WHEREAS, in accordance with applicable law, including but not limited to Water Code section 10642, a public hearing was held on June 16, 2026 at 6:00 p.m., or soon thereafter, at City Council Chamber at the Shafter City Hall, located at 336 Pacific Ave., Shafter, California in order to provide members of the public and other interested entities with the opportunity to be heard in connection with proposed adoption of the 2025 Plan and issues related thereto; and WHEREAS, pursuant to said public hearing on the City’s 2025 Plan, the City, among other things, encouraged the active involvement of diverse social, cultural, and economic members of the community within the City’s service area with regard to the 2025 Plan and encouraged community input regarding the City’s 2025 Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed and considered the purposes and requirements of the Act and SB X7-7, the contents of the 2025 Plan, and the documentation contained in the administrative record in support of the 2025 Plan, and has determined that the factual analyses and conclusions set forth in the 2025 Plan are legally sufficient; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to adopt the 2025 Plan prior to July 1, 2026 in order to comply with the Act and SB X7-7; and
WHEREAS, section 10652 of the California Water Code provides that the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with section 21000) of the Public Resources Code) (CEQA) does not apply to the preparation and adoption of a UWMP.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the City Council of the City of Shafter hereby resolves as follows:
1. The City’s 2025 Plan is hereby adopted as amended by changes incorporated by the City Council as a result of input received (if any) at the public hearing and ordered filed with the City Clerk.
2. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized and directed to include a copy of this Resolution in the City’s 2025 Plan.
3. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized and directed, in accordance with Water Code sections 10621(d) and 10644(a)(2), to electronically submit a copy of the 2025 Plan to the DWR no later than July 1, 2026.
4. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized and directed, in accordance with Water Code section 10644(a)(1), to submit a copy of the 2025 Plan to the California State Library, and any city or county within which the City provides water supplies no later than thirty (30) days after this adoption date.
5. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized and directed, in accordance with Water Code section 10645(a), to make the 2025 Plan available for public review at the City’s offices during normal business hours or on the City’s website no later than thirty (30) days after filing a copy of the Plan with DWR.
Shafter City Council Resolution No. 3093
June 16, 2026
6. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized and directed, in accordance with Water Code section 10635(c), to provide the Water Supply Reliability Assessment of the 2025 Plan prepared pursuant to Water Code section 10635(a)-(b) to any city or county within which the City provides water supplies no later than sixty (60) days after submitting a copy of the Plan with DWR.
7. The City Council finds and determines that this resolution is not subject to CEQA pursuant to Water Code section 10652 because CEQA does not apply to the preparation and adoption of a UWMP. Because this resolution comprises the City Council’s adoption of the City’s 2025 UWMP, no CEQA review is required.
8. Pursuant to CEQA, the City Council directs staff to file a Notice of Exemption with the Office of the Kern County Clerk within five (5) working days of adoption of this resolution.
9. The document and materials that constitute the record of proceedings on which this resolution and the above findings have been based are located at 336 Pacific Ave., Shafter, CA 93263. The custodian for these records is the City Clerk.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED THIS16th DAY OF JUNE 2026 ______________________________
Chad Givens, Mayor
ATTEST:
______________________________
Yazmina Pallares, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________
Marco A. Martinez, City Attorney
RESOLUTION NO. 3094
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SHAFTER ADOPTING A WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN AS PART OF THE 2025 URBAN
WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
WHEREAS, The California Urban Water Management Planning Act, (Wat. Code §10610, et seq.) (the Act), mandates that every urban supplier of water providing water for municipal purposes to more than 3,000 customers or supplying more than 3,000 acre feet of water annually, prepare and adopt, in accordance with prescribed requirements, a Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) as part of its 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP); and WHEREAS, the Act specifies the requirements and procedures for adopting such WSCPs; and
WHEREAS, urban water suppliers are required to adopt and electronically submit their WSCPs to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) by July 1, 2026; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the Act, “urban water supplier” means a supplier, either publicly or privately owned, providing water for municipal purposes either directly or indirectly to more than 3,000 customers or supplying more than 3,000 acre-feet of water annually; and WHEREAS, the City of Shafter (City) meets the definition of an urban water supplier for purposes of the Act and is required to prepare and adopt and WSCP as part of its 2025 UWMP; and
WHEREAS, the City has prepared a WSCP in accordance with the Act, and in accordance with applicable legal requirements, has undertaken certain coordination, notice, public involvement, public comment, and other procedures in relation to its WSCP; and WHEREAS, in accordance with the Act, the City has prepared its WSCP with its own staff, with the assistance of consulting professionals, and in cooperation with other governmental agencies, and has utilized and relied upon industry standards and the expertise of industry professionals in preparing its WSCP, and has also utilized DWR’s Urban Water Management Plan Guidebook 2025, including its related appendices, in preparing its WSCP; and WHEREAS, in accordance with applicable law, including Water Code section 10621(b), a Notice of Plan Preparation was sent to any city or county within which the City provides water supplies at least 60 days before the required public hearing on its WSCP, on April 3, 2026; and WHEREAS, in accordance with applicable law, including Water Code section 10642 and Government Code sections 6066 and 7290 et seq., a Notice of a Public Hearing regarding the City’s WSCP was published within the jurisdiction of the City on May 28, 2026 and June 4, 2026; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with applicable law, including but not limited to Water Code section 10642, a public hearing was held on June 16, 2026 at 6:00 p.m., or soon thereafter, at City Council Chamber at the Shafter City Hall, located at 336 Pacific Ave., Shafter, California in order to provide members of the public and other interested entities with the opportunity to be heard in connection with proposed adoption of the WSCP and issues related thereto; and
Shafter City Council Resolution No. 3094
June 16, 2026
WHEREAS, pursuant to said public hearing on the City’s WSCP, the City, among other things, encouraged the active involvement of diverse social, cultural, and economic members of the community within the City’s service area with regard to the WSCP, and encouraged community input regarding the City’s WSCP; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed and considered the purposes and requirements of the Act, the contents of the WSCP, and the documentation contained in the administrative record in support of the WSCP, and has determined that the factual analyses and conclusions set forth in the WSCP are legally sufficient; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to adopt the WSCP and to incorporate it as part of its 2025 UWMP prior to July 1, 2026 in order to comply with the Act; and WHEREAS, section 10652 of the California Water Code provides that the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with section 21000) of the Public Resources Code) (CEQA) does not apply to the preparation and adoption of a WSCP.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the City Council of the City of Shafter hereby resolves as follows:
1. The Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) is hereby adopted as amended by changes incorporated by the City Council as a result of input received (if any) at the public hearing and ordered filed with the City Clerk.
2. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized and directed to include a copy of this Resolution in the City’s WSCP and/or in the City’s 2025 UWMP.
3. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized and directed, in accordance with Water Code sections 10621(d) and 10644(a)(2), to electronically submit a copy of the WSCP, as part of its 2025 UWMP, to DWR no later than July 1, 2026.
4. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized and directed, in accordance with Water Code section 10644(a)(1), to submit a copy of the WSCP, as part of its 2025 UWMP, to the California State Library, and to any city or county within which the City provides water supplies no later than thirty (30) days after this adoption date.
5. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized and directed, in accordance with Water Code sections 10632(c) and 10645(b), to make the WSCP available to the City’s customers and to the county and cities within which City provides water supplies no later than thirty (30) days after adoption, and further to make the WSCP available for public review at the City’s offices during normal business hours or on the City’s website no later than thirty (30) days after filing a copy of the WSCP, as part of its 2025 UWMP, with DWR.
6. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized and directed to implement the WSCP in accordance with the Act and to provide recommendations to the City Council regarding the necessary budgets, procedures, rules, regulations, or further actions to carry out the effective and equitable implementation of the WSCP.
7. The City Council finds and determines that this resolution is not subject to CEQA pursuant to Water Code section 10652 because CEQA does not apply to the preparation and adoption of a
Shafter City Council Resolution No. 3094
June 16, 2026
WSCP or to the implementation of the actions taken pursuant to a WSCP. Because this resolution comprises the City Council’s adoption of the City’s WSCP and involves its implementation, no CEQA review is required.
8. Pursuant to CEQA, the City Council directs staff to file a Notice of Exemption with the Office of the Kern County Clerk within five (5) working days of adoption of this resolution.
9. The document and materials that constitute the record of proceedings on which this resolution and the above findings have been based are located at 336 Pacific Ave., Shafter, CA 93263. The custodian for these records is the City Clerk.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED THIS 16th DAY OF JUNE 2026 ______________________________
Chad Givens, Mayor
ATTEST:
______________________________
Yazmina Pallares, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________
Marco A. Martinez, City Attorney
2025
URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
City of Shafter, CA
2025
URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
City of Shafter, CA
Public Works Department
336 Pacific Ave. Shafter, CA 92363
(661) 746-5002
PWS No. CA1510019
June 2026
Prepared by:
West & Associates Engineering, Inc.
78 Anacapa Ct. Foothill Ranch, CA
(949) 716-7670
2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
CITY OF SHAFTER
1 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction...................................................13
1.1. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY.......................................................................................... 13
1.2. COORDINATION.......................................................................................................... 16
1.3. DWR UPDATES FOR THE 2025 UWMPS .................................................................... 18
1.4. UPDATES TO THE CITY’S UWMP................................................................................ 19
1.5. FORMAT OF THE 2025 UWMP .................................................................................... 20
1.6. LAY DESCRIPTION....................................................................................................... 22 Section 2: Service Area Description..............................25
2.1. CITY AND WATER SYSTEM HISTORY ......................................................................... 25
2.1.1. City Description...................................................................................................................25
2.1.2. City Water Division Overview .............................................................................................26
2.2. CURRENT WATER SERVICE AREA.............................................................................. 26
2.2.1. Core (City Center) Sub-Area...............................................................................................26
2.2.2. Southeast Shafter Sub-Area...............................................................................................29
2.2.3. East Shafter..........................................................................................................................30
2.2.4. Water Division Objectives...................................................................................................32
2.3. CITY LAND USE & ECONOMY..................................................................................... 33
2.3.1. City Land Use & Development............................................................................................33
2.3.2. Recent and Planned Development....................................................................................36
2.4. CLIMATE....................................................................................................................... 37
2.4.1. Climate Change...................................................................................................................38
2.5. POPULATION ............................................................................................................... 39
2.5.1. Population Projections........................................................................................................40
2.6. WATER SYSTEM DETAILS............................................................................................ 40
2.6.1. City Water System Components........................................................................................41
2.6.2. Groundwater........................................................................................................................41
2.6.3. Water Storage ......................................................................................................................43
2.6.4. Booster Stations ..................................................................................................................43
2.6.5. Distribution System.............................................................................................................43
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2.6.6. Emergency Interconnections .............................................................................................43 Section 3: Water Sources and Supplies .......................45
3.1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 45
3.2. GROUNDWATER SOURCES ....................................................................................... 47
3.2.1. San Joaquin Valley Basin ....................................................................................................47
3.2.2. Kern County Subbasin.........................................................................................................50
3.2.3. Subbasin Recharge .............................................................................................................50
3.2.4. Groundwater Flow...............................................................................................................50
3.2.5. Groundwater Storage..........................................................................................................50
3.2.6. Groundwater Levels ............................................................................................................53
3.2.7. Groundwater Sustainability................................................................................................53
3.2.8. Kern Subbasin Amended Groundwater Sustainability Plan ............................................54
3.2.9. Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District GSA ...............................................................................55
3.2.10. North Central Kern GSP..................................................................................................55
3.2.11. Subbasin Summary.........................................................................................................59
3.3. GROUNDWATER PRODUCTION ................................................................................ 59
3.3.1. Projected Groundwater Supplies.......................................................................................60
3.4. PLANNED SUPPLY PROJECTS.................................................................................... 61
3.5. ALTERNATE WATER SOURCES................................................................................... 61
3.5.1. Recycled Stormwater..........................................................................................................61
3.5.2. Greywater.............................................................................................................................62
3.5.3. DESALINATED WATER.........................................................................................................62
3.6. TRANSFERS OR EXCHANGES .................................................................................... 62
3.7. ENERGY INTENSITY OF SUPPLY ................................................................................ 62 Section 4: Recycled Water Opportunities....................65
4.1. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................... 65
4.2. WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM....................................................................... 65
4.2.1. Pending Wastewater Service..............................................................................................66
4.2.2. Active Wastewater Treatment Plant ..................................................................................66
4.2.3. Previous Wastewater Treatment Plant..............................................................................68
4.3. WASTEWATER FLOWS & TREATMENT....................................................................... 70
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4.3.1. Current Wastewater Flows .................................................................................................70
4.3.2. Projected Wastewater Flows..............................................................................................71
4.4. RECYCLED WATER...................................................................................................... 71
4.4.1. Treated Wastewater Re-Use...............................................................................................72
4.4.2. Projected Recycled Water Use...........................................................................................76
4.4.3. Planned Recycled Water Infrastructure ............................................................................77
4.4.4. Potential Recycled Water Use............................................................................................79
4.5. ENCOURAGING AND OPTIMIZING RECYCLED WATER USE................................... 79 Section 5: Water Quality.................................................81
5.1. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................... 81
5.2. WATER QUALITY STANDARDS ................................................................................... 82
5.2.1. Federal Regulations ............................................................................................................82
5.2.2. State Regulations ................................................................................................................82
5.2.3. State Drinking Water Standards.........................................................................................83
5.2.4. City Standards .....................................................................................................................83
5.3. QUALITY OF WATER SOURCES.................................................................................. 84
5.3.1. Groundwater........................................................................................................................84
5.4. IMPACTS OF WATER QUALITY.................................................................................... 85
5.4.1. Chlorination .........................................................................................................................85
5.4.2. Granular Activated Carbon.................................................................................................85
5.4.3. Other Water Operation Responses....................................................................................87
5.4.4. Impacts of Abandoned Wells .............................................................................................87
5.4.5. Groundwater Contamination Response ...........................................................................88
5.4.6. DDW Sanitary Surveys.........................................................................................................89
5.4.7. Cross-Connection Plan Update .........................................................................................89
5.4.8. Impacts on Management & Reliability...............................................................................89 Section 6: Water Use ......................................................91
6.1. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................... 91
6.2. RECENT WATER USE CHANGES................................................................................ 91
6.3. CURRENT CITY WATER NEEDS .................................................................................. 92
6.4. CLIMATE IMPACTS ON WATER USE........................................................................... 93
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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
6.4.1. California Water Plan Update 2023 ...................................................................................95
6.5. WATER USE.................................................................................................................. 95
6.5.1. Past Water Use ....................................................................................................................95
6.5.2. Recent Water Use................................................................................................................96
6.6. WATER USE BY SECTOR ............................................................................................. 96
6.6.1. Service Connections/Accounts .........................................................................................96
6.6.2. Water Use.............................................................................................................................98
6.6.3. Distribution System Losses..............................................................................................100
6.6.4. 2028 Water Loss Standard................................................................................................101
6.7. URBAN WATER USE OBJECTIVE .............................................................................. 101
6.7.1. Key Highlights from the Report.........................................................................................102
6.7.2. Objectives Calculated with Future Standards................................................................102
6.8. WATER CONSERVATION ACT................................................................................... 103
6.8.1. Act Background (SBX7-7)..................................................................................................103
6.8.2. SBX7-7 Baseline & Target..................................................................................................104
6.8.3. SBX7-7 Target Compliance...............................................................................................108
6.9. PROJECTED WATER DEMAND ................................................................................. 109
6.9.1. Passive Savings..................................................................................................................109
6.9.2. Projected Water Use by Sector ........................................................................................109 Section 7: Reliability Planning ..................................... 111
7.1. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 111
7.2. HISTORIC STATEWIDE DROUGHTS......................................................................... 111
7.3. RECENT DROUGHT (2020-2022) ............................................................................. 112
7.4. REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY................................................................. 113
7.5. CITY SUPPLY RELIABILITY......................................................................................... 117
7.5.1. Physical Constraints .........................................................................................................118
7.5.2. Environmental Constraints...............................................................................................118
7.5.3. Water Quality Constraints ................................................................................................119
7.5.4. Climate Impacts on Water Supply ...................................................................................119
7.6. RELIABILITY PROJECTIONS ...................................................................................... 119
7.6.1. Drought Risk Assessment.................................................................................................120
7.6.2. Tabular Comparisons........................................................................................................121
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5 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
7.7. ENSURING ADEQUATE SUPPLY .............................................................................. 131
7.8. WSCP SUPPLY AUGMENTATION ............................................................................. 131
7.9. WATER SUPPLY OPPORTUNITIES............................................................................ 131
7.9.1. Regional Projects...............................................................................................................131
7.10. RELIABILITY MANAGEMENT ................................................................................. 132 Section 8: Contingency Planning ................................ 133
8.1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 133
8.2. NEED FOR CONTINGENCY PLANS.......................................................................... 134
8.2.1. Recent State Water Code Amendments .........................................................................135
8.3. LEGAL AUTHORITY.................................................................................................... 136
8.4. WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY ANALYSIS.................................................................. 136
8.5. ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS........................................................................................... 138
8.5.1. Decision Making Process..................................................................................................138
8.5.2. Key Data Inputs..................................................................................................................138
8.5.3. Current Forecast ...............................................................................................................139
8.6. REGIONAL CONTINGENCY RESPONSE.................................................................. 139
8.7. CITY CONTINGENCY PLAN ...................................................................................... 141
8.7.1. Objectives of Contingency Plan .......................................................................................141
8.7.2. Health & Safety (1st Priority).............................................................................................142
8.7.3. Stages of Action.................................................................................................................143
8.7.4. Communication Protocols ...............................................................................................143
8.7.5. Limitations/Prohibitions ...................................................................................................144
8.7.6. Penalties for Non-Compliance.........................................................................................145
8.8. DISASTER MANAGEMENT......................................................................................... 145
8.8.1. Assistance During Disasters ............................................................................................146
8.8.2. Seismic Risk.......................................................................................................................147
8.8.3. Emergency Water Supply..................................................................................................151
8.8.4. Summary of Emergency Response ..................................................................................151
8.9. WSCP ENFORCEMENT & EVALUATION .................................................................. 151
8.9.1. Monitoring ..........................................................................................................................151
8.9.2. Enforcement ......................................................................................................................152
8.9.3. Reporting ............................................................................................................................152
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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
8.10. FISCAL IMPACTS ................................................................................................... 152
8.10.1. Impacts to Revenue ......................................................................................................152
8.10.2. Impacts to Reserve Funds............................................................................................153
8.11. WSCP ADOPTION AND REFINEMENT ................................................................. 154
8.11.1. Council Resolution........................................................................................................154
8.11.2. WSCP Refinement Procedures ....................................................................................154
8.11.3. WSCP Re-Adoption .......................................................................................................155 Section 9: Conservation Measures ............................. 161
9.1. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 161
9.2. DWR DMMs FOR 2025 UWMPs................................................................................ 162
9.3. CalWEP BMPs............................................................................................................ 162
9.3.1. 2025 Updates to CalWEP BMPs .......................................................................................163
9.4. CITY CONSERVATION MEASURES........................................................................... 163
9.5. OTHER CONSERVATION MEASURES ...................................................................... 173
9.6. CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION.............................................................................. 173 List of Tables
Table 1.1 Coordination and Public Involvement ...................................................................... 17 Table 2.1 Current Land Use & Economic Statistics for Kern County and City of Shafter..... 34 Table 2.2 Historical Climate (1901-2020) ................................................................................. 37 Table 2.3 Recent Climate Characteristics (2025) .................................................................... 38 Table 2.4 Recent City/Water Service Area Population ............................................................ 40 Table 2.5 Population Projections............................................................................................... 40 Table 2.6 Groundwater Wells..................................................................................................... 44 Table 2.7 Storage Tanks & Booster Stations ............................................................................. 44 Table 3.1 Kern County Subbasin Key Characteristics ............................................................. 59 Table 3.2 Groundwater-Production........................................................................................... 60 Table 3.3 Projected Water Supply Availability .......................................................................... 60 Table 3.4 Annual Energy Costs to Run All Well Motors............................................................ 62 Table 4.1 Estimated Wastewater Flows (35% Return Rate).................................................... 70 Table 4.2 Projected Wastewater Flows..................................................................................... 71 Table 4.3 Recycled Water Produced and/or Used in City........................................................ 72 Table 4.4 Groundwater Basin Recharge Estimates (2019)...................................................... 76 Table 4.5 Projected Recycled Water Production and/or Use.................................................. 76
2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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7 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Table 6.1 City Past Water Use.................................................................................................... 96 Table 6.2 City Recent Water Use ............................................................................................... 96 Table 6.3 Service Connections (2025)....................................................................................... 97 Table 6.4 Current and Historic Metered Water Demand by Sector (MG)............................... 99 Table 6.5 Objectives Calculated with Future Standards....................................................... 102 Table 6.6 City Water Use (GPCPD) .......................................................................................... 108 Table 6.7 City SBX7-7 2020 Water Use Targets ...................................................................... 108 Table 6.8 Projected Water Demand by Sector (MG) .............................................................. 110 Table 7.1 Overall Well Capacity and Pumping Time Projections.......................................... 122 Table 7.2 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections......................... 123 Table 7.3 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections......................... 124 Table 7.4 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections......................... 125 Table 7.5 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections......................... 126 Table 7.6 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections......................... 127 Table 7.7 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections......................... 128 Table 7.8 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections......................... 129 Table 8.1 Water Fixtures: Health & Safety .............................................................................. 142 Table 8.2 Water Shortage Stages & Reduction Targets ......................................................... 143 Table 8.3 City Catastrophe Response Actions....................................................................... 149 Table 8.4 Wells with Emergency Backup Systems (for Earthquakes or Power Outages)... 149 Table 8.5 Current Residential Water Rates............................................................................. 153 Table 8.6 Prohibitions on Water Use During Water Shortages ............................................. 156 Table 8.7 City Water Division Response Actions During Water Shortages ......................... 158 Table 9.1 City of Shafter Current Water Rates........................................................................ 167 List of Figures
Figure 1.1 UWMP Act Establishment and Amendment ........................................................... 15 Figure 2.1 Tank 1 at City Core (Shafter Ave/Tulare Ave)........................................................... 26 Figure 2.2 City of Shafter Water Service Area........................................................................... 27 Figure 2.3 City of Shafter Water Service Sub-Area................................................................... 28 Figure 2.4 Tank 3 (Express Ave).................................................................................................. 29 Figure 2.5 Shafter Minter Field Air Museum.............................................................................. 30 Figure 2.6 City Core Area............................................................................................................ 31 Figure 2.7 Tank 5 at Highway 99................................................................................................. 32 Figure 2.8 City of Shafter Land Use Map ................................................................................... 35 Figure 2.9 Gossamer Grove Development................................................................................ 37 Figure 2.10 Well 16...................................................................................................................... 41 Figure 2.11 Booster Pumps at Tank 5........................................................................................ 42 Figure 3.1 GSAs in Kern County Subbasin ................................................................................ 46
8 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Figure 3.2 Rise in Valley Floor at San Joaquin River ................................................................. 47 Figure 3.3 Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region and Kern County Sub-Basin................................. 48 Figure 3.4 Kern County Sub-Basin............................................................................................. 49 Figure 3.5 Recharge Points Adjacent to City’s Water Service Area (See Figures 4.1 & 4.5 for the WWP Recharge Points)......................................................................................................... 51 Figure 3.6 Groundwater Flow Direction .................................................................................... 52 Figure 3.7 North Kern Water Storage District’s Rosedale Spreading Grounds (Near Calloway Canal) .......................................................................................................................... 53 Figure 3.8 Groundwater Storage in the Kern County Subbasin .............................................. 56 Figure 3.9 Groundwater Levels in Nearby Monitoring Wells to City ....................................... 57 Figure 3.10 Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District GSA Management Areas................................. 58 Figure 4.1 City of Shafter Wastewater Service Area................................................................. 67 Figure 4.2 Process of City Wastewater System........................................................................ 69 Figure 4.3 Crop Irrigation with WWTP Effluent ......................................................................... 72 Figure 4.4 City/NORSD Wastewater Treatment Plant with Identifiers ................................... 73 Figure 4.5 City/NORSD Wastewater Treatment Plant Aerial................................................... 74 Figure 4.6 Permitted Irrigation Areas Receiving WWTP Effluent............................................. 75 Figure 4.7 Potential Recycled Water Transmission Pipeline................................................... 78 Figure 5.1 Basic Overview of Water Quality Testing and Response for Municipal Wells..... 86 Figure 5.2 Granular Activated Carbon at Well 16..................................................................... 87 Figure 6.1 City of Shafter Circa 1930......................................................................................... 92 Figure 6.2 Mannel Park ............................................................................................................... 93 Figure 6.3 Roof Tile Manufacturing in the City of Shafter ........................................................ 98 Figure 6.4 Current Water Demand by Sector (in 2025).......................................................... 100 Figure 6.5 Procedure for Determining Baseline Per Capita Water Use................................ 105 Figure 6.6 Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region............................................................................... 106 Figure 6.7 Procedure for Determining Baseline Per Capita Water Use................................ 107 Figure 6.8 Procedure for Determining Target Per Capita Water Use.................................... 107 Figure 6.9 Projected Water Demand by Sector (in 2050)....................................................... 110 Figure 7.1 California State Reservoir Levels (May 2026)........................................................ 114 Figure 7.2 Streamflow in the Kern River (May 2021)............................................................... 115 Figure 7.3 Streamflow in the Kern River (March 2026)........................................................... 116 Figure 7.4 Friant-Kern Canal .................................................................................................... 118 Figure 7.5 Projected Supply v. Demand Scenario: Normal Water Year 2050...................... 130 Figure 8.1 Lake Oroville Failure (February 2017).................................................................... 134 Figure 8.2 Basic Overview of Water Quality Contamination Response for City Wells ....... 137 Figure 8.3: Sample Annual Assessment Decision-Making Process Timeline. .................... 140 Figure 8.4 City Council Can Declare Shortage Stages........................................................... 143 Figure 8.5 Fault Zones Near the City ....................................................................................... 147 Figure 8.6 Well 17 (Los Angeles Avenue) ................................................................................ 150 Figure 8.7 Well 11 with GAC (Los Angeles Avenue)................................................................ 150 Figure 9.1 CUWCC became CalWEP in January 2018 ........................................................... 162 Figure 9.2 Conservation Measures for 2025 UWMPs: CalWEP and DWR Compared ........ 164
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9 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Figure 9.3 Water Waste............................................................................................................. 165 Figure 9.4 AMI-Style Water Meter ............................................................................................ 166 Figure 9.5 Message Board on Water Waste ............................................................................ 167 Figure 9.6 Water Conservation Coloring Contest .................................................................. 168 Figure 9.7 Landscape Conversion (In-Process) ..................................................................... 171 Figure 9.8 Residential Water Survey........................................................................................ 172 Figure 9.9 Residential Water Survey........................................................................................ 173 Appendices
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
Appendix E
Appendix F
Appendix G
Appendix H
Appendix I
Appendix J
Appendix K
Appendix L
Appendix M
Appendix N
Appendix O
Appendix P
City Council Resolution Adopting 2025 UWMP
City Council Resolution Adopting 2025 WSCP
UWMP Act
Dept. of Water Resources UWMP Checklist
Dept. of Water Resources UWMP Data Tables
Dept. of Water Resources SBX7-7 Tables
UWMP Notices: 60-Day Notice, 2-Week and 1 Week Notices
Final Transmittals to County and State Library
Land Use Element – City General Plan
Housing Element – City General Plan
2025 Consumer Confidence Report (Water Quality Reports) Kern County Subbasin Seventh Annual Report (Water Year 2025) Kern Council of Governments – 2022 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (Chapter 4)
County of Kern Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (Chapters 4 & 5) City of Shafter Emergency/Disaster Response Plan & Emergency Notification Plan
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Section
ACRONYMS
AF Acre-Feet
AFY Acre-Feet per Year
AMI Automatic Metering Infrastructure
AP Allocation Plan
BDCP Bay-Delta Conservation Plan
BMP Best Management Practice
CDP Census Designated Place
CDPH California Department of Public Health
CFS Cubic Feet per Second
CII Commercial Industrial Institutional
CIMIS California Irrigation Management Information System City City of Shafter
CRA Colorado River Aqueduct
CUWCC California Urban Water Conservation Council
CalWEP California Water Efficiency Partnership
CVP Central Valley Project
CDPH California Department of Public Health
DBPs Disinfection Byproducts
DDW Division of Drinking Water
DMM Demand Management Measure
DOE Department of Energy
DWSAP Drinking Water Source Assessment and Protection
DWR Department of Water Resources
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
ETo Evapotranspiration
GPCD Gallons per Capita per Day
GPM Gallons per Minute
HEN High Efficiency Nozzle
HET High Efficiency Toilet
HEW High Efficiency Washer
IPR Indirect Potable Reuse
MAF Million Acre-Feet
MCL Maximum Contaminant Level
MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal
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MG Million Gallons
MGD Million Gallons per Day
MGY Million Gallons per Year
mg/L Milligrams per Liter
μg/L Micrograms per Liter
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
ng/L Nanograms per Liter
NORSD North of the River Sanitary District
NPDWR National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Units
OMWC Oildale Mutual Water Company
PCA Possible Contaminating Activities
PHG Public Health Goal
PPCPs Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products
RHNA Regional Housing Needs Assessment
SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act
SB Senate Bill
SBX7-7 Senate Bill x7-7
SWP State Water Project
SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board
TDS Total Dissolved Solid
TOC Total Organic Carbon
ULFT Ultra-Low-Flow Toilet
USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
UWMP Urban Water Management Plan
WSAP Water Supply Allocation Plan
WSS Watershed Sanitary Survey
WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant
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1 Section 1:
Introduction
1.1. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
This is the 2025 Urban Water Management
Plan (“UWMP” or “Plan”) for the City of
Shafter (hereinafter “City”). This Plan has
been prepared in compliance with the Urban
Water Management Planning Act (Act),
which was established in 1983 and has been
codified into the California Water Code
sections 10610 through 10657. A copy of the
Act can be found in Appendix C to this 2025
UWMP.
As part of the Act, the legislature declared
that waters of the state are a limited and
renewable resource subject to ever
increasing demands; that the conservation
and efficient use of urban water supplies are
of statewide concern; that successful
implementation of plans is best
accomplished at the local level; that
conservation and efficient use of water shall
be actively pursued to protect both the
people of the state and their water
resources; that conservation and efficient
use of urban water supplies shall be a
guiding criterion in public decisions; and that
urban water suppliers shall be required to
develop water management plans to
achieve conservation and efficient use.
The Act requires urban water suppliers to
“prepare and adopt an urban water
management plan.” Water Code section
10617 defines an urban water supplier as a
public water system that provides “water for
municipal purposes either directly or
In accordance with
the Water Code, an
Urban Water
Management Plan
is required to be
updated every five
years.
14 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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indirectly to more than 3,000 customers or
supplies more than 3,000 acre-feet of water
annually.” These plans must be filed with the
California Department of Water Resources
(DWR) every five (5) years, describing and
evaluating reasonable and practical efficient
water uses, reclamation, and conservation
activities. Water Code section 10621(a)
mandates that each water supplier shall
update its plan at least once every five years
on or before July 1, in years ending in six (6)
and one (1).
The Act has been amended multiple times
since its initial passage in 1983. A summary
of the amendments is provided in Figure 1.1.
The intent of the amendments was to
broaden the scope
of the UWMPs,
encourage public
participation, and
add financial
incentives to the
UWMPs. A significant amendment to the Act
was a 2009 amendment (Senate Bill SBX7-7)
signed by former Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger. The Senate Bill, also known
as the “Water Conservation Act” required
that per capita water use within an urban
water supplier's service area decrease by
twenty percent (20%) by the year 2020 in
order to receive grants or loans
administered by DWR or other state
agencies. Each urban retail water supplier
developed water use “targets” for 2015 and
for 2020. The “target” date for 2020 just
passed on December 31, 2020. Urban water
suppliers whose 2020 actual water use does
not meet the target requirements
established by this bill are not eligible for
state water grants or loans This included, but
was not limited to, the following funding
sources:
• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
Primarily a source for funds to help
correct deficiencies
• Proposition 1
Primarily a source for funds related
to supplies & infrastructure
• Proposition 50
Primarily a source for funds related
to security & treatment technology
• Proposition 84
Primarily a source for funds related
to protection from pollution
Amendments to the
Act have added
financial incentives to
UWMPs
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15 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Figure 1.1 UWMP Act Establishment and Amendment
Present: The UWMP guidebook was released on
November 17, 2025, with no UWMP Act Amendments.
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UWMPs are considered to be a foundation
document and a source of information for
Water Supply Assessments (Senate Bill 610)
and Written Verifications of Water Supply
(SB 221). In addition, a UWMP may serve as
a long-range planning document for water
supply, a source of data for development of
a regional water plan, and a source
document for cities and counties as they
prepare their General Plans. These planning
documents are linked, and their accuracy
and usefulness are interdependent.
One of the primary objectives of the Act is
the assessment of demands and supplies
over a twenty (20) year or a twenty-five (25)
year planning horizon under normal rainfall
conditions as well as under various drought
conditions. Section 10632 of the Act also
requires a water shortage contingency plan
(WSCP) and drought response actions be
included in a UWMP. In short, this Plan is a
management tool, providing a general, longterm framework for action, rather than a detailed blueprint for supply and demand
management. This Plan evaluates the City’s
supply and demand projections over a twentyfive (25) year planning horizon, and what mix of programs should be explored for making
this water available. As part of the City's past
and current water conservation policies, the
City is currently implementing many facets
of this plan already to achieve its water
conservation goals.
1.2. COORDINATION
The process of preparing and submitting an
UWMP is a transparent process that requires
opportunities for outside-agency and
general public involvement. In preparing this
2025 Plan, the City has encouraged broad
community participation, in accordance with
Water Code section 10642. The City notified
the agencies that the City interacts with
more than 60 days in advance of the City
Council’s adoption of the Plan, pursuant to
Water Code section
10621(b). The City
also made the draft
Plan available at City
Hall and on the City’s
website, leading up
to a public hearing on
the Plan. Notices of
the public hearing
were published in the local press and on the
City’s website for a two-week period. On
June 16, 2026, the City held a noticed public
hearing to review and accept comments on
the UWMP and WSCP. Following the public
hearing, the City officially adopted the 2025
Plan and WSCP through separate Council
resolutions. A copy of the council resolutions
adopting this UWMP and the WSCP is
included in Appendix A and B, respectively.
The City's 2025
UWMP is a
collaborative effort
involving its own
staff, outside
agencies, and the
general public.
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Table 1.1 Coordination and Public Involvement
Agency
Participated
in Plan
Preparation
Contacted
for
Assistance
Commented
on Draft
Notified
of Public
Hearing
Attended
Public
Hearing
City of Shafter Departments
City Public Works/Water
Dept Staff x x x x x
City Manager's Office x x
Shafter City Council x x
County Agencies
County of Kern Clerk x
County of Kern Planning
Dept x
Water Suppliers/Agencies
Cawelo Water District x
North Kern Water Storage
District x
Oildale Mutual Water
Company x
Semitropic Water Storage
District x
Shafter-Wasco Irrigation
District x
Water Management Agencies (Conservation)
Kern County Water Agency x
Other Agencies/General Public
North of River Sanitary
District x
Minter Field Airport
District x
Interested General Public x x
Notes:
1. “60-Day” notice letters were sent out to all agencies listed above as required by CWC § 10621(b):
2. 2-week and 1-week notices were published in the local press.
3. Appendix G contains copies of the 60-day notice and the 2-week and 1-week notices.
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As required by section 10644 of the Act, the
2025 UWMP is being prepared by the City
and will be submitted to DWR, the California
State Library, and any city or county within
which it provides water to no later than
thirty (30) days after adoption. The 2025
UWMP will be available to the public during
normal business hours within thirty (30) days
of submitting the 2025 UWMP to DWR.
1.3. DWR UPDATES FOR THE 2025
UWMPS
There have been no new UWMP statutory
requirement changes since the 2020 UWMP
cycle, although several definitions have been
added or updated and DWR has updated its
guidance and submittal tables.
• Clarified Reporting Requirements for
SBX7-7: The 2025 Guidebook adds or
clarifies guidance for SB X7-7 reporting,
water loss standard reporting, direct
potable reuse, lower-income housing
projections, and reporting groundwater
recharge and other storage. For SB X7-7,
retail suppliers must continue to report
progress toward their 2020 water-use
target. Suppliers that met their 2020
Target in 2020 generally report the 2020
Target and actual 2020 GPCD. Suppliers
that did not meet the 2020 Target in
2020 must compare actual 2025 GPCD
against the 2020 Target and provide the
applicable supporting calculations. (CWC
§ 10608.40)
• Water Losses: For water losses, retail
suppliers must report distribution
system water loss for each of the five
years preceding the UWMP update and
may incorporate submitted AWWA
water-loss audit reports by reference.
Retail suppliers must also report data
showing progress toward the applicable
2028 Water Loss Performance Standard;
however, this reporting is for UWMP Act
purposes and does not itself determine
compliance or noncompliance with the
State Water Board’s water-loss
regulation. (CWC § 10631 (d)(3)(C), SB
1414, 2019).
• Conservation Laws: Separate from the
UWMP Act, recent water conservation
legislation and regulations include
UWUO reporting requirements and
restrictions on the use of potable water
to irrigate nonfunctional turf. These
requirements re relevant to the City’s
water supply and demand projections.
• UWUO and Water Use Reporting: The
standard for indoor residential water use
from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2030
was lowered from 52 to 47 Gallons per
Capita per Day (GPCD). Until January 1,
2025, the standard was 55 GPCD.
Beginning January 1, 2030 the standard
was lowered from 50 to 42 GPCD. DWR,
in coordination with SWRCB, will
conduct an investigation to determine if
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the date for the 2030 indoor residential
use standard will be changed. The City
won’t be subject to enforcement
pursuant to this chapter solely for failing
to meet the indoor residential use
standard. (CWC § 10609.4).
• Irrigation of Nonfunctional Turf:
”Functional turf” is ground cover surface
of turf located in a recreational use area
or community space. ”Nonfunctional turf”
means any turf that is not functional turf,
and includes turf located within street
rights-of-way and parking lots. Turf
enclosed by fencing or other barriers to
permanently preclude human access for
recreation or assembly is nonfunctional
turf. The use of potable water to irrigate
nonfunctional turf
is wasteful and
incompatible with
state policy relating
to climate change,
water conservation,
and reduced
reliance on the Sacramento-San Joaquin
Delta ecosystem (CWC § 110). The use of
potable water to irrigate nonfunctional
turf on all properties owned by the City
are to be phased out by January 1, 2027.
All other Commercial, Industrial, and
Institutional (CII) properties are to be
phased out by January 1, 2028. After
which it will be prohibited with a few
exceptions (CWC § 10608.14). The
website https://saveourwater.com/
provides information and resources on
converting nonfunctional turf to native
vegetation.
• Definitions: New definitions were added
or existing definitions were modified,
which include nonfunctional turf, CII
water use, large landscape, gross water
use, potable reuse, urban water use
objective, affordable housing, and
disadvantaged community, to name a
few (CWC § 10608.12).
In addition, there are several optional or
voluntary categorical and data reporting
changes to the UWMP Act. These include an
optional Planning Tool that suppliers can use
to report and assess water use and supply in
order to better conduct the Reliability
Assessment and Drought Risk Assessment, a
Potable and Non-Potable Planning Tool,
Potable and Non-Potable Submittal Tables,
as well as various optional data reporting.
1.4. UPDATES TO THE CITY’S UWMP
In addition to required updates described in
the previous section, the City’s 2025 UWMP
has undergone several changes from the
2020 UWMP. A summary of the key changes
to the UWMP are as follows:
• New Format: Format of the UWMP has
been changed to include a new look and
The use of
potable water to
irrigate
nonfunctional turf
is wasteful.
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new arrangement of sections. The new
arrangement helps the discussion of
certain topics which precede other
topics. See Section 1.5 for the format of
this 2025 UWMP.
• DWR & Water Code: A listing of DWRrequired UWMP updates (see previous Section).
• City Development Growth: An updated
look at development which took place in
the City since the 2020 UWMP.
• Water Sources and Supplies: A broader,
more in-depth discussion of water
sources and supplies.
• Recycled Water: An updated look on
recycled water opportunities in the
vicinity and in the City.
• Water Quality: A broader, more in-depth
discussion of water quality and
treatment.
• Water Use: Updated information on
recent water use quantities and a deeper
discussion on water use parameters.
Also, an updated look at SB X7-7 targets.
• Supply v Demand: Updated information
on projected supplies vs demands, and a
discussion on recent regional droughts
affecting the City. There is also an
expansion on the discussion of the City’s
source water reliability.
• Contingency Planning: Updated
information on the City's contingency
plans, including the City’s Ordinances.
• Conservation Measures: Updated
information on the City's conservation
measures, which reflect the previous
(2020) changes by DWR.
In addition to the above changes, there are
multiple minor changes. The changes reflect
both those that are required by the Water
Code and those that are voluntarily included
for the benefit of the City.
1.5. FORMAT OF THE 2025 UWMP
The information contained in this 2025
UWMP correspond to the items in the
UWMP Act and other amendments to the
Water Code. The sections of the UWMP are
as follows:
Section 1 - Introduction
This section describes the UWMP Act, the
UWMP preparation and adoption process,
updates to the UWMP, and a lay description
of this entire document.
Section 2 – Service Area Description
This section outlines the history and
development of the City and the City’s water
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21 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
supply system, a description of its existing
service area, the local climate, population
served, and some basic statistics on the
City’s water distribution system.
Section 3 – Water Sources & Supplies
This section describes the existing water
supplies available to the City, including
groundwater from the Kern County Subbasin.
This section also describes the management
of the basin, the recharge sources of the
subbasin, and City’s pumping capacity. In
addition, this section discusses potential
future water supplies.
Section 4 – Recycled Water Opportunities
This section describes the City’s wastewater
collection system and the potential uses of
recycled water in the City. In addition, this
section discusses the future outlook for the
City on recycled water, including a 2019
Recycled Water Study by the North of the
River Sanitary District (NORSD).
Section 5 – Water Quality
This section discusses the quality of the
City’s potable water supply sources,
including groundwater from the Kern County
Subbasin. This section also discusses
drinking water standards and the effect that
water quality has on management strategies
and supply reliability.
Section 6 – Water Use
This section describes past, current and
projected water usage within the City’s
service area. This chapter also discusses the
requirement of the Water Conservation Act
(SB X7-7), including the 2020 Water Use
Targets.
Section 7 – Reliability Planning
This section presents a water service
reliability and drought risk assessment of the
City’s water system. The water service
reliability assessment is an assessment of
the reliability of the City’s water supplies by
comparing projected future water demands
with expected available water supplies
under three different hydrologic conditions:
normal year; a single dry year; and multiple
dry years[CWC § 10635(a)]. The drought risk
assessment examines water shortage risks
based on the driest five-year historic
sequence for the agency’s water supply
(CWC § 10612). This 2025 UWMP concludes
that if projected imported and local supplies
are developed as anticipated, no water
shortages are anticipated in the City’s
service area during the planning period.
Section 8 – Contingency Planning
This section describes the City’s response
plan to water shortages under a Water
Shortage Contingency Plan, as well as those
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efforts that will be utilized in the event of
water supply interruptions, such as power
outages, earthquakes, or droughts. This
section also describes regional response
efforts to water supply interruptions.
Section 9 – Conservation Measures
This section addresses the City’s compliance
with water conservation measures that
correspond to the seven (7) Demand
Management Measures (DMMs) described
in the 2025 UWMP Guidebook, which were
previously the 14 DMMs listed in the Act.
The DMMs also correspond to the current
Best Management Practices (BMPs) from the
California Water Efficiency Partnership
(CalWEP).
Appendices
The appendices contain references and
specific documents that contain reference
data used to prepare this 2025 UWMP,
including the mandatory UWMP Submittal
Tables that must be provided to DWR.
1.6. LAY DESCRIPTION
To facilitate effective and efficient
management of water supplies, and in
compliance with the UWMP Act and the
Water Conservation Act of 2009, the City has
prepared this 2025 UWMP. This UWMP
includes background information regarding
the City’s history, water system, and water
supplies. This UWMP also analyzes recent
water demands and projects future water
supply capacity and water demands through
2050. The effects of water quality, drought,
and emergencies on the City’s water supply
reliability are also analyzed.
As indicated by Section 7: of this UWMP, the
City does not expect to have a water supply
shortage through 2050, either under normal
or under drought conditions. Furthermore,
this UWMP concludes that the City’s water
supplies, which are obtained entirely from
local groundwater basins, are resilient to
droughts and water quality issues. Current
groundwater production capacity (total
available supply) is representative of the
City’s active wells. Total well capacity is
10,100 gpm or 5,309 MGY, and as such
further supplies are not needed to meet
future demands.
A basic overview of the City’s water system
can be found in Section 2:. Water quality
does have an occasional impact on individual
groundwater wells, but backup wells can
pump additional water while water
treatment is constructed at the wells of
concern.
In addition, the City’s water needs are also
being met by Oildale Mutual Water
Company (OWMC), and the City
recommends coordinating UWMP’s.
Nonetheless, this UWMP recommends that
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the City maximize the use of groundwater
production from each well and construct
additional wells to create additional
reliability in supply. This UWMP also
recommends conservation tools that will
enable the City’s residents to conserve water
and maximize water use efficiency. These
conservation tools are described in Section 9:.
If the water consumption rates in the City
decrease as this UWMP projects due to
passive savings described in Section 6.9.1,
the City can expect to have an adequate
water supply in future years. This is in spite
of a projected population growth of thirtyseven and a half percent (37.5%), one and a half percent (1.5%) annually over the next
twenty-five (25) years. Finally, this UWMP
recommends that severe droughts or
sudden supply interruptions be addressed
by following the criteria of the Water
Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP), as
described in Section 8: of this UWMP.
Since UWMPs are due for revision every five
years, this UWMP is projected to be in effect
until the year’s end of 2030. At that time, the
City's 2030 UWMP will begin its preparation
and adoption process.
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2 Section 2:
Service Area
Description
2. 2.1. CITY AND WATER SYSTEM HISTORY
The City of Shafter was incorporated on
January 11, 1938. Currently, the City of
Shafter is a charter City per approval by the
voters at a Special Municipal Election held on
June 6, 1995, as certified by the election
results adopted by Resolution 1210. Per the
US Census Bureau, the City qualifies as an
“urban area”, but falls under the “urban
cluster” category which was introduced with
the 2010 Census to cover small to mid-size
cities. The City of Shafter operates under a
City Council/City Manager form of
government. The City Council consists of five
(5) Council Members elected to four-year
terms. Amongst the Council, one (1) Mayor
is selected to a two-year term. The City
Manager, who serves on behalf of the City
Council, manages the day-to-day operations
of the City. Under the City Manager’s general
oversight, the City’s Public Works Director
manages the Public Works Department,
including the City’s Water Division. The City’s
Water Division performs all activities related
to the water system.
2.1.1. City Description
The City is located in the southern area of
California’s San Joaquin Valley, ninety (90)
miles south of Fresno and one-hundredthirty (130) miles north of Los Angeles, west of Highway 99 at the Lerdo Highway exit.
The City is bounded by the City of Bakersfield
(Rosedale) to the south and unincorporated
land in all other directions. The City of Wasco
The City’s water
service area
comprises
approximately 75%
of the City limits, plus
additional areas.
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is approximately ten miles to the north via
Highway 43. Notable unincorporated
communities in close proximity to Shafter
include, Oildale to the southeast and
Buttonwillow to the southwest. City limits
spans approximately thirty-eight (38) square
miles and encompass a variety of land uses,
including residential, local parks and
recreational facilities, commercial, industrial,
agricultural and one airport. Over the years,
the City’s location and master planning have
made it an ideal location for diverse housing
and economic opportunities.
2.1.2. City Water Division Overview
The City’s Water Division handles the
operations, maintenance, and upgrading of
the water system, as well as work on the
water quality monitoring, which includes
collections, sampling, analyses, and
production of the annual water quality
report; the written correspondence
between the system and the regulatory
agencies; and meter protection. The Water
Division’s Operations also performs
maintenance activities such as mainline and
services repairs. flushing, valve exercising,
and telemetry. Administrative support for
the Water Division, including service billing
and collections, is provided by the City’s
Administrative Services Department.
2.2. CURRENT WATER SERVICE AREA
The City’s water service area comprises
approximately seventy-five percent (75%) of
the City limits, as well as additional areas
outside of the City limits. The City’s sewer
service area does not match the water
service areas, but is contained to the City
limits. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the
City’s growth is outside of the water service
area, which is serviced by the Oildale Mutual
Water Company (OMWC). Figure 2.2 shows
the City's boundaries and water service area.
Figure 2.1 Tank 1 at City Core (Shafter
Ave/Tulare Ave)
The City’s water system is represented by
three (3) service sub-areas, which are shown
in Figure 2.3. The sub-areas are on separate
pressure zones served by booster sections
located at the tank sites. The service subareas are described as follows:
2.2.1. Core (City Center) Sub-Area
The Core (City Center) sub-area is the most
established portion of the City service area
and occupies approximately three-square
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Figure 2.2 City of Shafter Water Service Area
28 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Figure 2.3 City of Shafter Water Service Sub-Area
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Figure 2.4 Tank 3 (Express Ave)
miles of mixed land uses. Approximately
seventy percent (70%) of average daily
water demand is attributed to nearly 20,000
residents in both incorporated and
unincorporated service areas. Four (4) active
groundwater wells and two (2) storage tanks
equipped with booster pumps are currently
operating within the Core City. Figure 2.6
shows the City’s Core sub-area.
2.2.2. Southeast Shafter Sub-Area
The Southeast Shafter sub-area is primarily
an industrial park, featuring warehousing,
distribution, and cold storage facilities. It
also features an industrial rail facility
previously operated by the City. The
developed portion of this sub-area is
approximately one and a half (1.5) square
miles. For over twenty (20) years, a water
supply pipeline originating from the Core
City has fed a City tank servicing Southeast
Shafter, referred to as Tank 3 (Figure 2.4). As
of April 2025, Well 21 has been operating
within Southeast Shafter for domestic uses.
Well 21 serves the adjacent industrial park.
A notable exclusion from Southeast Shafter
is the planned residential and commercial
developments east of the industrial park
customers. Although the City is the proposed
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sewer service provider for these
developments, Oildale Mutual Water
Company (OMWC) is the water service
provider because its sources and
infrastructure are in a better logistical
position to meet the expected demand.
Planned developments are described in
further detail in Section 2.3.2, including
Gossamer Grove.
2.2.3. East Shafter
The East Shafter sub-area is near the
intersection of Highway 99 and Lerdo
Highway. It operates primarily as an
industrial and business park but also
features the Shafter Airport, operated by
Minter Field Airport District. The District had
previously been the owner and operator of a
separate water system for its airport-based
tenants, as well as for surrounding
commercial and industrial customers. Due
primarily to significant operational and
financial failures within that system, as well
as to better position
the area for growth
and economic
development, the City
annexed the District
and their water service
areas plus assumed
ownership of the water
system for future operations in the mid1990s. Through both loan and grant funding issued through the State of California, the
City also constructed a water supply pipeline
to deliver water from the Core City, so that
the District’s failing water sources and
infrastructure could be removed from
service. The City created the East Shafter
Improvement Area, which established
monthly water service billing rates specific
to the original and future customers.
However, the East Shafter customers today
are now billed per the citywide rate plan.
The City’s water infrastructure dedicated to
East Shafter has evolved considerably from a
single supply line fed from the Core City to
one (1) dedicated well and two (2) storage
tanks with booster pumping stations, all
located and designed to meet demands and
fire flow requirements. The developed
portion of the East Shafter sub-area is
currently approximately two and a half (2.5)
square miles.
Figure 2.5 Shafter Minter Field Air Museum
For over twenty-five (25) years and,
specifically, until 2018, the water supply
pipeline originating from the Core City had
been the only source of domestic water for
The City annexed
the District and
their water service
areas plus
assumed
ownership of the
water system.
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Figure 2.6 City Core Area
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East Shafter. Well 18 is now operating within
East Shafter and serves as the primary
source of potable water. However, the Lerdo
Highway supply line will continue to deliver
water periodically to avoid water stagnation
and to serve as a back-up source.
Figure 2.7 Tank 5 at Highway 99
Both Well 18 and the Lerdo Highway supply
pipeline feed directly into City Tank 4,
located at the same parcel as Well 18, which
stores and boosts pressure for distribution
lines that deliver water to East Shafter
customers. Tank 5, immediately east of
Highway 99, serves the same purpose as
Tank 4, but currently has a minimal service
area located to the easterly limit of East
Shafter.
2.2.4. Water Division Objectives
Water Division crews read water meters
bimonthly for billing purposes and replace
faulty water meters in order to keep
accurate accounts of water consumed by our
customers. The City's Water Division staff
are certified by the State of California to
operate, maintain and repair the water
distribution system. The Water Division’s key
objectives can be summarized as the
following:
• Efficiently operate groundwater
facilities, including wells and
treatment equipment
• Collect meter data and provide billing
services to customers
• Respond to all water quality
complaints
• Efficiently operate groundwater
facilities, including wells and
treatment equipment
• Maintain and make repairs to all
components of the water system
• Comply with California Water
Resources Control Board Division of
Drinking Water (DDW) regulations,
including laboratory testing
Most of the water consumption is by singlefamily residences, and the remaining water users in the City include multi-family
residences, commercial/institutional, and
landscape irrigation. Since the City currently
does not separate multi-family from singlefamily residential, residential users typically account for approximately ninety-two
percent (92%) of the City’s total water
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service connections (accounts).
2.3. CITY LAND USE & ECONOMY
The City of Shafter is one of eleven (11)
incorporated cities located in Kern County.
The County encompasses a land area of
8,132 square miles or 5.20 million acres, and
a total area of 8,163 square miles or 5.22
million acres. Table 2.1 provides some basic
statistics on current land use and economy
for Kern County and the City of Shafter.
2.3.1. City Land Use & Development
The current City of Shafter General Plan was
prepared by the City’s Planning Department
in April, 2005 and is currently in progress of
being updated. The City’s current and
approved General Plan contains the
following elements as mandated by
Government Code Section 65302: Land Use,
Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open
Space, Noise, and Safety. The Shafter Land
Use Element identifies that land within the
City’s limits is broken down into six (6) major
categories and fifteen (15) different land-use
types as shown on Figure 2.8 and as
described below:
Agricultural/Open Spaces
Agricultural/Open Space land in the City’s
Land Use Program and Zoning Map includes
entirely existing, undeveloped land as
follows:
• Agricultural Production
• Open Space for Community
It is anticipated that land currently
designated under agricultural/open space
category will remain preserved (undeveloped),
over the course of this UWMP planning
period (through 2050).
Residential Uses
Residential land in the City’s Land Use
Program and Zoning Map includes almost
entirely existing land that has already been
developed as follows:
• Rural Residential
• Rural Community
• Estate Residential
• Very Low to High Density Residential
It is anticipated that land currently
designated under the residential category
will only undergo mild re-development
through 2050.
Commercial and Professional Office Uses
Commercial land in the City’s Land Use
Program and Zoning Map includes primarily
existing land that has already been
developed, as well as land designated for
development, as follows:
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Table 2.1 Current Land Use & Economic Statistics for Kern County and City of Shafter Land: Total
Item Kern County City of Shafter
Land Area (square miles) 8,132 38
Land Area (acres) 5,204,429 24,300
Agricultural Land (acres) 2,300,000 20,200
Developed Land (square miles) 180 6.50
Population
Item Kern County City of Shafter
Population 927,068 21,193
Housing
Item Kern County City of Shafter
Total Housing Units 312,134 4,400
Households 284,931 5,677
Median Home Price $ 338,300 $ 335,800
Owner Occupancy Rate 60.1% 64.7%
Economy
Item Kern County City of Shafter
Employed (16yrs +) 58.5% 61.4%
Median Household Income $ 70,210 $71,215
Percent in Poverty 18.6% 20.7%
Manufacturing $7 Billion $350 Million
Agriculture/Crops $7.6 Billion $67 million*
Retail & Wholesale Sales** $15.6 Billion $344 Million
*Estimate based on proportion of land area
**Sum of sale from total merchant wholesaler and total retail
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Figure 2.8 City of Shafter Land Use Map
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• Retail, Restaurants
• Professional Office Buildings
It is anticipated that land currently
designated under this category will undergo
mild development, accompanied by mild redevelopment, through 2050.
Industrial Uses
Commercial land in the City’s Land Use
Program and Zoning Map includes primarily
existing land that has already been
developed, as well as land designated for
development, as follows:
• Warehouses, Distribution, Storage
• Manufacturing, General Industrial
• Resource Management (Minerals)
It is anticipated that land currently
designated under this category will undergo
mild development, accompanied by mild redevelopment, through 2050.
Specific Plan
Land designated as “Specific Plan” in the
City’s Land Use Program and Zoning Map
includes existing, undeveloped land and land
currently in development as follows:
• Current Developments
• Pending Developments
• Identified for Private Development
It is anticipated that land currently
designated under this category will undergo
substantial development through 2050.
Public and Quasi-Public Uses
Public and Quasi-Public land in the City’s
Land Use Program and Zoning Map includes
existing, developed land, or planned yet
undeveloped land as follows:
• Parks and Schools
• Community Facilities
• Parks and Schools
• Identified for Public Development
It is anticipated that land currently
designated under this category will undergo
mild development through 2050.
The City’s Land Use policies are intended to
promote an orderly pattern of development
in the City and the development of a wide
range of commercial activities, to provide for
a variety of housing opportunities and for
adequate public services and facilities, and
to ensure a strong employment and
commercial base to finance public
improvements and services.
2.3.2. Recent and Planned Development
At the time the City’s 2010 UWMP was
adopted, the City water system was the only
system serving residents and businesses
within the City. Among other things, the
2010 UWMP addressed the planned
development of newly-annexed territory in
the southeast portion of the City, totaling to
approximately 5,200 acre, or eight (8) square
miles, also known as “Southeast Shafter”.
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Since the 2020 UWMP, this new
development in Southeast Shafter (known as
“Gossamer Grove”) has received water
service from OMWC. The new development
projects that OMWC plans to serve are
discussed in specific plans adopted by the
City for multiple residential and commercial
areas, including specific planned areas and
developments other than Gossamer Grove,
that are expected to add approximately
30,000 new residents at buildout.
Figure 2.9 Gossamer Grove Development
The first of the specific-planned
developments, Gossamer Grove, began
development in 2015. Since June 2021,
1,307 total units for residential use have
been built in a specific planned portion of
the City referred to as Gossamer Grove, in
the vicinity of Seventh Standard Road and
Gossamer Grove Boulevard.
2.4. CLIMATE
The City is influenced by the mountain
ranges that border the San Joaquin Valley.
The Diablo Range blocks a considerable
amount of moisture from the Pacific while
the Tehachapi Mountains does the same
from the south. The City’s climate can best
be characterized by hot, dry summers and
short, mild winters. The area has average
summer temperature of approximately 80°F
with winters of approximately 48°F. The
average annual rainfall for the region is 7.21
inches, most of which takes place between
December and March. Evapotranspiration
(ETo) in the region averages approximately
64 inches annually. Table 2.2 lists the
historical average rainfall for the City:
Table 2.2 Historical Climate (1901-2020)
Month Rainfall (in) Avg. Temp (°F)
Jan 1.29 48.8
Feb 1.15 53.5
Mar 1.37 58.8
Apr 0.63 63.7
May 0.27 71.6
Jun 0.13 78.6
Jul 0.01 84.4
Aug 0.02 82.6
Sep 0.03 77.6
Oct 0.51 67.8
Nov 0.57 56.1
Dec 1.11 48.2
Totals: 7.11 66.0
Source: (www.wrcc.dri.edu)
Station: Wasco, California (049452)
Table 2.3 shows the recent data for the
region.
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Table 2.3 Recent Climate Characteristics
(2025)
Month
Rainfall
(in)
ETo (in)
Jan (2025) 0.56 2.18
Feb (2025) 0.41 2.35
Mar (2025) 1.41 3.73
Apr (2025) 0.27 5.33
May (2025) 0.00 7.49
Jun (2025) 0.00 8.23
Jul (2025) 0.00 8.29
Aug (2025) 0.00 7.65
Sep (2025) 0.16 5.52
Oct (2025) 0.93 3.66
Nov (2025) 2.04 1.56
Dec (2025) 1.83 0.58
Totals: 7.6 56.57
Source: CIMIS Station 5 & 182 (Shafter-San
Joaquin Valley [Rainfall] / Delano [Eto])
(cimis.water.ca.gov)
As noted in the table, rainfall totals for all
months, are higher than the normal levels.
The recorded rainfall in the City for Calendar
year 2025 was 7.9 inches, which amounts to
one-hundred eleven percent (111%) of the
average rainfall (7.11 inches).
2.4.1. Climate Change
The DWR Guidebook encourages water
suppliers to include a discussion of climate
change in their UWMPs. The Kern Council of
Governments (COG) Climate Change Task
Force was formed in 2009 to assist Kern COG
and its member agencies to meet the goals
and objectives of Senate Bill No. 375 (SB 375).
The Task Force was folded into the
Transportation Modeling Committee in 2010.
The 2022 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)
and Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS)
is a single document that provides a
framework for assesses greenhouse gas
emissions, establishes an emissions
reduction target, and outlines strategies to
meet these goals. The Kern COG TRP and SCS
document is available online and is also
included in Appendix M, and the 2026
update is currently underway.
The California Natural Resources Agency
released a draft of the 2024 California
Climate Adaptation Strategy (Strategy),
which builds on the successes and lessons
learned since the first iteration in 2009 and
the California Adaptive Planning Guide
issued in 2012. It also integrates and
connects key elements of the latest specific
State of California action plans, such as the
Extreme Heat Action Plan, Water Supply
Strategy, Climate Smart Lands Strategy,
Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan,
and Climate Action Plan for Transportation
Infrastructure. Key elements of the
approach:
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01.Set updated, strategic direction and
identify outcome-based priorities:
The Strategy links the State’s existing,
planned, and resourced climate adaptation
efforts, showing how they fit together to
achieve broad climate resilience priorities.
The Strategy also specifies needed actions,
with timeframes and metrics, to drive
progress and enable accountability.
02.Unify efforts across all sectors and
regions:
The Strategy is organized around outcomebased priorities, rather than individual sectors, enabling a coordinated, integrated
approach to building climate resilience. This
approach recognizes how climate
adaptation is implemented on the ground,
and reflects our commitment to integrating
climate resilience into the work of all state
agencies. The priorities have been
developed based on input from Californians
across all regions of the state and in
consultation with California Native American
tribes.
03. Help all Californians understand and
contribute to California’s climate resilience:
The 2024 Strategy updates the interactive
website that serves as a hub for state climate
resilience action. This website will continue
to be updated to enable easier navigation, to
follow the state’s progress and to find
adaptation information and resources easily.
Section 7: provides greater detail of droughts
and their impact on the City’s supplies.
2.5. POPULATION
According to the most recent population
figures from the California Department of
Finance (DOF), the current 2025 resident
population of the City is approximately
23,455 persons. Since the City's service area
boundaries differ from the City’s boundaries,
the City’s estimated water service area
population was initially determined through
use of an electronic, GIS (KML) boundary
which calculates population based off of
Census data. However,
DWR’s WUE tool was
based off the 2010
Census population
values, and had yet to
be updated with the
2025 values. It was
then determined that the most accurate
values were those shown in the City’s
electronic Annual Reports (eAR). In the 2025
eAR, the City’s water service area population
is shown as 21,915 persons. This estimate is
approximately 1,540 persons less than the
Citywide population, as established by
Department of Finance (DoF) Estimates.
Although this difference varies in previous
years, the population values shown in the
eARs were used to represent the service
area populations for those years. Table 2.4
lists the City’s recent service area
populations:
The City’s 2025
EAR was used to
determine recent
water service area
populations.
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Table 2.4 Recent City/Water Service Area
Population
Year Service Area
Population
Citywide
Population
2021 20,500 19,958
2022 21,036 20,482
2023 21,036 21,351
2024 21,915 22,399
2025 21,915 23,455
Since the City is not a major tourist center,
daytime population estimates are not
significantly higher than the City's resident
populations listed above. However, the City
does see increases in daytime water use due
to the industries in the City. Thus, water use
is typically higher during daytime hours. On
average, commercial and industrial users
accounted for approximately one-third,
twenty-two percent (22%) of the City’s total
water usage. Section 6: provides a detailed
breakdown of water consumption.
2.5.1. Population Projections
With the projected developments in the
City’s service area, there will be steady
population growth. The Citywide population
had seen an average growth rate of
approximately two percent (2%) annually
from 2010-2020. However, this value more
than doubled to 4.4% from 2021-2025.
These growth rates are consistent with those
determined in the City’s General Plan -
Housing Element (2023-2031), although no
projected growth rates were provided. In the
City’s 2020 UWMP, a two percent (2%)
growth rate was likewise used for population
projections. Due to a significant portion of
the population growth occurring outside of
the City’s water service area (i.e. area served
by OMWC) and is expected to continue, a
reduced one and a half percent (1.5%)
growth rate was used as to more accurately
determine population projections through
2050, as shown in Table 2.5.
Table 2.5 Population Projections
Year Service Area
Population
2030 23,559
2035 25,202
2040 26,846
2045 28,490
2050 30,133
Table 2.5 only shows the service area
population estimates and does not include
the Citywide population projection as this is
outside of the scope of this UWMP. Due to
the expected growth, the City should
experience greater spikes in the number of
daytime residents (i.e. schools and
employment).
2.6. WATER SYSTEM DETAILS
A basic overview of the City’s water system
is provided herein. More information on the
City’s water sources, water treatment, and
water demands can be found in Section 3:
through Section 6: of this report. As this
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report is more of a water-resourcemanagement planning document, it does not provide a great degree of technical or
engineering detail on water system
components.
2.6.1. City Water System Components
Overall, the City’s water system consists of
the following components:
• Groundwater supply wells
• Water treatment facilities (at wells)
• Water distribution pipeline network
• Water storage facilities
• Booster stations
A brief description of the City’s water system
components is provided as follows:
2.6.2. Groundwater
The City of Shafter currently receives onehundred precent (100%) of its water supply from groundwater produced from the San
Joaquin Valley Basin, Kern County Sub Basin
of the Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region. The
City currently operates seven (7) active
groundwater production wells, namely
Wells 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20 and 21. The wells
have a combined nominal capacity of 10,100
gallons per minute (gpm).
Well 8 has been abandoned, Well 7 is
currently inactive, and Well 12 is on standby.
The City recently converted an agricultural
Figure 2.10 Well 16
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well, Well 21, for domestic use to serve the
Southeast Shafter service area. As of April
2025 Well 21 has served the adjacent
industrial park. The City’s planned additional
wells are identified in Section 3.4. For a full
list of the City’s groundwater wells and their
respective pumping capacity refer to Table
2.6. Localized water treatment at each active
well site includes chlorination treatment and
granular activated carbon (GAC), except for
Well 21. The City uses 12.5% sodium
hypochlorite at its groundwater wells and
maintains a 1-2 mg/L residual of free
chlorine as directed by the State of California.
Sodium hypochlorite is injected post
treatment for 1,2,3- trichloropropane
(“TCP”). Granulated activated carbon was
installed in various treatment vessels in
parallel to treat for 1,2,3-TCP. 1,2,3- TCP is
an organic contaminant left in the
groundwater as a byproduct of pesticide
applications used throughout the Central
Valley of California. Although pesticides
containing TCP have been banned for several
years, detections will remain for the
foreseeable future. Domestic water
suppliers must now install treatment
systems that remove TCP from detectable
levels. Standby Well 12 is the only well that
does not have GAC.
Figure 2.11 Booster Pumps at Tank 5
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2.6.3. Water Storage
For storage needs, the City of Shafter
maintains five (5) operating above-ground
storage tanks with a combined storage
capacity of 5.45 million gallons (MG). Table
2.7 provides full list of the City’s reservoirs.
The City is planning to construct a new
850,000-gallon storage tank [Tank 6 (3B)]
and booster station in the Southeast Shafter
Service Area at the same site as Tank 3 and
is expected to be in service by EOY 2028. The
City also plans to replace the storage and
booster station of Tank 1 in the future. The
new storage facility will have a capacity of
850,000-gallons.
2.6.4. Booster Stations
The City of Shafter maintains and operates
five (5) booster stations, each of which are
located at one of the five (5) storage tanks.
Table 2.7 provides a full list of the City’s
booster stations and their respective
pumping capacities.
2.6.5. Distribution System
The City distributes water to residential,
commercial, and other customers through
approximately 4,800 service connections
using an approximately 87-mile network of
distribution mains ranging from 4 to 18
inches in size. The largest pipe in the City’s
water system is 18 inches. The piping system
is composed of seventy-five percent (75%)
Plastic (including PVC and HDPE), two
percent (2%) steel, and twenty-three
percent (23%) ACP. The majority of the
current distribution pipes were installed
between 1946 and 1970. The average age of
piping material is as follows: twenty-five (25)
years for plastic pipe, fifty-five (55) years for
steel, and forty (40) years for Asbestos
Cement. The water system consists of three
(3) pressure zones that coincide with the
three (3) service sub-areas shown in Figure
2.3. The pressure zones are served by
booster sections located at the tank sites.
2.6.6. Emergency Interconnections
The City does not have any emergency
interconnections with neighboring agencies.
The City also does not currently have any
transfer or exchange opportunities for
groundwater supplies. There are currently
no agreements in place, however, the City
can explore groundwater transfers or
exchanges with neighboring agencies when
necessary.
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Table 2.6 Groundwater Wells
Well
Depths (ft) Perforations
(feet below surface) Total Length
(ft)
Well Capacity
(gpm)
Well Pump Top Bottom
7 700 440 500 700 200 1,000
8 700 480 500 700 200 1,500
11 800 460 500 800 300 800
12 800 360 500 800 300 2,000
14 800 360 500 800 300 1,800
16 1,055 635 530 600 70 1,500
17 860 490 545 635 90 2,000
18 860 490 575 745 170 1,000
20 1,085 600 655 775 120 1,500
21 960 650 430 800 370 1,500
22 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD 1,500
23 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD 1,500
Total (Active Wells) 10,100
Note: Well 8 has been abandoned, Well 7 is currently inactive, and Well 12 is on standby. Wells 22 and 23 are planned to come into operation by the end of year (EOY) 2027.
Table 2.7 Storage Tanks & Booster Stations
Location Type Quantity Tank Capacity
(MG)
Booster Pump
No.
Capacity
(GPM)
Tank 1 Ground Concrete 1 0.75 1 2,000
Tank 2 Ground Steel 1 2.3 2 4,000
Tank 3 Ground Steel 1 0.8 3 4,500
Tank 4 Ground Steel 1 0.8 4 5,000
Tank 5 Ground Steel 1 0.8 5 2,000
Tank 6 (3B) Ground Steel 1 0.8 3 2,250
Total (In Service Storage Tanks) 5 5.45 - 17,500
Note: Tank 6 (3B) will be located at the same site as Tank 3 and is expected to be in service by EOY 2028.
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3 Section 3:
Water Sources
and Supplies
3. 3.1. INTRODUCTION
This Section describes the current and
projected potable water resources available
to the City over a 25-year period (through
2050). The City currently uses only potable
water to meet the needs of its water service
area. The City’s water is obtained entirely
from local groundwater pumped from the
Kern County Subbasin (Subbasin) of San
Joaquin Valley Basin. The Subbasin is not
currently adjudicated with specified water
rights. However, in accordance with the
State 2014 Sustainable Groundwater
Management Act (SGMA), Subbasin
agencies have organized into twenty (20)
Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs),
which coordinated on seven (7)
Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) that
cover the entire Subbasin. With the Kern
Groundwater Authority (KGA) disintegrating
over the past few years as member agencies
have left to form their own groundwater
sustainability agencies. The KGA held its final
meeting on May 22, 2024 and has since
morphed into the Kern Non-Districted Lands
Authority (KNDLA), a GSA that provides
groundwater management to otherwise
unmanaged areas in the Kern County
Subbasin. The City was one of sixteen (16)
Member Agencies of the KGA through a Joint
Power Agreement (JPA) before it disbanded.
A regional boundary map for all GSAs within
the Subbasin are shown in Figure 3.1.
The City's water
supply consists
entirely of
groundwater
pumped from six (6)
active wells.
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Figure 3.1 GSAs in Kern County Subbasin
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3.2. GROUNDWATER SOURCES
The City is within the boundaries of the
Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region, which
encompasses several groundwater basins,
including the San Joaquin Valley Basin,
within which the City is located. Figure 3.3
shows the Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region
and the groundwater basins. The hydrologic
region is bounded on the east and west sides
by the Sierra Nevada Range and the Coastal
Range, and by the Tehachapi Mountains at
the South. Although the regional commonly
is referred to as the southern part of the San
Joaquin Valley from a geographic standpoint,
there are geological distinctions between
the Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region and the
San Joaquin River Hydrologic Region, which
include a rise in the valley floor at the San
Joaquin River in the City of Fresno. The rise
in the valley floor also acts as a barrier
between the Kings and Madera groundwater
basins.
Figure 3.2 Rise in Valley Floor at San
Joaquin River
The climate in the Tulare Lake Hydrologic
Region is semi-arid to arid. The average
annual precipitation within the hydrologic
region ranges from approximately 6 to 11
inches, with the City’s average annual
precipitation at 7.2 inches. Greater
precipitation occurs along the Coastal Range
and the Sierra Nevada Ranges.
Approximately ninety-five percent (95%) of
the precipitation falls between October and
April. Moist winter conditions often cause
fog blanketing the valley area.
3.2.1. San Joaquin Valley Basin
The San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Basin
comprises the southern portion of what is
commonly known as the Great Valley in
California. The Great Valley is a broad
structural trough bounded by the Sierra
Nevada ranges on the east and the Coastal
ranges on the west. The San Joaquin Valley
Groundwater Basin consists of seventeen
(17) subbasins, including eight (8) subbasins
in the southerly half of the San Joaquin
Valley Groundwater Basin (south of the rise
in the valley floor at the San Joaquin River in
the City of Fresno). The Kern County
Subbasin (Subbasin) is located at the
southern end of the San Joaquin Valley
Groundwater Basin, and underlies the City of
Bakersfield and many other communities.
The Subbasin is bound on the north by the
Tule and Tulare Lake subbasins, and by the
White Wolf Fault and Subbasin on the South.
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Figure 3.3 Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region and Kern County Sub-Basin Tulare Lake
Hydrologic
Region
City of Shafter Kern County
Subbasin
Kern County
Boundaries
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Figure 3.4 Kern County Sub-Basin
Kern County
Subbasin
City of Shafter
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3.2.2. Kern County Subbasin
The Subbasin is approximately 63 miles long
and 45 miles wide (at the widest point). With
a surface area of approximately 1,950,000
acres, or 3,000 square miles, the Subbasin is
the largest groundwater Subbasin in all of
the Central Valley. The surface elevations
within the Subbasin range from
approximately 200 feet to 600 feet, and 325
to 360 feet within the City. Aquifer thickness
ranges from approximately 200 feet to 2,900
feet, with an average of approximately 600
feet. Public-supply wells typically are drilled
to depths between 600 and 800 feet below
land surface, consist of solid casing from the
land surface to a depth of approximately
275–450 feet, and are perforated or
screened below the solid casing. The City’s
wells, as listed in Table 2.6, range in depth
from 700 feet to 1,000 feet.
3.2.3. Subbasin Recharge
Recharge in the Subbasin comes from
natural and artificial sources. Natural
recharge of the Subbasin is primarily from
stream seepage along the eastern boundary
and the Kern River. Recharge of applied
irrigation water, however, is the largest
contributor. Within the vicinity of the City,
there are three (3) recharge ponds
(spreading grounds). Two (2) of these
spreading grounds are located east of City
Core and receive unused raw water from the
Calloway Canal and the Lerdo Canal. These
spreading grounds are show in Figure 3.4.
The other spreading ground is located
adjacent to the Wastewater Treatment Plant
(WWTP), as shown in Figure 4.6 of Section 4:.
Due to the lateral movement of
groundwater in the southerly direction, the
recharge from the WWTP spreading ground
does not provide much recharge benefit
directly to the City. However, the City can
indirectly benefit to from the WWTP
spreading grounds through potential
“credits” with other agencies. The City has a
one-third share of credits yet to be utilized.
3.2.4. Groundwater Flow
In general, groundwater flow diverges to the
north and south away from natural and
managed recharge points along the Kern
River. The river flows into the Subbasin
roughly along the axis of the Bakersfield Arch,
which has a broad topographical rise that
gradually dips to the north and south; thus,
the rough alignment of the river effectively
splits the Subbasin into northern and
southern groundwater flow regimes. The
groundwater flow paths are shown in Figure
3.5, which indicate that the recharge points
adjacent to the Calloway Canal provides
recharge for the City’s wells. Conversely, the
recharge points at the WWTP mentioned
above does not contribute much recharge to
the City’s wells.
3.2.5. Groundwater Storage
Based on estimates from DWR in 2004, the
storage in the Subbasin was approximately
40 million
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Figure 3.5 Recharge Points Adjacent to City’s Water Service Area (See Figures 4.1 & 4.5 for the WWP Recharge Points)
Monitoring Well
Locations are shown
in Figure 3.9
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Figure 3.6 Groundwater Flow Direction
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Figure 3.7 North Kern Water Storage District’s Rosedale Spreading Grounds (Near Calloway Canal)
acre-feet (MAF), with another ten (10)
MAF in storage capacity. According to the
Kern Groundwater Authority’s Second Annual
Report for Water Year 2025 (April 2021),
groundwater in storage has declined by
636,929 acre-feet (AF) or 207,544 MG. This
result depicts a below normal year in the
Subbasin during this past water year. Figure
3.8 shows that as of 2023, the cumulative
change in storage since 1995 (net zero
change), is approximately 8.3 MAF. This
indicates the current storage in the Subbasin
is likely under the forty (40) MAF estimate.
3.2.6. Groundwater Levels
Prior to development of the Bakersfieldmetro area in the past two (2) decades, the Subbasin’s groundwater level remained
mostly unchanged from 1970 to 2000.
According to the April 2021 Report published
by Kern Groundwater Authority, measured
depths in monitoring wells within a few
miles of the City indicated depths ranging
from approximately 300 feet to 400 feet
below ground surface (bgs). Figure 3.8
shows groundwater levels in a monitoring
well near the Rosedale Spreading Grounds.
3.2.7. Groundwater Sustainability
The Sustainable Groundwater Management
Act of 2014 (SGMA), a three-bill legislative
package composed of AB 1739 (Dickinson),
SB 1168 (Pavley), and SB 1319 (Pavley), was
passed in September 2014. The legislation
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provides a framework for sustainable
management of groundwater supplies by
local authorities, with a limited role for state
intervention when necessary, to protect the
resource. The legislation lays out a process
and a timeline for local authorities to achieve
sustainable management of groundwater
basins. It also provides tools, authorities and
deadlines to take the necessary steps to
achieve the goal. For local agencies involved
in implementation, the requirements are
significant and can be expected to take years
to accomplish. The SWRCB may intervene if
local agencies do not form a Groundwater
Sustainability Agency (GSA) and/or fail to
adopt and implement a Groundwater
Sustainability Plan (GSP).
The SGMA applies to basins designated by
DWR as high or medium priority basins,
based on a statewide ranking that uses
criteria including population and extent of
irrigated agriculture dependent on
groundwater. According to May 2021
updates on DWR’s SGMA Basin Prioritization
Dashboard, ninety-four (94) basins were
identified as medium or high priority and will
be required to form GSAs and develop GSPs.
These 94 basins, in combination with basins
that already have existing governance and
oversight in place, account for 98 percent of
the pumping (20 MAF), 83 percent of the
population (25 million Californians), and 88
percent of all irrigated acres (6.7 million
acres) within the state’s groundwater basins.
According to the current (May 2026)
rankings on DWR’s dashboard
(gis.water.ca.gov/app/bp-dashboard/final/),
the Subbasin has been ranked as a high
priority basin, with a score of forty (40)
(same as in the 2020
UWMP). This is mostly
attributed to declining
groundwater levels,
which is shown by
SGMAs hydrographs.
In some areas of
critical overdraft, such
as in Kings and Kern counties, there is
complete disconnection between
groundwater and overlying surface water
systems.
3.2.8. Kern Subbasin Amended
Groundwater Sustainability Plan
The Kern Subbasin (Subbasin) Amended
Groundwater Sustainability Plan (2025 Plan)
consists of seven closely coordinated (and
nearly identical) Groundwater Sustainability
Plans (GSPs) and the Subbasin Coordination
Agreement. The 2025 Plan represents a
critical milestone in the Subbasin and all
twenty (20) Subbasin Groundwater
Sustainability Agencies’ (GSAs) ongoing
commitment to achieving long- term
groundwater sustainability under
California’s Sustainable Groundwater
Management Act (SGMA). Developed
collaboratively by all twenty (20) GSAs,
including the Shafter-Wasco Irrigation
The Kern Subbasin
Groundwater
Sustainability Plan
represents a critical
milestone in the
Subbasin.
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District (SWID) GSA, the 2025 Plan responds
directly to regulatory feedback from the
California Department of Water Resources
(DWR) and the State Water Resources
Control Board (SWRCB), incorporating the
latest data, technical refinements, and input
from interested parties.
On September 17, 2025, the State Water
Resources Control Board (State Water Board
or Board) determined that a probationary
designation for the Kern County Subbasin
was not necessary and that the Board would
return the subbasin to the Department of
Water Resources’ (DWR) oversight after
Board staff confirms the 2025 Final
Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) are
consistent with the Draft Kern County
Subbasin GSPs (2025 Draft GSPs) and
confirms that the three priority deficiencies
have been adequately addressed.
3.2.9. Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District
GSA
The SWID GSA was formed by the ShafterWasco Irrigation District on October 12, 2022, which includes the City of Shafter,
Oildale Mutual Water Company, City of
Wasco, and North of the River MWD.
SWID encompasses approximately 38,956
acres of SWID district lands, as well as
approximately 10,000 acres of nondistricted lands annexed into SWID in 2019 for the sole purpose of providing SGMA
coverage and as a mechanism for collecting
assessments necessary to prepare and
implement a GSP. SWID and the 7th
Standard Annex (MA-2 in Figure 3.10) are
treated as separate management areas with
regard to water budgets and
Projects/Management Actions (P/MA).
There is a small portion that is covered by
the SWID GSA that is not within the SWID
service area. This is land within the City of
Wasco, that overlies Semitropic Water
Storage District. The vast majority of the City
of Wasco is in SWID, so they requested that
their small portion of land in Semitropic
Water Storage District be covered by the
SWID GSA.
SWID GSA is bordered by Pond Poso
Improvement District of Semitropic Water
Storage District GSA, Rosedale-Rio Bravo
Water Storage District GSA, and North Kern
Water Storage District GSA.
3.2.10. North Central Kern GSP
The SWID GSA is a participating entity of the
North Central Kern (NCK) GSP Group, along
with the North Kern Water Storage District
(WSD) GSA, Cawelo Water District GSA, and
Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utilities
District (MUD) GSA. Each has designated a
Steering Committee representative from
their respective Board of Directors, with the
support and the agencies’ respective staff
and technical consultants, to be responsible
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Figure 3.8 Groundwater Storage in the Kern County Subbasin
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Figure 3.9 Groundwater Levels in Nearby Monitoring Wells to City
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Figure 3.10 Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District GSA Management Areas
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for making decisions concerning the
development of the NCK GSP, enforcement
of the GSP, and facilitating coordination with
other GSAs in the Kern Subbasin. The cities
of Delano, McFarland, Shafter, and Wasco
are situated within the jurisdictional
boundaries of the GSAs and have appointed
a member to the Steering Committee. The
Steering Committee’s responsibility also
includes guiding public outreach and
stakeholder engagement efforts, informing
respective governing bodies, and taking any
and all actions necessary to satisfy the
requirements of SGMA. The NCK Steering
Committee meets regularly at the North
Kern WSD office.
3.2.11. Subbasin Summary
In summary, the Subbasin provides
groundwater supplies for approximately
900,000 people and 2,300,000 acres of
agricultural land. The Subbasin is the largest
subbasin in the State. As noted in Section
3.2.9, the City is a party to the ShafterWasco Irrigation District GSA, and contributes groundwater data for the GSP
and the annual updates on GSP
Implementation. The key characteristics of
the Kern County Subbasin are provided in
Table 3.1:
Table 3.1 Kern County Subbasin Key
Characteristics
Item Amount
Total Area 3,040 mi2
Item Amount
Groundwater Storage 40 - 50 MAF
Municipal Well
Production 59,000 MG
Agricultural Well
Production 717,000 MG
Managed Recharge 98,000 AF
Average Well Depth 600-800 ft.
Spreading Points (Near
City) 3
Injection Wells 0
Desalters 0
As noted in Table 3.1, there are three (3)
official recharge/spreading grounds in the
Subbasin. Unofficially, there are multiple,
smaller spreading grounds located on
private agricultural properties in the
Subbasin. Due to the movement of
groundwater in the northwesterly direction,
not all of these spreading grounds provide
recharge for the City’s wells. However, the
City does receive a net benefit from the
adjacent, private spreading grounds.
Regarding safe yields of the Subbasin, the
agricultural well production listed in the
table above is naturally recharged in the
Subbasin, since the irrigation naturally
percolates into the Subbasin aquifers.
3.3. GROUNDWATER PRODUCTION
The City’s wells are listed in Table 2.6 and
described in greater detail in Section 2:. The
depth of each well ranges from 635 feet to
1,050 feet, with pump intake depths from
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360 feet to 635 feet. Section 3.4 identifies
the City’s planned additional wells.
All groundwater production wells are
equipped with a flowmeter to measure
water production. Water production is
recorded monthly by City water staff and
reported annually to DWR. Over the past five
years of operation, groundwater extraction
has averaged 1,536 million gallons (MG) per
year (1 MG = 3.07 AF). Table 3.2 displays the
City's groundwater supplies for years 2021
to 2025.
Table 3.2 Groundwater-Production
Year Production
(MG)
2021 1,634
2022 1,630
2023 1,426
2024 1,518
2025 1,471
Average 2021-2025: 1,536
Average 2015-2020
(2020 UWMP):
1,583
As noted in Table 3.2, groundwater
production has slightly decreased over the
last five (5) years. Although, the average
production was nearly identical to the
average volume shown in the 2020 UWMP.
3.3.1. Projected Groundwater Supplies
Currently, the City utilizesthe entire capacity
of all of its groundwater wells. The maximum
annual amount pumped by the City in the
past five (5) years is just above 1,600
MG/year (3,050 gpm). The pumping capacity
of the City’s seven (7) active wells is
approximately 10,100 gpm. This mechanical
pumping capacity is somewhat limited to the
safe yields and/or the adjudicated rights of
the Subbasin, which currently are
unadjudicated. Due to projected housing
developments and population growth
specified in Section 2.5.1, the City can expect
pumping to increase by approximately
twenty-two percent (22%) within ten (10)
years. Total production should continue to
increase through the end of this UWMP
planning period (2050). Therefore, it can be
expected that the City will construct new
groundwater wells to meet projected
demands. In the interim, the City will
maximize the production of its existing wells
but also maximize conservation efforts and
programs. Table 3.3 shows the City’s
projected groundwater production.
Table 3.3 Projected Water Supply
Availability
Year Production
(MG)
Available
(MG)
2030 1,523 5,309
2035 1,589 6,885
2040 1,651 6,885
2045 1,709 6,885
2050 1,763 6,885
As shown in Table 3.3, the groundwater
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pumping volume for 2050 is only twenty
percent (20%) greater than the volume for
2025, despite a projected population growth
of approximately thirty-eight percent (38%).
The values above are based on an annual
passive savings of half a percent (0.5%)
annually. This is increased efficiency coming
from codes, standards, and ordinances. This
can be reasonably expected since newer
developments have a smaller amount of
landscape areas and use more waterefficient landscapes. By 2050, water consumption can be expected to be at
approximately 160 gallons per person per
day, as indicated in Table 6.7 of Section 6:.
3.4. PLANNED SUPPLY PROJECTS
The City continually reviews practices that
will provide its customers with adequate and
reliable supplies in an environmentally and
economically responsible manner. The City’s
water demand within its service area should
increase modestly over the next twenty-five
(25) years, despite significant population
growth described in Section 2.5.1. This is due
to water use efficiency measures combined
with the population growth. To meet future
demands, the City plans to continue adding
additional groundwater wells in the future to
improve the reliability of the City’s overall
water supply. The City will also be focusing
on replacement of water meters, fire
hydrants, valves, and pipelines to improve
water supply reliability and enhance the
operations of the City’s water system.
The City is planning to place two (2) new
groundwater wells (Wells 22 & 23) into
operation by the end of year (EOY) 2027, and
both are currently being drilled. Both wells
will be located in the City Core Service Area
and will replace Wells 7 and 8. Both new
wells will have an individual pumping
capacity of 1,500 gpm and feature localized
water treatment at each active well site,
including chlorination treatment and GAC.
3.5. ALTERNATE WATER SOURCES
This section provides an overview of
alternative water sources (non-potable
supplemental supplies) and their potential
uses. Alternative water sources include
recycled water, recycled stormwater, and
greywater A more detailed look at recycled
stormwater is found in Section 4:.
3.5.1. Recycled Stormwater
Polluted stormwater runoff can have
adverse effects on plants, fish, animals, and
people. The state of California requires a
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit to regulate
stormwater discharges. The City manages
stormwater, but is not required to hold an
active NPDES permit. Recycling of
stormwater runoff is not feasible for the City
since all stormwater discharges recharge the
Subbasin. Stormwater recycling does not
provide a net water supply benefit for the
City.
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3.5.2. Greywater
Greywater consists of water discharged from
sinks, bathtubs, dishwashers, and washing
machines. Greywater systems consist of an
underground tank and pumping system. At
this time, the promotion of greywater
systems in the City is not recommended
since the use of greywater is currently
limited to subsurface irrigation and
therefore the use of greywater systems
would not provide a net positive increase in
potable water supply for the City. With the
passage of SB 1258, however, greywater use
could expand to include use for toilet
flushing, and may have its place as a
potential water supply for the City in the
future.
3.5.3. DESALINATED WATER
The City has explored desalination of
wastewater, groundwater, or seawater and
has determined that currently desalination is
considered cost-prohibitive and is not
currently under consideration.
3.6. TRANSFERS OR EXCHANGES
Currently the City of Shafter does not have
transfer or exchange agreements in place
with other agencies. It is not anticipated that
transfers or exchanges would be necessary
prior to development of the next UWMP.
However, as explained in Section 3.2, the
City works with the GSAs managing the
Subbasin to recharge local groundwater
supplies and reduce the effects of
groundwater pumping. The City will
continue to explore transfer and exchange
opportunities with these GSAs, special water
districts, and with neighboring agricultural
water users.
3.7. ENERGY INTENSITY OF SUPPLY
According to the City’s groundwater
production figures shown in Table 3.2, the
City utilized approximately twenty-eight
percent (28%) of the City total well capacity
(2,800 gpm out of 10,100 gpm) in 2025. This
means that the each well motor runs
approximately 6.7 hours each day. With total
(combined) horsepower of approximately
450 HP for all wells, the City uses
approximately 335 kilowatts every hour, or
approximately 2,240 kilowatt hours (kWh)
per day, and approximately 817,600 kWh
each year. The typical industrial energy cost
in the City is approximately $0.20 per kWh.
Thus, the typical costs to operate the City’s
groundwater wells are shown in Table 3.4:
Table 3.4 Annual Energy Costs to Run All
Well Motors
Kilowatt-Hours
(kWh)
Cost ($)
per kWh
Total
Cost ($)
817,600 $0.20 $163,520
The costs shown in Table 3.4 only include
energy costs to run the motors of the wells.
The costs do not include smaller
miscellaneous costs such as lighting, control
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valves, and instrumentation. However, since
the motor is the most significant component
of the total energy costs, these costs shown
in Table 3.4 provide a rough idea of what is
required do operate the City’s groundwater
wells each year.
The City does not have access to any water
sources other than groundwater, and
therefore cannot offset the energy costs
required to run the City’s water system. Even
if the City had access to water from a
wholesaler, the costs for imported water
from a wholesaler are significantly greater
than the total production costs of
groundwater, which include not only the
energy costs shown above, but also
additional costs of treatment and
distribution. For any water agency that can
produce water locally, it is more
economically feasible to produce local water
than to purchase imported water. Thus, the
City plans to continue to pump groundwater.
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4 Section 4:
Recycled Water
Opportunities
4. 4.1. OVERVIEW
"Recycled" or "reclaimed" water is defined
as wastewater purified through primary,
secondary, tertiary, or advanced treatment.
Recycled water is acceptable for most nonpotable water purposes such as irrigation and commercial/industrial processes. The
City’s sewers collect up to 1.5 million gallons
per day (MGD) of peak wastewater flow. All
wastewater is treated at a regional
wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)
located approximately five (5) miles
southwest of City proper (core area), as
described in Section 4.2.1. The wastewater
is treated to “secondary” standards, which
means that the re-use opportunities are
limited. Treated wastewater, including fully
treated recycled water, is a reliable and
drought-proof source of water that reduces
the reliance on potable water during
droughts. As technological advancements
continue to reduce treatment costs, more
re-use opportunities should develop for the
City.
This Section describes the City’s existing
wastewater collection and treatment system,
and identifies existing and future recycled
water opportunities available to the City.
The section also includes estimates of
recycled water supply through 2050.
4.2. WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM
The City provides wastewater collection
services within its service area. The City also
The City shares
ownership of the
local Wastewater
Treatment Plant
with the North of
the River Sanitary
District (NORSD)
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provides wastewater collection to a few
small, unincorporated communities south of
the City’s core area, and north of 7th
Standard Road. The City’s wastewater
service area is shown in Figure 4.1.
Municipal wastewater in the wastewater
service area is generated from a
combination of residential, commercial,
institutional, and industrial sewer discharges.
The industrial discharges come from a few
industrial parks, which are located within
and East of the City core. Only a few
industrial customers use water for
manufacturing and processing. Therefore,
the City’s sewers do not typically have high
concentrations of brine or other forms of
industrial waste which require special forms
of treatment prior to re-use.
The City’s wastewater collection system
drains primarily from north to south, and
from east to west. The wastewater
discharged from the City is collected from a
network of
approximately 85 miles
of gravity sewer mains.
The local collector sewers
discharge into two (2)
large trunk sewers
located on Zachary
Avenue and Shafter Avenue. The Zachary
Avenue trunk sewer is a 30-inch trunk sewer
that serves the airport district, which was
previously served by a local wastewater
treatment plant known as the Minter Field
Airport District Wastewater Plant. The
Zachary Avenue trunk sewer is
approximately four (4) miles in length and is
located between Lerdo Highway and
Seventh Standard Road. The Shafter Avenue
trunk sewer is a 30-inch trunk sewer that
serves the City core, and portions outside of
the City’s jurisdictional boundaries, but
within the City’s “Sphere of Influence”. The
Shafter Avenue trunk sewer is approximately
two (2) miles in length and is located
between Seventh Standard Road and
Burbank Avenue.
4.2.1. Pending Wastewater Service
Currently Kern County manages a collection
system for the Mexican Colony portion of
South Shafter and pays the City to convey
sewer flows to the Shafter Avenue outfall
pipeline. Within two years, it is anticipated
that State grant funds will construct
additional conveyance systems to allow all
unincorporated South Shafter water
customers to receive sewer service. Upon
completion of this grant project, the City will
assume all sewer collection systems in South
Shafter, including the Mexican Colony.
4.2.2. Active Wastewater Treatment
Plant
The Zachary Avenue and Shafter Avenue
trunk sewers discharge wastewater into a
larger trunk sewer located on 7th Standard
Road, which leads into the Wastewater
Treatment Plant (WWTP). The 7th Standard
Two (2) trunk
sewers collect
wastewater in
the City’s
service area.
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Figure 4.1 City of Shafter Wastewater Service Area
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Road trunk sewer ranges in size from 42
inches to 54 inches and is jointly own by the
City and the North of the River Sanitary
District (NORSD), through a Joint Powers
Agreement (JPA). The WWTP, shown in
Figure 4.3, is located at 7th Standard Road
and Palm Avenue, approximately five (5)
geographic miles from the City’s core. The
WWTP is operated and maintained by
NORSD through the
aforementioned JPA,
which was executed in
1990. The ownership of
the WWTP became
vested in NORSD and the
City of Shafter in direct
proportion to the fraction
of the total cost of the treatment and
disposal facilities paid by each. The WWTP,
treats an average daily flow of 1.5 MGD from
the City’s wastewater service area. The City
currently owns one-third (1/3) of the
WWTP’s current capacity of 7.5 MGD (2.5
MGD). It is anticipated the City will continue
to exercise its option of purchasing an
additional one-third ownership of future
plant capacity expansions to ensure sewer
service for future growth and development.
The City/NORSD WWTP is designed to treat
wastewater to secondary standards.
Secondary treatment consists of the
following processes: headworks, screening,
grit removal, primary clarification, filtration,
and secondary clarification. The secondarytreated wastewater is discharged to percolation ponds to recharge the Kern
County groundwater basin. This recharge is
provided only through surface percolation,
and no injection wells are used by the City
The groundwater recharge is considered to
be “indirect potable reuse” which does not
offset the use of potable water. Therefore,
none of the City’s treated wastewater can be
technically considered “recycled”.
4.2.3. Previous Wastewater Treatment
Plant
In previous years, a wastewater treatment
plant located within the Minter Field Airport
District (Minter Field) had operated since
being developed in 1940. After considering
options to modernize and possibly expand
the plant to maintain service to existing and
future customers and tenants, Minter Field
ultimately requested to consolidate with the
City wastewater collections system. The
consolidation extended City sewer service to
an area known as East Shafter, which was
already receiving City water service. The
current estimated sewer flow addition with
the consolidation is 300,000 gpd which
brought the total to approximately 1.5 MGD.
This consolidation became effective in April,
2016. Currently, all of Minter Field’s
wastewater flows that had been collected at
its treatment plant are now collected by the
Treated
wastewater is
used to
recharge the
groundwater
basin.
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Sewer Laterals
Serving individual properties, the
sewer laterals collect the flows
from underground plumbing.
Collector Sewers
Collector sewers or sewer main
lines, collect the flows from the
sewer laterals and carry the flows
by gravity to downstream
sewers.
Lift Stations
Some sewer main lines flow
through lift stations as needed to
avoid deep, expensive burial. The
lift stations then discharge to
shallower gravity sewers.
"Trunk" Sewers
Larger sewers collect all of the
sewer flows from different parts
of the City and carry it to the
Treatment Plant.
Wastewater
Treatment Plant
The Wastewater Treatment Plant
is Located off 7th Standard Road
Treatment
Filtration, Clarification, and
Sludge Treatment & Disposal
Re-Use
Agriculture Irrigation
OR
Discharge to Percolation Ponds
Treated wastewater is discharged to percolation ponds
located adjacent to the treatment plant, which slowly
percolate to the groundwater basin below.
Figure 4.2 Process of City
Wastewater System
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City’s sewer network and ultimately
conveyed to the previously profiled
NORSD/City plant. Per a consolidation
agreement with the City,
Minter Field has
committed to operate
and maintain its original
collection system north
of Lerdo Highway and
west of Highway 99,
while the City will operate the balance of any
existing or new collection systems.
4.3. WASTEWATER FLOWS & TREATMENT
The WWTP measures influent coming from
the trunk sewer on 7th Standard Road.
However, the influent consists of
wastewater flows coming from both the
City’s service area and the NORSD service
area. Thus, the volumes of wastewater
generated from the City can be estimated
from total water consumption. That is, the
quantities of wastewater generated are
proportional to the potable water used.
4.3.1. Current Wastewater Flows
Estimates of recent wastewater flows in the
City’s service area are included in Table 4.1,
which are based on recent production from
the City’s groundwater wells (see Section 3:).
The wastewater flows were calculated
assuming a return rate (wastewater return
from indoor plumbing fixtures) of
approximately thirty-five percent (35%) of
potable water consumption, which is typical
for rural wastewater agencies with a
majority of single-family-home customers in
their service area.
Table 4.1 Estimated Wastewater Flows
(35% Return Rate)
Year Wastewater
(MG)
Wastewater
(AF)
2021 484 1,485
2022 240 738
2023 502 1,541
2024 519 1,592
2025 557 1,710
Avg: 460 1,413
Avg Daily: 1.26 MGD 3.87 AFD
As indicated by Table 4.1, the estimated
average daily wastewater flows were within
fifty percent (50%) of the City’s share of the
WWTP (2.5 MGD).
Future wastewater projections will need to
consider greater return rates, since the
quantities of wastewater generated are
proportional to the potable water used and
potable water use will be more indoorintensive. That is, even though overall consumption rates will decline, the ratio of
indoor use to outdoor use should increase.
The City’s wastewater flows can potentially
reach up to 2.5 MGD, which is the City’s
permitted capacity in the WWTP. Combined
with NORSD’s flows, peak flows can reach
WWTP capacity at times. By 2022, the
projected average daily flow from the City
The WWTP is
projected to be
expanded within
the next five (5)
years.
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and NORSD were projected to be 6.0 MGD,
wherein the WWTP will reach 80% of the
permitted capacity. Therefore,
improvements to the plant needed to be
initiated beginning in 2022. NORSD is in the
process of expanding to 10 MGD. Bidding is
set to commence in Summer 2026. With
plans to start construction in Spring 2027.
4.3.2. Projected Wastewater Flows
Housing development and population
growth are expected to increase moderately
over the course of this UWMP planning
period (2050). The City anticipates a growth
rate of approximately one and a half percent
(1.5%) annually, based on the population
projections shown in Section 2:. Projected
wastewater flows can be estimated using
the projected water consumption (Section
6:), multiplied by an increasing return rate of
forty percent (40%) in 2030 to 2035, then
from 2035 to 2045 of forty-five percent
(45%), and then from 2045 through 2050 of
fifty percent (50%). Table 4.2 shows the
projected wastewater flows. As indicated by
Table 4.2, wastewater flows will be
approximately sixty-three percent (63%)
greater in 2050 than in 2025, even though
the population is projected to grow by
twenty-seven percent (27%). As mentioned
in Section 4.3.1, this is due to increases in
landscape efficiency and overall size of
landscape areas in newer developments.
The projected fifty percent (50%) return rate
by 2045 is somewhat higher than the City’s
current return rate [approximately thirtyfive percent (35%)]. However, this is only an increase of one-and-a-half percent (1.5%)
annually.
Table 4.2 Projected Wastewater Flows
Year
Return
Rate
(WW/W)
Wastewater
(MG)
Wastewater
(MGD)
2030 0.4 609 1.67
2035 0.45 715 1.96
2040 0.45 743 2.04
2045 0.5 854 2.34
2050 0.5 881 2.41
The projections shown in Table 4.2 also
considered increases in water use efficiency,
by half-a-percent (0.5%) annually. This is a
result of anticipated “Passive Savings”, or
increased efficiency coming from codes,
standards, and ordinances.
4.4. RECYCLED WATER
As mentioned in the previous section, the
WWTP is the only treatment facility serving
the City. At this time, the WWTP provides
only primary and secondary treatment, and
the treated wastewater does not meet Title
22 Standards. Further, the City does not use
any recycled water produced by any other
neighboring agencies. Thus, no wastewater
has been “recycled” (re-used) within the
City’s service area over the past five (5) years,
as Table 4.3 indicates:
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Table 4.3 Recycled Water Produced and/or
Used in City
Year Recycled Water
Produced or Used (MG)
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0
2025 0
The amounts indicated in Table 4.3 coincide
with the projections in the City’s 2020
UWMP. That is, the 2020 UWMP did not
project any recycled water use through the
year 2020. Although the City does not
currently use recycled water for any of its
water system applications, the NORSD/City
WWTP is permitted to use a portion of its
treated effluent for irrigating nearby crops.
4.4.1. Treated Wastewater Re-Use
Per the Waste Discharge Requirements for
the WWTP from the Central Valley Regional
Water Quality Control Board (Order No. R5-
2009-0088), re-use of WWTP effluent is
allowed at “reasonable agronomic rates
considering soil, climate and irrigation
management plan (Page 14)”. Effluent from
primary clarifiers is pumped through a
biofilter, which reduces organic matter.
After this process, the effluent flows into a
final clarifier. Through sedimentation,
particulate matter settles to the bottom of
the tank and is removed. A portion of the
recycled water from this treatment process
is used by a neighboring farming operation
for crop watering thus eliminating reliance
on groundwater supplies. The current
customers who use the treated effluent for
irrigation are shown in Figure 4.6.
Figure 4.3 Crop Irrigation with WWTP
Effluent
Treated effluent not used for irrigation is
discharged to adjacent storage (percolation)
ponds. Currently there are four (4) unlined
effluent storage ponds with a total storage
volume of approximately 485 MG or 1,488
AF (121 MG or 372 AF per pond). Only the
two (2) northerly ponds (Nos. 1 and 3) are
actively used for effluent storage. These
ponds are shown in Figure 4.4.
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Figure 4.4 City/NORSD Wastewater Treatment Plant with Identifiers
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Figure 4.5 City/NORSD Wastewater Treatment Plant Aerial
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Figure 4.6 Permitted Irrigation Areas Receiving WWTP Effluent
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The other two ponds are used for emergency
storage only. The four ponds cover
approximately 160 acres total. At the soonto-be-expanded WWTP capacity of 12 MGD, the ponds can hold approximately 30 days of
storage for irrigation use. NORSD publishes
annual water balance reports of storage and
irrigation effluent. The 2020 water-balance
data is provided in Table 4.4:
Table 4.4 Groundwater Basin Recharge
Estimates (2019)
Item Volume
(AF)
Total WWTP Influent 6,485
Effluent to Irrigation
Metered Crop Irrigation
(Total) 3,758
Meter Crop Irrigation
(To Crops) 2,443
Gross Recharge
(Left Over After
Irrigation)
1,315
Net Recharge
(Gross – Evaporation) 1,263
Effluent to Recharge
Effluent to Recharge 2,727
Totals:
Total Recharge 3,990
Recharge from City 1,073
Recharge from NORSD 2,917
The data shown above indicates that the
City’s wastewater flows contributed 1,073
AF or 350 million gallons of recharge to the
groundwater basin. This is approximately
twenty-two percent (22%) of potable water
consumption in 2020 that could be conveyed
as a credit to the aquifers of Shafter’s
groundwater wells, or used in other waterrights transfers. As indicated in the City’s 2015 UWMP, the Oildale Mutual Water
Company (OMWC) previously purchased the
water rights for NORSD’s share of the
recharge water. The City has maintained
ownership of its share of the effluent
recharge (approximately 1.5 MGD) and is
currently evaluating options for this asset.
4.4.2. Projected Recycled Water Use
As indicated by the preceding sections, the
City neither produces itself nor uses recycled
water produced by any other agencies
within its service area. At this time, the City
projects no recycled water production
and/or use for this UWMP planning period
(through 2050), as shown in Table 4.5:
Table 4.5 Projected Recycled Water
Production and/or Use
Year
Recycled Water
Production/Use (MG)
2030 0
2035 0
2040 0
2045 0
2050 0
Table 4.5 reflects tertiary treated
wastewater only. That is, the City does not
project that any recycled water will be made
available to offset potable water use.
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4.4.3. Planned Recycled Water
Infrastructure
The City and NORSD are currently preparing
for expansion of the WWTP. As part of this
expansion, it is anticipated that the Central
Valley Region Regional Water Quality
Control Board (RWQCB) may require denitrification of the effluent. Therefore, the City and NORSD are factoring these costs
into the WWTP expansion. NORSD’s 2019
Recycled Water Study considered options
for tertiary (recycled) treatment.
Currently, no recycled water infrastructure
exists within the City’s service area. There
are also no planned recycled water
improvements that are projected to be
constructed within the City’s service area.
From an engineering standpoint, there are
no physical barriers or constraints which
would cause the construction of recycled
water facilities to be unfeasible. The City’s
water service area is relatively flat, which
would allow for the construction of a
recycled water pipeline network. It is also
noteworthy that new developments in the
Southeast area of the City (served by OMWC)
have a purple pipe distribution system to
distribute untreated well water for
landscaping and fire protection systems for
both commercial and residential properties.
Recycled water could potentially be used in
this purple pipe system. However, the
distance from the WWTP to potential
recycled water customers is a key factor in
the City’s consideration of investing in a
recycled water system. As indicated in Figure
4.7, the total length of the potential recycled
water transmission main would be
approximately 7.6 miles. This would require
approximately $8 to $10 million in total
design, permitting, and construction costs
for the pipeline alone
before transfers to
existing customers can be
made possible. In
addition, the design and
construction costs for
WWTP expansion would
need to be considered. In
the aforementioned 2019 Recycled Water
Study, NORSD has estimated that the costs
for tertiary treatment would be
approximately $60 million in addition to the
necessary expansion costs for the WWTP.
However, since then costs have tripled.
Therefore, the initial capital costs of recycled
water infrastructure would be:
• $180 million for WWTP Expansion
• $30 million for Distribution
• $210 million total costs
These costs currently render recycled water
unfeasible for the City. If the funding for
recycled water improvements and pipeline
infrastructure was covered by grant funding
or by private developers, and an agreement
was in place for the use of recycled water,
the City would then be able to provide
recycled water to its customers.
The distance
from the WWTP
to the City core
is a key factor in
consideration of
a recycled water
system.
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Figure 4.7 Potential Recycled Water Transmission Pipeline
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4.4.4. Potential Recycled Water Use
A recycled water master plan has not been
prepared for the City to date, and the City
has not made a formal identification of
potential recycled water users. However,
typical potential recycled water users
include the following:
• Landscape Users (parks, sports fields)
• Commercial/Manufacturing Users
• Energy/Power Production
The City already has large landscape
municipal customers such as parks and
schools. Theoretically, there would be
existing customers available to purchase
recycled water if and/or when recycled
water infrastructure is in place. More
specifically, the City will be able to identify
existing or future potential recycled water
users through the following means:
• Existing Water Consumption Records
(Determine high volume users of water)
• Existing Commercial Website Data
(Determine potential recycled water use)
In addition to the City’s own customers, the
City can also investigate the potential of
current and future County developments
who might be able to use recycled water.
4.5. ENCOURAGING AND OPTIMIZING
RECYCLED WATER USE
Currently, there are no methods or financial
incentives in place to encourage the use of
recycled water. The City does not currently
have the resources for administration,
design, and construction of a recycled water
system. Also, the City does not currently
have access to recycled water infrastructure
from other agencies. Finally, due to
sufficient water supply availability through
groundwater sources, recycled water use is
not within the City’s plans for the
foreseeable future.
The City is a participating member in
multiple integrated regional water
management planning groups. Through
coordinated efforts with these groups and
through coordinated efforts with surface
water and storage districts that operate
within the City’s service area, staff will
continue to explore viable options for
recycled water use. The City is open to the
recycled water infrastructure described in
NORSD’s 2019 Recycled Water Study,
provided the cost of such improvements are
jointly covered by the City, NORSD, and the
Oildale Mutual Water Company. Portions of
the costs may also be covered by State
funding or by private funding from
developers, and a contract for recycled
water services was in place with the
potential recycled water customer.
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If and when the City has the capacity to
provide recycle water, then it would
consider incentives to encourage and
optimize recycled water use. The exact
incentives method would be developed as
the implementation of recycled water
infrastructure progresses. This may include
(1) monitoring, enforcement, and training
for recycled water use, and (2) delivery of
recycled water at a reduced rate for an initial
period of time.
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5 Section 5:
Water Quality
5. 5.1. OVERVIEW
The quality of a natural body of water varies
over time. During periods of intense rainfall
or snowmelt, tributaries for surface water
can change, resulting in new constituents or
diluting existing constituents in the receiving
waters. Conversely, during times of drought,
contaminants may increase in concentration
without additional flows available to dilute
the concentration contaminants. As
groundwater levels rise and fall,
groundwater will pass through different
layers of rock and sediment and will absorb
different constituents from those strata.
Likewise, groundwater wells that have not
been utilized over long periods of time can
see water quality issues resulting from
stagnant water. In summary, the quality of
water changes over the course of a time and
location, and these variables must be
recognized by water agencies. For these
reasons, City of Shafter monitors its wells for
water quality as required by State and
Federal regulations.
This Section provides a general description
of the City’s water sources, water quality
monitoring and reporting, and water
treatment. Groundwater, local surface
water, and imported (recharge) water are
discussed in this Section. A discussion of
potential water quality impacts on the
reliability of supplies is also provided.
Granular activated
carbon (GAC)
treatment
equipment helps
ensures high quality
drinking water for
the City.
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5.2. WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
5.2.1. Federal Regulations
In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking
Water Act (SDWA) in order to protect public
health by regulating the nation's municipal
drinking water supply. As part of the SDWA,
powers were given to the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate drinking
water. The 1996 amendment to the SDWA
required monitoring of
new types of
contaminants. Since
the 1996 amendment
to the SDWA, the EPA
has identified over 90
contaminants in its
National Primary
Drinking Water
Regulations (NPDWR) or “primary
standards”). The main categories that the
EPA has identified: include biological
microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection
byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic
chemicals, and radionuclides. As required by
the SDWA, water agencies must provide
annual Water Quality Reports to its
customers.
5.2.2. State Regulations
Several state, regional and county agencies
have jurisdiction and responsibility for
monitoring water quality. The actual
regulations on water quality have also
changed over the years. This is the result of
the discovery of new contaminants,
changing understanding of the health effects
of previously known as well as new
contaminants, development of new
analytical technology, and the introduction
of new treatment
technology. All water
purveyors are subject
to drinking water
standards set by the
Federal Environmental
Protection Agency
(EPA) and the State
Water Resources
Control Board
(SWRCB). The California Department of
Public Health (CDPH) previously oversaw the
water quality of the State's drinking water
program and the environmental lab
accreditation program. As of July 2014,
those programs were transferred to the
SWRCB. Under the SWRCB, the Division of
Drinking Water (DDW) regulates public
drinking water systems, including setting the
maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) and
regulating the operation of water systems. In
addition to the SWRCB, several regional and
county agencies have jurisdiction and
responsibility for monitoring water quality
and contaminant sites.
As part of Federal
EPA standards,
water agencies are
required to
prepare annual
water quality
reports.
In 2014, the
State’s drinking
water program
was transferred
from the Health
Department to the
State Water
Resources Control
Board.
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5.2.3. State Drinking Water Standards
The State of California has established two (2)
main types of drinking water standards:
1. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)
2. Public Health Goal (PHG)
MCLs are the drinking water standards to be
met by public water systems. The levels set
by the State consider a contaminant’s health
risk, detectability, treatability, and costs of
treatment. MCLs are further broken down
into two (2) types:
1. Primary MCL – Health Related
2. Secondary MCL – Taste & Odor
Secondary MCLs are not federally
enforceable according to the most recent
SDWA amendments. However, they are
regulated by the State of California. DDW
publishes a list of Secondary MCLs, which
include Copper, Iron, and Zinc.
PHGs are established by the Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
(OEHHA). They are concentrations of
drinking water contaminants that pose no
significant health risk if consumed for a
lifetime, provided risk levels are not
exceeded. Public water systems sometimes
use PHGs to provide information about
drinking water contaminants in their annual
water quality reports. PHGs are not
regulatory standards. However, state law
requires the SWRCB to set drinking water
standards for chemical contaminants as
close to the corresponding PHG as is
economically and technologically feasible.
5.2.4. City Standards
To ensure quality of its water, the City
conducts sampling and testing of water on a
weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis.
Testing is performed at several locations of
the City’s distribution system, as well as at
the source (City wells). Results of the water
quality testing are posted annually to the
City’s website. The City’s water quality
reports since 2010 (a total of sixteen (16)
reports), are archived at the following link:
www.shafter.com/70/Water
The testing is conducted on several
parameters, including organic & inorganic
chemicals, bacteriological contaminants,
pesticides & herbicides, and radiological
contaminants. The City contracts with
certified laboratories to perform water
quality testing. The City’s Annual Water
Quality Reports (also known as “Consumer
Confidence Reports”) are filed with DDW
and distributed to customers. The annual
reports identify regulated substances
(Primary MCLs), secondary substances
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(Secondary MCLs), and unregulated
substances (PHGs). The City identifies all
detected substances the annual reports. In
addition, every three (3) years, forty (40)
residences are tested
for lead and copper at
the tap. According to
the City’s 2025 Annual
Water Quality Report,
the most recent results
for this type of testing
(performed in 2024)
indicate that lead and copper was detected
in zero (0) out of thirty-eight (38) sites.
The City also recently participated in the fifth
stage of the Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Rule (UCMR5) program, by
performing additional tests on the City’s
source water, as identified by the US EPA.
The City completed the fourth stage of this
program in 2024.
5.3. QUALITY OF WATER SOURCES
The City’s sole source of water is
groundwater pumped from the Kern County
Groundwater Subbasin (Basin). Therefore,
the quality of the City’s water is directly
related to the quality of water in the Basin.
Further, certain wells are vulnerable to
certain contaminants primarily based on
their depths and perforation screenings. The
amount of water derived from each well
depends on the demands in the distribution
system and the time of year. While the City
can draw from its other wells while testing
and maintenance is performed on a
particular well, an emphasis on using one
well can significantly impact the water
quality profile of the entire water system.
5.3.1. Groundwater
Groundwater underlying the City's water
service area at depths below what is
believed to be a Corcoran clay layer has
historically been of acceptable quality.
According to DWR’s Groundwater Bulletin
118 (California’s Groundwater), water
quality in the San Joaquin Valley Basin is
characterized as predominantly calcium
bicarbonate, sodium sulfate, and calciumsodium sulfate. Total dissolved solids (TDS) content for selected samples from municipal
wells ranged from 150 to 5,000 mg/L. In the
City’s past Annual Water Quality Reports,
the average level of TDS detected in the
City's drinking water ranged between 320 to
560 parts per million (ppm), with an average
of 418 ppm.
In general, the groundwater quality issues of
primary concern include salt intrusion from
agricultural activities, nitrate contamination
from natural and agricultural activities,
organic chemical contamination also from
agricultural pesticide and fumigants and
arsenic. The other key issue of concern in
recent years is 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP),
which is a contaminant left behind from past
use of an agricultural pesticide. Although this
In addition to
regular testing,
the City tests for
lead and copper
every three (3)
years at the tap.
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pesticide has been banned, 1,2,3-TCP
detections remain throughout the Central
Valley. As a result, domestic water suppliers
must now install treatment systems that
remove this substance to below detectable
levels. The City has installed 1,2,3-TCP
treatment systems at all active wells and
developed a funding plan to include
treatment systems at new wells.
5.4. IMPACTS OF WATER QUALITY
Water quality dictates the management
strategies a water supplier will implement,
including, but not limited to, the selection of
water sources, treatment alternatives,
blending options, and modifications to
existing treatment facilities. A direct result of
the degradation of a water source is the
need to install wellhead treatment before
consumption. That is, the poorer the quality
of the source water, the greater the need
(and cost) for treatment. This can also
decrease water supply reliability. Due to the
number of groundwater wells in the City’s
water system, the City has a degree of
redundancy in the event of water quality
impairments with a particular well. Figure
5.1 shows a general procedure that the City
may take when one of the City’s wells is
detected to have water quality concerns.
5.4.1. Chlorination
Water pumped from all wells are treated by
sodium hypochlorite as disinfection (use of
chlorine) for microbial and bacteriological
contaminants. Treated water is regularly
tested for coliform bacteria in the
distribution system, which is detected
occasionally but normally remedied by
adjusting the chlorine dosage. These types
of detections have been limited to total
coliforms, an indicator that a bacteriological
contamination health risk could exist. In
addition to chlorine adjustments, detected
levels are also remedied through system
flushing.
5.4.2. Granular Activated Carbon
Six (6) out of seven (7) of the City’s wells
have a granular-activated carbon (GAC)
system (see Figure 5.2) in place to reduce
the levels of 1,2,3-TCP to non-detectable
levels. Standby Well 12 is the only well that
does not have GAC. As noted in the City’s
2020 UWMP, the City
Council was proactive
with TCP removal by
investing in TCP
treatment systems ahead
of time to ensure that
City staff were prepared
for regulation of TCP. In
December 2017, DDW adopted an MCL of
five (5) parts-per-trillion (ppt) for TCP. The
City’s 2025 Annual Water Quality Report
indicated that TCP had been detected in the
City Council’s
proactive
approach to TCP
treatment has
paid off.
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Routine
Water Quality Test
Wellhead Sampling
Detection of Constituents
Above MCL
Determine Type of Constituent and
Identify Source
Temporarily
Shut Down Well
Short-Term Duration
(Days or Weeks)
Flush & Test Well
Determine if Flushing is Sufficient or
if Aquifer Zones Need to be Isolated
Determine if Well Needs
Rehab or
Well-Head Treatment
OR Determine if Depth of Well Pump
Intake Needs to be Adjusted to Avoid
Aquifer Zones of High Concentration
No
Flusing in Previous Step
Was Sufficient.
Water Quality is Good.
Return Well to Service
Yes
Keep Well Shut-Down
While Improvements
are Constructed
(Typically Months-Long)
End Result is
Fully
Operational
System
Increase Pumping
from Other Wells in the Interim
Figure 5.1 Basic Overview of Water Quality
Testing and Response for Municipal Wells
Construct
Improvements
Or Remove Well Pump
and Adjust Depth of
Pump Intake
Re-Active Well
Once Construction
is Complete
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Figure 5.2 Granular Activated Carbon at Well 16
Basin at an amount of 78 ppt, with a high of
222 ppt. It should be noted that these results
detected are for raw water. Water entering
the distribution system has been treated to
below detectable limits. The City treats
1,2,3-TCP to non-detectable levels after GAC
treatment. There should be no detections
above the MCL.
5.4.3. Other Water Operation
Responses
Periodically, the City’s wells see spikes with
contaminants, such as nitrates and arsenic.
The detections typically do not have longterm issues and have been attributed to a well needing to be flushed, cleaned, or
disinfected before being brought back into
service.
5.4.4. Impacts of Abandoned Wells
The presence of abandoned groundwater
wells represents a potential hazard to the
quality of the groundwater basin.
Abandoned and improperly destroyed wells
can act as conduits for contaminants to
reach drinking water supplies. It is vital for
the long-term protection of the basin that
abandoned wells be located and destroyed.
While it is the landowner’s responsibility to
destroy an abandoned well, local water
agencies must be proactive about making
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sure that abandoned wells are in fact
destroyed. The destruction of abandoned
groundwater wells should be performed in
accordance with State standards. California
Water Code Section 13750.5 requires that
those responsible for the destruction of
water wells possess a C-57 Water Well
Contractor’s License. Whenever a water well
is destroyed, a report of completion must be
filed with the California DWR within 60 days
of the completion of the work. DDW the City
of Shafter are responsible for the permitting
and destruction of wells within the City limits.
Outside City limits, Kern County is
responsible for permitting and inspecting
construction and destruction of wells.
While the City does not practice a policy for
this particular measure, all functional and
abandoned wells should have a “well site
control zone” area immediately surrounding
the well (alternatively referred to as the
“wellhead”) to provide protection from
vandalism, tampering,
or other threats at the
well site. The size of
this zone can be
determined by using a
simple radius, or an
equivalent area. The
well site control zone
should be managed to reduce the possibility
of surface flows reaching the wellhead and
traveling down the unprotected casing.
SWRCB-DDW regulations recommend a
minimum radius of 50 feet for well site
control zones for all public water systems in
the state. The requirement applies to
abandoned wells as well as functional
activities that could potentially lead to
“source water contamination” according to
EPA regulations. Additionally, well owners
are responsible for destroying abandoned
wells per the California Public Health and
Safety Code, Part 9.5, Section 115700.
5.4.5. Groundwater Contamination
Response
Currently, the City has a Water Shortage
Contingency Plan (WSCP) Contingency Plan
(WSCP), and Cross Connection Control Plan
(CCCP) that work in conjunction to handle
the effects of potential groundwater
contamination and mitigate disasters such
as sudden water shortages. This information
is provided in Section 8:.
The WSCP can provide guidance for dealing
with the effects of a water shortage, which
may be due to groundwater contamination.
The City also has emergency response
policies in place to respond to emergencies.
Two recent tests of the City’s emergency
response network were seen in the year
2020, when the City responded to the Covid19 pandemic, and in 2021, when Governor Newsom issued a State of Emergency due to
drought that required Statewide
correspondence with Level 2 of agency’s
WSCP. In the event of a groundwater
Abandoned
private wells can
pose a water
quality concern if
left unaddressed.
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contamination shortage, the City will work in
conjunction with the County’s Emergency
Operations Center to deal with the effects of
potential water shortages and with the GSAs
managing the Subbasin, as identified in
Section 3.2, to address the effects of
potential water shortages.
5.4.6. DDW Sanitary Surveys
A Watershed Sanitary Survey is a document
that examines the potential sources of
contaminants in a watershed and includes
recommendations for managing these
effects. Per DDW guidelines, the Watershed
Sanitary Surveys are supposed to be updated
every five (5) years. In the City’s case, the
City does not use any surface water, so the
City does not prepare Watershed Sanitary
Surveys. However, the City is still subject to
periodic inspections by DDW staff every
three (3) years. The Sanitary Survey
Inspection conducted by DDW includes
inspection and evaluation of the following:
1. Water Sources
2. Treatment
3. Distribution System
4. Finished Water Storage
5. Pumping Facilities
6. Monitoring & Reporting
7. System Management/Operation
8. Operator Compliance
The City’s previous Sanitary Survey
Inspection occurred in April, 2019.
Frequency of inspections are based on the
track record of a permitted water supplier.
The City’s positive and proactive track record
has limited DDW inspections in recent years.
The next inspection by DDW staff will take
place in late 2027.
5.4.7. Cross-Connection Plan Update
In cooperation with the DDW, City’s major
goal is to ensure the distribution of a safe
and potable water supply to all domestic
water users. In order for the City to achieve
this goal, a Cross-Connection Control
Management Plan (CCCMP) was developed
and submitted to DDW for review with an
effective date of July 1, 2025. The City’s
CCCMP was developed pursuant to the
requirements set forth in the CrossConnection Control Policy Handbook (CCCPH) which replaced State of California
Administrative Code Title 17, Sections §7583
through §7605 and applies to all State of
California Public Water Systems, as defined
in California’s Health and Safety Code (CHSC,
section 116275(h))
5.4.8. Impacts on Management &
Reliability
As a result of the City’s water quality policies,
the City has not experienced water quality
issues that affect its ability to meet demands.
As noted by Figure 5.1, when wells are
offline, additional groundwater will be
available through other wells to supplement
water supplies. The City will also be
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constructing additional wells over the course
of this UWMP planning period (2050), to
create greater operational flexibility and
redundancy. Therefore, the City does not
anticipate any significant impacts to water
supply reliability due to water quality issues.
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6 Section 6:
Water Use
6. 6.1. OVERVIEW
Water use within the City’s service area
varies each month based on climate
conditions. As a developing City, water
consumption is expected to increase
gradually in the coming years within its
jurisdictional limits. In addition, the City’s
water service area may expand even further
within its “Sphere of Influence” (SOI), as
described in Section 2:. The overall growth in
water consumption can be partially offset
through citywide water conservation
measures and City modern building code
requirements for new development.
This section explores the potable water
usage trends in the City and quantifies total
usage per customer type. In addition, the
provisions of the Water Conservation Act of
2009 (Senate Bill 7x7) are explored in detail.
6.2. RECENT WATER USE CHANGES
Within the pastsix (6) years, Commercial and
Industrial water use declined, likely as a
result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) Pandemic. On March 19, 2020,
an Executive Order and Public Health Order
directed all Californians to stay home, except
to go to an essential job or to shop for
essential needs. Since then, the State has
seen varying level of stay-at-home orders for
residents and restrictions for businesses to
limit the spread of the virus. During his 2021
State of the State Address Governor Gavin
Newsom reported that California had
Nearly 90 percent
of the total service
connections are
residential.
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administered nearly eleven (11) million
vaccine doses, and that the State was on a
path to ending this pandemic.
The State Water Resources Control Board –
Division of Drinking Water (DDW) has stated
that the public water systems (PWS)
operations are essential functions and their
staff therefore are not restricted by the
orders limiting gatherings. This has allowed
for water system operators and
maintenance workers to successfully keep
the PWS providing safe and clean drinking
water to their customers.
The full extent of the pandemic on the water
sector is still emerging, but one area that has
come to the fore is the effect on municipal
water demand. Water use trends indicate
that residential water demand has increased
while non-residential demand has decreased.
For example, in San Francisco, California,
residential demand increased by ten (10)
percent, while non-residential demand
declined by thirty-two percent (32%).
Residential communities have experienced
either moderate increases or mild decreases.
As a result, some Agencies where total water
use has declined during the pandemic have
seen a drop in water sales revenue.
Moreover, as businesses begin to reopen
due to reduced operation restrictions and
improved hygiene and disinfection practices,
water use may rise dramatically. Such rapid
and dramatic changes in water use can
exacerbate existing and reveal new system
weaknesses.
6.3. CURRENT CITY WATER NEEDS
Prior to incorporation, the City of Shafter
was comprised of a small, rural community
with some agricultural uses. With the
completion of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1898,
the City evolved as a prosperous farming
community that today is home to many local
businesses, corporate industries, and largescale farming operations.
Figure 6.1 City of Shafter Circa 1930
The City's population growth rate has
increased slightly since 2020 and is currently
4.38 percent annually (more than the
average for Kern County). The City's water
use over the past ten (10) years has been
consistent and recent total water
consumption reported for calendar year
2025 is slightly more than total water
consumption reported for 2015. Outdoor
daily water use restrictions were adopted
during the multi-year drought that ended in
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2016 but still have been enforced. As a result,
the City’s local groundwater source capacity
puts the City in a position of providing a
reliable source of quality water for its water
users due to this consistency of water
demands.
The City mandates water conservation yearround while maintaining the beauty of its community parks, schools, and recreational
facilities both in the private and in the public
sector. The vast number of agricultural
operations within the City require consistent
irrigation to produce crops. Of the water
used for residential purposes, it is generally
accepted that most of the water demand is
attributed to outdoor irrigation and indoor
toilet flushing, laundry washing, and bathing.
In the commercial and institutional sector,
water needs vary as customers include
restaurants, offices, retail stores, and
schools. Office buildings and retail stores
require significantly less water than
restaurants and schools and are not usually
the key focus of water conservation efforts.
To maintain civic pride and a sense of
community, City parks and other public
facilities, such as medians and streetscapes,
require consistent irrigation. To prevent
water-waste, the City follows an irrigation
schedule that limits the length of irrigation
to avoid overspray runoff and also
evapotranspiration from daytime watering.
Figure 6.2 Mannel Park
As noted in Section 6.7, overall water use
characteristics within the City's service area
reflect higher than average regional water
use characteristics within the Hydrologic
Region. As a result of these water needs, the
City has passed a conservation ordinance
similar to other agencies which limits or
restricts non-personal water use during
periods of drought to conserve water use for
the more important health and safety needs
of its customers. The City's Conservation
Ordinance is discussed in greater detail in
Section 8:.
6.4. CLIMATE IMPACTS ON WATER USE
California faces changes in water use habits
due to a variety of issues including
population growth, regulatory restrictions,
and climate change (including the severe
drought of 2020-2022). More specifically,
weather unpredictability (more extreme
drought and flood events) poses additional
challenges to water agencies, not only due to
impacts on water supplies but also due to
impacts on water demands.
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Since the preparation of the 2020 UWMP,
there have been local and statewide
influences on water use in the City. California
experienced a multi-year drought from 2020
through 2022, with precipitation
consistently below average and record-high
temperatures which exacerbated water
scarcity. Water year 2022, covering October
2021 to September 2022, ended with 77% of
average precipitation, following an even
drier 2021, making the three-year stretch
drier than the previous
record dry period of
2013–2015. Snowpack,
a critical water source,
fell to 35% of average
by April 1, 2022,
despite a strong start in
December. Drought
severity varied
regionally, with the Central Valley and
northern basins experiencing the most
extreme conditions.
Environmental Impacts: The drought led to
dry soils, reduced water availability, and
increased wildfire risk. Wildfire activity
fluctuated, with 4.3 million acres burned in
2020, decreasing to 2.57 million acres in
2021 and 362,455 acres in 2022, reflecting
both drought intensity and mitigation
efforts. Reduced snowpack and low
precipitation stressed rivers, reservoirs, and
groundwater systems, affecting ecosystems
and water supply reliability.
Agricultural and Economic Impacts:
Agriculture was heavily affected, particularly
in the Sacramento Valley and rice-producing
counties. In 2022, 750,000 acres of farmland
were idled, more than half in the
Sacramento area. Direct economic losses to
farm activity were estimated at $1.2 billion
in 2022, up from $810 million in 2021, with
additional losses of $845 million in food
processing industries, totaling $2 billion in
value-added losses and 19,420 jobs lost.
Increased evapotranspiration due to higher
temperatures further stressed crops,
requiring more irrigation to maintain
productivity.
Regional and Temporal Variability: Drought
intensity varied across the state and over
time. In 2020, drought conditions were less
severe, while 2021 and 2022 saw
widespread and more intense drought,
particularly in the Central Valley. Northern
California basins faced early water
curtailments, and the Sacramento Valley
experienced unprecedented climatological
stress due to limited groundwater pumping
capacity. Despite these challenges,
mitigation measures such as land idling,
water trading, and increased groundwater
pumping helped reduce potential losses.
Changes in water usage habits have a special
concern for the State due to the interdependence of many agencies for the transfer and use of water. For example,
The State will
likely face
challenges in the
near future to find
the correct
balance of water
supply allocations.
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some agencies are unable to produce water
locally and are entirely dependent on
imported water sources, while others are
able to produce all water locally (i.e.,
groundwater). Also, some agencies are able
to reduce demands with minimal economic
impacts (only water sales revenues), while
other agencies will suffer economically (i.e.,
agricultural & industrial users) if required by
State or local agencies to reduce water
consumption. Therefore, the State will likely
face challenges in the near future to find the
correct balance of water supply allocations
to meet demands under various weather
conditions. For State Water Project (SWP)
water rights holders, this is an extremely
critical issue.
6.4.1. California Water Plan Update 2023
DWR’s California Water Plan Update 2023
emphasizes the urgency of climate change
impacts, the need for watershed resilience,
and the importance of equity in water
management. It is designed to ensure that all
Californians benefit from water resources
that are sustainable and resilient to climate
change. There are three themes including:
Addressing Climate Urgency: The plan
recognizes the increasing variability in
California's hydrology due to climate change
and promotes adaptive infrastructure and
emergency planning to enhance resilience.
Strengthening Watershed Resilience: It
encourages coordinated efforts at the
watershed level to integrate engineered
systems with natural processes, to achieve
multiple benefits across water, agriculture,
and ecology.
Achieving Equity: For the first time, the
update includes a dedicated chapter on the
challenges and resources of California Native
American Tribes, ensuring that Indigenous
knowledge and priorities are integrated into
statewide planning.
6.5. WATER USE
6.5.1. Past Water Use
Since the population of the City has slightly
increased over the past two decades, overall
water use within the City’s service area has
increased manageably. The City’s water use
drastically decreased from 2015 to 2017,
due to the State mandated drought
restrictions. In recent years water use has
rebounded as a result of the end of the
mandatory declaration period and an
increase in the City’s population. However,
GPCD has remained fairly consistent, and in
2020 this value was less than that of 2010.
This is a result of water conservation, as the
efficiency of water use has outweighed the
additional water users.
Annual water consumption from 2016 to
2020 listed in the 2020 UWMP ranged from
a high of 1,624 MG in 2020 to a low of 1,327
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MG in 2016 with an average of 1,508 MG as
shown in Table 6.1:
Table 6.1 City Past Water Use
Year
Total
Consumption
(MG)
Per Capita
(GPCD)
2016 1,327 210
2017 1,407 229
2018 1,598 216
2019 1,582 215
2020 1,624 217
Average: 1,508 217
As the table suggests, water use began to
trend upward from 2016 and continued
through 2020.
6.5.2. Recent Water Use
Table 6.2 shows the City’s water
consumption over the past five (5) years. Per
capita use since 2020 has greatly increased,
however water use dropped dramatically
during the sever drought of 2020-2022.
Population has also only slightly increased
within the same period.
Table 6.2 City Recent Water Use
Year
Total Potable
Consumption
(MG)
Per Capita
(GPCD)
2021 524 89.5
2022 1,060 140.6
2023 1,009 139.6
2024 1,166 172.1
2025 1,307 183.9
Average: 145.1
2025 Water Use Target: 223
As indicated by Table 6.2, the City has
already reached their 2020 water use
reduction target. Further, the table indicates
that although the City’s per capita is
gradually increasing, it remains much lower
than the preceding five (5) years. It is
expected that water-use efficiency will
increase in future years due mostly to
conservation practice and enforcement.
6.6. WATER USE BY SECTOR
6.6.1. Service Connections/Accounts
Due to the fact that Shafter was not fullymetered at every service connection prior to 2025, some assumptions and projections
had to be made to upload data into the
DRINC Portal as well as to generate the 2020
actual per capita estimate for 2020, as was
done in the 2020 UWMP. First, on a monthly
basis the City applied a citywide average
single-family usage and multi-family usage
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based on connections that were metered on
a particular month. The difference between
the combined single and multi-family usage
estimates and all of the water pumped from
wells was assumed to be water consumed by
the commercial and industrial customers.
In 2020 only 60.2 percent of the City’s
service area was metered, but by 2025 one
hundred percent (100%) of the City’s service
area was metered. This shows the City’s
successful completion of becoming fully
metered. Currently there are no unmetered
connections to City properties. However, as
of this 2025 UWMP the City is in the process
of transitioning from Automated Meter
Reading (AMR) to Advanced Metering
Infrastructure (AMI).
The City maintains records of water
consumption for metered customers only.
but bills all customers (metered and
unmetered) on a monthly basis for its water
service. The City maintains approximately
5,121 service accounts with a mixture of
residential, commercial, institutional,
landscape irrigation and industrial
customers. The City has recently updated
their billing system, and currently separates
multi-family from single-family residential
totals. As of 2025, the current breakdown of
accounts is shown in Table 6.3:
Table 6.3 Service Connections (2025)
Sector Service
Accounts
Single-Family Residential 4,474
Multi-Family Residential 148
Commercial/Institutional 444
Industrial 30
Landscape Irrigation 25
Other 0
Total Connections: 5,121
Nearly ninety percent (90%) of the total
service connections are residential (single or
multi-family), since the City consists
primarily of residential properties.
Commercial and institutional accounts
comprise approximately nine percent (9%)
of the total accounts, landscape irrigation
one percent (1%), and industrial accounts
half-a-percent (0.5%).
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Figure 6.3 Roof Tile Manufacturing in the City of Shafter The total number of accounts does not
necessarily represent the total number of
actual service connections tapped into the
City's distribution mains. The total number
of accounts varies on a monthly basis based
on occupancy of a dwelling unit or
commercial property.
6.6.2. Water Use
The City records water use per service
connection only and bills customers based
on a single water rate structure. Water sales
data is compiled by City water staff and
recorded on the DWR Form No. 38 (Public
Water System Statistics) and submitted to
DWR annually. The total water consumption
by customer type since 2020 is shown on
Table 6.4. As noted by the table, Residential
accounts are the highest consuming sector in
the City since most of the City’s metered
portion is zoned for single-family accounts
(with higher densities for multi-family
accounts). Metered Residential accounts
have witnessed higher consumption rates
since the 2020 UWMP. This is a result of
more accurate data from the installation of
meters and recent Electronic Annual Reports
(EAR) and Water Board Drought Reporting,
whereas these values were mostly
estimated in the 2020 UWMP.
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Table 6.4 Current and Historic Metered Water Demand by Sector (MG) Sector 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Residential (Single-Family) 279 557 581 691 840
Residential (Multi-Family) 48 64 69 72 98
Commercial/Institutional 146 365 289 344 245
Industrial 50 74 57 46 41
Landscape Irrigation 0 0 11 0 36
Other 0 0 3 13 48
Total Metered Water Sales: 524 1,060 1,009 1,166 1,307
Water Loss
(Real Loss + Apparent Loss) 146 19 63 211 164*
Estimated Unmetered Water
Sales 325 552 568 255 0**
Total Water Consumption
(Total Supply into System): 994 1,631 1,641 1,632 1,471 Note: Values for Water Demand by Sector above are only shown for Metered Service Accounts. *Estimated Water Loss value for 2025 was determined from City internal supply/demand data. However, value cannot be verified until validation of 2025 Water Audit. **As of 2025 no unmetered connections exist.
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Figure 6.4 Current Water Demand by Sector (in 2025)
6.6.3. Distribution System Losses
As indicated by Table 6.4, the City's Water
Loss ranged from 19 to 568 MG, which on
average is approximately 7.1% of the total
water supply into the City's distribution
system. Water Loss is determined as the sum
of apparent loss and real loss, as determined
in each years Validated Water Loss Audit.
Examples of Water Loss consists of routine
flushing, unmetered use, and main breaks,
to name a few. Although water losses have
cost impacts on water agencies, they cannot
be prevented entirely.
Instead, effort is directed at controlling the
quantity of water losses (to a cost-effective
extent) in order to reduce the cost impact of
water losses on water operations. For this
reason, the City’s Staff prepares annual
Water Loss Audits, using AWWA software.
The 2024 Audit shows that the City’s Leakage
Index (the ratio of real loss to unavoidable
loss) was 7.0, which is above the 90
th
percentile of Water Purveyors, but was
determined with unmetered connections
still remaining. The 2025 Audit will show a
much more accurate depiction of the City’s
water losses and Leakage Index. The City’s
Validated Water Loss Audits can be found on
DWR’s WUE Portal:
wuedata.water.ca.gov/awwa_plans
Single-Family
57.1%
Multi-Family
6.7%
Commercial/
Institutional
16.6%
Industrial
2.8%
Landscape
Irrigation
2.4%
Other
3.3%
Loss
11.1%
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6.6.4. 2028 Water Loss Standard
California Water Code (CWC) Section
10608.34 requires SWRCB to develop water
loss performance standards for urban retail
water suppliers. Executive Orders B-37-16
and B-40-17 direct SWRCB and DWR to
minimize water waste through system leaks.
Water loss performance standards became
effective in 2023. As part of a proposed
water conservation regulation, urban retail
water suppliers (not individual households
or businesses) will be held to "urban water
use objectives." An urban water use
objective is the sum of standard-based
budgets for a subset of water uses, such as
residential outdoor use, as further described
in Section 6.7.
Retail Suppliers must meet water loss
standards by January 1, 2028, calculated on
a system level. Ongoing compliance will be
on a three-year average basis. The baseline
period for the 2028 Water Loss Standard is
2017-2020. Real loss and apparent losses
used to calculate the standard are the
average real losses and apparent losses in
the baseline period. SWRCB staff can initiate
an adjustment process for any system that
has significant changes in data compared to
the baseline if at least three (3) compliance
assessments have passed. Suppliers can
request an adjustment to the baseline
period data if significant data improvements
have been made.
Suppliers must either meet their apparent
loss standard (equivalent to their baseline
period (2017-2020) apparent losses) or
submit an inventory of all apparent losses.
Meeting the apparent loss standard is not
required as long as an inventory of apparent
losses is submitted.
The City’s Baseline Real Loss is 30.7 gallons
per service connection per day (GPSCD) and
Real Loss Standard is 16.3 gpscd, resulting in
a Required Real Loss Reduction from
Baseline of 47%. Apparent Loss Standard is
6.0 gpscd.
6.7. URBAN WATER USE OBJECTIVE
The “Making Conservation a California Way
of Life” regulation went into effect on
January 1, 2025 and establishes unique
efficiency goals for each urban retail water
supplier in California and provides those
suppliers flexibility to implement locally appropriate solutions. The regulation seeks to cultivate long-term practices that help
communities adapt to California’s ongoing
water challenges. The regulation requires
suppliers to:
• Annually calculate urban water use
objectives for a subset of urban water
uses: residential indoor water use,
residential outdoor water use, real
water loss, and commercial, industrial,
and institutional (CII) landscapes with
dedicated irrigation meters (DIMs).
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• Carry out performance measures for
CII water us.
• Annually report to SWRCB.
Thie City’s Compliance Summary Report,
prepared by SWRCB staff on February 23,
2026, summarizes the supplier’s compliance
with annual reporting requirements under
the “Making Conservation a California Way
of Life” regulation for the state fiscal year
2024-2025. This report was due on January
1, 2026.
6.7.1. Key Highlights from the Report
The following points are a summary of
Sections 3 through 7 of the City’s Compliance
Summary Report:
• The report was submitted on time, on
December 9, 2025.
• The supplier has met its calculated
objective for fiscal year 2024-2025.
• The supplier has no approved
variances or temporary provisions for
fiscal year 2024-2025.
• The report contains zero (0) data
quality flags.
6.7.2. Objectives Calculated with Future
Standards
The water use objectives will become
progressively lower as standards change
through 2040. Table 6.5 compares the
current water use objective and reported
water use to future efficiency requirements;
the full summary can be found in Section 8
of the City’s Compliance Summary Report.
While this table does not capture how future
water use objectives will be influenced by
changes in local climatology, service area
population, square footage of irrigated
landscapes, and other data that will factor
into future water use efficiency objectives, it
is provided as a tool for local planning
purposes.
Table 6.5 Objectives Calculated with Future Standards
Fiscal Year FY 24-25 Use
(MG)
Calculated/Projected Objective
(MG)
Current use lower than
objective?
24-25 367 430 Yes
25-26 367 430 Yes
30-31 367 430 Yes
35-36 367 430 Yes
40-41 367 430 Yes
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As Table 6.5 shows, the City has met its
calculated objective for fiscal year 2024-
2025. The City’s Compliance Summary
Report can be located on DWR’s WUE Portal:
wuedata.water.ca.gov/uwuo_plans
6.8. WATER CONSERVATION ACT
6.8.1. Act Background (SBX7-7)
Due to reductions of water in the San
Joaquin Delta, the Legislature drafted the
Water Conservation Act of 2009 (SBX7-7) to
protect statewide water sources. The
legislation called for a 20 percent (20%)
reduction in water use in California by the
year 2020. The legislation amended the
water code to call for 2020 and 2015 water
use targets in the 2010 UWMPs, updates or
revisions to these targets in the 2015
UWMPs and allows the Department of
Water Resources (DWR) to enforce
compliance to the new water use standards.
Beginning in 2016, failure to comply with
interim and final targets will make the City
ineligible for grants and loans from the State
needed to attain water self-sufficiency by
2020.
In addition to an overall statewide 20
percent (20%) water use reduction, the
objective of SBX7-7 is to reduce water use
within each hydrologic region in accordance
with the agricultural and urban water needs
of each region. Currently, the Department of
Water Resources (DWR) recognizes ten (10)
separate hydrologic regions in California as
shown in Figure 6.6. Each hydrologic region
has been established for planning purposes
and corresponds to the State's major
drainage areas. The City of Shafter is in the
Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region (HR), which
includes all of Tulare and Kings counties,
most of Fresno and Kern counties. The
Tulare Lake HR is shown in Figure 6.7.
Per capita water use, measured in gallons
per capita per day (GPCD), in the Tulare Lake
HR varies between different water agencies
depending on the geographic and economic
conditions of the agency’s service area. The
Tulare Lake HR has an overall baseline per
capita water use of 285 GPCD and DWR has
established a regional target of 188 GPCD for
the region as a compliance target to satisfy
SBX7-7 legislation.
The Methodologies guidebook made
provisions that allowed a water supplier to
meet the target requirements by achieving
one of four (4) different targets, provided
that the water supplier's baseline water use
was low enough relative to the region within
which it supplies water. For most agencies,
the two most common options are 1) twenty
percent (20%) reduction or 2) five percent
(5%) reduction from the Hydrologic Region.
Exempt Agencies
If an agency has a baseline per capita water
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use of 100 GPCD or less, that agency will not
have to adhere to any reduction targets as
that agency is already considered water
efficient. In such a case, that agency must
document in subsequent UWMPs that its
water usage is still under 100 GPCD.
6.8.2. SBX7-7 Baseline & Target
The basic procedure for determining the
applicable water reduction target is
illustrated by Figure 6.8 and Figure 6.9. The
City previously established water use targets
for 2015 and 2020. DWR provided guidelines
for determining these targets in its
Methodologies guidebook for the 2010 and
2015 UWMPs. In the 2010 and 2015 UWMPs,
the City's baseline water use and targets
were determined based on the procedures
shown in Figure 6.8 and Figure 6.9.
If an agency's 10-year baseline is slightly
higher than the Hydrologic Region's target,
that agency still must achieve a five percent
reduction from its 5-year baseline. If an
agency has a per capita water use of 100
GPCD or less, that agency will not have to
adhere to any reduction targets as that
agency is already considered water efficient.
Since the City does not use recycled water, a
10-year instead of a 15-year rolling average
was previously calculated. The City’s
baseline water use is 126 GPCD, which was
obtained from the 10-year period January 1,
1995 to December 31, 2004.
Table 6.6 shows historic (1998 to 2007)
water use and provides the base period
ranges used to calculate the baseline water
use for the City. The data was used to
calculate the continuous 10-year and 5-year
average baseline. Moreover, regardless of
the compliance method adopted by the City
it will need to meet the minimum water use
target of five percent (5%) reduction from a
5-year baseline (i.e. 2003-2007).
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Figure 6.5 Procedure for Determining Baseline Per Capita Water Use
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Figure 6.6 Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region
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Figure 6.7 Procedure for Determining Baseline Per Capita Water Use Figure 6.8 Procedure for Determining Target Per Capita Water Use 4 Compile
Water Use
Rates over
10 Years
3 Water Use /
Population
= Rate
2 Potable
Water Use
1 Service Area
Population
5 Select
Higher
Target
4 ...Calculate
95%
Reduction
Target
3 If < 95%
Hydrologic
Region...
2 Compare to
95%
Hydrologic
Region
1 Set 80%
Reduction
Target
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Table 6.6 City Water Use (GPCPD)
Year
Total Potable
Consumption
(MGY)
Per Capita
(GPCD)
1998 1,220 270
1999 1,375 294
2000 1,463 307
2001 1,479 282
2002 1,516 270
2003 1,591 294
2004 1,540 278
2005 1,528 268
2006 1,593 273
2007 1,554 258
10-yr. Baseline (1998-
2007) (SB7: 10608.20) 279
5-yr. Baseline (2003-2007)
(SB7: 10608.22) 274
Tulare Lake HR: 188
As shown in Table 6.6, the City's 10-yr and 5-
yr baselines were determined to be 279
GPCD and 274 GPCD, respectively. The City's
baseline water use was then compared to
the regional compliance target to determine
the applicable reduction amounts per the
SBX7-7 additions to the water code. The
legal stipulations applicable to the City and
the required target to be enforced by DWR
are shown in Table 6.7:
Table 6.7 City SBX7-7 2020 Water Use
Targets
Min.
Reduction
Requirement
(10608.22)
20% Target
(10608.20
(b)(1))
5% Reduction
from Regional
Target
(10608.20
(b)(3))
223 178 178.6
2020 Per Capita Target: 223
Interim (2015) Target: 251
The selected SBX7-7 target of 223 GPCD was
done so in the 2010 UWMP, when the City
elected to use Method 1 under Water Code
section 10608.20(b) for determining its
urban water use targets. This amount is
greater than 178.6 GPCD (five percent
reduction from the Tulare Lake HR's target),
due to the higher water usage within the City.
The five-year baseline period selected for
purposes of Water Code sections
10608.12(b)(3) and 10608.22 produced a
maximum 2020 per capita water use target
of 260 GPCD. Because the City’s 2020 urban
water use target using Method 1 did not
exceed this value, no further adjustment was
required for the City’s target.
6.8.3. SBX7-7 Target Compliance
Although the requirements of SBX7-7
seemed stringent, it is noteworthy to
mention that the City has seen an increase in
water efficiency since the baseline years. As
indicated by Table 6.2, the City has already
achieved not only its interim 2015 target, but
also its final 2020 target. The City can
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maintain its consumption rates below the
SBX7-7 target by continuing to focus on
water conservation.
6.9. PROJECTED WATER DEMAND
Future water use projections must consider
significant factors on water demand, such as
development and/or redevelopment, and
climate patterns, among other less
significant factors that affect water demand.
Although redevelopment is expected to be
an ongoing process, it is not expected to
significantly impact water use since the City
is zoned for new development for at least
twenty-five (25) years. Climate conditions
will continue to be a major influence on
demand as drought conditions will increase
demand at a time when these supplies are
limited.
6.9.1. Passive Savings
As the City's service area population
continues to grow over time and as water
conservation measures continue to be
implemented, the City should experience
modest increases in its water consumption
in spite of significant population increases
through 2050. This is due to 75 percent (75%)
of the City’s growth being outside of the
water service area, which is serviced by the
Oildale Mutual Water Company (OMWC),
and “passive savings”. That is, over time
homes will be equipped with water-saving
fixtures and landscapes. Also, over time,
residents will become more aware of water
conservation and City-specific policies such
as limitations on landscape irrigation and car
washing. Parks and recreation fields will also
be able to take advantage of non-potable
sources of water for irrigation. This “passive
savings” will help offset new water demands
stemming from anticipated population
growth in the City.
For the sake of future water demand
projections in this UWMP, this “passive
savings” is taken into consideration by
estimating declines in water consumption
rates. The estimated rate of decline in the
water consumption rate (GPCD) is half-apercent (0.5%) annually. It is practical to assume that water use efficiency will
continue to increase on its own over the next
couple of decades.
6.9.2. Projected Water Use by Sector
Senate Bill 1087 requires that water use
projections of a UWMP include the
projected water use for single-family and
multi-family residential housing for lower
income households as identified in the
housing element of any city, county, or city
and county in the service area of the supplier.
The residential sector projections include
projected low-income housing per the City’s
Housing Element. The City's projected water
use for 2030 through 2050 is broken down
by sector in Table 6.8. Figure 6.9 also shows
the Projected Water Demand by Sector.
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Table 6.8 Projected Water Demand by Sector (MG)
Sector 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Water Service Area Population 23,559 25,202 26,846 28,490 30,133 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings
177.0 172.7 168.4 164.2 160.2
Demands
Residential (Single-Family) 869 907 942 975 1,005
Residential (Multi-Family) 101 106 110 114 117
Commercial/Institutional 253 264 274 284 293
Industrial 43 44 46 48 49
Landscape Irrigation 37 39 40 41 43
Other 50 52 54 56 58
Total Water Sales: 1,353 1,411 1,466 1,517 1,565
Water Loss
(Real Loss + Apparent Loss) 170 177 184 190 196
Total Water Consumption
(Total Supply into System): 1,522 1,588 1,650 1,708 1,761 Figure 6.9 Projected Water Demand by Sector (in 2050)
Single-Family
57.1%
Multi-Family
6.7%
Commercial/
Institutional
16.6%
Industrial
2.8%
Landscape
Irrigation
2.4%
Other
3.3%
Losses
11.1%
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7 Section 7:
Reliability Planning
7. 7.1. OVERVIEW
The drought of 2020-2022 impacted
groundwater-pumping agencies within the
Kern County Subbasin (Subbasin) of the San
Joaquin Valley Basin. Water year (WY) 2020
was also rated a dry water year under the
San Joaquin Valley Index (CDEC, 2021), with
Kern County in an “Extreme Drought”.
Furthermore, data from Kern River stream
gages and local groundwater monitoring
wells indicate that streamflow and
groundwater levels are currently below
average for this time of year (Spring). The
Kern Groundwater Authority’s Second
Annual Report - Water Year 2020 of the
Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plans
has designated the Subbasin as critically
over-drafted. For these reasons, the City
plans to prepare for prolonged droughts of
up to five (5) years to ensure a reliable
supply of water.
This Section discusses historic and recent
droughts in the State and in the region. This
Section also compares projected supply to
projected demand over a 25-year planning
period (through 2050) for various climate
scenarios. Demand and supply projections
are provided in Table 7.2 - Table 7.8.
7.2. HISTORIC STATEWIDE DROUGHTS
Climate data has been recorded in California
since 1858. Since then, California has
experienced several periods of severe
drought, including: 1928-34, 1976-77 and
The Rosedale
Spreading Grounds
are a source of
groundwater
recharge.
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1987-91, 2007-2009, 2011-2017 and most
recently in 2020-2022. In addition to these,
California has also experienced several
periods of less severe drought. Among the
aforementioned droughts, the year 1977 is
still considered to be the driest year of
record in the Four Rivers Basin by DWR
(these rivers flow into the Delta and are the
source of water for the State Water Project).
In 1983, as a result of previous droughts, the
State legislature enacted the UWMP Act,
which requires the preparation of this
UWMP. Several subsequent amendments
have been made to the Act to ensure such
items as public coordination, recycled water,
and contingency response plans are included
in UWMPs, among other items.
In 1991, as a result of the 1987-1991 drought,
over 100 water agencies and environmental
groups came together to form the California
Urban Water Conservation Council (CUWCC)
to manage the impacts of drought and
promote water conservation. In January
2018, the CUWCC became the California
Water Efficiency Partnership (CalWEP), and
consists of over 200 water agencies and
private companies. CalWEP assists its
member agencies with public policy,
research, and education tools.
As a result of the drought of 2007-2009,
former Governor Schwarzenegger signed
the Water Conservation Act of 2009 (SBX7-
7), which is perhaps the strongest piece of
legislation to date on water conservation,
requiring mandatory water conservation up
to 20 percent (20%) by 2020.
In response to this drought of 2011-2017,
DWR and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
finalized the 2016 Drought Contingency Plan
(Plan) that outlined State Water Project (SWP)
and Central Valley
Project (CVP)
operations for 2016.
The key purpose of the
Plan was to establish
conservation goals and
develop a guideline for
the management of
water resources in order to meet the
conservation goals and the water needs of
stakeholders and the public. The plan was
updated in March 2021 to reflect the
recently dry conditions of 2019-2021. Since
the CVP includes the Friant-Kern Canal and
other local canals, the City was indirectly
affected by the provisions of the Plan.
At the local level, water agencies have
enacted their own ordinances to deal with
the impacts of drought. Chapter 8.40 of the
City’s Municipal Code deals with Water
Conservation. In addition, the City is
updating its Water Shortage Contingency
Plan, which can be found in Section 8:.
7.3. RECENT DROUGHT (2020-2022)
The current drought in Kern County began in
Diversions into
local spreading
grounds from local
canals are affected
by annual CVP
allocations.
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2020. As measured in the City of Shafter,
recorded rainfall for 2020 was 2.8 inches,
which amounts to thirty-nine percent (39%)
of the average rainfall (7.21 inches).
February 2021 witnessed the second lowest
rainfall recorded over the past 127 years,
rainfall totals at 1.7 inches from normal.
On July 8, 2021, Governor Newson declared
a state of emergency and issued an
Executive Order calling for a statewide
voluntarily reduction of fifteen percent (15%)
from consumers 2020 levels in order to
preserve the State's surface and
groundwater supplies and better prepare for
the potential for continued dry conditions
next year, and to join existing efforts by
agricultural water users, public water
systems, and governmental agencies to
respond to water shortages. Order declaring
a statewide drought emergency
In May 2022, the Governor ordered the
SWRCB into evaluate the adoption of
regulations banning irrigation of “nonfunctional” turf (or grass), such as decorative grass adjacent to large industrial and
commercial buildings. The ban would not
include residential lawns or grass used for
recreation, such as school fields, sports fields
and parks. The DWR estimated this ban
alone would result in potential water savings
of several hundred thousand acre-feet. An
acre-foot of water serves the needs of
approximately three households for a year.
In March 2024 DWR finalized the 2024 State
Water Project Long-Term Drought Plan. The
2024 State Water Project Long-Term
Drought Plan consolidates information and
actions taken during past droughts along
with descriptions of the actions taken by the
SWP to plan for and prepare for future
droughts.
The scope of the SWP’s drought planning
activities is driven by the role the SWP plays
within California’s water management
system during times of drought. The SWP’s
planning is specific to its role as a wholesale
water provider. The SWP’s drought planning
is necessarily different from the planning by
other water managers that are responsible
for directly providing water to end-use
customers. For these water managers,
drought planning generally includes
identifying a portfolio of different water
supplies and demand management actions
that ensure a minimum amount of water can
be provided with a set degree of certainty.
Retail water suppliers have a “duty to serve”
water demand within their service areas and
must have detailed contingency plans for
meeting demand during drought conditions.
7.4. REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY
RELIABILITY
Several local agencies in the Subbasin are SWP
and CVP contractors, which use a portion of
the imported surface water for groundwater
recharge. As a result of reoccurring drought
challenges to the State’s
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Figure 7.1 California State Reservoir Levels (May 2026)
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Figure 7.2 Streamflow in the Kern River (May 2021)
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Figure 7.3 Streamflow in the Kern River (March 2026)
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water supplies, Central Valley SWP and CVP
Contractors understand the unpredictability
of imported water allocations. One of the
most impactful consequences of an
imported water shortage is a reduction in
groundwater recharge, which will cause the
Subbasin’s total groundwater storage to
decrease. With participation of the SWP and
CVP Contractors, DWR strives to meet the
water needs of California by developing new
projects to increase the capacity of its
supplies while encouraging its member
agencies to develop local supply projects to
meet the needs of its customers. Also, DWR
is committed to developing and maintaining
high-capacity storage reservoirs, including
those shown in Figure 7.1.
Although not directly important for the City,
matters involving the SWP and CVP do
impact the City indirectly. For example, the
Friant-Kern Canal (Figure 7.4) is a part of the
CVP, and is used for local farmers and the
local spreading grounds. Decades of
groundwater overdraft near the Friant-Kern
Canal have caused land subsidence that
restricts the canal’s ability to make full water
deliveries. In 2020, the federal government
announced $5 million to study and begin
pre-construction work on repairing the
Friant-Kern Canal. The Bureau of
Reclamation gave environmental clearance
to repair a 33-mile stretch of the canal in
southern Tulare County that has lost more
than half of its original capacity to convey
water due to subsidence.
The issues involving the Friant-Kern Canal
have impacted the ability of local agencies to
plan for future water supplies. For this
reason, local agencies may begin to pump
additional groundwater. This may impact
other neighboring agencies, including the
City, over-draft conditions persist.
7.5. CITY SUPPLY RELIABILITY
The City obtains all of its water sources from
groundwater produced from the Subbasin.
This groundwater source is recharged from
rivers and canals, local irrigation, and
recharge facilities, as previously mentioned.
For this reason, there are several factors
outside of the City’s control that can impact
water supply reliability, including:
• Physical
Water Storage & Pumping Facilities
• Legal
Water Rights
• Environmental
Plant & Aquatic Life Obligations
• Water Quality
Concentrations of Contaminants
• Climate
Renewal of Source Water
Section 7.3 discussed the impacts of
droughts on the City’s groundwatersupplies.
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Figure 7.4 Friant-Kern Canal
Depending on drought severity, all of the
above factors can exist concurrently or can
overlap during the course of a drought. For
instance, low water volumes in rivers and
reservoirs could result in a higher
concentration of contaminants, decay of
plant and aquatic life, and changes in legal
contracts for water rights. It could also result
in indirect restrictions on groundwater
availability from local agencies, such as
decreases in groundwater recharge
mentioned in Section 7.4. Conversely, during
periods of excessive rainfall, flooding can
potentially damage dam structures along the
SWP or CVP, similar to the damage at Lake
Oroville in 2017. Earthquakes can also cause
damage to these structures.
7.5.1. Physical Constraints
The fundamental factor that affects water
supply reliability is the hydraulic capacity of
supply and distribution system facilities. As
indicated in the previous section, although
the City’s water supply infrastructure underutilizes the City’s water rights, the current supply and distribution system is considered
sufficient for the current and projected
demands within the planning horizon of this
UWMP.
7.5.2. Environmental Constraints
As described in the Kern County Subbasin
Coordination Agreement (Coordination
Agreement), Basin Groundwater Sustainability
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Agencies (GSAs) have organized a Basin
Coordination Committee (BCC) to provide a
forum to coordinate Groundwater
Sustainability Plan (GSP) implementation.
Specifically, the Coordination Agreement
states that coordination activities may
include “the development, planning,
financing, environmental review, permitting,
implementation, and long-term monitoring
of the multiple GSPs in the Subbasin,
pursuant to SGMA requirements.”
7.5.3. Water Quality Constraints
Section 5: concludes that groundwater over
the course of this UWMP planning period is
expected to be of good quality. There are
some areas outside of the City’s Service Area
where irrigated agriculture depends solely
on imported surface water due to poor local
groundwater quality. Although this is not
expected to be the case for the City, if water
quality becomes an issue for water supply
reliability in the future, the City will evaluate
the need for upgrades to its current
treatment system or construction of a new
water treatment facility. The quality of the
City’s water sources is further discussed in
Section 5:.
7.5.4. Climate Impacts on Water Supply
Climatic factors affecting the reliability of a
given water supply system generally are a
function of seasonal precipitation and runoff
characteristics. The Kern County area
receives an average of 9 inches of
precipitation per year {Oregon State
University PRISM Climate Group (PRISM,
2021) Website}. The relatively low
precipitation mildly contributes runoff to
recharge the groundwater basin, and is
therefore not a major factor in the total
storage available in the basin. During
drought conditions, water supply is available
to the City from the
groundwater basin. The
City's groundwater is
not subject to shortterm water shortages
from dry weather
conditions. According to
the Kern County
Subbasin Groundwater
Sustainability Plans (GSPs), completed on
April 1, 2021, the Subbasin received an
annual recharge of approximately 84,610
MG and a total groundwater use of 597,955
MG in 2020. Due to the recharge, the
groundwater models prepared under the
provisions of the SGMA indicate that it is
unlikely that the City’s ability to meet
demands through its existing supplies will be
impacted by droughts.
7.6. RELIABILITY PROJECTIONS
The quantity of supply available from
different water supply sources can vary from
one year to the next depending on
hydrologic conditions. Three (3) climate
conditions will be considered: (1) normal
water year, (2) single dry year, and (3)
The Kern County
Subbasin
Groundwater
Sustainability
Plans were
updated in April
2021.
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multiple dry years. The multiple dry-year
period is five (5) years. Future supply and
demand conditions can be determined from
the following data:
• Population forecasts
• Water supply capacity
• Recent water use trends
The data described above has been provided
in the previous sections of this UWMP,
including Section 3: (Water Sources &
Supplies) and Section 6: (Water Use). The
water service reliability assessment is an
assessment of the reliability of the City’s
water supplies by comparing projected
future water demands with expected
available water supplies under
aforementioned three hydrologic conditions.
The projected comparisons in this Section
are based on data from those previous
sections.
7.6.1. Drought Risk Assessment
The drought risk assessment examines water
shortage risks based on the driest five-year
historic sequence for the City’s water supply.
This allows the City to determine available
water supplies under three different
hydrologic conditions: normal year; a single
dry year; and multiple dry years. To project
future demands, it will be assumed that total
demand will change annually based on
changes in population multiplied by the
individual demand per-person (also known
as the “per-capita” consumption rate see
Section 6:). The per-capita rates used in the
future projections will be based on actual
water use data from the recent past. In
particular, the City’s averages for the last ten
(10) years will be used as the basis to project
demands through the year 2050. To project
demands and supplies, the following is
assumed:
• Consumption rate of 181.5 gallons per
capita per day (GPCD) as the average
consumption of the City in the last 10
years.
• Decreasing consumption rate from 2026
onward with a passive savings of 0.5%
annually (i.e., 180.6 GPCD in 2026).
Although a constant consumption rate
provides a more conservative approach, the
decreasing consumption rate scenario
provides a realistic basis for planning
purposes since it considers gradual increases
in water-use efficiency. In the past twenty
(20) years, the City has seen a 11.8% increase
in water use efficiency. The City’s
consumption rate in 2016 was 210.1 GPCD,
and the City’s consumption rate in 2025 was
approximately 183.9 GPCD. This amounts to
an average decrease of approximately 1.8%
annually.
For drought-time demands, is expected that
there will be a small degree of increase due
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to the lack of rainfall on landscapes. To
project demands during single and multiple
(five) year drought periods, the following
increase/decrease factors will be assumed :
• Dry Year: 5%
• Multiple Dry Years:
5%, 10%, 2%, -6% and -15%
The increase factors (5%, 10%, and 2%) are
typical for agencies of similar climate and
land-use characteristics. The fifteen percent
(15%) decrease in demand for the final years
of the drought was the figure used in the
City’s 2015 and 2020 UWMPs. The decrease
applies to the final year of a multi-year dry
period, and follows the pattern of a dry
period developed for DWR’s Basis of Water
Data Table. The six percent (6%) decrease
factor was applied because it was near the
average of the previous and subsequent Dry
Years (2% and -15%).
The increase factors listed above are
reasonable for the purposes of demand and
supply projections since the increase factors
provide likely adjustments in water use
behavior during dry-years. The increase
factors are also consistent with the drought
of 2011 to 2017, wherein California agencies
experienced an increase in demands at first,
followed by a decrease in demands following
mandated conservation.
7.6.2. Tabular Comparisons
As mentioned in Section 2.6.2
(Groundwater), the active groundwater
wells have a combined maximum capacity of
10,100 gallons per minute (gpm). In order for
the nominal capacity to be reached, all of the
City’s wells must be on for twenty-four (24)
hours. This conversion results in a maximum
capacity of 5,309 million gallons per year
(MGY). In order to determine an average
well capacity for years 2021 to 2025, an
average pumping time of 6.9 hours per day
was calculated based off the average well
production over the same period. Thus,
resulting in an average well capacity of 1,536
MGY.
The City’s projected total well capacity was
then calculated by using the pumping time of
2025 (6.7 hours) as the base year, and then
projecting a two percent (2%) increase for
future years. The results, as wells as the
average and maximum capacities are shown
in Table 7.1. Inactive or future new wells
were not taken into consideration for these
projections.
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Table 7.1 Overall Well Capacity and
Pumping Time Projections
Year Pumping Time
(hours/day)
Well
Capacity
(MGY)
2025 6.7 1,471
2030 6.9 1,523
2035 7.2 1,589
2040 7.5 1,651
2045 7.7 1,709
2050 8.0 1,763
Avg.
(2021-2025)
7.3 1,618
Avg.
(2016-2020)
8.4 1,582
Maximum
(2021-2025)
8.0 1,763
Table 7.2 to Table 7.8, provide the City’s
supply and demand projections to the year
2050. Figure 7.5 shows a visual pie-chart for
normal water year 2050. The projections for
groundwater pumping were determined by
interpolating between the 5-year
increments shown on Table 7.2. Based on
the data presented in these tables and
figures, the City can expect to meet future
demands for all climate conditions through
2050.
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Table 7.2 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Normal Water Year (MG)
Water Sources 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Population
Water Service Area Population 23,559 25,202 26,846 28,490 30,133 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
1 Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 177.0 172.7 168.4 164.2 160.2 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total)2 1,522 1,588 1,650 1,708 1,761 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies3
(Estimated Production) 1,522 1,588 1,650 1,708 1,761
Minimum Available Supply 5,309 6,885 6,885 6,885 6,885
Demand
Estimated Potable Water Demand 1,522 1,588 1,650 1,708 1,761 Estimated Recycled Water Demand 0 0 0 0 0
Total Estimated Demand 1,522 1,588 1,650 1,708 1,761
Compare to Avg. Demand from 2016-
2025 (1,260 MG) 121% 126% 131% 135% 140%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity4 3,786 5,297 5,235 5,178 5,124 Notes:
1. Total Demand and Total Supply = Consumption Rate x Projected Population a. Average consumption rate of last 10 years = 181.5 gallons per capita per day (GPCD) b. Estimated starting consumption rate in 2026 = 180.6 GPCD c. SBX7-7 Target for 2020: 223 GPCD
d. Approximate “passive” savings: 0.5% per year
e. Projected “passive” savings: 0.5% per year = 160.2 GPCD by 2050
2. Groundwater production capacity (total available supply) represents the City’s active wells:
a. Total well capacity: 10,100 gpm (5,309 MGY), until 2031, then from then on 13,100 gpm (6,885 MGY)
3. Projected groundwater pumping is set equal to the projected water consumption (demands) shown in Table 6.8
4. No other potable supply sources are expected to become available.
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Table 7.3 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Single Dry Year (MG)
Water Sources 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Population
Water Service Area Population 23,559 25,202 26,846 28,490 30,133 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 177.0 172.7 168.4 164.2 160.2 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,598 1,668 1,732 1,793 1,850 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,598 1,668 1,732 1,793 1,850
Minimum Available Supply 5,309 6,885 6,885 6,885 6,885
Normal Year Supply 1,522 1,588 1,650 1,708 1,761
% of Normal Year 105% 105% 105% 105% 105%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 1,598 1,668 1,732 1,793 1,850
Normal Year Demand 1,522 1,588 1,650 1,708 1,761
% of Normal Year 105% 105% 105% 105% 105%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 3,710 5,218 5,153 5,092 5,036 Notes:
1. Total Demand = Consumption Rate x Population x Single Dry Year Increase of 105%
2. Refer to notes under Table 7.2
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Table 7.4 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2026-2030) (MG)
Water Sources 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Population
Water Service Area Population 22,244 22,572 22,901 23,230 23,559 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 180.6 179.7 178.8 177.9 177.0 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,540 1,629 1,525 1,418 1,294 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,540 1,629 1,525 1,418 1,294
Minimum Available Supply 5,309 5,309 5,309 5,309 5,309
Normal Year Supply 1,466 1,481 1,495 1,509 1,522
% of Normal Year 105% 110% 102% 94% 85%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 1,540 1,629 1,525 1,418 1,294
Normal Year Demand 1,466 1,481 1,495 1,509 1,522
% of Normal Year 105% 110% 102% 94% 85%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 3,769 3,680 3,784 3,890 4,015 `
Notes:
1. Total Demand = Consumption Rate x Population x Multiple Dry Year Increase of 105%, 110%, 102%, 94%, and 85%.
2. Refer to notes under Table 7.2
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Table 7.5 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2031-2035) (MG)
Water Sources 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
Population
Water Service Area Population 23,887 24,216 24,545 24,874 25,202 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 176.2 175.3 174.4 173.5 172.7 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,613 1,704 1,594 1,481 1,350 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,613 1,704 1,594 1,481 1,350
Minimum Available Supply 6,885 6,885 6,885 6,885 6,885
Normal Year Supply 1,536 1,549 1,562 1,575 1,588
% of Normal Year 105% 110% 102% 94% 85%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 1,613 1,704 1,594 1,481 1,350
Normal Year Demand 1,536 1,549 1,562 1,575 1,588
% of Normal Year 105% 110% 102% 94% 85%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 5,273 5,181 5,292 5,404 5,535 Notes:
1. Total Demand = Consumption Rate x Population x Multiple Dry Year Increase of 105%, 110%, 102%, 94%, and 85%.
2. Refer to notes under Table 7.2
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Table 7.6 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2036-2040) (MG)
Water Sources 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040
Population
Water Service Area Population 25,531 25,860 26,188 26,517 26,846 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 171.8 170.9 170.1 169.2 168.4 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,681 1,775 1,658 1,540 1,402 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,681 1,775 1,658 1,540 1,402
Minimum Available Supply 6,885 6,885 6,885 6,885 6,885
Normal Year Supply 1,601 1,613 1,626 1,638 1,650
% of Normal Year 105% 110% 102% 94% 85%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 1,681 1,775 1,658 1,540 1,402
Normal Year Demand 1,601 1,613 1,626 1,638 1,650
% of Normal Year 105% 110% 102% 94% 85%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 5,204 5,111 5,227 5,346 5,483 Notes:
1. Total Demand = Consumption Rate x Population x Multiple Dry Year Increase of 105%, 110%, 102%, 94%, and 85%.
2. Refer to notes under Table 7.2
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Table 7.7 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2041-2045) (MG)
Water Sources 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045
Population
Water Service Area Population 27,175 27,503 27,832 28,161 28,490 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 167.5 166.7 165.9 165.0 164.2 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,745 1,841 1,719 1,595 1,451 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,745 1,841 1,719 1,595 1,451
Minimum Available Supply 6,885 6,885 6,885 6,885 6,885
Normal Year Supply 1,662 1,673 1,685 1,696 1,708
% of Normal Year 105% 110% 102% 94% 85%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 1,745 1,841 1,719 1,595 1,451
Normal Year Demand 1,662 1,673 1,685 1,696 1,708
% of Normal Year 105% 110% 102% 94% 85%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 5,140 5,045 5,167 5,291 5,434 Notes:
1. Total Demand = Consumption Rate x Population x Multiple Dry Year Increase of 105%, 110%, 102%, 94%, and 85%.
2. Refer to notes under Table 7.2
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Table 7.8 City of Shafter Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2046-2050) (MG)
Water Sources 2046 2047 2048 2049 2050
Population
Water Service Area Population 28,818 29,147 29,476 29,804 30,133 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 163.4 162.6 161.8 161.0 160.2 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 1,805 1,903 1,775 1,646 1,497 Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 1,805 1,903 1,775 1,646 1,497
Minimum Available Supply 6,885 6,885 6,885 6,885 6,885
Normal Year Supply 1,719 1,730 1,740 1,751 1,761
% of Normal Year 105% 110% 102% 94% 85%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 1,805 1,903 1,775 1,646 1,497
Normal Year Demand 1,719 1,730 1,740 1,751 1,761
% of Normal Year 105% 110% 102% 94% 85%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 5,081 4,983 5,110 5,239 5,388 Notes:
1. Total Demand = Consumption Rate x Population x Multiple Dry Year Increase of 105%, 110%, 102%, 94%, and 85%.
2. Refer to notes under Table 7.2
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Figure 7.5 Projected Supply v. Demand Scenario: Normal Water Year 2050 Min Available
Supply
(6,885 AF)
Surplus
(5,124 AF)
Demands
(1,761 AF)
WATER DEMANDS WELL 11
TANK 3
R DEMANDS
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7.7. ENSURING ADEQUATE SUPPLY
As indicated by the tables on the previous
pages, the City does not expect to have a
water supply shortage through 2050.
Groundwater supplies are not expected to
be affected during droughts lasting up to five
years. Furthermore, droughts will be
addressed by following the criteria of the
City's Water Shortage Contingency Plan
(WSCP) along with implementation of the
regional contingency plans. These programs
are discussed in Section 8:. For these reasons,
the City is confident that water supplies are
adequate to meet demands for all weather
conditions through 2050.
7.8. WSCP SUPPLY AUGMENTATION
Although the City does not expect to have a
water supply shortage through 2050, as
indicated by Table 7.2 to Table 7.8 severe
and extent droughts may cause the WSCP to
be enacted. The City will rely on the
implementation of the WSCP to augment the
City’s reduced supply during consecutively
dry years. The WSCP supply augmentation
benefits during a five-year drought are
shown in standard DWR Table 7-5 in
Appendix E.
7.9. WATER SUPPLY OPPORTUNITIES
The City’s planned additional wells are
identified in Section 3.4. Other than these
project and upgrades to its existing wells, the
City does not have any formal plans for
water supply projects at the current time.
However, the City continually reviews
practices that will provide its customers with
adequate and reliable supplies.
In the coming years, the City will focus
efforts on upgrading or establishing new
wells. The City will also continue its regular
maintenance of its existing infrastructure.
7.9.1. Regional Projects
Agencies of the Kern County Subbasin are
implementing water supply programs or
strategies for the region to increase water
supply reliability in the future. Some of these
strategies include:
• Conservation
• Water Recycling
• Groundwater Recharge
• Local Surface Water
• Graywater
• Storage
Several agencies of the Subbasin are
implementing recycled water into their
water systems. At this time, however, the
nearest pipelines for are located miles away
from the City. Therefore, the City is not
considering recycled water as a supply
opportunity.
Besides recycled water, a pending supply
opportunity that could be available for the
City’s service area by 2030 is groundwater
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storage. Water recharged (e.g. imported
water, storm water, return flows, etc.) in the
Subbasin can be credited into a future
storage account, allowing for the City’s
Reasonably Available Volume of
groundwater to increase. The City will also
be able to recharge more water during wet
years. Based on the future expansion of
similar facilities by other member agencies,
this could be a potential supply opportunity
for the City in the coming decades.
7.10. RELIABILITY MANAGEMENT
As noted in 7.3 and Figure 7.2 and Figure 7.3,
groundwater supplies can be impacted by
not only direct recharge from precipitation,
but also indirectly through reduced surface
flows from the Kern River. In general,
groundwater flow directions reported are
consistent with historical trends, with
groundwater flowing from the uplands on
the south, east, and west of the Subbasin
toward the center. Groundwater tends to
diverge at the Kern River with flow to the
south of the river toward pumping well
discharge points, and flow to the northwest
of the river toward pumping wells, and
further north until it leaves the Subbasin.
Based on recent groundwater elevations,
the divergence to the North and to the South
along the river is less notable due to the
drought conditions which resulted in greater
groundwater use with very little recharge in
the past year.
Due to the over-draft concerns of the
Subbasin, Subbasin agencies have organized
into twenty (20) GSAs, which involve the City
as identified in Section 3.2, to which operate
under the provisions of the 2014 SGMA.
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8 Section 8:
Contingency
Planning
8. 8.1. INTRODUCTION
In addition to prolonged droughts that can
gradually decrease water supplies, water
supplies may be interrupted in a number of
sudden, catastrophic ways. Sudden
catastrophes may include earthquakes,
power outages, pumping equipment failures,
or spikes in groundwater contaminants that
cannot be remedied expeditiously. Water
shortages can also be a result of intentional
or accidental manmade catastrophes, such
as acts of terrorism or chemical spills into
nearby canals or groundwater spreading
grounds. It is important that the City has a
plan in place to manage its water system
during short or long-term water shortages.
Long term, water shortages can be
addressed through conservation and supply
augmentation. Short term, water shortages
are best handled though a “Contingency
Plan”. A Water Shortage Contingency Plan
(WSCP) is a required component of the City’s
UWMP, which provides guidance on stages
of action to be undertaken by the City in
response to water supply shortages. A WSCP
is an independent document that is
incorporated into the City’s UWMP.
This Section serves as the City’s WSCP. The
City's response to water shortages will be a
coordinated effort between its own staff and
other local and regional water agencies.
Diesel-powered
pumps can provide
emergency water
supplies during
sudden
catastrophes.
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Figure 8.1 Lake Oroville Failure (February 2017)
During a water shortage emergency, the City
will implement this WSCP, which coincides
with Chapter 8.40 of the City’s Municipal
Code. The intent of the plan is to reduce the
effect of shortages on the City’s customers.
In compliance with the Water Code
requirements, this plan imposes a fifty
percent (50%) reduction in the total water
supply.
8.2. NEED FOR CONTINGENCY PLANS
The recent drought of 2020-2022
significantly depleted the State’s supply of
water and posed a challenge to many
agencies throughout the State. Following the
drought, the State experienced a wet winter
in 2022. Climate-driven weather extremes,
long-term water supply uncertainty, and
aging infrastructure are stressing a system
built for a different era. The modernized
California Water Plan 2028 is allowing the
state’s opportunity to respond with a clear,
actionable, and durable approach to
statewide water planning.
The modernization of the California Water
Plan 2028 is driven by Senate Bill 72 (SB 72).
This legislation sets a clear expectation:
move statewide water planning from
description to direction. The Water Plan will
be modernized to:
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• Identify and evaluate effective water
management strategies, informed by
economic considerations
• Quantify beneficial uses of water at a
watershed scale throughout California
• Expand engagement across all sectors as
DWR develops the Water Plan
• Establish clear water supply targets that
help align state, regional, and local
actions
8.2.1. Recent State Water Code
Amendments
There have been minor changes to the
Water Code affecting the 2025 UWMPs, with
only some affecting WSCPs. The changes are
described in Section 1.3. In addition, the
following measures were taken in recent
years that affect WSCPs:
Starting January 1, 2025, major water
suppliers will be required to significantly
reduce water delivery by 2040 to build
drought resilience into everyday life.
The 2025 update to Title 24 (including the
forthcoming enforcement beginning January
1, 2026 for many permit-applications)
introduces a number of changes aimed at
reducing water consumption and improving
system efficiency. Among the most
important:
• Lower maximum flow-rates for toilets,
showerheads and faucets (for example,
toilets continue to be capped around
1.28 gallons per flush in many cases).
• Requirements to reduce pipe sizing and
hot-water wait times to reflect lowervolume fixtures and shorter delivery distances.
• Enhanced documentation and
compliance measures: designers must
show that plumbing layouts meet both
water efficiency and energy criteria
under Title 24 Part 6 and CALGreen (Title
24, Part 11).
• Greater emphasis on seismic bracing of
plumbing and efficient plumbing system
design, reflecting California’s dual
challenges of drought and quake-risk.
The SWRCB has adopted the Making
Conservation a California Way of Life
Regulation. The regulation establishes
unique efficiency goals for each Urban Retail
Water Supplier in California and provides
those suppliers flexibility to implement
locally appropriate solutions. As part of the
state's all-of-the-above strategy to expand
storage, develop new water supplies, and
promote more efficient water use, this
regulation seeks to cultivate long-term
practices that help communities adapt to
California's ongoing water challenges. The
regulation’s further seeks to lessen the need
for the emergency water use reduction
targets that were utilized in recent droughts.
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8.3. LEGAL AUTHORITY
As indicated by Sections 8.1 and Section 8.2,
the City has the legal obligation to prepare
and implement a WSCP during times of
drought or sudden supply interruptions.
Response to water shortages is also codified
into City Municipal Code (Chapter 8.40,
Article 1 “Water Use”). Section 8.7.3 of this
WSCP includes a listing of shortage response
actions per CWC § 10632 (a)(3)(A), including
the means by which the City will declare a
water shortage and authorize response
actions. The remaining Sections of this WSCP
describe the City’s response actions in
greater detail.
8.4. WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY
The City’s UWMP does not anticipate a
water supply shortage due to drought
conditions through 2050. The results of the
City’s Drought Risk Assessment (DRA) are
shown in Figure 7.5 and Table 7.1.
Groundwater supplies are not expected to be
affected during droughts lasting up to five (5)
years. Furthermore, droughts will be
addressed by following the criteria of this
WSCP. Supply augmentation resulting from
this WSCP during a five-year drought are
shown in DWR’s Submittal Table 7-5 in
Appendix E.
Due to the number of groundwater wells in
the City’s water system, the City has
redundancy in the event of water quality
impairments with a particular well. Figure
8.3 shows a general procedure that the City
may take when one of the City’s wells is
detected to have water quality concerns.
The City will also be constructing additional
wells over the course of this UWMP planning
period (2050), to create greater operational
flexibility and redundancy. Therefore, the
City does not anticipate any significant
impacts to water supply reliability due to
water quality.
Other events which may create a water
shortage condition are discussed in Section
8.8 of this WSCP. These events may include,
but not be limited to:
• Regional Power Outage
• Earthquake
• Terrorism Incident
If any of the above events occur, the City will
work in conjunction with the GSAs managing
the Subbasin, as identified in Section 3.2
,which involve the Cawelo Water District,
the North Kern County Storage District, and
Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District to address
the effects of potential water shortages.
Section 8.8 and Table 8.3 of this WSCP
provide a brief overview of the City’s
response actions to these types of
emergencies. Regional response actions are
also outlined in the County of Kern MultiJurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and the City of Shafter Emergency/Disaster
Response Plan & Emergency Notification
Plan contained in the Appendix N and O,
respectively.
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Routine
Water Quality Test
Wellhead Sampling
Detection of Constituents
Above MCL
Determine Type of Constituent and
Identify Source
Temporarily
Shut Down Well
Short-Term Duration
(Days or Weeks)
Flush & Test Well
Determine if Flushing is Sufficient or
if Aquifer Zones Need to be Isolated
Determine if Well Needs
Rehab or
Well-Head Treatment
OR Determine if Depth of Well Pump
Intake Needs to be Adjusted to Avoid
Aquifer Zones of High Concentration
Yes
Keep Well Shut-Down
While Improvements
are Constructed
(Typically Months-Long)
Construct
Improvements
Or Remove Well Pump
and Adjust Depth of
Pump Intake
Re-Active Well
Once Construction
is Complete
Increase Pumping
from Other Wells in the Interim
Until Well is Restored to Service
No
Flusing in Previous Step
Was Sufficient.
Water Quality is Good.
Return Well to Service
End Result is
Fully
Operational
System
Figure 8.2 Basic Overview of
Water Quality Contamination
Response for City Wells
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8.5. ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS
Agencies typically prepare Water Supply
Assessments (WSAs) when housing
developments are proposed by developers.
WSAs provide an estimated of available
supplies for a proposed development in
order to confirm the possibility of serving
water to a particular development. Over the
next few decades, the City will experience up
to 50% growth in its water service area
population. Thus, the City will need to refine
its procedure for developing WSAs and for
assessing water demands in its service area.
Similar to a development-driven WSA, a
system-wide assessment of supplies and
demands will be required of all water
agencies in the State. According to CWC §
10632 (a)(2), the City will be required to
prepare an “Annual Assessment” of supplies
and demands, including an Annual Water
Shortage Assessment Report, by July 1st of
each year. At this time, DWR requires that
the City include a guideline for preparation
of an Annual Assessment in this WSCP.
8.5.1. Decision Making Process
The City’s Annual Assessment will be based
on metered data from active wells and from
customer meters. These figures are available
to the City on a monthly basis, or more
frequently if the City desires. The City can
also rely on quarterly or annual reports. With
AMI technology, the City can adjust to
changing conditions (such as rainfall) and
can adjust its reporting leading up to the
submittal of the Annual Assessments.
As of 2022, City staff has reviewed water
production data and water consumption
data starting in January of that year, with the
intent to prepare an Annual Water Shortage
Assessment Report to the City Council by
May each year. The Final Report can then be
submitted to DWR by July 1 of each year,
which are shown on DWR’s WUE Portal:
wuedata.water.ca.gov/wsda_plans
8.5.2. Key Data Inputs
The Annual Assessment will be based on the
forecasted demands and estimated water
supply availability, including any known
infrastructure constraints. The Annual
Assessment will also consider weather,
population growth, and other influencing
factors, such as state or local policies that
will impact water demands, or regulations
affecting water supplies.
The following data are typically available to
City staff and can be relied on when
preparing the Annual Assessments:
1. Estimated dry-year demand without
any conservation measures. Dry-year
demands will be determined by
adding an increase factor of five
percent (5%) to normal demands.
2. Estimated total water supply
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availability under dry-year scenarios.
The water supply available will be
based on what is available to the City,
regardless of pumping capacity.
Groundwater supplies can be
estimated from annual Basin Reports
prepared under the 2014 Sustainable
Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
and from local groundwater level
monitoring,
3. Estimated capacity of water
production infrastructure. Any known
or forecasted issues affecting the
City’s water production infrastructure
can be considered, such as:
o Mechanical or electrical issues
with groundwater well pumps.
o Possible power outages for
operation and maintenance
o New construction and repairs
The potential constraints on supply
capacity listed under Item 3 above are
subject to change from year to year. As
such, the City should inspect its water
system for the condition of its groundwater
wells before making a determination on
potential restrictions in groundwater
supplies. In addition, the City should
contact DWR to determine allocations
from the State Water Project (SWP).
Although the City does not use imported
water, deliveries of imported water from
the SWP and the Central Valley Project
(CVP) affect the inflows into local
groundwater spreading grounds.
8.5.3. Current Forecast
In general, the total available water supply
will be based on the City’s water supply
sources. At this time, the City only uses
groundwater. The City’s groundwater wells
have a combined capacity of approximately
10,100 gallons per minute (gpm), which
amounts to approximately 5,309 million
gallons (MG) per year. However, the
projected pumping capacity will be based
on the projected demands. Table 7.2 to
Table 7.8 provides the projected pumping
volumes along with the City’s annual
groundwater supply capacity. Although
this indicates the City’s water supplies will
be more than sufficient to meet demands,
the City will also be adding additional
groundwater wells to maximize its water
resources. The additional wells will provide
greater redundancy (i.e. greater resiliency
to shortages), and will serve projected
developments in the City, once the
developments are identified.
8.6. REGIONAL CONTINGENCY RESPONSE
The City relies entirely on local groundwater
produced from its own wells to meet its
demand. However, management of water
supplies form the groundwater basin is a
joint effort amongst the GSAs identified in
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Section 3.2. Within or immediately adjacent
to the City’s service area are four (4)
agencies, including:
• Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District
• North Kern Water Storage District
• Oildale Mutual Water Company
• Cawelo Water District
The City is most impacted by the actions of
the North Kern Water Storage District and
the Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District. For
instance, surface water from local canals and
drains is diverted into two (2) local
groundwater recharge basins (spreading
grounds) managed by the North Kern Water
Storage District. The Shafter-Wasco
Irrigation District manages water supplies
within a portion of the City’s water service
area, primarily for agricultural irrigation
customers. Since the City produces water
from the same sources as these agencies,
the City’s shortage response efforts can be
coordinated with their help.
Figure 8.3: Sample Annual Assessment Decision-Making Process Timeline.
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8.7. CITY CONTINGENCY PLAN
Since the drought period of the early 1990s,
the City initially implemented a water
conservation program to reduce water use
during shortages on an as-needed basis,
under Water Code section 375 et seq. and
related provisions. City Ordinance No. 432
was adopted by the City Council in 1991,
prohibiting the waste of water. The
ordinance was codified into City Municipal
Code (Chapter 8.40, Article 1 “Water Use”),
in accordance with the City’s online
Municipal Code. Chapter 8.40, Article 1 of
the City’s code describes actions that are
considered a waste of water. The code
enforces the prohibition of water waste
under penalty of law, which can be up to
$1,000 or 30 days in County Jail in
accordance with Chapter 1.12 of City code.
Most recently, in response to the 2015
Executive Orders issued by former Governor
Brown on actions necessary to address the
severe drought conditions within the State
of California, the Council adopted Ordinance
No. 678. The ordinance utilizes most of what
the Council adopted through previous
urgency ordinances (prior to Ordinance No.
678) but also incorporated public feedback
and suggestions to develop effective and
practical policies and solutions.
The City will be looking to update Chapter
8.40 of the City’s code, based on the
provisions of this WSCP. This pertains to the
updates to CA Water Code, Section
§10632(a)(3), which was amended by Senate
Bill 606 in 2019.
8.7.1. Objectives of Contingency Plan
This WSCP is updated as described in this
Section (see Section 8.11) to conform to the
requirements of the Water Code (Section
8.2.1), and to provide the City with the
authority and guidance to implement a
phased water shortage response. In the
event of a water shortage, the City Council
will implement the appropriate water
conservation phase by resolution (see
Section 8.7.3).
In general, the objectives of the City’s WSCP
described in this Section are to:
1. Prioritize essential uses of water
2. Maximize local municipal water supplies
3. Eliminate water waste city-wide
4. Minimize adverse financial effects
Regarding Objective No. 1, priorities for use
of available potable water during shortages
are based partly on California Water Code,
Sections 350-358. Water allocations are
established for all customers according to
the following ranking system:
1. First Priority: Minimum health and safety
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allocations for interior residential needs
2. Second Priority: Commercial, industrial,
institutional/governmental operations
3. Third Priority: Existing landscaping
4. Fourth Priority: New customers,
proposed projects, etc.
Regarding the 1st Priority specified above, as
noted in Section 6: of the City’s UWMP, the
residential sector accounts for ninety
percent (90%) of the City’s water service
connections. Thus, the City’s population
estimates can be used to assess water needs
during a shortage.
8.7.2. Health & Safety (1st Priority)
In 2018, the State adopted Assembly Bill
1668, which amends Section 10608.20 of the
Water Code to stipulate an indoor water use
standard of 55 gallons per capita per day.
However, this standard is subject to
adjustment. Thus, the City is obligated to
determine the minimum health and safety
water needs for its residents. To assess the
minimum amount of water that should be
available (1st Priority Level), the amount of
personal hygiene household water use must
be quantified. Based on common indoor
residential water use, health and safety
water use is estimated to be as follows:
Table 8.1 Water Fixtures: Health & Safety
Personal Use (gal/day)
Item Regular Voluntary
Conservation
Toilet 14 10.5
Shower 15 12
Washer 12 11
Kitchen 4 3
Other 4 4
Total 49 gal 40.5 gal
Since the City’s service area has a current
population of approximately 20,000
residents, at a rate of 40 GPCD, the City will
need up to 0.8 MG (2.5 AF) per day to
provide for the health and safety of residents
(voluntary conservation). Since the City’s
Core area has a total (combined) storage
capacity of approximately 3.0 MG through
Tanks 1 and Tank 2, the City can provide for
up to four (4) days of water supply to its
residents in the event a supply interruption.
This figure would apply to the City’s water
service area population, as the Oildale
Mutual Water Company (OMWC) serves the
southeast portion of the City’s boundaries.
Nevertheless, the ability to meet the most
basic water needs of its residents during a
severe shortage may be difficult unless the
City’s citizens are aware of the water supply
shortage. Thus, public outreach must be a
top priority for the City during a water
shortage.
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8.7.3. Stages of Action
The City’s Annual Assessments prepared
under Section 8.5 can be used to predict
shortages. The City’s WSCP imposes six (6)
stages of response actions based on the
severity of the City’s water supply shortage.
The stages are based on DWR’s established
criteria as shown in Table 8.2:
Table 8.2 Water Shortage Stages &
Reduction Targets
Shortage
Stage
Restriction
Type
Water
Supply
Reduction
Target
1 Mandatory 10%
2 Mandatory 20%
3 Mandatory 30%
4 Mandatory 40%
5 Mandatory 50%
6 Mandatory >50%
To lessen confusion on City customers, the
first three stages (Stages 1 to 3) regulate
customer responses to shortages, while the
latter three stages (Stages 4 to 6) regulate
City water staff response efforts.
The Shafter City Council will formally declare
the stage of the water shortage, pursuant to
Chapter 3 of Division 1 of the Water Code,
following a public hearing, upon
determination from City water staff that a
water shortage exists and the WSCP should
be implemented. Following Council
declaration of a shortage stage, the WSCP
will become effective no sooner than the
first billing period on or after the date of
publication of the Council Resolution.
Figure 8.4 City Council Can Declare
Shortage Stages
The WSCP will remain in effect until the City
Council declares the water shortage
emergency has ended. Alternatively, the City
Council may also change the stage of the
water shortage as appropriate; however, the
City Council will not impose mandatory
measures without first conducting a dulynoticed public hearing pursuant to CWC § 350 or § 375.
8.7.4. Communication Protocols
A common understanding on the water
supply situation is essential for the WSCP to
be effective. During a water shortage, the
City will be able to allocate staffing and
resources to inform its customers of the
Council-declared water shortage. In
particular, the City will inform its water
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service customers of the following:
• Water Shortage Stage
• Water Use Prohibitions
• City Water Staff Response Actions
The communication protocol will be in place
prior to formal declaration of a water supply
shortage. The frequency and extent of
coordination will be based on the severity of
the shortage to ensure effectiveness of a
declared water shortage. The City will use
the following resources to communicate
with its customers:
• City Website
• Social Media (i.e. Twitter/Facebook)
• Bill Inserts/Postcard Notices
• Billboard or Digital Message Boards
• Advertisements (Radio & Print)
The goal of the communication efforts will
be to raise awareness of the drought and to
motivate the City’s water service customers
to conserve water. The City should also
prepare customers for possible increases in
water shortage severity. Finally, as mentioned
under Priority 1 in Section 8.7.1, the key goal
of communication is to promote available
water resources for vulnerable populations,
provide specialized outreach for impacted
industries, including instructions on how to
receive emergency bottled water, and how
to participate in public hearing meetings
with City staff.
8.7.5. Limitations/Prohibitions
This WSCP hereby establishes prohibitions
on water use, commencing with a Stage I
Shortage, which may include, but not be
limited to, the following:
1. Allowing leaks from customer plumbing.
2. Washing of automobiles without a
bucket or hand-held hose equipped with
a positive shutoff nozzle.
3. Allowing irrigation runoff.
4. Operating a decorative water fountain
without re-circulated water.
5. Operating recreational water features
including City fountains but excluding
Pools or Spas.
6. Irrigation on rainy days or within 48
hours of a rain event.
7. Landscape irrigation for more than 20
minutes (except drip irrigation).
8. Restaurants serving water to their
customers, except when specifically
requested by their customers.
9. Operating a commercial car wash
without re-circulated water.
10. Hotels, motels and other commercial
lodging establishments shall not launder
towels and linens daily, except when
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specifically requested by their customer.
Additional prohibitions may also be enforced,
depending on the declared stage shown in
Table 8.3. Moreover, the prohibitions listed
above may also be adjusted depending on
the severity of the declared stage. For
instance, irrigation may
be entirely prohibited
under Stage 5 or 6, until
the declaration of the
shortage is rescinded by
City Council. It is the
City’s intent to maintain
only three (3) levels of
water-use prohibitions
for customers. The
additional Stages of
shortage listed in Table
8.3 will be used for communication purposes
with customers. The City’s Water Division
will use Stages 4, 5, and 6 to implement
response actions by Water Division staff. For
example, the City may implement more
frequent meter readings or water waste
patrols in Stage 4, although the prohibitions
on customer use remain unchanged. The
City response actions to water shortages are
listed in Table 8.7.
8.7.6. Penalties for Non-Compliance
Per City Code Chapter 8.40.020B, violations
of the water-use prohibitions shall be subject
to an administrative penalty in accordance
with the provisions of Chapter 1 .12of the City
of Municipal Code. In accordance with
Chapter 1.12 of the City Municipal Code, the
penalties shall be as follows:
1. First Violation: $50
2. Second Violation: $200
3. Subsequent Violations: $500
The penalties listed above may be waived if
a customer completes an “Advance Deposit
Hardship Waiver” and provides a sworn
affidavit and supporting documentation for
proof of hardship.
8.8. DISASTER MANAGEMENT
During a disaster that cuts off water supplies
entirely, the City has the following resources
available to distribute water for health and
safety uses only:
• City Water Division Staff
• City Police Department
• Kern County Fire Dept. Station 32
• Kern County Health Department
The Kern County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard
Mitigation Plan (HMP) in Appendix N,
adopted in 2020, identifies the County’s risk
associated with eight (8) types of natural
disasters, including seismic. Other planning
tools, such as the Kern County Fire
Department Emergency Operations Plan
(EOP), and the City’s water system
Emergency Response Plan (ERP), can be used
This WSCP
intends to
maintain only
three (3) levels of
prohibitions for
customers,
followed by three
(3) levels of
communication
and City response
actions.
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in conjunction with the resources listed
above to provide for the most effective and
economical allocation of resources for the
maximum benefit and protection of life,
property, and the environment during an
emergency. The Kern County Fire
Department EOP complies with the
California Standardized Emergency
Management System (SEMS) and the
National Incident Management System
(NIMS). These three (3) plans provide the
City with a means to mitigate potential crisis,
address the crisis, and to maintain
communication during the crisis. During a
disaster, the City’s water staff shall maintain
water operations as follows:
• All on-duty personnel will remain on
duty until relieved of duty
• Off-duty personnel will be expected
to return to work or be “on-call”
• While in a disaster mode,
operational shifts will be twelve (12)
hours for the duration of the event
In the event that any portions of the City’s
water system are without water, the City’s
water department staff will carry out the
following operations:
• Assess impact of incident.
• Identify need for and prioritize
locations for water distribution.
• Ensure water quality assurance or
prepare notices on water quality.
• Evaluate, plan, and implement
actions to acquire and distribute
water from alternative sources.
• Provide informational status to
nearby water agencies, including:
o Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District
o North Kern Water Storage District
o Oildale Mutual Water Company
o Cawelo Water District
• Provide information to media as
appropriate.
A general summary of City response actions
to catastrophes/disasters is provided in
Table 8.7. Perhaps the most critical task in
the City’s response to a catastrophe is the
distribution of water to customers. As noted
in the caption to the cover of this Section,
portable pumps and water trucks can be
used to distribute water to customers.
8.8.1. Assistance During Disasters
The Kern County Fire Department has
established an Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) to assist field response units
within the Kern County Fire Department
Operational Area (OA) during an emergency.
The EOC will be located within close
proximity to the disaster location. The City
can access the EOC during a disaster to
receive additional assistance.
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Besides the Kern County Fire EOC, additional
emergency services in the State of California
include the Master Mutual Aid Agreement
and the California Water Agency Response
Network (CalWARN). The Master Mutual Aid
Agreement includes all public agencies that
have signed the agreement and is planned
out of the California Office of Emergency
Services. CalWARN includes all public
agencies that have signed the agreement to
WARN and provides mutual aid assistance. It
is managed by a State Steering Committee
and Regional Chairs.
8.8.2. Seismic Risk
According to the maps provided on the
California Office of Emergency Services’
online planning tool (My Plan) and the
California Geological Survey’s online
earthquake hazards zone application (EQ
Zapp), four (3) known faults exist within. The
faults include the Pond-Posso Creek Fault,
the Kern Front Fault, the Premier Fault, and
the Kern George Fault. The known fault lines
are shown in Figure 8.5. As noted in the
figure, the faults are located approximately
ten (10) miles east of the City.
An earthquake has the potential to damage
to drinking water and wastewater
utilities. Impacts to the City’s water system
may include, but not be limited to:
• Structural damage to facility
infrastructure and equipment
• Water tank damage or collapse
• Damage to water distribution system
Damage to distribution lines due to shifting
ground and soil liquefaction, resulting in
potential water loss, water service
interruptions, low pressure, contamination
Figure 8.5 Fault Zones Near the City
City of Shafter
Active Faults
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and sinkholes and/or large pools of water
throughout the service area.
Unlike a power outage or a man-made
catastrophe, earthquakes can potentially
restrict water supplies for a longer period of
time. In the event that an earthquake
damages significant portions of the City’s
pumping or distribution system, the City can
obtain temporary supplies of water as noted
in Section 8.8.3.
Even if an earthquake does not result in
damage to water production or distribution
facilities, an earthquake could result in a
power outage or damage to the water
system facilities. The City’s water operations
staff will be on standby alert during an
emergency to respond promptly to water
supply interruptions. The City’s water
operations staff will work with Pacific Gas
and Electric (PG&E) to restore power to
water supply facilities. In the interim, the
City’s well sites have been set up with the
capability to receive backup power. Table
8.4 provides a list of the City’s well sites and
the type of backup power that will be used
at the well sites.
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Table 8.3 City Catastrophe Response Actions
Type of
Catastrophe City Response
Regional
Power Outage
Use back up natural gas and diesel motors at select well and tank sites. Use portable generators available from local vendors to operate the most critical water infrastructure. Additionally, the City will notify residents to minimize water usage during the time of the outage. This will be by local radio and door to door notification.
Earthquake
All City wells, pipelines, and tanks are equally vulnerable to earthquakes.
Wells that remain serviceable will be utilized. Portable power supplies will be used if necessary. Wells adjacent to the City will be employed, if necessary, and water piped to the City's distribution system for uses other than potable supply. If necessary, bottled water will be trucked into the City for drinking purposes. Large-tank water trucks are also available from Culligan Water® of Bakersfield, located approximately 20 miles away from the City
Terrorism
Incident
In the event that a water source or an area of the water distribution system has been compromised due to terrorism, water personnel will isolate the risk from the water customers and make use of alternate production facilities as available.
Table 8.4 Wells with Emergency Backup Systems (for Earthquakes or Power Outages) Well
Capacity
Backup
GPM MGD
7 (Inactive) 1,000 1.44 Electricity w/ Right Angle Drive 8 (Abandoned) 1,500 2.16 Portable Generator
11 800 1.15 Diesel Standby
with Right Angle Drive
12 (Stand By) 2,000 2.88 Portable Generator
14 1,800 2.59 Natural Gas
16 1,500 2.16 Portable Generator
17 2,000 2.88
Portable Generators
Diesel Standby w/ Right Angle
Drive
18 1,000 1.44 Diesel Standby Generator
20 1,500 2.16 Portable Generator
21 1,500 2.16 Diesel Standby Generator
Total
10,100
(13,100 w/ Inactive
and Standby)
14.54 (18.86 w/ Inactive
and Standby)
-
Note: If inactive wells are used during an emergency, “Boil Water” notices should be issued for customers.