“A multicounty agency authorized
to plan for and acquire supplemental
water supplies, encourage water
conservation and use of recycled
water on a regional basis.”
[BAWSCA Act, AB2058 (Papan-2002)]
BAWSCA Service Area
BAWSCA Update
for the Sunnyvale
City Council
Nicole Sandkulla
CEO/General Manager
BAWSCA
November 1, 2022
What is BAWSCA?
(Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency)
Special District formed in 2003 to
represent the interests of:
• 26 water suppliers in San Mateo,
Santa Clara, and Alameda
Counties
• 1.8 million residents and over
40,000 businesses, and countless
community organizations
• All rely on the San Francisco
(Hetch Hetchy) Regional Water
System
2 BAWSCA’s Goal: A reliable supply of high-quality
water at a fair price
Alameda County
• Alameda County Water District, Hayward
Santa Clara County
• Milpitas, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Purissima
Hills WD, San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale,
Stanford University
San Mateo County
• Brisbane, Burlingame, Cal Water Service
Company, Coastside CWD, Daly City, East Palo
Alto, Estero (Foster City), Guadalupe Valley
MID, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Mid-Peninsula
WD, Millbrae, North Coast CWD, Redwood
City, San Bruno, Westborough CWD
BAWSCA’s 26 Member Agencies are Served by the
Regional Water System
3 BAWSCA Board of Directors is comprised of an elected
or appointed representative from each member agency
San Francisco Regional
Water System
•Stanford
•San Mateo
•San Jose
•Daly City
San Antonio Reservoir
Calaveras
Reservoir
San Andreas
Reservoir
•Hayward
Hetch Hetchy
Reservoir
Crystal Springs
Reservoir
0.00 0.20
0.40 0.60
0.80 1.00
1.20 1.40
1.60 1.80
2.00 0
50 100
150
200
250
300
Population (millions)
Million Gallons Per Day (mgd)
Water Demand Drought Year Service Area Population
24% Less Water Used T oday in BAWSCA Region Compared
to FY 1986/87 Despite a 32% Population Increase
Source: BAWSCA FY 2020/21 Annual Survey
Residential Per Capita Water Use Has Decreased by 37%
in BAWSCA Region Since FY 1986/87
Peak: 186.5 gpcd
FY 2020-21
107.3 gpcd
Peak: 114.9 gpcd
FY 2020-21
65.8 gpcd
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
140
160
180
200
Regional Per Capita Consumption
Gross Per Capita (gpcd) Residential Per Capita (gpcd)
Sunnyvale FY 20220-21
Gross: 116.9 gpcpd
Residential: 68.2 gpcpd
FY 2015-16
56 gpcd
Dashed line indicates drought year
Source: BAWSCA FY 2020/21 Annual Survey
Recent State Regulations Significantly Impact Regional
Water System Drought Year Supply Reliability
• State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) adopted Bay-Delta Plan Phase 1 Update in Dec. 2018
• If implemented, requires significantly more water remain in T uolumne River
• Could require rationing up to 50% starting 2nd year of drought Much greater than 15% conservation target in current drought Less potential impact for Sunnyvale given its multiple sources • SFPUC has expressed serious doubts about the T uolumne River ecosystem benefits of the Bay Delta Plan
Does not reflect existing actual river conditions or the specific issues for the river that need to be addressed to provide desired ecosystem benefits
7 BAWSCA Actively Addressing Bay-Delta Plan and
Its Impacts
• Regular reports to BAWSCA Board and member agencies
• Public comment to State Board and others
• Formal comments during environmental reviews
• Intervened in Bay Delta litigation (state)
• Intervened in Don Pedro FERC proceeding (federal)
BAWSCA
Actions
• Reminding SF of its contractual & legal obligations to BAWSCA agencies
• Successfully urged SFPUC to initiate a new Alternative Water Supply Planning Program
• Supported $288M allocation in SFPUC’s 10-year CIP for Alternative Water Supply Planning Program and regular reporting
BAWSCA
Advocacy
with SFPUC
• Engagement with State and local elected officials
• Engagement with State officials and staff
• Engagement with water customers (residents, businesses, others) BAWSCA
Advocacy
with Others
8 Voluntary Agreement: An Alternative to Bay-Delta Plan • Bay-Delta Plan includes framework for voluntary agreements that meet or exceed proposed objective to protect fish and wildlife as an alternative
• Governor Newsom providing critical leadership in negotiations to date
• State continuing efforts on a Memorandum of Understanding to develop alternative agreement to protect beneficial uses in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (MOU)
First signed in March by State (Natural Resources, EPA, DWR, CDFW) and other large water agencies with interest in Delta
In mid-August, East Bay Municipal Utility District joined MOU Ongoing dialogue between SFPUC, Modesto and T urlock Irrigation Districts, and State about including T uolumne River in MOU • MOU outlines broad areas of agreement and anticipates the need for further negotiations among all signatories to develop detailed implementation agreements
9 Customers Urged to Continue Water Use
Reductions Given Ongoing Drought Conditions
• BAWSCA and its member agencies are
committed to responding to calls for
water use reductions
Governor Newsom: 15% compared to 2020
Valley Water: 15% compared to 2019
Regional Water System: 11% compared to
FY 19/20
• BAWSCA working with its member
agencies and SFPUC to identify further
specific actions to reduce water use in
anticipation of continued drought
• Customer actions to reduce water
today are making a difference – now and
for next year!
• Water customers are responding to the
call for increased water conservation
10 BAWSCA Working for a Reliable Water Supply for
Its Member Agencies Including Sunnyvale
• BAWSCA working for its
member agencies including
Sunnyvale
• BAWSCA Goal: A reliable supply
of high-quality water at a fair
price
• Region investments in water use
efficiency reducing water use
today
• Voluntary Agreement for
T uolumne River offers a potential
to address needs of T uolumne
River fish and water users
• More water conservation urged
as drought conditions continue
11