Item Number: 13
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: February 17, 2026
Submitted By:
Doug Mathews, Director of Public Works and Water
Subject:
Award of a Consultant/Professional Services Provider Agreement for the Conservation as a California Way of Life Technical Assistance Plan
Recommendation:
That the Honorable Board of Directors award a Consultant/Professional Agreement to Maddaus Water Management in the amount of $137,123 for City of Victorville 2025 Conservation as a California Way of Life Technical Assistance Plan, Project No. CC26- 058.
Fiscal Impact:
The recommended action will result in a fiscal impact of $137,123. Funds for this expenditure have been appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget and no additional appropriations are needed.
Account Available Balance
4100525-52300-74653 $140,000
Strategic Plan Goal:
This item supports Strategic Goal E: Create a healthy and livable community by maintaining the Victorville Water District (District’s) assets through investment in infrastructure and innovation. The proposed professional services agreement for the Conservation as a California Way of Life Technical Assistance Plan (Plan) builds upon the District’s investment in water infrastructure, including Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), by applying innovative, data-driven approaches to water conservation, system efficiency, and regulatory compliance. 4 5
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By integrating infrastructure capabilities with long-term conservation planning, this effort helps protect the District’s water assets, promotes sustainable resource use, and enhances service delivery to residents and businesses.
Background:
In 2018, the State of California adopted Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668, known collectively as Making Conservation a California Way of Life. These laws created a new statewide approach to water conservation that requires urban water suppliers to plan for and achieve long-term, efficient water use while accounting for local conditions.
Under this framework, each water supplier must calculate an Urban Water Use Objective (UWUO), a target that represents the amount of water the community would use if water were being used efficiently. This objective is based on factors such as residential indoor and outdoor water use, irrigation, system water losses, and approved adjustments unique to the service area.
In addition to the UWUO, the framework establishes Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) Performance Measures. These measures focus on improving water efficiency in non-residential accounts through best management practices, improved meter configurations, and information sharing for large water-using facilities.
On July 3, 2024, the State Water Resources Control Board formally adopted the Making Conservation a California Way of Life Regulation (Regulation), which puts these requirements into effect. The Regulation requires annual reporting by water suppliers and sets a deadline of January 1, 2027, for agencies to meet their assigned water-use objectives. State enforcement will begin at that time.
The District is currently in compliance with all reporting requirements and has successfully submitted its required annual reports. However, continued planning and implementation are necessary to ensure the District meets future conservation targets and remains compliant as enforcement approaches. A simple regulatory summary is listed below.
Regulatory Timeline
2018 – SB 606 and AB 1668 signed into law
August 2023 – Draft conservation regulations released
January 1, 2024 – Annual reporting requirements began
July 3, 2024 – Final Regulation adopted by the State Water Board January 1, 2025 – Regulation became effective
January 1, 2027 – Water suppliers must meet conservation objectives; enforcement begins
Discussion:
The State’s Making Conservation a California Way of Life Regulation transitions water conservation from voluntary efforts to enforceable, long-term efficiency standards for urban water suppliers. Although the District is currently compliant with all reporting requirements, upcoming deadlines require the District to actively plan for and implement 4 5
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conservation measures in order to meet its assigned water-use objectives by January 1, 2027.
To support ongoing compliance with reporting requirements and to meet the Urban Water Use Objective (UWUO) and Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) Performance Measures, the District sought a qualified professional partner. A Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Technical Assistance Plan was issued through the OpenGov Procurement Software on September 25, 2025, with proposals due by October 30, 2025. Two proposals were received and evaluated by a three-member review panel. The resulting scores are shown below:
Vendor Rater 1 Rater 2 Rater 3 Average
Environmental Incentives, Inc. 96 95 91 94
Maddaus Water Management 100 99 96 98.33
Maddaus Water Management’s proposal demonstrated extensive experience with State water-use efficiency mandates, a highly qualified team of water utility industry experts, and a proven track record of developing and implementing similar water-use efficiency plans for other public water agencies. Maddaus Water Management will provide all labor, materials, and professional services necessary to develop a Plan that will support the District in planning for and achieving regulatory compliance. The firm will also leverage District data, including information from the AMI system, to support data-driven decision- making.
Failure to comply with the State’s conservation requirements may result in enforcement actions beginning in 2027, including potential financial penalties, mandated corrective measures, increased operational costs associated with reactive compliance efforts, and reduced local control over water management decisions. Proactively developing and implementing the Plan will allow the District to minimize these risks, protect its water resources, and continue to provide reliable and efficient water service to the community.
The Plan will establish a structured, locally tailored framework to translate State regulations into effective conservation programs, set measurable benchmarks, and ensure continued compliance as enforcement approaches.
Once the draft Plan is ready for Board approval, the Plan will be brough back for review and adoption.
Staff recommends that the Board of Directors award a Consultant/Professional Agreement to Maddaus Water Management in the amount of $137,123 for City of Victorville 2025 Conservation as a California Way of Life Technical Assistance Plan, Project No. CC26-058.
Staff is available for any questions the Board may have.
Prepared By:
Mel Krejckant, Public Works & Water Administrative Manager 4 5
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Sam Arvizu, Water Manager
Norma Armenta, Water Efficiency Supervisor
Attachments: A. Consultant/Professional Agreement
B. Making Conservation a California Way of Life Legislative Overview