water for use at El Estero WRC. The system provides recycled water to over 100 accounts that serve parks, schools, golf courses, and other large landscapes. A limited number of public restrooms have been retrofitted to use recycled water for toilet flushing. Monitoring of salt levels in the soil was conducted twice per year from 1993 through 2003. There was no indication of long-term buildup of salt in soil.

In 2022, the City initiated a 25-year agreement to provide surplus recycled water to LCMWC, delivered to the La Cumbre County Club. The switch from potable water to recycled water for irrigation at the La Cumbre Country Club benefits water supplies for both agencies as they share a mutual groundwater basin. Reduced groundwater pumping from the basin for irrigation will allow more water storage to meet the drinking water needs of the community. Since 2023, the City has sold an average of 72 AFY to LCMWC.

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Figure 6-4. Recycled Water System
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6.6.4 Actions to Encourage and Optimize Future Recycled Water Use The City has taken action to expand and optimize recycled water through non-potable water use. Additionally, the City completed the Potable Reuse Feasibility Study in 2017 (Carollo 2017) and a Recycled Water Market Assessment Report in 2022 (Carollo, 2022).

Non-Potable Reuse
The City completed the 2022 Recycled Water Market Assessment, which evaluated opportunities for expanding the non-potable recycled water system, assessed the costeffectiveness of system expansion, and compared non-potable expansion with potable reuse and desalination alternatives. Since the last major study, the City’s recycled water system has connected most cost-effective user sites, with a total of 119 accounts and 12 fill stations served and annual deliveries averaging about 1,000 AFY. Recent expansions include sales to LCMWC and on-going process water use at El Estero WRC.

The 2022 assessment identified approximately 184 AFY of potential new recycled water demand through conversion of existing water sites and expansion of existing use sites, primarily for irrigation and commercial laundry use. However, the analysis determined that the new infrastructure required to serve potential users was not cost-effective. Only three sites, including one new commercial user adjacent to the existing recycled water system and two existing users with the potential for irrigation expansion, were found to be cost-effective for expanded recycled water use (Carollo, 2022). The are currently no plans to serve or expand recycled water deliveries to these potential sites.

Recycled Water Treatment Facility
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In summary, the City has largely optimized recycled water use for non-potable demand, with only targeted, cost-effective expansions remaining. Future efforts will focus on readiness for potable reuse, discussed below, and continued evaluation of system economics and reliability under changing conditions.

Potable Reuse
Potable reuse refers to advanced treatment (purification) of recycled water for drinking water purposes. The City completed the Potable Reuse Feasibility Study (Carollo, 2017) that evaluated three types of potable reuse:
• Groundwater augmentation: This entails injecting advanced treated water into local groundwater basins. For the City, injection into the Foothill Basin and Storage Unit I was evaluated.
• Raw water augmentation: This entails delivering advanced treated water into the raw surface water supply upstream of a drinking water treatment facility. For the City, delivery to Lauro Reservoir for blending with surface water from Lake Cachuma and Gibraltar Reservoir prior to treatment at Cater WTP was evaluated. • Treated drinking water augmentation: This entails producing finished drinking water from an advanced water treatment facility that is permitted as a drinking water treatment facility and directly supplying it to a potable water distribution system. For the City, treating advanced treated water at a new WTP located at the existing desalination facility and delivering to the distribution system was evaluated.

Raw water augmentation was selected for incorporation into the City’s 2021 LTWSP water portfolios analysis because it is the City’s best potable reuse opportunity. In comparison, the City has limited groundwater augmentation opportunities, and developing treatment and monitoring assumptions for treated drinking water augmentation was too speculative during the planning process prior to a developed regulatory framework.

The 2021 LTWSP recommended that, once raw water augmentation regulations are issued by the State and once the City has a need for a new supply, the City should revisit the project definition assumptions from the Potable Reuse Feasibility Study and cost estimates developed for the LTWSP. California’s SWRCB adopted Potable Reuse regulations in 2023 which became effective October 1, 2024.

The 2022 Recycled Water Market Assessment also evaluated the feasibility of direct potable reuse (DPR) as a future supply option. DPR at maximum scale (6.2 MGD) was found to be more cost-effective than smaller-scale DPR or expansion of the non-potable system, and comparable in cost to expanded ocean desalination (Carollo, 2022). The City does not currently have a need for immediate implementation of a new large supply project, and should update its future supply comparison with desalination, recycled water, and conservation measures considering the adopted regulations.

Also, most of the existing recycled water system would be used to deliver potable reuse water to Lauro Reservoir for treatment and distribution with the implementation of DPR, so developing City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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potable reuse as a new supply would render much of the current non-potable recycled water system obsolete. Maintaining non-potable service to the eastern portion of the existing nonpotable system may remain preferable until facilities reach the end of their useful life.

6.7 Desalinated Water
The City constructed the Charles E. Meyer desalination facility, a reverse osmosis seawater desalination facility, as an emergency water supply during the drought of 1987–1992. After the drought ended and surface water was available to meet demand, the facility was put in longterm storage mode to reduce operation and maintenance costs. The City has maintained permits to provide for a desalination supply of up to 10,000 AFY. The facility was reactivated during the recent drought and started producing potable water in May 2017, with a design capacity of 3,125 AFY and nameplate capacity of 3,387 AFY.

The reactivated facility uses an energy recovery process which greatly reduces its electricity usage by 40% and, since 2021, Santa Barbara Clean Energy has provided carbon-free energy to power the plant. The plant uses existing ocean intake pipes, which are equipped with wedgewire screens and recognized by the SWRCB as a best available technology for screened open ocean intakes. The screens are made of durable copper/nickel alloy and have one-millimeter openings to minimize marine life entrainment and impingement.

Charles E. Meyer Desalination Facility
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The City initiated desalination operations as a drought and emergency supply, although it is permitted under various operating scenarios. In February 2021, the City Council adopted a policy recommendation from the 2021 LTWSP to operate ocean desalination as a regular part of Santa Barbara’s water supply portfolio to support drought preparedness, response, and recovery. Under this policy, the desalination plant will operate at its current design capacity (3,125 AFY) to protect and optimize the City’s other water supplies and to enhance the City’s ability to prepare for and respond to future drought conditions. The 2021 LTWSP Adaptive Management Plan does allow the Water Resources Manager to put the desalination plant in standby mode when water supply conditions warrant it. In early 2026, due to full surface water reservoirs and a strong water supply portfolio, the City put the desalination plant in standby mode to reduce energy use, reduce operating costs and perform substantial maintenance otherwise difficult to perform when the plant is online. The plant is scheduled to return to normal production in September 2026.

In addition, the 2021 LTWSP identified expansion of the desalination plant to 5,000 AFY as the City’s best-performing next new supply based on the future water supply portfolio evaluation that used a triple-bottom-line analytical approach for considering economic, social, and environmental impacts and benefits. The expansion would only be needed if certain increased demand or decreased supply thresholds occur in the future, as outlined in the 2021 LTWSP Adaptive Management Plan. The 2021 LTWSP also recommended that the City should revisit the project definition assumptions from the Potable Reuse Feasibility Study and cost estimates developed for the LTWSP after raw water augmentation regulations were issued by the State (2023) and once the City has a need for a new supply.

6.8 Stormwater
The City is active in stormwater management through programs run by the Creeks Division of the City’s Sustainability and Resilience Department. The Creeks Division administers the City’s Stormwater Management Program pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II regulations. As part of this responsibility, the City operates as a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permittee under the oversight of the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. The City’s program identifies, promotes, and/or enforces, as applicable, Best Management Practices (BMPs) to minimize urban runoff to the ocean and local creeks. These include:
• Permanent design elements (known as post construction requirements) which promote storm water capture and infiltration on site for new development projects • A series of BMPs for use during all construction activities for capturing runoff and other pollutants
• Various educational efforts to encourage voluntary actions to minimize stormwater runoff In the City, the beneficial effects of stormwater management relate mostly to improved quality of stormwater runoff and some augmentation of groundwater in the shallow groundwater zones, which in turn may augment creek flows, thereby supporting habitat. Groundwater that is part of City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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the City’s urban water supply comes from deeper water-producing zones, which in most areas are separated from the shallow zone by a low permeability layer. Because of the hydrogeology of the City’s groundwater basins, there are very few areas where stormwater augmentation has the potential for reaching the deeper producing zones. Some exceptions occur in areas adjacent to creeks that are geologically connected to the lower zones that support the City’s water supply, though these areas are limited.

To the extent that captured rainwater is diverted for landscape irrigation use, such as through use of rain barrels and rain gardens on private property, it can offset the use of the City water supplies and help preserve potable resources. However, the amount of rainwater captured and used on private property is difficult to quantify and is not a water supply managed by the City.

Because of its potential to reduce demand and preserve the City’s potable water supply, the City’s Water Conservation Program partners with the Creeks Division to promote voluntary stormwater capture into the soil in ornamental landscapes. The City has a stacked rebate whereby participants can receive an increased dollar amount per square foot and higher property maximum rebate if they replace their lawn with a rain garden. The City also provides rain garden education and outreach through demonstration gardens, training for landscape professionals and homeowners, and online resources.

The City is a regional partner in the updated County-wide Integrated Storm Water Resource Plan (SWRP). A watershed-based plan intended to improve the management of stormwater resources in Santa Barbara County through the identification and prioritization of multiplebenefit infrastructure projects that enhance the reliability of local water supplies, improve surface water quality, and flood management, and provide environmental, educational, and recreational benefits.

6.8.1 Graywater
Graywater is wastewater that originates from household fixtures such as showers, bathtubs, clothes-washing machines, and bathroom sinks; it excludes wastewater from toilets, dishwashers, and kitchen sinks. Graywater is generated onsite and reused for landscape irrigation. It is important not to mistake graywater for recycled water, which is subject to monitored treatment and purification to make it suitable for a range of beneficial uses.

The California Plumbing Code has requirements for graywater, which are enforced by the City’s Building and Safety Division of the Community Development Department. The current regulations allow for the following types of graywater systems:
• Laundry to Landscape system: uses only a single domestic clothes-washing machine in a one- or two-family dwelling
• Simple system: discharges 250 gallons or less per day and serves a one- or two-family dwelling
• Complex system: discharges over 250 gallons per day
Laundry to Landscape and simple systems do not require a building permit approved through the City’s Building and Safety Division; however, complex systems do require building permits.

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To the extent that graywater is diverted and reused for landscape irrigation, it can offset the use of the City’s water supplies and help preserve potable resources. However, the amount of graywater captured and used on private property is difficult to quantify and is not a water supply managed by the City. Because of its potential to reduce demand and preserve the City’s potable water supply, the City’s Water Resources Division promotes such measures as determined feasible by its customers.

6.9 Water Exchanges and Transfers
Under the Water Code, a water transfer refers to a temporary or long-term change in the point of diversion, place of use, or purpose of use resulting from the transfer, sale, lease, or exchange of water or water rights. Temporary transfers typically last one year or less, whereas long-term transfers extend over multiple years.

The City receives an approximate 300 AF annual transfer from Montecito Water District per the Juncal Dam Water Exchange Agreement of 1928. The annual transfer is added to the City’s Cachuma Project balance. In September 2020, the City entered a 50-year Water Supply Agreement with Montecito Water District to sell 1,430 AFY of water from the City’s desalination facility. This volume is considered a sale, and is included in the City’s long term demand projections.

Additionally, the City has an Exchange Agreement with Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1 to exchange a portion of its SWP water for Cachuma allocation. Over the past five years the City has exchanged an average of 300 AFY with Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1, ranging from 130 AFY to 458 AFY.

6.10 Future Water Projects
Future projects are listed in DWR’s UWMP Standardized Table 6-7 (Appendix B) and summarized below:
• Water Conservation Program: The City recently updated their Water Conservation Strategic Plan, including in 0. The City is planning on implementing the recommended conservation program to meet passive and active conservation savings included in the demand projections.
• Cachuma Project Carryover Storage: The 2021 LTWSP recommends that the City preserve the ability to store carryover water in Lake Cachuma and pursue the ability to store non-project water in the lake. The lake is the City’s largest storage option, and Lake Cachuma carryover water is essential to the City’s long-term water supply planning. The City’s water supplies have been developed around the planned use and storage of Lake Cachuma carryover water, which provides an incentive for community conservation and production of desalination and recycled water. Lake Cachuma carryover water plays a critical role in providing a secure drought buffer around which the City can plan its water supplies.

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• Gibraltar Reservoir Pass-Through Operations: The 2021 LTWSP recommends that the City obtain a Warren Act contract from Reclamation to store Gibraltar Reservoir water in Lake Cachuma to offset diminished Gibraltar Reservoir supplies resulting from continued sedimentation in the reservoir. Such a Warren Act contract is stipulated in the Upper Santa Ynez River Operations Agreement (Pass-Through Agreement). The benefits are primarily for non-drought periods when Gibraltar Reservoir is spilling.

However, pass-through water would enable the City to better manage the use of its other supplies and prepare for a drought. The City should also consider preparing a feasibility study to evaluate the viability of slant wells or horizontal directional drilled wells into the historic gravel bed below Gibraltar Reservoir to secure more stable diversions from Gibraltar.
• Optimized Groundwater Management: The 2021 LTWSP recommends that the City should prepare an annual report on the current basin conditions to inform annual water supply planning efforts. The City should also consider creating a GSP “light” that meets the City’s needs but is outside of SGMA compliance and reporting requirements.

Additionally, the City is recently received permitting approval in March 2026 to operate an ASR program to help build drought storage in the Foothill groundwater basin. • Increased SWP Delivery Reliability: The City should continue to work with CCWA and its Member Agencies to optimize the benefit of its SWP allocation, including looking for opportunities to bank or store State water in wet years and secure a more reliable source of State water in dry years.
• Non-Potable Recycled Water Expansion: The 2021 LTWSP recommends the City prioritize readiness for DPR, which offers greater long-term value than significant nonpotable expansion. Developing potable reuse as a new supply could render recycled water obsolete since much of the existing recycled water distribution system would be used to deliver potable reuse water to Lauro Reservoir for treatment and distribution. • Potable Reuse: The 2021 LTWSP recommends that the City should revisit the project definition assumptions from the 2017 Potable Reuse Feasibility Study (Carollo, 2017) and cost estimates documented in the 2021 LTWSP now that the Potable Reuse Regulation have been adopted. Because of uncertainty with future regulations, both documents relied on many assumptions that should be revisited once regulations are in place. The City can then update its future supply comparison with desalination, recycled water, and projected conservation rates.
• Desalination Facility Expansion: The 2021 LTWSP identified expansion of the desalination plant to 5,000 AFY as the City’s next new supply, based on the future water supply portfolio evaluation that used a triple–bottom-line method to consider economic, social, and environmental impacts and benefits. The expansion would only be needed if certain increased demand or decreased supply thresholds occur in the future, as outlined in the 2021 LTWSP Adaptive Management Plan. Also, the 2021 LTWSP recommended that the City should revisit the project definition assumptions from the Potable Reuse Feasibility Study and cost estimates developed for the LTWSP once raw City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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water augmentation regulations are issued by the State and once the City has a need for a new supply because of uncertainty with future regulations.

6.11 Energy Use
The estimated energy use for water management processes in kilowatt-hours per acre-foot (kWh/AF) is summarized in Table 6-6. The unit energy data are from energy use records from 2023.

Table 6-6. Water Management Processes Energy Consumption Category 2023 Energy Consumption (kWh)
Water Production & Treatment 9,799,048
Water Distribution 1,364,422
Total Energy Use 11,163,467
Total Water Production (2023) 11,257 AFY
Energy Intensity 992 kWh/AF

6.12 Summary of Existing and Planned Sources of Water
The actual water supply produced in FY25 and projected supplies through 2050 are summarized in Table 6-7, which shows projected water supplies under normal or long-term average conditions. Some supply in normal years is planned to be reserved to build banked storage and carryover in preparation for a critical drought period. A safety margin of 10% is maintained, which is consistent with City water supply policies, in case of unanticipated added demand such as annexations or supply shortages.

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Table 6-7. Actual and Projected Water Supplies (AF)
Actual
Deliveries Projected Supplies
Supplies 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Cachuma Project 3,178 8,577 8,577 8,577 8,577 8,577
Gibraltar Reservoir 4,480 3,510 3,510 3,510 3,510 3,510 Mission Tunnel 1,374 942 942 942 942 942
Desalination 1,663 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500
Groundwater 0 972 972 972 972 972
SWP 0 1,740 1,690 1,640 1,590 1,540
Recycled Water 1,024 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020
Total Supply 11,719 19,260 19,210 19,160 19,110 19,060
Total Demand 12,400 12,480 12,540 12,560 12,600
% Supply vs.

Demand 155% 154% 153% 152% 151%
Note: Total values rounded to the nearest 10. Cachuma Project values includes annual transfer of 300 AFY from Montecito Water District per the Juncal Agreement. The conservative assumption of desalination supply production (2,500 AFY) is 80% of the 3,125 design capacity.

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7 Water Service Reliability and
Drought Risk Assessment
This section describes the water service reliability through 2050. As required by the UWMP Act, the assessment must
compare total projected water supply and demands over the next 20 years in five-year increments under normal, single dry WYs, and multiple dry WYs. This section also includes the drought risk assessment, which provides a snapshot of the anticipated surplus or deficit if a drought were to occur in the next five years.

IN THIS S ECTION
• Water Service Reliability
Assessment
• Drought Risk Assessment
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7.1 Water Service Reliability Assessment
This section describes the reliability of the City’s water supply. Water service reliability is determined based on the security of both the water supply and water infrastructure. The supply reliability assessment discusses factors (i.e., climatic, environmental, water quality and legal) that could potentially limit the expected quantity of water available from the City’s current and projected sources of supply through 2050. Multiple drought scenarios are considered and the quantitative impacts of the aforementioned factors on water supply and demand are discussed, as well as possible methods for addressing these issues.

Evaluating the water service reliability is critical for water management as it can help identify potential problems before they happen. Water managers can then take proactive steps to mitigate shortages by encouraging water use efficiency, securing new water supplies and/or investing in infrastructure.

7.1.1 Constraints on Water Sources
The City’s water sources and their constraints are described in detail in Chapter 6. The primary constraint on availability of water supplies has been extreme drought conditions. The City’s 2021 LTWSP analyzed the most impactful risks and uncertainties associated with the City’s supply projections, listed in Table 7-1. This analysis compared supply and demand with “riskadjusted” supplies to understand reliability under potential future conditions. Also, resilience scenarios, such as temporary loss of one or more supplies from an earthquake, were analyzed.

The result of the analysis was a series of recommendations, described in Section 6.10, and an Adaptive Management Plan for the City to implement when supply or demand conditions change in the future.

Table 7-1. Supply Risks
Risk Description
Climate
Variability
More extreme droughts, increased irrigation demand, reduced yield, more intense rainfall/flooding, and higher variability from surface water supplies Lake
Cachuma
Increased
Releases
An update to the 2000 Biological Opinion may lead to a reduction in Lake Cachuma supplies and the City’s annual yield.

Gibraltar
Reservoir
High
Sedimentation
Increased rate of sedimentation due to wildfires reduces the Gibraltar Reservoir storage volume and annual yield. Obtaining a Warren Act contract with Reclamation per the Pass-Through Agreement would shift lost Gibraltar Reservoir storage capacity to Lake Cachuma.

Megadrought1 A prolonged drought lasting two decades or longer City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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Risk Description
Surface Water
Quality
Degradation
Surface water quality degradation due to wildfires and warmer temperatures impact Lake Cachuma and Gibraltar Reservoir, making them susceptible to algae blooms, which negatively impact water quality.

Ocean Water
Quality
Degradation
Ocean water quality degradation scenarios from algae blooms, debris flows, oil spills, and sewage spills would temporarily prevent intake of seawater for desalination.

Desalination
Regulations
Permanent loss or reduction of desalination supply due to changes in laws or regulatory policy would return the City to supply conditions prior to the desalination plant activation in 2017.

SWP Yield
SWP annual allocations are highly variable, and average yield projections have declined with each successive DCR from DWR. The City does not benefit from average and wet year supplies due to lack of storage beyond limited carryover water in San Luis Reservoir. Delta Conveyance Project construction would further reduce the reliability of SWP water since San Luis Reservoir will spill more frequently and the City loses its carryover water after spill events.
1Per Williams et al., “Global warming has pushed what would have been a moderate drought in southwestern North America into megadrought territory.” Williams et al. used a combination of hydrological modeling and tree-ring reconstructions of summer soil moisture to show that the period from 2000 to 2018 was the driest 19-year span since the late 1500s and the second driest since 800 CE. “This appears to be just the beginning of a more extreme trend toward megadrought as global warming continues.” (Williams, A. Park, et al., 2020)

7.1.2 Year Type Characterization
In accordance with CWC Section 10635(a), every urban water supplier must provide their expected water service reliability for a normal year, single dry year, and five consecutive dry years for 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045, and optionally 2050.

DWR defines these years as:
• Normal Year: This condition represents a single year or an averaged range of years that most closely represents the average water supply available. An average was used for this analysis.
• Single Dry Year: The single dry year is recommended to be the year that represents the lowest water supply available.
• Five-Consecutive Year Drought: The driest five-year historical sequence for the supplier, which may be the lowest average water supply available for five years in a row.

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7.1.3 Supply Basis
The supply basis for the water service reliability analysis varies by supply source, described below:
• Cachuma Project: Average and historic allocations, described in Section 6.2.1 • Cachuma Project Carryover: Historic carryover
• Gibraltar Reservoir: Results from the City’s updated the RiverWare model1 of the Santa Ynez River system
• Mission Tunnel: Average and historic supplies, described in Section 6.2.4 • Desalination: Conservative production capacity of 2,500 AFY (80% of 3,125 AFY design capacity), described in Section 6.7
• Groundwater: Groundwater safe yield and maximum pumping capacity, described in Section 6.5
• SWP: Average deliveries per the SWP DCR, described in Section 6.3, and historic allocations
• Recycled Water: Average deliveries, described in Section 6.6

7.1.4 Supply and Demand Comparison
Results of the water supply and demand analysis for normal, single dry, and five-year consecutive drought are shown in the following sections. Each section describes the supply basis for each year type. The City expects to meet demands under all WY scenarios. However, the City is committed to continuing water conservation efforts to ensure reliability and resiliency in the future.

7.1.4.1 Normal Year
The diversity of the City’s water supply portfolio and the ability to store multiple years of demand in Lake Cachuma are important factors in assessing the reliability of the water supply under a variety of hydrologic conditions.

In normal conditions, the City’s primary water supply is surface water from Lake Cachuma and Gibraltar Reservoir, including carryover storage from unused Cachuma allocations, and desalination. These supplies are augmented with limited groundwater production (which is typically preserved by the City for droughts and emergencies), SWP deliveries, and recycled 1 The RiverWater Model was updated for the City’s LTWSP to simulate operations and potential diversions from Gibraltar Reservoir and Lake Cachuma using historical hydrology, existing facilities, and current operational agreements. The model represents coordinated operations of Gibraltar and Cachuma reservoirs, including contractual deliveries to Cachuma Member Units, fishery release requirements, and water rights obligations under SWRCB Order 89-18. Pass Through Operations under the Upper Santa Ynez River Operations Agreement are explicitly modeled. Simulations were performed on a daily time step for WY 1942 through 2017.

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water. These additional supplies typically offset any reduced inflows to Lake Cachuma and Gibraltar Reservoir that would occur in a single year of average rainfall conditions.

For normal year conditions, the following supply availability assumptions were applied:
• Cachuma Project: 100% allocation plus 300 AFY from Montecito Water District per the Juncal Agreement—8,577 AFY
• Gibraltar Reservoir: Average yield from RiverWare model simulation (1942–2019) per the LTWSP—3,510 AFY
• Mission Tunnel: Average of historical deliveries with an anticipated 20% reduction due to climate change per the LTWSP—942 AFY
• Desalination: 2,500 AFY production (80% conservative assumption of 3,125 AFY design capacity)
• Groundwater: Sustainable yield—972 AFY; refer to Section 6.4 for more information • SWP: 2025 DCR simulation—1,780 AFY to 1,540 AFY (see Section 6.3) • Recycled water: 1,020 AFY; refer to Section 6.6 for more information Based on these assumptions, the City has sufficient supplies in normal years (Table 7-2) and would use available supplies to prepare for dry periods. For example, unused Cachuma Project water could be stored for use in future years as carryover water.

Table 7-2. Supply and Demand Comparison, Normal Year
Supplies 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Cachuma Project 8,580 8,580 8,580 8,580 8,580
Gibraltar Reservoir 3,510 3,510 3,510 3,510 3,510
Mission Tunnel 940 940 940 940 940
Desalination 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500
Groundwater 970 970 970 970 970
SWP 1,740 1,690 1,640 1,590 1,540
Recycled Water 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020
Total Supply 19,260 19,210 19,160 19,110 19,060
Total Demand 12,400 12,480 12,540 12,560 12,600
Supply vs. Demand Difference 6,860 6,730 6,620 6,560 6,470 % Supply vs. Demand 155% 154% 153% 152% 151%
Note: Refer to supply assumptions in the text above the table. Values are rounded to the nearest 10.

7.1.4.2 Single-Dry Year
A single dry year (such as 2016) has little effect on the availability of Cachuma supplies since the multiyear reservoir typically has storage available from previous years. However, because Gibraltar is a much smaller reservoir than Cachuma, available supply from Gibraltar Reservoir City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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could potentially be significantly reduced, depending on how dry the year is. In this situation, the City’s annual water supply assessment will determine whether to offset the deficiency with added SWP deliveries, increased groundwater pumping, or additional use of Cachuma supplies.

Local supply (Cachuma, Gibraltar, Mission Tunnel, Desalination, and Groundwater) availability for single dry year is based on 2016 supplies, which represented the City’s lowest year of local supply availability. Imported and purchased water supply (SWP) availability for a single dry year is based on 2021 allocations, which represents the City’s lowest year of SWP availability.

Assumptions for the single dry year scenario include:
• Cachuma Project: No allocation but 300 AFY from Montecito Water District per the Juncal Agreement—300 AFY
• Cachuma Project Carryover: 2016 balance—1,410 AFY
• Gibraltar Reservoir: No yield
• Mission Tunnel: 2016 yield—574 AFY
• Desalination: 2,500 AFY production (80% conservative assumption of 3,125 AFY design capacity)
• Groundwater: Maximum pumping capacity during extended drought periods—3,320 AFY
• SWP: 2021 allocation of 5%—165 AFY
• Supplemental Water: Assumed to be purchased up to a maximum of 3,300 AFY based on the City’s capacity in Central Coast SWP conveyance facilities • Recycled Water: 1,020 AFY; refer to Section 6.6
In a single dry year, demand is assumed to be reduced by 5% beginning in 2035 through extraordinary conservation measures, which are above and beyond the City’s normal conservation program. As shown in Table 7-3, the impacts of a single dry year are minimized from the City’s diverse water supply and carryover storage at Lake Cachuma.

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Table 7-3. Supply and Demand Comparison, Single Dry Year Supplies 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Cachuma Project 300 300 300 300 300
Cachuma Project Carryover 1,410 1,410 1,410 1,410 1,410 Gibraltar Reservoir 0 0 0 0 0
Mission Tunnel 570 570 570 570 570
Desalination 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500
Groundwater 3,320 3,320 3,320 3,320 3,320
SWP 170 170 170 170 170
Recycled Water 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020
Water Available for Purchase 3,140 3,140 3,140 3,140 3,140 Total Supply 12,420 12,420 12,420 12,420 12,420
Total Demand1 12,400 11,980 12,030 12,050 12,090
Supply vs. Demand Difference 20 440 390 370 330
% Supply vs. Demand 100% 104% 103% 103% 103%
Note: Refer to supply assumptions in the text above the table. Values are rounded to the nearest 10.

1. Extraordinary conservation measures, which are above and beyond the City’s adopted conservation program, are assumed to be implemented to reduce demand by 5% beginning in 2035 so demand does not exceed projected supplies.

7.1.4.3 Five Consecutive Dry Years
The critical drought period for the City’s local water supply occurs when there are multiple consecutive years of below-average rainfall. This is due to the hydrology of the Santa Ynez River, where little or no inflow to Lake Cachuma occurs until at least average rainfall occurs.

When the condition of average or less rainfall continues for multiple years in succession, the storage level of Lake Cachuma drops and shortages in deliveries occur. As shown in Figure 7-1, the 2012–2016 period had the lowest average rainfall recorded at Lake Cachuma’s Bradbury Dam. Therefore, local water supply conditions from 2012 to 2016 were used in the multiyear drought analysis.

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Figure 7-1. 70-Year Historical Annual Precipitation at Lake Cachuma The drought period for the City’s imported water supply occurs when there are multiple consecutive years of low SWP allocations. As shown in Figure 7-2, the imported water supply from 2018-2022 is the historic lowest 5-consective years over the last 10-years; therefore, imported water supply conditions from 2018-2022 were used for analysis.

Figure 7-2. 10-Year Historical SWP Allocations
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 19541959196419691974197919841989199419992004200920142019 Precipitation (inches)
70-Year Average Precipitation 5-yr Trailing Average
0 500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 State Water Allocation (AFY)
Year Annual Allocation (AFY) 5-Yr Trailing Average
2018 - 2022
2012
-
2016
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Table 7-4 presents the multiple dry years supply and demand projections. The supply assumptions include:
• Cachuma Project: 2012 to 2016 allocations—100%, 100%, 80%, 50%, 0%, respectively—plus 300 AFY from Montecito Water District per the Juncal Agreement • Cachuma Project Carryover: 2016 starting balance for first year (1,410 AFY). For years 2–5, the carryover balance is determined by the remaining Cachuma supply after recycled water, desalination, and the annual Cachuma supply is used. Carryover is exhausted by year 4.
• Gibraltar Reservoir: 2012 to 2016 yield ranged from 0 AFY to 2,343 AFY • Mission Tunnel: 2012 to 2016 yield ranged from 574 AFY to 987 AFY • Desalination: 2,500 AFY production (80% conservative assumption of 3,125 AFY design capacity)
• Groundwater: Maximum pumping capacity (3,320 AFY) during extended drought periods, up to 24,200 AF of total drought storage
• SWP: 2018 to 2022 allocations ranged from 5% to 75%, or 165 AFY to 2,475 AFY • Supplemental Water: Assumed to be purchased up to a maximum of 3,300 AFY based on the City’s capacity in Central Coast SWP conveyance facilities • Recycled Water: 1,020 AFY; refer to Section 6.6
Due to limited supplies, demand is assumed to be reduced by 20% of normal in Year 5 through extraordinary conservation measures, which are above and beyond the City’s normal conservation program. During the 2014-2019 extended drought, City customers achieved 40% conservation, so the City is confident that extraordinary conservation can be achieved during an extended drought, if necessary. The City’s WSCP, outlined in Chapter 8, includes staged demand‑reduction measures, potential supply augmentation, operational drought‑response actions, emergency protocols, financial mitigation tools, and adaptive monitoring to meet required demand reduction and ensure reliable service.

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Table 7-4. Supply and Demand Comparison, Multiple Dry Years Year Supplies 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
First Year
Supply Totals 23,460 23,460 23,460 23,460 23,460
Demand Totals 12,400 12,480 12,540 12,560 12,600
Difference 11,060 10,980 10,920 10,900 10,860
Supply vs. Demand % 189% 188% 187% 187% 186%
Second Year
Supply Totals 22,450 22,370 22,310 22,290 22,250
Demand Totals 12,400 12,480 12,540 12,560 12,600
Difference 10,050 9,890 9,770 9,740 9,650
Supply vs. Demand % 181% 179% 178% 178% 177%
Third Year
Supply Totals 19,440 19,270 19,160 19,120 19,040
Demand Totals 12,400 12,480 12,540 12,560 12,600
Difference 7,040 6,790 6,620 6,570 6,440
Supply vs. Demand % 157% 154% 153% 152% 151%
Fourth Year
Supply Totals 15,700 15,700 15,700 15,700 15,700
Demand Totals 12,400 12,480 12,540 12,560 12,600
Difference 3,310 3,220 3,170 3,150 3,100
Supply vs. Demand % 127% 126% 125% 125% 125%
Fifth Year
Supply Totals 11,010 11,010 11,010 11,010 11,010
Demand Totals1 10,410 10,480 10,520 10,540 10,570
Difference 600 540 490 480 440
Supply vs. Demand % 106% 105% 105% 105% 104%
Note: Refer to supply assumptions in the text above the table. Values are rounded to the nearest 10.

1. Extraordinary conservation measures, which are above and beyond the City’s adopted conservation program, are assumed to be implemented to reduce demand by 20% in Year 5.

7.2 Drought Risk Assessment
CWC Section 10635 (b) requires a drought risk assessment (DRA). The DRA provides a quick snapshot of the anticipated surplus or deficit if a five-consecutive year drought were to occur in the next five years. The DRA can be modified or updated outside of the UWMP five-year plan cycle, so a description of the data, methodology, and basis for shortage conditions is included in this 2025 UWMP. The DRA evaluates each water supply’s reliability and compares available water supplies and projected demands during a five-consecutive dry years scenario. This shortterm analysis can help water suppliers foresee undesired risks, such as upcoming shortages, City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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and provide time to evaluate and implement the necessary response actions needed to mitigate shortages in a less impactful manner to the community and environment.

Since 1998, the City has prepared an annual Water Supply Management Report2that summarizes:
• Status of water supplies at the end of the report’s WY • Drought outlook
• Water conservation and demand
• Major capital projects that affect the City’s ability to provide safe, clean water • Significant issues that affect the security and reliability of the City’s The report is presented to the City’s Water Commission and City Council, and the WY2025 report was adopted by City Council on February 4, 2026. Table 7-5, which is from the WY2025 report, summarizes the status of the City’s water supplies as of the end of WY2025 (September 30, 2025).

Table 7-5. Status of City Water Supplies, End of WY2025 and early WY2026 Source of
Supply Supply Status
Lake Cachuma
Total Capacity: 192,978 AF (2021 capacity revision surcharged to 753 feet spill elevation for fish release water)
End of Year Storage: 149,845 AF (78% of total capacity) Due to early-season rains, Cachuma filled and began spilling in January 2026
The City’s share of the Cachuma Project’s normal annual entitlement is 8,277 AF. The City’s WY2026 allocation is 100%.

Cachuma
Carryover
Carryover Volume: 0 AF
WY2025 ended on September 30, 2025, and then rainfall in late 2025/ early 2026 resulted in Lake Cachuma spilling and losing all Carryover Storage The DRA assumes no carryover beginning in year 1.

Gibraltar
Reservoir
Total Capacity: 4,490 AF (September 2024 survey)
End of Year Storage: 982 AF (21% of Total Capacity) as of September 30, 2025
Gibraltar Reservoir typically fills and spills two out of every three years.

Due to early-season rains, Gibraltar filled and began spilling in December 2025.

Mission Tunnel Groundwater in Mission Tunnel is an important City water supply. It’s longterm average yield historically has been 1,020 AFY. 2 The WY2025 report can be found at: https://santabarbaraca.gov/sites/default/files/2025- 12/2025_Water_Supply_Mgmt_Report-Draft_Public.pdf
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Source of
Supply
Supply Status
State Water
Project
The City has a 3,300 AF Table A allotment (with drought buffer), subject to availability. At the end of WY2025 SWP Table A allocation was 50% .

Desalination
The design capacity is 3,125 AF, with a conservative assumption of 2,500 AFY (80% of design capacity). The City plans to turn the desalination plant offline from February to September in 2026 to reduce energy use, operating costs, and perform substantial maintenance.

Groundwater
The City conjunctively manages its groundwater with its surface water supplies, providing for groundwater replenishment during wet years. The City allowed the basins to recover the last five years. Groundwater levels in the Foothill Basin are showing signs of recovery and are back to early 1990s levels. Storage Unit I is monitored for chloride concentrations, which have been declining over the past year.

Recycled
Water
The City’s recycled water system serves parks, schools, golf courses, other large landscapes, and some public restrooms. In 2026, the City plans to continue to meet demand of roughly 1,020 AFY. The City plans to turn the recycled water plant offline while spill conditions remain at Lake Cachuma, customers will be served with potable water during this time.

Note: The WY runs from October 1 through September 30. All data are as of September 30, 2025.

The annual Water Supply Management Report also includes a three-year supply and demand projection assuming extended drought conditions and no additional flows into Lake Cachuma or Gibraltar Reservoir. The DRA is a five-year supply and demand projection, so it builds upon the analysis in the annual Water Supply Management Report. Projection assumptions for each supply are listed below and summarized in Table 7-6:
• Cachuma Project: Uses 2013 to 2016 allocations for 2026 to 2029 and assumes no allocation in 2030 based on no lake inflows; Plus 300 AFY from Montecito Water District per the Juncal Agreement.
• Cachuma Project Carryover: Starting balance of 0 AF following January 2026 spill event.
• Gibraltar Reservoir: Starting balance of full capacity (4,330 AF) followed by 2013 to 2016 yield ranging from 0 AFY to 2,343 AFY
• Mission Tunnel: Assumes a constant infiltration of 1,020 AFY • Desalination: 833 AF production in year 1 with the desalination plant turned off most of the year. Year 2 through 5 uses 2,500 AFY (80% conservative assumption of 3,125 AFY design capacity)
• Groundwater: Production is limited by existing pumping capacity of roughly 3,320 AFY. • SWP: 2018 to 2022 allocations ranged from 5% to 75%, or 165 AFY to 2,475 AFY between 2018 to 2022 as the lowest consecutive five-year allocations.

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• Supplemental Water: Assumed to be purchased up to a maximum of 3,300 AFY based on the City’s reliability capacity in Central Coast SWP conveyance facilities. • Recycled Water: Assumes recycled water use remains constant at 1,020 AFY.

Table 7-6. 2026-2030 DRA Supply Availability Projections Supplies 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Cachuma Project 8,580 8,580 8,580 4,440 300
Cachuma Project Carryover 0 2,450 4,580 6,000 2,350
Gibraltar Reservoir 4,330 2,340 1,660 760 0
Mission Tunnel 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020
Desalination 830 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500
Groundwater 3,320 3,320 3,320 3,320 3,320
SWP 1,160 2,480 660 170 170
Recycled Water 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020
Water Available for Purchase 2,150 830 2,640 3,140 3,140 Total Supply 22,400 24,530 25,980 22,350 13,810
Projected Demand 12,310 12,320 12,340 12,370 12,400
Supply Surplus 10,090 12,220 13,640 9,990 1,410
Note: Refer to supply assumptions in the text above the table. Values are rounded to the nearest 10.

Based on the projected demand and available supplies, Figure 7-3 presents the projected supplies used to meet demand and the remaining available supply each year. By the end of the five-year drought, the City still has supplies available and does not anticipate any supply shortages.

Note that the 2014-2019 drought prompted the City to implement extraordinary conservation measures. With the reactivation of the desalination facility providing a reliable, base-loaded annual water supply, the City is now able to build carryover storage in Cachuma, eliminating the need to implement extraordinary conservation measures in the DRA.

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Figure 7-3. 2026-2030 DRA, Supply and Demand Projections City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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8 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
The WSCP is a detailed plan for how the City intends to act in the case of an actual water shortage condition. This allows for management of a shortage with predictability and
accountability. This section provides an overview of the contents of the City’s WSCP. The standalone WSCP is included in
Appendix F.

IN THIS S ECTION
• Overview of WSCP Components
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8.1 Introduction
CWC Section 10632 requires that every urban water supplier shall prepare and adopt a standalone WSCP as part of its UWMP. The City’s WSCP is included as Appendix F and will be separately submitted to DWR. The WSCP is developed independently of the City’s 2025 UWMP and can be amended, as needed, without amending the UWMP.

The WSCP is a strategic plan that the City uses to prepare for and respond to foreseeable and unforeseeable water shortages. A water shortage occurs when the water supply available is insufficient to meet the normally expected customer water use at a given point in time. A shortage may occur due to a number of reasons, such as water supply quality changes, climate change, drought, regional power outage, and catastrophic events (e.g., earthquake).

The WSCP provides a process for an annual water supply and demand assessment and structured steps designed to respond to actual conditions. This level of detailed planning and preparation provides accountability and predictability and will help the City maintain reliable supplies and reduce the impacts of any supply shortages and/or interruptions.

The WSCP must be updated based on new requirements every five years and will be adopted as a current update for submission to DWR.

8.2 Overview of WSCP Components
The Water Code establishes several prescriptive elements that must be included in a retail water supplier’s WSCP. Each element and its location within the WSCP is described below.

Water Supply Reliability Analysis: Summarizes the City’s water supply analysis and reliability and identifies any key issues that may trigger a shortage condition.

Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment Procedures: Describes the key data inputs, evaluation criteria, and methodology for assessing the system’s reliability for the coming year and the steps to formally declare any water shortage levels and response actions.

Shortage Stages: Establishes water shortage levels to clearly identify and prepare for shortages.

Shortage Response Actions: Describes the response actions that may be implemented or considered for each stage to reduce gaps between supply and demand.

Communication Protocols: Describes communication protocols under each stage to ensure customers, the public, and government agencies are informed of shortage conditions and requirements.

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Compliance and Enforcement: Defines compliance and enforcement actions available to administer demand reductions.

Legal Authorities: Lists the legal documents that grant the City the authority to declare a water shortage and implement and enforce response actions.

Financial Consequences of WSCP Activation: Describes the anticipated financial impact of implementing water shortage stages and identifies mitigation strategies to offset financial burdens.

Monitoring and Reporting: Summarizes the monitoring and reporting techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of shortage response actions and overall WSCP implementation. Results are used to determine if additional shortage response actions should be activated or if efforts are successful and response actions should be reduced.

WSCP Refinement Procedures: Describes the factors that may trigger updates to the WSCP and outlines how to complete an update.

Special Water Feature Distinctions: Identifies exemptions for decorative features aside from pools and spas.

Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Availability: Describes the process for the WSCP adoption, submittal, and availability after each revision.

The WSCP was prepared in conjunction with City of Santa Barbara’s 2025 UWMP and is a standalone document that can be modified as needed. The document is compliant with the CWC Section 10632 and incorporates guidance from the DWR UWMP Guidebook.

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9 Demand Management Measures
This section describes the City’s efforts to promote water use efficiency, reduce demand on the water supply, and prepare for future requirements.

IN THIS S ECTION
• Existing Demand Management
• Reporting Implementation
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9.1 Introduction
Santa Barbara has a long history of water conservation; the City’s Water Conservation Program began as a response to drought in the late 1970s. In 1988, the Water Conservation Program was enhanced in accordance with recommendations from the City’s Five-Year Water Policy Action Plan. As a result of the 1987–1991 drought, the City accelerated implementation of the Water Conservation Program. The City’s 1994 LTWSP identified a goal of 1,500 AFY of additional water conservation, a target that was met and exceeded.

In December 1990, the Santa Barbara County Regional Water Efficiency Program (RWEP) was established as a collaboration among the many local water purveyors and the County of Santa Barbara Water Agency. RWEP promotes the efficient use of water countywide and provides information and assistance to the 16 local water purveyors within the county, including the City.

RWEP members coordinate cooperative water conservation efforts among purveyors, co-fund projects and programs, act as a clearinghouse for information on water efficiency, manage specific projects and programs, and monitor local, State, and national legislation related to efficient water use.

In January 1992, the City joined the California Urban Water Conservation Council, now the California Water Efficiency Partnership, by signing the Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Urban Water Conservation. Since that time, the City has been actively implementing the BMPs and additional water conservation measures. In addition, implementing the BMPs satisfies contractual requirements with the Reclamation for the Cachuma Project.

The City’s Water Conservation Program aims to minimize the use of potable water supplies, meet BMP requirements, and achieve compliance with SB X7-7’s 20% by 2020 per capita water use reduction requirements, and the “Making Water Conservation as a California Way of Life” legislation and adopted State efficiency standards by making water conservation a Santa Barbara way of life. Water conservation measures are evaluated for cost-effectiveness based on the avoided cost of additional water supplies.

Water use efficiency in the City is supported by a coordinated effort of City and RWEP initiatives to create a holistic approach to providing the needed water conservation tools to both the water system and each customer within the service area. The City requires water efficiency in building codes and standards as a result of State-guided mandates as well as local ordinances.

The City recently updated its Water Conservation Strategic Plan, which includes a recommended water conservation program (0). The demand management measures recommended in the Water Conservation Strategic Plan are described in the following sections.

9.2 Existing Demand Management Measures
This section describes the City’s existing demand management measures.

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9.2.1 Utility Operations Programs
Utility operations measures encompass preventing water waste, reducing water loss, and addressing water efficiency in development projects.
• Water Waste Prevention: City Ordinance No. 4558, adopted in February 1989, prohibits the waste of water, which is defined as any excessive, unnecessary, or unwarranted use of water, including, but not limited to: 1) any use which causes significant runoff beyond the boundaries of property served by a meter; 2) failure to repair any leak or rupture in any water pipes, faucets, valves, plumbing fixtures, or other water service appliances within 72 hours after notice by the City; and 3) irrigation during and for a period of 48 hours after a measurable rainfall event. The City makes educating the community on water waste practices a high priority. The City’s water waste ordinance can be found in the City’s municipal code SBMC §14.20.007, Prohibition Against Waste of Water. Enforcement of the City’s water waste ordinance is found in SBMC §14.20.226, Penalties and Charges.
• Water Loss Control: Refer to Section 4.2.2 for a description of the City’s water loss control efforts.
• Water Efficient Landscape Standards: For development projects, the City has adopted Water Efficient Landscape Standards that are more stringent than California’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. The City reviews plans and conducts inspections to ensure compliance with design standards, including a water wise plant palette, efficient irrigation, proper pressure regulation, smart irrigation controllers, mulch, and more. The landscape design standards were originally adopted by the City Council in 1989 and updated in 2008. The City has submitted an annual report to the state since December 2015 that includes the total number of approved projects and square feet of new/revised landscape for that year.
• Metering: The City currently meters all water services. The City has also implemented AMI on their customer meters. As part of the AMI Project, the City launched the customer-facing water use and billing portal, WaterSmart, in March 2024. Through WaterSmart, customers can monitor water use by the hour, day, and month; receive automated leak alerts; pinpoint reasons behind a high bill; customize alerts for unusual water use; and sign up for autopay and paperless billing. As of March, 2026, there were 18,662 accounts registered, 61% of total utility accounts.

9.2.2 Conservation Pricing
The City’s adopted water rates include tiered rates to promote conservation. Residential water rates include a fixed monthly service charge and a volumetric rate with three tiers of pricing for the first 4 hundred cubic feet (HCF), an increased rate for usage between 5-16 HCF, and the highest volumetric rate for all water use beyond 16 HCF per month. Additionally, commercial and dedication irrigation meters include a fixed monthly service charge and a base allotment or water budget for volumetric usage, with increasing pricing for volumetric usage beyond the base allotment or water budget.

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9.2.3 Public Education and Outreach
The City attempts to raise awareness among all customer types regarding the importance of efficient and responsible water use. The City effectively works to foster a culture of conservation within the community and affect impactful behavioral changes. Components of the City’s public education program include the following:
• Providing information on methods and opportunities for reducing consumption:

The City engages customers in water efficiency through its website, the WaterSmart customer portal, newsletters, informational videos, social media, printed materials, public presentations, workshops, and more. The City promotes the use and maintenance of water-efficient WaterSense products, practices, and services. • Delivering consistent, persistent messages and media campaigns: The City delivers consistent messaging through radio messages, TV commercials, print advertising, social media messaging, digital advertising, and more, including messaging for both indoor and outdoor water use efficiency. Messages are delivered year-round and are tailored to the season (i.e., “turn it down” in the fall and “sprinkler spruce up” in the spring).

9.2.3.1 Current Public Information Programs
• Water Conservation Phone Line: The Conservation Line provides callers with information on how to check for leaks, analyze water use patterns, investigate high water use, provide recommendations for water efficiency, explain rate structure, participate in rebate programs, register for the WaterSmart portal, and direct customers to rebates and resources.
• WaterSmart Customer Portal and Automated Leak Alerts: As part of the Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project, the City has a customer-facing water use and billing portal called WaterSmart. Through WaterSmart, customers can monitor water use by the hour, day, and month; receive automated leak alerts; pinpoint reasons behind a high bill; customize alerts for unusual water use; and sign up for autopay and paperless billing.
• Website: The City maintains a Water Conservation Program website, and it contributes to and promotes the website for RWEP.
• Conservation Videos: Informational videos on sustainable landscaping, leak detection, efficient irrigation, water supply, and more are available on the City’s water conservation YouTube channel.
• Media Campaign: Spring, summer, and fall media campaigns are implemented by the City, often in conjunction with RWEP to expand reach. Advertisements are placed online, on TV, in movie theaters, in print publications, and on the radio. • Water Bill Messages/Bill Inserts/e-Newsletters: Monthly water conservation messages are printed directly on water bills and are customized by customer classification. A monthly water bill insert is mailed with all water bills and available electronically for online bill pay customers. A Water Resources e-newsletter is sent out City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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quarterly, and a citywide “City News in Brief” e-newsletter is sent out weekly, with a water efficiency section included every week.
• Social Media: Outreach on water conservation actions and events are posted on the Nextdoor website and often on the City's Facebook and X accounts. • Demonstration Gardens: The Water Conservation Program has many beautiful waterwise demonstration gardens to showcase sustainable landscaping, including Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden, in conjunction with the Parks Department; the Firescape Garden, in conjunction with the Fire Department; Spencer Adams Park, in conjunction with the Parks Department and via a Surfrider Foundation Whale Tail Grant; the El Estero Recycled Water Garden; the Water Wise Home Garden, in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; and the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors Rainwater Garden, in conjunction with the Association of Realtors. • Public Events: City staff set up tables and displays and engage the public in water efficiency information at local events such as Earth Day, local irrigation stores, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden events, various school science nights, and neighborhood association meetings.
• “Garden Wise” TV show: “Garden Wise” is a 30-minute quarterly TV show about designing and maintaining sustainable landscapes. Featured segments include Plant Rant, What Tree is That?, Crimes Against Horticulture, and Design a Water-Wise Garden featuring local designers. This program is coordinated and co-funded through RWEP.
• Water-wise Gardening for Santa Barbara County Website: This robust website of gardening information is tailored to the Santa Barbara climate with an extensive plant database of over 1,000 water wise plants, more than 300 photos of local gardens, and guidance on gardening design and practices. It is available at WaterWisegardeningSB.org. This program is coordinated and co-funded through RWEP.

9.2.3.2 Current School Education Programs
• Classroom Presentations: This program involves fun and engaging K-6 presentations about Santa Barbara’s water supply, the water cycle, water conservation, and wastewater treatment. Songs, photos, and videos are used, based on the age group.

Sixth grade presentations include the Living Wise kit and curriculum— a take-home kit with water and energy fixtures and activities to conduct at home. Presentations are tailored to grade or class objectives and are aligned to California content standards and the Education and the Environment Initiative Curriculum. • Field Trips: Water facilities such as the El Estero Water Resource Center, Cater Water Treatment Plant, Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant, Sheffield Reservoir, and the Firescape Garden are available for school and community group tours, with City personnel to lead and educate attendees.
• Musical Assemblies: Musical-comedy education shows about water supplies, the value of water, groundwater, and water efficiency are part of this program, which is coordinated and co-funded through RWEP.

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• WaterWise High School Video Contest: This annual countywide contest encourages high schoolers to create and submit a 30-second public service announcement for water efficiency, in English or Spanish. Winning videos are used for TV and movie theater advertising. This program is coordinated and co-funded through RWEP. • WaterWise Science Fair Award: This special award is part of the larger Santa Barbara County Science Fair for junior and senior science fair projects that address water efficiency, water supplies, or water treatment. This program is coordinated and cofunded through RWEP.

9.2.4 Outdoor Water Use Efficiency
The City’s outdoor water use efficiency programs are intended to promote the “new normal” of water wise landscaping through proper design, installation, and maintenance of new and existing landscapes and irrigation systems.
• Sustainable Lawn Replacement Program: Rebates are available to help offset the cost of replacing water-thirsty lawns and irrigation with water-wise plants and efficient irrigation. Rebate amount is based upon square footage of lawn removed and can also be stacked with the rain garden rebate from the Creeks Division for a higher dollar per square foot and higher rebate maximum.
• Irrigation Efficiency Rebates: Rebates are available for smart irrigation controllers, spray to drip system conversions, spray to low-precipitation nozzle conversions, and laundry to landscape graywater systems.
• Irrigation Budgets for Dedicated Irrigation Meters: The City has budget-based rates for accounts with dedicated irrigation meters to incentivize water efficiency. For the City’s over 750 irrigation meters, the monthly water budget is determined by the property’s irrigated landscaped area, the water requirements of plants, and the current weather conditions. The purpose of providing a monthly water budget is to bill based on the water needs of the landscaping; water use that exceeds the budget is billed at a higher rate.

Customers can track their water use compared to their budget in the WaterSmart portal. • Green Gardener Program: Taught through Santa Barbara City College School of Extended Learning, gardeners are trained in resource efficiency and pollution prevention landscape maintenance practices. Gardeners attend a 15-week course taught in both English and Spanish covering irrigation design and maintenance, fertilization, soil health, integrated pest management, pruning, and green waste reduction. This program is coordinated and co-funded through RWEP.
• Mulch Delivery Rebate: The City will rebate a portion of the cost of up to two dump truck loads per year of county mulch deliveries to reduce evaporation and increase water retention in the soil.
• WaterWise Garden Recognition Contest: Residential front gardens are evaluated for water efficiency, design elements, and sustainability. The winning garden is submitted to the countywide contest for the top prize. Winning properties receive an engraved City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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sandstone boulder and are highlighted in public outreach to encourage water wise practices. This program is coordinated and co-funded through RWEP.

9.2.4.1 Rainwater and Graywater Activities within the City The City’s Water Conservation Program and Creeks Division support and incentivize onsite water capture and reuse through various rainwater and graywater programs available to water customers and landscape professionals:
• Offers rebates on mulch for rain gardens and graywater systems • Offers rebates on rain barrels, pavement removal, and disconnected downspouts • Offers rebates on replacing lawns with rain gardens
• Offers rebates on graywater materials.
• Develops the Water Wise Home Demonstration Garden in partnership with the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden to showcase graywater, passive rainwater collection, and active rainwater collection
• Sponsors the Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper and the Watershed Wise Landscape Professional Certification trainings, US Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense certified programs to certify landscape professionals in site evaluation, rain garden installation, efficient irrigation, and maintenance
• Online resources such as sample plan sets, Graywater 101 and Rainwater 101 class recordings, guidance documents, and more.

More information on all programs can be found at www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Graywater.

9.2.5 Residential Programs
In addition to the programs previously listed, the following programs are geared toward residential customers:
• High-efficiency Washing Machine Rebate Program: The Smart Rebates Program is coordinated by the California Water Efficiency Partnership for participating water suppliers throughout California. The City participates with high-efficiency clothes washer rebates for residential customers who replace an existing high water use washing machine with a qualifying high-efficiency model.
• Flume Smart Home Water Monitor Rebate: The City offers a direct distribution rebate on the Flume smart home water monitoring system. Flume easily attaches to the meter and allows users, through a smartphone app, the ability to monitor water use down to the minute and catch water leaks quickly.

9.2.6 Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Programs In addition to the programs previously listed, the following programs are geared toward commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) customers:
• CII WaterWise Survey and Incentive Program: This tailored program for high water use CII customers includes a comprehensive water survey as well as rebate incentives City of Santa Barbara Public Draft
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for making recommended upgrades. The survey includes identifying high water use appliances, searching for hidden leaks, cataloging fixture use and flow rates, and identifying areas for improvement. A summary report includes an analysis of the facility’s water use, water and cost-saving recommendations eligible for monetary incentives from the City, and estimated return on investment.
• Lodging Industry Towel and Linen Cards: Free linen cards and towel rack hangers are available to encourage patrons to conserve water during their stay by reusing towels and linens.
• Restaurant Table Cards: Free table tents are available to inform restaurant customers that water will be served upon request.
• Green Business Program of Santa Barbara County: Existing businesses are certified through onsite evaluations from City staff. New and existing certified Green Businesses receive workshops, trainings, resources, and recognition. This program is organized by the California Green Business Network of Santa Barbara County.

9.3 Reporting Implementation
Table 9-1 lists participation levels for the City’s active water conservation programs from FY2021 to FY2025.

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Table 9-1. Water Conservation Program Participation Numbers, FY 2021 to FY2025 Program Description FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 Total
School Education
Programs
K-6 classroom presentations, 6th grade
LivingWise kits, field trips, and musical
assemblies
897 835 3,479 1,661 2,802 9,674
Water e-Sources Water Resources Division Newsletter
(emails opened) 13,761 28,402 24,579 39,089 32,611 138,442 Water Efficient
Landscape
Standards Review
City staff perform plan checks and
inspection for land development projects
that include new/revised landscaping
68 151 193 217 241 870
Mulch Rebate
Program
Rebate of up to two dump truck loads of
County mulch delivered per year
111 75 73 76 78 413
High-Efficiency
Clothes Washer
Rebate
$150 rebate for replacing high water
using clothes washers with eligible highefficiency washer models 48 55 29 68 59 259 Irrigation and
Landscape Rebates
Rebates to replace lawn with water wise
plants and/or efficient irrigation - - 10 23 21 54
Green Gardener
Program
Educates local gardeners in resourceefficient landscape management (number of graduates)
66 59 78 72 70 345
Educational Videos
Videos on how to read your meter, check
for leaks, adjust sprinklers, design water
wise gardens, etc. (YouTube views)
39,172 55,179 44,309 35,275 37,142 211,077
Water-Smart Leak
Alerts
Automated leak alerts sent via email or
mail to alert customers of continuous use
or burst leaks
- - - 4,153 38,246 42,399
Flume Rebate
Rebate on Flume device to monitor water
use down to the minute and catch water
leaks quickly
441 410 260 150 28 1,289
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10 Plan Adoption, Submittal, and
Implementation
This section describes the completed steps taken to make the UWMP publicly available as well as adopt and submit the UWMP in accordance with the Water Code.

IN THIS S ECTION
• Completed Steps for UWMP and
WSCP
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10.1 Completed Steps for UWMP and WSCP
Per Government Code 6066, the public hearing was noticed twice in the Voice Santa Barbara Magazine in May 2026 and more than 14 days before the public hearing. The hearing notices are attached in Appendix D. The public hearing was held on June 16, 2026 at the City Council meeting prior to the UWMP and WSCP adoption. In addition, the City maintained a copy of the 2025 UWMP and WSCP in its office and at https://SantaBarbaraCA.gov/WaterVision prior to the public hearing.

The Draft 2025 UWMP and WSCP was discussed with the Board of Water Commissioners on April 16, 2026. The Commission supported the Plan content and recommendations. The Final 2025 UWMP and WSCP were formally adopted by the City Council at a public meeting on June 16, 2026. A copy of the Adoption Resolution is included in Appendix D.

A hard copy of City’s Final 2025 UWMP and WSCP were sent to the California State Library, DWR (electronically using the WUEdata reporting tool), and all cities and counties within City’s service area within 30 days of adoption and before the deadline of July 1, 2026.

Should the City need to amend the adopted 2025 UWMP or WSCP in the future, the City will hold a public hearing for review of the proposed amendments to the document. The City will send a 60-day notification letter to all cities and counties within City’s service area and notify the public. Notification to the public with be published twice in the newspaper, the first notice being a minimum of two weeks prior to the public hearing. Once the amended document is adopted, a copy finalized version will be sent to the California State Library, DWR (electronically using the WUEdata reporting tool), and all cities and counties within City’s service area within 30 days of adoption. The finalized version will also be made available to the public both online and in person at the City’s public office during normal business hours.

10.2 Public Availability
To fulfill the requirements of Water Code Section 10642 of the UWMP Act, the City made the Final 2025 UWMP available online at https://SantaBarbaraCA.gov/WaterVision, and at the City’s Water Resources Division office during normal business hours, for public review within 30 days of adoption.

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References
AWWA. (2026). M36 Water Audits and Loss Control Programs, 4th Edition.

Brown, Oliver, et al. (2021). Do Conservation Policies Work? Evidence from Residential Water Use. National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved from www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/711310
California Department of Water Resources. (2026). CIMIS Station Reports. Monthly Reports.

Station No. 107. Retrieved March 2021, from
http://wwwcimis.water.ca.gov/WSNReportCriteria.aspx
California Department of Water Resources. (2016). California Plumbing Code. Chapter 16A Non-Potable Water Reuse Systems. Retrieved from
https://up.codes/viewer/california/ca-plumbing-code-2016/chapter/16A/non-potablewater-reuse-systems#16A.

California Governor's Office of Planning and Research. (2018). California's Fourth Climate Change Assessment. Sacremento: California Governor's Office of Planning and Research.

Carollo. (2017). City of Santa Barbara Potable Reuse Feasibility Study.

Carollo. (2022). Recycled Water Market Assessment Report. City of Santa Barbara.

Carollo. (2025). Incorporating Climate Change Impacts into Demand Forecasting: A Guidebook for Practitioners. American Water Works Association.

City of Santa Barbara . (2017). Construction and Land Development. Retrieved from City of Santa Barbara Zoning Map.

City of Santa Barbara. (2011). 2011 General Plan - Land Use Element. City of Santa Barbara.

City of Santa Barbara. (2011). General Plan. Retrieved from https://santabarbaraca.gov/government/priorities-policies/general-plan/general-planelements-appendices City of Santa Barbara. (2023). Housing Element, 2023-2031, 6th Cycle.

City of Santa Barbara. (2025). Annual Urban Water Use Objective and Water Use Report, FY23-24.

City of Santa Barbara. (2025). Water Supply Management Report 2023-2024 Water Year. City of Santa Barbara.

DWR. (2025). The State Water Project Draft Delivery Capability Report for 2025.

Frechleton, Martin, & Nishikawa. (1998). United States Geological Survey Report 97-4121.

Geohydrology of Storage Unit III and a Combined Flow Model of the Santa Barbara and Foothill Groundwater Basins, Santa Barbara County, CA. 1998.

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Freckleton. (1989). United States Geological Survey Report 89-4017, Geohydrology of the Foothill Groundwater . Prepared in cooperation with the City of Santa Barbara.

HDR. (2024). City of Santa Barbara Water Rate Study.

Impact Sciences, Inc. (2012). Cachuma Project Water Rights Hearing Environmental Impact Report.

Juhee Lee, M. N. (2024). The impact of pricing structure change on residential water consumption: A long-term analysis of water utilities in California,. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212428424000045 M. Cubed. (2019). Comparative Analysis of Projected and Actual Water Demand in 2018.

Maddaus Water Management. (2024). Exploratory Study of Impacts on Water Demand from AMI Customer Portal Implementation and Water Rates Increases for the City of Santa Barbara, California.

Maddaus Water Management. (2026). City of Santa Barbara Water Conservation Strategic Plan: Making Conservation a Santa Barbara Way of Life.

Martin. (1984). United States Geological Survey Report 2197. Groundwater Monitoring at Santa Barbara CA: Phase 2 - Effects of Pumping on Water Levels and on Water Quality in the Santa Barbara Groundwater Basin. Prepared in cooperation with the City of Santa Barbara.

Muir, K. (1968). Ground-water reconnaissance of the Santa Barbara-Montecito area, Santa Barbara County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1859-A, 28 p.

Nishikawa, T. (2018). Santa Barbara and Foothill groundwater basins Geohydrology and optimal water resources management—Developed using density dependent solute transport and optimization models, U.S. Geological Survey, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5059.

Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. (2019). Regional Growth Forecast 2050 Santa Barbara County. SBCAG.

Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department. (2014). Mission Canyon Community Plan. Retrieved from
https://cosantabarbara.app.box.com/s/y5gospry443iyzqvf5csqj518ddghvmx SB County Planning and Development. (2014). Mission Canyon Community Plan.

SBCAG. (2019). Regional Growth Forecast 2050 Santa Barbara County, Population, Job, and Household Forecast to 2050.

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Stanko, Jachens. (2025). Post-Optimization Scenarios for the Santa Barbara Groundwater Model, California: U.S. Geological Survey data release. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.5066/P14SVJUP
U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data "Mission Canyon CDP, California.". Retrieved March 2016, from
http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF U.S. Census Bureau. (2021). 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. U.S. Census Bureau.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). City of Santa Barbara Census Profile. U.S. Census Bureau.

Retrieved from
https://data.census.gov/profile/Santa_Barbara_city,_California?g=160XX00US0669070# income-and-poverty
Wallace Group. (2014). Lake Cachuma Formed by Bradbury Dam. Results of 2013 Survey & Sedimentation Update. Prepared fro the County of Santa Barbara Public Works Department.

Williams, A. Park, et al. (2020, April 17). Large Contribution for Anthropogenic Warming to an Emerging North American Megadrought. Science, pp. 314-318.

WSC. (2021). Long Term Water Supply Plan. City of Santa Barbara.

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City of Santa Barbara UWMP Checklist
2025 Urban Water Management Plan | A
Appendix A UWMP Checklist
A
City of Santa Barbara
2025 UWMP
Appendix A - DWR UWMP Checklist June 30, 2026
Order 2025 Guidebook Location Water Code
Section Summary as Applies to UWMP Subject
Relevant
Submittal
Table
2025 UWMP Location
1 Chapter 1 10615 A plan shall describe and evaluate sources of supply, reasonable and practical efficient uses, reclamation and demand management activities. Introduction and overview n/a Executive Summary, Page 1-22 1 Chapter 1 10630.5
Each plan shall include a simple description of the Supplier’s plan including water availability, future requirements, a strategy for meeting needs, and other pertinent information. Additionally, a Supplier may also choose to include a simple description at the beginning of each chapter.

Plan preparation n/a Executive Summary, Page 1-23

2.1 Section 2.1 10620(b) Every person that becomes a Supplier shall adopt UWMP within one year after it has become a Supplier. Plan preparation n/a Section 2.1, page 2-2

2.5 Section 2.5 10644 Supplier shall report the Public Water Systems number, volume of delivered water, and number of connections that are included in this UWMP. Plan preparation 2-1 Section 2.1,page 2-2. Public
water system ID is in the DWR
tables in Appendix B

2.5 Section 2.5 10644 Supplier shall report if this UWMP is an individual UWMP and whether the Supplier belongs to a regional UWMP or regional alliance. Plan preparation 2-2 Section 2.1, page 2-2

2.5 Section 2.5 10644 Supplier shall report whether the data is in fiscal or calendar years and the units of measure used for reporting water volumes. Plan preparation 2-3 Section 2.1, papge 2-2

2.4 Section 2.4 10642
Provide supporting documentation that the Supplier has encouraged active involvement of diverse social, cultural, and economic elements of the population within the service area prior to and during the preparation of the plan and contingency plan.

Plan preparation n/a Section 2.3, page 2-2 to 2-3

2.4 Section 2.4.2 10620(d)(3)
Coordinate the preparation of its plan with other appropriate agencies in the area, including other Suppliers that share a common source, water management agencies, and relevant public agencies, to the extent practicable.

Plan preparation n/a Section 2.3, page 2-2 to 2-3

2.4 Section 2.4.1 10631(h) Retail Suppliers will include documentation that they have provided their Wholesale Supplier(s)—if any—with water use projections from that source. Plan preparation 2-4 R Section 2.3, Table 2-1, page 2-3

2.4 Section 2.4.1 10631(h)
Wholesale Suppliers will provide their Suppliers with identification and quantification of the existing and planned sources of water available from the Wholesale Supplier to the Supplier during various water year types.

Plan preparation 2-4 W N/A - Only applicable to
Wholesalers
3 Chapter 3.0 10631(a) Describe the Supplier service area. System description n/a Section 3.1, page 3-2, Figure 3- 1 3.3 Section 3.3 10631(a) Describe the climate of the Supplier’s service area. System description n/a Section 3.2.2, Page 3-4 to 3-5

3.4 Section 3.4.1 10631(a) Provide the current and projected service area populations for 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045 and optionally 2050. System description 3-1 Table 3-2, page 3-7

3.4 Section 3.4.2 10631(a) Describe other social, economic, and demographic factors affecting the Supplier’s water management planning. System description n/a Section 3.2.2, page 3-7

3.5 Section 3.5 10631(a)
Describe the land uses within the service area… include the current and projected land uses within the existing or anticipated service area affecting the Supplier’s water management planning.

Describe the land uses within the service area.

System description and
baselines n/a Section 3.3, page 3-7 to 3-9

4.2 Sections 4.2.3 and 4.2.4 10631(d)(1) Quantify past, current, and projected water use, identifying the uses among water use sectors. System water use 4-1 and 4-2 Section 4.2, page 4-2 to Page 4- 6 4.3 Section 4.3.1 10631(d)(3)(A) Report the distribution system water loss for each of the five years preceding the plan update. System water use 4-5 Table 4-1, page 4-5

4.3 Section 4.3.2 10631(d)(3)(C) Retail Suppliers shall provide data to show the distribution loss standards were met. System water use 4-6 Section 4.2.2, page 4-5, table 4- 1 4.2 Section 4.2.5.4 10631.1(a) Include projected water use needed for lower income housing projected in the service area of the Supplier. System water use 4-3 Section 4.3, page 4-14, table 4-4

4.2 Section 4.2.5.3 10631(d)(4)(A) In projected water use, include estimates of water savings from adopted codes, plans, and other policies or laws. System water use 4-3 Section 4.2.3.2, page 4-8

4.2 Section 4.2.5.3 10631(d)(4)(B) Provide citations of codes, standards, ordinances, or plans used to make water use projections. System water use 4-3 Section 4.2.3, page 4-7 to 4-8

4.2 Section 4.2.5.3 10631(d)(4)(B)(ii)
To the extent that a Supplier reports the information described in subparagraph (A), an urban water Supplier shall… Indicate the extent that the water use projections consider savings from codes, standards, ordinances, or transportation and land use plans. Water use projections that do not account for these water savings shall be noted of that fact.

System water use 4-3 Section 4.2.3.1 and 4.2.3.2,
page 4-7 to 4-8

4.2 Section 4.2.5.6 10635(b) Demands under climate change considerations must be included as part of the drought risk assessment. System water use n/a Section 4.2.3.3, page 4-11, Section 4.2.4, page 4-13

5.1 Section 5.1 10608.36 Wholesale Suppliers shall include an assessment of present and proposed future measures, programs, and policies to help their Retail Suppliers achieve targeted water use reductions. Baselines and targets n/a N/A - Only applicable to Wholesalers A-1
City of Santa Barbara
2025 UWMP
Appendix A - DWR UWMP Checklist June 30, 2026
Order 2025 Guidebook Location Water Code
Section Summary as Applies to UWMP Subject
Relevant
Submittal
Table
2025 UWMP Location

5.2 Section 5.2 10608.4
Retail Suppliers shall report on their compliance in meeting their water use targets. Reporting requirements will vary depending on whether the Supplier:
- Was considered an urban retail water supplier in 2020, - Met its 2020 target in 2020, or
- Was part of a merger or consolidation since 2020.

Chapter 5 Subsections 5.2.1, 5.2.2, and 5.2.3 address each of these situations.

Baselines and targets 5-1 Section 5.1, page 5-2

6.1 Section 6.1 10631(b)(2) When multiple sources of water supply are identified, describe the management of each supply in relationship to other identified supplies. System supplies n/a Chapter 6, Section 6.2 to 6.9

6.1 Sections 6.1 and 6.2 10631(b)(1)
Provide a discussion of anticipated supply availability under a normal, single dry year, and a drought lasting five years, as well as more frequent and severe periods of drought, including changes in supply due to climate change.

System supplies n/a
Pages 7-2 to 7-10 (Reliability
Assessment); Tables 7-2 to 7-4
; Pages 7-10 to 7-14 (Drought
Risk Assessment); Table 7-6 on

Page 7 ends

Santa Barbara City CouncilJune 16, 2026

Santa Barbara City Council
June 16, 2026