Watsonville City Council
June 23, 2026

  


  



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&"#,6 Attachment 1

City of Watsonville
AB 2561 Compliance
(Addressing Vacancy Rates and Workforce Initiatives)
June 23, 2026

Overview of AB 2561
Effective January 1, 2025
AB 2561 requires public agencies to annually present vacancy rates, recruitment and retention before budget adoption.

Recognized employee organizations must be notified and given opportunity to participate if they choose
If the vacancy rate within a bargaining unit meets or exceeds 20%, additional obligation may apply.

2025 Year End Vacancy Rate
By Bargaining Group
Bargaining Unit Number of Budgeted Position in FY 25-
26 Number of Vacancies in Calendar Year
2025 Vacancy Rate
City Clerk 1 0 0%
City Council 7 0 0%
City Manager 1 0 0%
Confidential 11 0 0%
Executive 10 3 30%
IAFF L-1272 33 4 12.1%
Fire Management 4 0 0%
Management 57 3 5.3%
LiUNA Mid-Management 78.75 6 7.6%
Operating Engineers Local
3 (OE3) 116 7 6%
Police Management 5 0 0%
Police Mid-Management 11 0 0%
Police Officers Association
(POA) 54 8 14.8%
SEIU 521 37.75 2 5.3%
Total 426.5 33 7.7%

Current Vacancy Rate
By Bargaining Group
Bargaining Unit Number of Budgeted Position in FY
25-26
Number of Vacancies in Calendar
Year 2025 Vacancy Rate
Number of Vacancies as of
May 31, 2026
Vacancy Rate
City Clerk 1 0 0% 0 0%
City Council 7 0 0% 0 0%
City Manager 1 0 0% 0 0%
Confidential 11 0 0% 0 0%
Executive 10 3 30% 0 0%
IAFF L-1272 33 4 12.1% 1 3%
Fire Management 4 0 0% 1 25%
Management 57 3 5.3% 6 10.5%
LiUNA Mid-Management 78.75 6 7.6% 5 6.3%
Operating Engineers
Local 3 (OE3) 116 7 6% 4 3.4%
Police Management 5 0 0% 0 0%
Police Mid-Management 11 0 0% 0 0%
Police Officers
Association (POA) 54 8 14.8% 10 18.5%
SEIU 521 37.75 2 5.3% 2 5.3%
Total 426.5 33 7.7% 29 6.8%

Recruitment and Retention Efforts
Targeted
Recruitment
Strategies
Hiring
Incentives
Career
Development
Opportunities
Alternative
Work
Schedules
Ability to
Telecommute

Conclusion and Next Steps
The City of Watsonville remains
committed to addressing vacancy
challenges transparently and
proactively.

Recruitment and retention
strategies are aligned with the
City’s Strategic Goal to attract and
retain a talented workforce.

Vacancy data and workforce
planning efforts will continue to be
monitored, reported, and refined
annually in compliance with
AB 2561.

We look forward to ongoing
collaboration with City leadership,
departments, and employee
organizations to build a strong and
sustainable workforce.

Recommendation
It is recommended that the City
Council accept the vacancy report
Questions?

1 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: Tuesday, June 23, 2026
TO: CITY COUNCIL
WRITTEN BY: ACCOUNTANT I ORTIZ
RECOMMENDED BY: ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR DURAN
APPROVED BY: TAMARA VIDES, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: DELIQUENT SIDEWALK REPAIR ASSESSMENT
RECOMMENDATION:

That the City Council conduct a public hearing to levy the cost of sidewalk repairs onto the owner’s property tax bill for 69 Jeanette Way, Watsonville, CA 95076.

DISCUSSION:

The property at 69 Jeanette Way had its sidewalks repaired by the City in 2020. The repairs were done in consequence of a city-issued notice to repair placed at the property on October 1, 2020. The city hired a contractor to perform the sidewalk repairs. The owners and the city at that time made monthly payment arrangements. However, the city has not received payment from the property owner over the last five fiscal years. As a result, the Finance Department recommends placing the outstanding bill on the property tax bill.

A notice has been mailed to the property owner as required. After receiving public comments on June 23, 2026, the fees are placed on the homeowner's property tax roll. After the public hearing, the property owner will have until June 26, 2026, to pay the delinquent bill of $1,658.25 at the Finance Department, pursuant to Section 7-2.18. After that date, a 1% handling charge is attached, and the bill is sent to the Santa Cruz County Property Tax Collector.

ALTERNATIVE ACTION:

The alternative to this approach would be to leave the tax bill as is, requiring the current owner to pay the sidewalk assessment and collect on the lien when the property is sold.

2 ATTACHMENTS AND/OR REFERENCES (IF ANY):

1. Notice mailed to property owner

CITY OF WATSONVILLE

FINANCE DEPARTMENT
250 MAIN STREET, WATSONVILLE, CA 95076
PHONE (831)768-3486
June 09, 2026
69 JEANETTE WAY
WATSONVILLE, CA 95076
SUBJECT: Delinquent Sidewalk Assessment Hearing
This notice is provided pursuant to Section 7-2.15 of the Watsonville Municipal Code.

The Watsonville City Council will conduct a public hearing regarding delinquent sidewalk assessment charges associated with your property on June 23, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter, in the City Council Chambers, 275 Main Street, 4th Floor (6th Level Parking), Watsonville, California.

You may appear at the hearing to contest the assessment charges. Alternatively, you may contact the Finance Department at (831) 768-3486 prior to the hearing to discuss your account.

If payment is not received by June 26, 2026, the outstanding balance will be forwarded to the County Tax Collector and placed on your property tax bill. A 1% County administrative fee will be added to the amount due.

As of May 31, 2026, the following delinquent sidewalk repair assessment remains outstanding:

Address APN Cost
69 Jeanette Way, Watsonville, CA 95076 015-124-10 $1,658.25 Payment may be made directly to the City of Watsonville by mail using this notice or in person at the Finance Department, 250 Main Street, Watsonville, CA 95076. Payments must be received no later than June 22, 2026, to avoid inclusion in the assessment roll submitted to the County Tax Collector.

Sincerely,
Irwin Ortiz, City Clerk
City Clerk
Attachment 1

Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 062326 SWZ ______ TV ______ Finance ______ 1 RESOLUTION NO. __________ (CM)

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE

CONFIRMING REPORT AND ASSESSMENT FOR REPAIR OF SIDEWALK AT 69 JEANETTE WAY, WATSONVILLE, CA 95076
[APN: 015-124-10]
WHEREAS, attached hereto and submitted to this Council is the Report on Repair of Sidewalk, Driveway, Curb by Assistant Engineer, dated October 1, 2020, specifying the repair or improvement, the cost of the repair or improvements, a description of the real property in front of which the repairs have been made, and the assessment against the lot proposed to be levied to pay the cost thereof, all as required by Section 7-2.13 of the Watsonville Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, the City has performed such work at 69 Jeanette Way, Watsonville, (APN: 015-124-10); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Watsonville Municipal Code Section 7-2.15, a report of such repair was deposited in the US Mail, postage prepaid, by the City Clerk addressed to the person or person's whose name appears on the records of the Santa Cruz County Assessor as the owner of parcel 015-124-10 on June 09, 2026, a date ten (10) days or more before the date of this hearing; and
WHEREAS, the letter has not been returned or otherwise indicated to be undeliverable; and
WHEREAS, the Report of Repair sets forth the expense proposed to be assessed against each separate lot or parcel of land upon which such repairs were made; and WHEREAS, at a public hearing noticed pursuant to Section 7-2.15 of the Watsonville Municipal Code and set for June 23, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. the Council

Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 062326 2
considered the Report, conducted a public hearing, heard objections thereto, if any, and considered modifications thereof.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:

1. That, pursuant to Watsonville Municipal Code Section 7-2.17, the City Council does hereby confirm the Report of Repair as submitted and attached hereto as Exhibit "A," the amounts set forth in the Report, plus a one percent (1%) fee is added to such amounts to cover the County of Santa Cruz administrative fee, constitute special assessments against such respective lots or parcels of land, and shall constitute a lien upon such property for the amount of such assessment, until paid.

2. The City Clerk is hereby directed to cause a certified copy of the Report, as confirmed, to be filed with the County Auditor, County Assessor, County Tax Collector, and the City Administrative Services Director, in order that each such assessment may be entered on the Tax Roll opposite the parcel of land, to be collected as provided in Section 7-2.18 of the Watsonville Municipal Code.
********************************

Exhibit A

Exhibit A

Sidewalk
69 Jeanette Way

18 Aug. 2020
The Sidewalk Repair
Repayment
Agreement was
established on
August 18, 2020.

Sep. 2020
The client agreed to
a 24-month contract
starting in
September 2020,
until the balance is
paid in full.
1 Oct. 2020
The city finished the
sidewalk project on
October 1, 2020.

Sidewalk Contract Process
Although the finance department
continues to send monthly and quarterly
statements, the property owner has not
made any efforts to arrange payment.

The second delinquent noticed January
2023.

In May 2022, the finance department
issued the first delinquent notice to the
property owner
The finance department sent the client
a monthly invoice and a quarterly
statement detailing past-due amounts.

Sidewalk Delinquent

 Approve staff’s recommendation to add
outstanding balance for the sidewalk
repair to the County property tax bill for
collection.

Action
Recommendation
ACTION

RECOMMENDATION

Questions?

1 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: Tuesday, June 23, 2026
TO: CITY COUNCIL
WRITTEN BY: WATER DIVISION MANAGER KAYSER
RECOMMENDED BY: PUBLIC WORKS & UTILITIES DIRECTOR GREEN APPROVED BY: TAMARA VIDES, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER APPROVING AND ADOPTING RESOLUTIONS FOR THE 2025 CITY OF WATSONVILLE URBAN WATER

MANAGEMENT PLAN AND THE WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN RECOMMENDATION:

1. Conduct a public hearing on the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and the Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP).

2. Adopt a resolution adopting the 2025 UWMP and WSCP.

BACKGROUND:

In 1983, the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 797, which is known as the Urban Water Management Planning Act. This act mandates that all urban water suppliers serving more than 3,000 customers or providing more than 3,000 acre-feet of water annually develop an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP). To comply with State water planning law, the UWMP must be reviewed every five years and must be adopted after public review and hearing. It is then filed with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).

DISCUSSION:

The City of Watsonville’s 2025 UWMP revises the 2020 UWMP. This 2025 UWMP provides information on the present and future water demands and supplies and it also provides an assessment of the City’s water resources needs. The 2025 UWMP will serve as a guide for maintaining and sustaining the efficient use of urban water supplies, describing and evaluating existing and potentially available water supply sources, promoting conservation programs and policies, and planning strategies for responding to water shortages and drought conditions. DWR summarizes the status of all plans submitted statewide. DWR can use these

2 plans as a resource to set targets, such as tracking progress toward reducing daily per capita urban water use throughout the state.

Adoption of an UWMP is required by the State of California to qualify for grant funding and to receive drought assistance from the State. With the potential for new grant funding opportunities becoming available through a potential infrastructure bill, completing the UWMP is more crucial than ever.

One of the main purposes of the UWMP is to demonstrate that water systems are adequately prepared to supply water under a variety of conditions. The City has made several preparations to ensure water availability during emergencies.

Historically, the most common emergencies have been regional power outages and earthquakes. The City has learned from its experience of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and has taken many steps since then to prepare for similar situations.

The City water system is designed as a network, so that if one source of water or a main pipeline is damaged, water can be supplied from another area of the city. Additionally, most areas within the service system are served by multiple sources, thus limiting dependence on a single supply source. Nearly all source water sites are equipped with emergency back-up generators and fuel tanks that will keep the system operational during emergencies.

The UWMP also analyzed the impact of drought on the City’s water supply. It was determined that after five years of drought, as long as conversation measures are implemented, the City will have adequate water to meet the community’s water needs.

The Urban Water Management Planning Act requires that all water agencies implement a water conservation program.

The City continues to successfully promote water conservation in a variety of ways, including public education, the use of local print and electronic English and Spanish language media, articles in the City’s newsletter, and inserts in the City’s utility bills. The City evaluates its programs on an ongoing basis and has been proactive in implementing changes and improving the effectiveness of its water conservation program. All programs are described in more detail in the 2025 UWMP. Among these programs are:
 Metering
 Tiered Rate Structure
 Public Education and Outreach (including landscape audit consultations, offering rebates and free water-efficient devices, classes and training)
 Water Loss Control
 Water Conservation Program Coordination and Staffing Support To manage water usage during drought, the City can rely on its updated Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP). The WSCP is Watsonville’s operating manual to prevent catastrophic service disruptions through proactive, rather than reactive, management. This way, if and when shortage conditions arise, the WSCP

3 allows the City Council, City staff, and the public to identify and implement pre-determined steps to manage a water shortage.

CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) DETERMINATION:

That the Council finds and determines that adoption of the 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan and the 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to California Water Code Section 10652.

STRATEGIC PLAN:

This action is consistent with the following strategic plan goals:

Infrastructure & Environment
FINANCIAL IMPACT:

There will be no direct financial impact to the City for approving this item. However, adoption of a 2025 UWMP and WSCP is required by the State in order to qualify for grant funding.

ALTERNATIVE ACTION:

Alternative includes not adopting the 2025 UWMP and/or WSCP; however, adoption of a UWMP and WSCP is required by the state in order to qualify for grant funding.

ATTACHMENTS AND/OR REFERENCES (IF ANY):

None.

1 Reso No. ______ (CM)
Meeting Date: 062326 SWZ ______ TV ______ PWU ______
RESOLUTION NO.__________ (CM)

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WATSONVILLE APPROVING THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE 2025
URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN, DATED JULY 2026
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 10620 of the California Water Code mandates that every supplier providing water to more than 3,000 customers prepare and adopt an Urban Water Management Plan (“Plan”); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 10621 of the California Water Code mandates that the Plan needs to be reviewed every five (5) years and must be adopted after a public review and hearing; and
WHEREAS, the Plan must be adopted by July 1, 2026, after it is first made available for public inspection and a public hearing is noticed and held, and it must be filed with the California Department of Water Resources within thirty (30) days of adoption; and WHEREAS, notice has been properly given as required by and according to the provisions of Section 6066 of the Government Code; and
WHEREAS, on April 6, 2026, the City of Watsonville provided notice to the County of Santa Cruz on the development of the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) in compliance with the Urban Water Management Planning Act; and
WHEREAS, the City of Watsonville advertised notice of the public hearing in the Pajaronian on June 12, 2026, and June 19, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the UVMP and WSCP are available to the public at the City’s Administrative Offices, 275 Main Street, Top Floor, Watsonville CA 95076. An electronic (PDF) copy may also be obtained by request; and
WHEREAS, on June 23, 2026, the Council afforded every interested person an

2 Reso No. ______ (CM)
Meeting Date: 062326
opportunity to comment on the Plan either in writing or orally.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:

1. That the Council finds and determines that adoption of the City of Watsonville 2025 Urban Water Management Plan is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to California Water Code Section 10652.

2. That the City of Watsonville 2025 Urban Water Management Plan, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, is hereby approved.

3. That the Public Works Director, or her designee, is hereby directed to submit a copy of this Plan no later than thirty (30) days after adoption to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the California State Library, and the County of Santa Cruz, pursuant to Subsection (a) of Section 10644 of the California Water Code. ****************************

2025

URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
City of Watsonville, CA

2025

URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
City of Watsonville, CA
500 Clearwater Lane, CA 95076
(831) 768-3170, Fax: (831) 763-3170
PWS No. CA4410011
June 2026
(Draft)
Prepared by:

West & Associates Engineering, Inc.
78 Anacapa Ct. Foothill Ranch, CA
(949) 716-7670

2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

CITY OF WATSONVILLE
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.......................................................................................................... 21 Section 2: Service Area Description..................................23

2.1. CITY AND WATER SYSTEM HISTORY.............................................................................. 23

2.1.1. Early Stages...........................................................................................................................

2.2. CURRENT WATER SERVICE AREA .................................................................................. 24

2.3. LAND USE & ECONOMY ................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

2.3.1. City Land Use ....................................................................................................................24

2.4. CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................ 26

2.4.1. Climate Change.................................................................................................................26

2.4.2. Climate Change Vulnerability Studies...............................................................................28

2.4.3. Climate Impact On Water Demand...................................................................................30

2.4.4. Climate Impact On Water Supply .....................................................................................30

2.4.5. Other Climate Impacts......................................................................................................31

2.4.6. Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.................................................................................32

2.5. POPULATION................................................................................................................. 32

2.5.1. Service Area Population....................................................................................................32

2.5.2. Adjusted Population Forecasts.........................................................................................33

2.5.3. Other Social, Economic, and Demographic Factors..........................................................34

2.6. WATER SYSTEM............................................................................................................. 35

2.6.1. Water System Background ...............................................................................................35

2.6.2. City Water System Overview ............................................................................................35 Section 3: Water Sources and Supplies ............................42

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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

3.1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 42

3.2. IMPORTED WATER SOURCES........................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.3. IMPORTED WATER PURCHASES....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.4. GROUNDWATER SOURCES............................................................................................ 42

3.4.1. Pajaro Valley Groundwater Subbasin ...............................................................................42

3.4.2. Subbasin BMP Implementation Progress ............................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.4.3. Groundwater Sustainability ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.4.4. Pajaro Valley Groundwater Subbasin Management Plan.... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.5. GROUNDWATER PRODUCTION ....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.6. Potential Recharge Projects............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.7. SURFACE WATER SOURCES.............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.7.1. Pajaro River Watershed....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.8. SURFACE WATER PRODUCTION....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.9. PROJECTED WATER SUPPLIES .......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.9.1. Planned/Projected Supply Projects ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.10. TRANSFERS OR EXCHANGES ........................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.11. RELIABILITY OF SUPPLIES ............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Section 4: Recycled Water Opportunities.........................54

4.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 54

4.2. WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM............................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

4.2.1. Wastewater Treatment ....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

4.3. RECYCLED WATER ............................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Section 5: Water Quality ..................................................61

5.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 61

5.2. WATER QUALITY STANDARDS....................................................................................... 61

5.2.1. Federal Regulations ..........................................................................................................61

5.2.2. State Regulations..............................................................................................................62

5.2.3. State Drinking Water Standards .......................................................................................62

5.2.4. Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6) .............................................................................................63

5.2.5. City Standards...................................................................................................................63

5.3. QUALITY OF WATER SOURCES ...................................................................................... 64

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3 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025

5.3.1. Groundwater Quality ........................................................................................................64

5.3.2. Surface Quality..................................................................................................................64

5.4. IMPACTS OF WATER QUALITY ...................................................................................... 64

5.4.1. Impacts of Abandoned Wells............................................................................................65

5.4.2. Groundwater Contamination Response ...........................................................................68

5.4.3. Sanitary Surveys by DDW..................................................................................................68

5.4.4. Impacts on Management & Reliability .............................................................................68 Section 6: Water Use........................................................71

6.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 71

6.2. COVID PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON THE WATER SYSTEM.................................................. 71

6.3. CURRENT CITY WATER NEEDS....................................................................................... 72

6.4. CLIMATE IMPACTS ON WATER USE .............................................................................. 72

6.4.1. California Water Plan Update 2023 ..................................................................................74

6.4.2. Surface Water...................................................................................................................74

6.4.3. Groundwater.....................................................................................................................74

6.5. WATER USE ................................................................................................................... 77

6.5.1. Past Water Use .................................................................................................................77

6.5.2. Recent Water Use .............................................................................................................77

6.6. WATER USE BY SECTOR................................................................................................. 77

6.6.1. Service Connections/Accounts .........................................................................................77

6.6.2. Distribution System Losses...............................................................................................80

6.6.3. 2028 Water Loss Standard................................................................................................80

6.7. URBAN WATER USE OBJECTIVE .................................................................................... 81

6.7.1. Key Highlights from the Report ........................................................................................81

6.7.2. Objectives Calculated with Future Standards...................................................................81

6.8. WATER CONSERVATION ACT ........................................................................................ 82

6.8.1. Act Background (SBx7-7)...................................................................................................82

6.8.2. Exempt Agencies...............................................................................................................83

6.8.3. SBx7-7 Baseline & Target..................................................................................................86

6.8.4. SBx7-7 Target Compliance ................................................................................................89

6.9. PROJECTED WATER DEMAND....................................................................................... 89

6.9.1. Passive Savings..................................................................................................................89

4 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

6.9.2. Low-Income Water Demands...........................................................................................89

6.9.3. Projected Water Use by Sector.........................................................................................90 Section 7: Reliability Planning ..........................................94

7.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 94

7.2. HISTORIC DROUGHTS.................................................................................................... 94

7.3. RECENT DROUGHT (2020-2022) ................................................................................... 95

7.4. STATE WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY.................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

7.4.1. State Water Project (SWP) Reliability.................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

7.5. CITY SUPPLY RELIABILITY............................................................................................... 98

7.5.1. Constraints on Water Sources..........................................................................................98

7.6. DROUGHT RISK ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................... 99

7.6.1. Basis for Projected Demands............................................................................................99

7.6.2. Basis for Projected Supplies............................................................................................100

7.6.3. Tabular Comparisons......................................................................................................100

7.7. ENSURING ADEQUATE SUPPLY ................................................................................... 110

7.8. WSCP SUPPLY AUGMENTATION ................................................................................. 110 Section 8: Contingency Planning .................................... 112

8.1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 112

8.2. NEED FOR CONTINGENCY PLANS................................................................................ 113

8.2.1. Recent California Water Code Amendments..................................................................113

8.3. LEGAL AUTHORITY ...................................................................................................... 114

8.4. WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY ANALYSIS ....................................................................... 114

8.4.1. WSCP Re-Adoption .........................................................................................................114

8.5. City Staff Response ..................................................................................................... 115

8.6. ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY AND DEMAND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES....................... 117

8.7. WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLANNING........................................................... 117

8.8. WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY ANALYSIS ....................................................................... 118

8.9. ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY AND DEMAND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES....................... 119

8.9.1. Decision Making Process ................................................................................................119

8.9.2. Data and Methodologies ................................................................................................119

8.10. SIX STANDARD WATER SHORTAGE STAGES............................................................ 119

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5 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025

8.11. SHORTAGE RESPONSE ACTIONS ............................................................................. 120

8.11.1. Demand Reduction Actions ............................................................................................120

8.11.2. Supply Augmentation .....................................................................................................126

8.11.3. Operational Changes To Address Water Shortages........................................................127

8.11.4. Additional Mandatory Restrictions.................................................................................127

8.11.5. Emergency Response Plan..............................................................................................127

8.11.6. Shortage Response Action Effectiveness........................................................................128

8.12. COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS ............................................................................. 128

8.13. COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT ........................................................................ 129

8.14. LEGAL AUTHORITIES................................................................................................ 130

8.15. FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF WSCP ................................................................... 131

8.16. MONITORING AND REPORTING.............................................................................. 131

8.17. WSCP REFINEMENT PROCEDURES.......................................................................... 132

8.18. SPECIAL WATER FEATURE DISTINCTION................................................................. 132

8.19. WSCP ADOPTION, SUBMITTAL, AND AVAILABILITY................................................ 132 Section 9: Conservation Measures................................. 134

9.1. OVERVIEW................................................................................................................... 134

9.2. DWR DMMs FOR 2025 UWMPs.................................................................................. 135

9.3. CalWEP BMPs.............................................................................................................. 135

9.4. CITY CONSERVATION MEASURES................................................................................ 135

9.4.1. DMM No. 1 Water Waste Prevention Ordinances .........................................................136

9.4.2. DMM No. 2: Metering.....................................................................................................138

9.4.3. DMM No. 3: Conservation Pricing ..................................................................................138

9.4.4. DMM No. 4: Public Education & Outreach .....................................................................139

9.4.5. DMM No. 5: Programs to Assess and Manage Distribution System Real Loss...............143

9.4.6. DMM No. 6: Water Conservation Program Coordination and Staffing Support............144

9.4.7. DMM No. 7: Other Demand Management Measures....................................................145

9.5. CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................................. 145

6 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
List of Tables
Table 1.1: Coordination and Public Involvement ......................................................................... 17 Table 2.1 Current Land Use & Economic Statistics for Santa Cruz County................................... 25 Table 2.2 Historical Climate (1908-2016) ..................................................................................... 26 Table 2.3 Recent Climate (2025).......................................................................................................

Table 2.4 City of Watsonville Overall Population ............................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table 2.5 City of Watsonville Water Service Area Projected Population ..................................... 33 Table 2.6 Select Demographics..................................................................................................... 34 Table 3.1: Overall Groundwater Production.................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table 3.2: Overall Surface Water Production .................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table 6.1 City Past Water Use....................................................................................................... 77 Table 6.2 City Recent Water Use .................................................................................................. 77 Table 6.3 Service Connections (2025)........................................................................................... 78 Table 6.4 Recent Water Demand by Sector (AF) .......................................................................... 79 Table 6.5 Objectives Calculated with Future Standards............................................................... 82 Table 6.6 City of Watsonville Water Use (GPCPD)........................................................................ 88 Table 6.7 City of Watsonville SBx7-7 2020 Water Use Targets.................................................... 88 Table 6.8 Projected Water Demand by Sector ............................................................................. 91 Table 7.1 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Normal Water Year (AF)...................................................................................................................................... 101 Table 7.2 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Single Dry Year (AF).............................................................................................................................................. 102 Table 7.3 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2026-2030) (AF) ............................................................................................................... 103 Table 7.4 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2031-2035) (AF) ............................................................................................................... 104 Table 7.5 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2036-2040) (AF) ............................................................................................................... 105 Table 7.6 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2041-2045) (AF) ............................................................................................................... 106 Table 7.7 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2046-2050) (AF) ............................................................................................................... 107 Table 8.1 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Levels.................................................................. 121 Table 8.2 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Levels.................................................................. 124 Table 8.3 Short-Term Supply Augmentation and Other Actions.............................................. 126 Table 8.4 Short-Term Supply Augmentation and Other Actions.............................................. 129 Table 9.1 City of Watsonville Meter Sizes .................................................................................. 138 Table 9.2 City of Banning Current Water Rates.......................................................................... 138

2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

CITY OF WATSONVILLE
7 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
List of Figures
Figure 1.1 UWMPs are Governed by State Law............................................................................ 14 Figure 1.2 UWMP Act Establishment and Amendment ............................................................... 15 Figure 2.1 Watsonville Location in Santa Cruz County, California................................................ 36 Figure 2.2 City of Watsonville – Water Service Area Map............................................................ 37 Figure 2.3 Watsonville City Limits................................................................................................. 38 Figure 2.4 Vacant and Underutilized Land.................................................................................... 39 Figure 2.5 Projected Inundation Depth At 4-Foot Sea-Level Rise ................................................ 41 Figure 3.1 Pajaro Valley Groundwater Subbasin ............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Figure 4.1 City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Figure 5.2 Basic Overview of Water Quality Testing and Response for Municipal Wells ............ 67 Figure 6.1 SEAWATER INTRUSION AND MITIGATION PROCESS (SOURCE: PV WATER 2014 BMP) ....................................................................................................................................................... 76 Figure 6.2 Current Water Demand by Sector (in 2025)................................................................ 79 Figure 6.3 California's 2020 Water Conservation Goals............................................................... 83 Figure 6.4 California's 2020 Water Conservation Goals............................................................... 84 Figure 6.5 Central Coast Hydrologic Region ................................................................................. 85 Figure 6.6 Procedure for Determining Baseline Per Capita Water Use........................................ 87 Figure 6.7 Procedure for Determining Target Per Capita Water Use........................................... 87 Figure 6.8 Projected Water Demand by Sector (in 2050)............................................................. 92 Figure 7.1 Governor Newsom at Lake Mendocino in Ukiah on April 21, 2021 ............................ 96 Figure 7.2 Lake Oroville During Drought of 2020-2022 (October 4, 2022) .................................. 97 Figure 7.3 Lake Oroville After Drought (June 12, 2023) ............................................................... 97 Figure 7.4 California State Reservoir Levels (May 2026)................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Figure 7.5 SWP Table A Deliveries................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Figure 7.6 Projected Normal Water Supply: Year 2030.............................................................. 108 Figure 7.7 Projected Normal Water Supply: Year 2050.............................................................. 109 Figure 8.1 Basic Overview of Water Quality Contamination Response for City Wells............... 116 Figure 8.2: Sample Annual Assessment Decision-Making Process Timeline.............................. 117 Figure 8.3: Water Shortage Levels, 2015 And Current WSCP Cross Reference.......................... 120 Figure 9.1 CUWCC became CalWEP in January 2018 ................................................................. 135 Figure 9.2 Water Waste .............................................................................................................. 136

8 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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
Santa Cruz County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan 2007 Pajaro River Watershed IRWM Plan

ACEHOLDER)
(PLACEHOLDER)

2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

CITY OF WATSONVILLE
9 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025

ACRONYMS
Act Urban Water Management Planning Act
AF Acre-Feet
AFY Acre-Feet per Year
AMI Automatic Metering Infrastructure
AP Allocation Plan
Basin Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin
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 CUWCC California Urban Water Conservation Council
CVP Central Valley Project
CWC California Water Code
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
EIR Environmental Impact Report
EIS Environmental Impact Statement
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
Eto Evapotranspiration
GPCD Gallons per Capita per Day
GPF Gallons per Flush
GPM Gallons per Minute
GW Groundwater
HECW High Efficiency Clothes Washer
HEN High Efficiency Nozzle
HET High Efficiency Toilet

10 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
HEW High Efficiency Washer
HR Hydrologic Region
IPR Indirect Potable Reuse
IRP Integrated Resources Plan
IWA International Water Association
LRWSP Local, Reliable Water Supply Program
MAF Million Acre-Feet
MBR Membrane Bioreactor
MCL Maximum Contaminant Level
MG Million Gallons
MGD Million Gallons per Day
mg/L Milligrams per Liter
μg/L Micrograms per Liter
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MWELO Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
MTBE Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether
NDMA N-Nitrosodimethylamine
ng/L Nanograms per Liter
NPDWR National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Units
PCA Possible Contaminating Activities
PCE Tetrachloroethylene
PFAS Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
PHETs Premium High Efficiency Toilets
PHG Public Health Goal
PPCPs Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products
QSA Quantification Settlement Agreement
RHNA Regional Housing Needs Assessment
RWF Recycled Water Treatment Facility
SB Senate Bill
SBx7-7 Senate Bill x7-7
SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
SDP Seawater Desalination Program
SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act

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11 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
SMSS Soil Moisture Sensor System
SWP State Water Project
SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board
TDS Total Dissolved Solids
TOC Total Organic Carbon
USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
UWMP Urban Water Management Plan
VOC Volatile Organic Compound
WARN Water Agency Response Network
WBIC Weather-Based Irrigation Controller
WRP Water Reclamation Plant
WSAP Water Supply Allocation Plan
WSCP Water Shortage Contingency Plan
WSDM Water Surplus and Drought Management Plan
WSS Watershed Sanitary Survey
WWTF Wastewater Treatment Facility

12 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

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THIS PAGE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY

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13 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025

1.1. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
This is the 2025 Urban Water Management
Plan (“UWMP” or “Plan”) for the City of
Watsonville (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
(CWC)sections 10610 through 10657. A copy
of the Act can be found in Appendix C.

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 “every urban water supplier
providing water for municipal purposes to
more than 3,000 customers or supplying
more than 3,000 acre-feet of water annually,
to prepare and adopt, in accordance with
prescribed requirements, an Urban Water
Management Plan.”
These plans must be filed with the California
Department of Water Resources (DWR)
1 Section 1:

Introduction
In accordance with
the Water Code, an
Urban Water
Management Plan is
required to be
updated every five
(5) years.

14 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
every five (5) years, describing and
evaluating reasonable and practical efficient
water uses, reclamation, and conservation
activities. The CWC 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 and one.

Fig. 1.1: UWMPs are Governed by State Law
The Act has been amended multiple times
since its initial passage in 1983. A summary
of the amendments is provided in Figure

1.2 on the following page. 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 20 percent 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 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:

Funding to help correct deficiencies
• Proposition 1: Funding related to
supplies & infrastructure
• Proposition 4: Funding related to
climate-related programs
• Proposition 50: Funding related to
security & treatment technology
• Proposition 84: Funding related to
protection from pollution
Agencies that submit their UWMPs past the
July 2026 deadline are still eligible for grants
or loans, provided that the UWMP
addresses the requirements of the Act.

However, applications for such funds are
subject to legal challenges coming from
competing agencies for the same funding, if
the competing agencies become aware of
the timeframe in which an UWMP was
submitted.

Amendments to
the Act have
added financial
incentives to
UWMPs.

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15 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Figure 1.2 Timeline of UWMP Act Establishment and Amendments Present (2025 UWMP): The UWMP guidebook
was released on November 17, 2025 with no (0) UWMP
Act Amendments.

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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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, an 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.

One of the primary objectives of the Act is
the assessment of demands and supplies
over a 20-year or a 25-year planning horizon
under normal rainfall conditions, as well as
under various drought conditions. The Act
also requires water shortage contingency
planning and drought response actions to be
included in the UWMP. In short, this Plan is
a management tool that provides a general,
long-term 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 25-year
planning horizon, and what mix of programs
should be explored for ensuring that such
water will be 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 UWMP, the City has encouraged broad
community participation. The City notified
the agencies that the City interacts with
more than 60 days in advance of the City
Council’s adoption of the 2025 UWMP. The
City also made the draft 2025 UWMP
available at the City’s Council Room and on
the City’s website, leading up to a public
hearing on the 2025
UWMP. Notices of the
public hearing were
published in the local
press and on the City’s
website for a twoweek period. On June
23, 2026, the City held
a noticed public hearing to review and
accept comments on the 2025 UWMP.

Following the public hearing, the City
officially adopted the 2025 UWMP through
council resolution, of which a copy is
included in Appendix A.

As required by 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 30 days
after adoption. The 2025 UWMP has been
made available to the public on the City’s
website (Watsonville 2025 UWMP) and at
City Offices during normal business hours
prior to adoption of the UWMP.

The City’s 2025
UWMP is a
collaborative effort
involving its own
staff, outside
agencies, and the
general public.

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17 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Table 1.1: Coordination and Public Involvement
Agency
Participated
in Plan
Preparation
Commented
on Draft
Notified
of Public
Hearing
Attended
Public
Hearing
City Staff X
City Council X
Aromas Water District X
Central Water District X
Community Foundation Santa
Cruz County X
Pajaro Sunny Mesa
Community Services District X
Pajaro Valley Water
Management Agency X
Santa Cruz County X
Soquel Creek Water District X
Notes:

1. “60-Day” notice letters were sent out to all agencies (except the Cities own) as required by CWC § 10621(b):

2. 2-week and 1-week notices were published in the local newspaper.

3. Appendix G contains copies of the 60-day notice and the 2-week and 1-week notices.

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1.3. DWR UPDATES FOR 2025 UWMPS
There have been minor changes to the CWC
affecting the 2025 UWMPs. The changes
include:
• Reporting Requirements for SBx7-7:

Agencies must provide a description in
the 2025 UWMP of how their water use
reduction targets contributed towards a
20% Statewide reduction by 2020. If the
agency did not achieve its targeted
reduction in 2020, the agency must show
in its 2025 UWMP whether it met their
2020 target in 2025 to be eligible for
state funds. Currently, the CWC does not
set an end date for reporting on a
supplier’s progress in meeting the 2020
Target. (CWC § 10608.40)
• Water Losses: Retail Suppliers must
indicate the quantity of water losses for
five years by reporting data from their
Validated Water Loss Audits, discuss
their progress toward compliance with
the 2028 Water Loss Standard, and show
whether they met the Water Loss
Performance Standard enacted by the
State Water Resources Control Board
(SWRCB). (CWC § 10631 (d) (3) (C), SB
1414, 2019). Suppliers can simply
provide a link to their water loss reports
submitted to DWR’s Water Loss Audit
Program.
• Demand Management Measures (DMMs):

Retail Suppliers with an annual actual
water use above their Urban Water UseObjective (UWUO) must include a narrative describing additional DMMs
the supplier plans to use to achieve its
UWUO by January 1, 2027. (CWC §
10609.25, AB 1414, 2019)
• 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 the date
for the 2030 indoor residential use
standard will be changed. The City will
not be subject to enforcement pursuant
to this Section 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

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19 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
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 § 10618.14). The
website 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 the required updates
described in the previous section, the City’s
2025 UWMP has undergone some changes
from the 2020 UWMP. A summary of the key
changes to the UWMP are:
• New Format: Format of the UWMP has
been changed to include a new look and
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
review of development which took place
in the City’s service area since the 2020
UWMP.
• Water Sources and Supplies: A broader,
more in-depth discussion of water
sources and supplies.
• Recycled Water: An updated review of
recycled water opportunities forthe City.
• Water Quality: An update to new
regulations and contaminants affecting
water quality and treatment.
• Water Use: Updated information on
recent water use quantities and water
use characteristics.

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• Supply vs 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 these changes, there are
multiple minor changes. The changes reflect
both those that are required by the CWC 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 corresponds to the items in the
UWMP Act and other amendments to the
Water Code. The sections of the UWMP are:

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
supply system, a description of its existing
service area, the local climate, population
served, and basic statistics on the City’s
water distribution system.

Section 3 – Water Sources & Supplies
This section describes the existing potable
water supplies available to the City,
including groundwater from the Pajaro
Valley Groundwater Subbasin (Subbasin)
and surface water. In addition, this section
evaluates potential future water sources.

Section 4 – Recycled Water Opportunities
This section discusses potential recycled
water supplies, an assessment of potential
customers, and methods to expand the use
of recycled water.

Section 5 – Water Quality
This section discusses the quality of the
City’s potable water supply sources. 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. Past and projected water use in
this section is broken down by sector. This
Section also discusses the requirements of
the 2009 Water Conservation Act (SBx7-7),
including the 2020 Water Use Targets.

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21 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Section 7 – Reliability Planning
This section presents a drought risk
assessment of the City’s water system which
compares projected future water demands
with expected available water supplies
under three different hydrologic conditions:
normal year; a single dry year; and multiple
dry years. 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 serves as the City’s Water
Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP). A WSCP
is a response plan to water shortages, as well
as the 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.

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:, the City does not
expect to have a water supply shortage
through 2050. Furthermore, this UWMP
concludes that the City’s water supplies,
which are obtained from local groundwater
basins and wholesale agencies, are resilient
to droughts. A basic overview of the City’s
water system can be found in Section 2:.

Water quality concerns do have an
occasional impact on the consistency of
groundwater supplies, but the City’s
groundwater quality is not expected to be
affected. These are described in Section 5:.

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Figure 1.3: City of Watsonville Water Resources Center
This 2025 UWMP recommends that the City
implement water operation management
tools that maximize the use of local
groundwater production and then surface
water to meet its water demands. This
UWMP also recommends conservation tools
that will enable the City’s residents to
conserve water and maximize water use
efficiency. These are described in Section 9:.

Given the ample supply of water available,
the City can expect to have an adequate
water supply in future years. This is in spite
of projected population growth over the
next 25 years. Nevertheless, this UWMP
recommends conservation measures be
implemented, and water supply sources be
maintained and/or augmented over the
course of this UWMP planning period.

Finally, this UWMP recommends that severe
droughts or sudden supply interruptions be
addressed by following the criteria of the
WSCP, as described in Section 8: of this
UWMP
Since UWMPs are due for revision every five
(5) 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
development and adoption.

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23 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025

2.1. CITY AND WATER SYSTEM HISTORY
The City of Watsonville (City) is located in the
heart of the Pajaro Valley along the
Monterey Bay, between the cities of Santa
Cruz and Monterey, as shown in Figure 2.3.

The City is bounded by Corralitos Creek to
the north, Salsipuedes Creek to the east, the
Harkins Slough to the west, and the Pajaro
River to the south. The Pajaro River also
forms the boundary between the Santa Cruz
and Monterey counties. Figure 2.4 shows
the City’s boundaries, location and
immediate surroundings.

The Pajaro Valley is surrounded by prime
agricultural land and wetlands. Water is an
integral component of the region’s environs.

Several small creeks and sloughs (wetlands)
within the region form what is known as the
Watsonville Slough System. The creeks
provide a source of surface water, and the
sloughs provide an indirect source of
groundwater recharge, for the region.

The City’s Water Service Area extends
beyond City limits, and includes all or
portions of the unincorporated communities
of Freedom, Interlaken, Corralitos, Aptos
Hills-Larkin Valley, Day Valley, Pajaro and
non-designated County land. The total water
service area is approximately 21 square
miles. Figure 2.5 shows the City’s Water
Service Area.

The water system originated in 1878 when
water was piped from the Corralitos area to
a reservoir on Whiskey Hill (now Freedom
2 Section 2:

Service Area
Description
Originally founded as
the Watsonville Water
Company in 1878,
today the City provides
water service to 66,000
persons over an area
of 20 square miles

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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Reservoir on Freedom Boulevard). The water
system served the community of Watsonville,
under the name of the Watsonville Water
and Light Company, until the City acquired it
in 1927. In 1931, a slow sand filtration plant,
the Corralitos Filter Plant (CFP), was
constructed in Corralitos to filter the raw
water coming from the Corralitos and
Browns creeks. By 1979, the City’s water
system had grown to its current state.

Fig. 2.1: Downtown Watsonville (early 1900s)
Today, the City’s Water Division is governed
by the City Council/City Manager form of
government. The City Council consists of
seven (7) Council Members elected to four
(4) year terms. The City Council hires the City
Manager, who hires and oversee the City’s
Public Works & Utilities Director, who in turn
manages the Water Division Manager. The
Water Division’s larger business matters are
handled at City Council Meetings.

2.1.1 Water System
The water system consists of nine (9)
hydraulic pressure zones, 14 wells, nine (9)
reservoirs and water storage facilities, nine
(9) booster stations, over 190 miles of
pipelines, and the CFP. This regional water
system serves a population of 65,231
customers. The City’s limits are shown in
Figure 2..

2.2. LAND USE & ECONOMY
The City is located in Santa Cruz County.

Santa Cruz County encompasses an area of
445 square miles or 284,800 acres, and is
bordered on the west by Pacific Ocean, on
the north by San Mateo County, on the south
by the Monterey County and Monterey Bay,
and on the east by Santa Clara County. Table

2.1 provides basic statistics on current land
use and economy for Santa Cruz County.

2.2.1. City Land Use
The City’s 2015–2023 Housing Element
report notes that diminishing housing
affordability in neighboring northern Santa
Cruz County jurisdictions continues to
increase the demand for housing in the City
of Watsonville, resulting in increased
housing prices, overpayment, and
overcrowding for Watsonville residents.

According to the report, Watsonville’s share
of the state regional housing goal to support
future housing needs is 700 units through
2023.

The Association of Monterey Bay Area
Governments (AMBAG) is responsible for
allocating state housing goals. AMBAG’s

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Table 2.1 Current Land Use & Economic Statistics for Santa Cruz County Land: Total (sq. miles)
Item Santa Cruz County
Land Area (sq. miles) 445 sq. miles
Land Area (acres) 284,800 acres
Land: Developed (acres)
Item Santa Cruz County
Developed Land 33,000 acres
Population
Item Santa Cruz County
Population 258,852
Housing
Item Santa Cruz County
Total Housing Units 108,592
Median Home Price $1,027,500
Owner Occupancy Rate 59.9 %
Economy
Item Santa Cruz County
Employed (16yrs +) 62.8 %
Median Household Income $111,093
Percent in Poverty 11.9 %

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latest estimates project City housing to
increase from 14,226 units in 2020 to 16,519
units in 2045, a growth rate of 16 percent.

The City has done extensive work to
estimate future water demand in its WSA
based on future land use projections. Citydeveloped data on vacant and underutilized land is presented in Figure 2.. This data is
derived from the City’s Community
Development Department, the County’s
Planning Department, and the 2005 General
Plan. The blue shaded areas represent
vacant parcels without constraints that may
be developed over the next 20 years. The
City is currently in the process of developing
a downtown specific plan that addresses
housing through densification.

2.3. CLIMATE
The City is in a Mediterranean coastal
climate, with dry, mild summers and cool
winters. Due to its proximity to the coast, fog
is common in the night and morning hours,
especially in the summer when warmer air
from the inland areas mixes with cooler
coastal air. The City's annual average
temperature is approximately 57.35° F. Daily
temperatures typically range from a low of
42° F to a high of 75° F throughout the year,
with little fluctuation. The historical average
annual precipitation for the City is 22.4
inches (wrcc.dri.edu). Table 2.2 lists the
average rainfall and evapotranspiration (Eto)
by month:

Table 2.2 Historical Climate
Month Rainfall (in) ETo (in)
Jan 0.22 2.01
Feb 4.72 2.20
Mar 3.35 3.58
Apr 0.65 4.11
May 0.06 5.70
Jun 0.01 5.26
Jul 0.03 5.08
Aug 0.00 4.79
Sep 0.25 3.89
Oct 1.23 3.27
Nov 4.91 1.83
Dec 1.96 1.81
Totals: 17.4 43.53
Climate fluctuations not only increase or
decrease demand, but can also directly
affect the City's ratio of groundwater to
surface water, since the city only uses
surface water in years of average and above
average rainfall.

2.3.1. Climate Change
The DWR Guidebook requires water
suppliers to include a discussion of climate
change in their UWMPs, specifically with
regard to Drought Risk Assessments (DRA).

Section 7: provides an overview of droughts.

The rise of anthropogenic activities
producing carbon dioxide in the world has
changed the earth’s climate by emitting

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27 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
greenhouse gasses responsible for global
warming. This has resulted in extreme
weather events occurring more frequently.

The severity and frequency of climate
change impacts on temperature and
precipitation patterns can be difficult to
forecast due to dramatic shifts in weather
patterns as a result of increased
concentrations of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. While the precise timing,
severity, and regional impacts of these
temperature and precipitation changes are
uncertain, climate researchers have
identified several important issues of
concern for water planners in California. The
climate change impacts of concern include
increases in temperature, precipitation
pattern changes, and
see-level rise. A greater
amount of wintertime
precipitation falling as
rain than snow leads to
reduced snowpack water
storage, reduced long
term soil humidity,
reduced groundwater and downstream
flows, and reduced imported water
deliveries. Higher temperatures alter
evapotranspiration rates and growing
seasons become longer. Precipitation
pattern changes leads to increase flooding
from intense storms. Although the extent of
these changes is uncertain, the City is
already preparing to ensure long lasting
reliability of its source for its customers.

The California Natural Resources Agency
released a draft of the 2024 California
Climate Adaptation 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 California Climate Adaptation Strategy
include the following three (3) elements:
1) 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.
2) Unify efforts across all sectors & 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
The climate change
impacts of concern
include increases in
temperature,
precipitation
pattern changes,
and see-level rise.

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Figure 2.2: Flooding at Pajaro River Levee Break
agencies. The priorities have been
developed based on input from state
agencies and individual citizens.
3) 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.

2.3.2. Climate Change Vulnerability Studies
Based on the Pajaro IRWMP assessment,
climate change vulnerabilities were
identified in the following areas: water
demand, water supply, water quality, sealevel rise, flooding, and ecosystem and habitat. Key findings that relate to this
UWMP are illustrated in Figure 2.2.

PV Water has performed modeling to assess
the impact of climate change on water
supplies in the Pajaro Valley. PV Water
collaborated with the USGS to conduct an
analysis of select, long-term climate
projections to support water resource
managers, stakeholders, and directors in the
planning, development, and implementation
of new water supply projects and programs.

PV Water continues to work with the USGS
to help inform and guide water resources
management. Additionally, PV Water
maintains groundwater and surface water
monitoring programs that collect and store d

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29 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Figure 2.3: Pajaro Valle Water IRWMP Climate Change Vulnerability Findings Water
Demand
Vulnerabilities
Water
Supply
Vulnerabilities
Sea-Level Rise
Vulnerabilities
Flood
Management
Vulnerabilities
Ecosystem
and Habitat
Vulnerabilities
• Increased agricultural irrigation demand
• Increased landscape irrigation demand
• Increased cooling demands
• Increased environmental demands
• Increased groundwater overdraft
• Increased seawater intrusion
• Reduced drought reliability
• Increased coastal flooding
• Reduced habitat quality
• Increased damage to existing
infrastructure
• Increased flooding
• Reduced imported water
supplies
• Reduced habitat availability
• Reduced habitat quality
• Reduced water quality
Climate Change
Vulnerabilities

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data pertaining to surface and groundwater
quality and quantity. These programs track
and analyze changes through time to form
water management and planning efforts.

2.3.3. Climate Impact on Water Demand
The seasonal variability of water demand is
projected to increase with climate change as
droughts become more common and more
severe. Warmer temperatures increase
evapotranspiration rates while extending
the length of growing seasons, resulting in
an overall increase in agricultural water
demands. Some crops are more climatesensitive and may require more water to maintain yield and quality in future years.

Streamflow volumes needed to support
habitat (environmental water demand) may
also be impacted by increased
temperatures. Climate change is also
projected to impact seasonal water
demands, such as landscape irrigation.

2.3.4. Climate Impact on Water Supply
Depending on the year, 90–100 percent of
water supplied by the City is from
groundwater sources, while surface water
accounts for the remainder. The City’s
wastewater treatment facility provides feed
water to a joint PV Water/Watsonville
Recycled Water Facility (RWF), which has a
design capacity of up to 4,000 AFY. This
recycled water is intended for agricultural
purposes only and is not included in total
water supply volume calculations.

Climate change is projected to increase the
severity and frequency of drought events.

Surface water sources are more vulnerable
to drought events. Because the City can fully
rely on groundwater, it is somewhat less
susceptible to drought impacts. However,
the City remains vulnerable to severe and
prolonged droughts, if/as aquifer recharge is
diminished.

Drought events may also result in
groundwater overdraft, which exacerbates
seawater intrusion. Groundwater overdraft
occurs when groundwater use exceeds the
amount of recharge into
aquifers, which leads to a
decline in groundwater
levels. Overdraft has
been a concern in the
Subbasin since 1980,
when the California
Department of Water
Resources issued Bulletin 118-80
designating the basin as critically
overdrafted, with seawater intrusion being
one of the reasons for the designation.

Seawater intrusion occurs when too much
groundwater is pumped from coastal
aquifers (overdraft), thereby upsetting the
subterranean balance between inland
freshwater and the ocean. Seawater
intrusion has moved further inland over the
past 25 years, and without intervention,
further saltwater intrusion is expected,
DWR has
identified that the
Pajaro Valley
Groundwater
Basin is a critically
overdrafted basin.

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particularly during drought events.

However, with the use of recycled water,
and with diversion and treatment of slough
water for recharge of the basin, mitigation
options are available to PV Water and the
City to address seawater intrusion of the
basin. Section 3 provides additional
information on PV Water’s important
projects and management of the Subbasin.

2.3.5. Other Climate Impacts
Other potential negative impacts of climate
change include sea-level rise, increased
flooding, agricultural impacts, and
deleterious effects on natural ecosystems
and habitat. These are discussed below.

Seal-Level Rise
In addition to direct flooding, rising sea
levels are expected to result in higher
groundwater levels during extreme tides,
affecting natural drainage and urban
stormwater systems. Combined with more
intense precipitation events, sea-level rise
will threaten the ability of stormwater
systems to cope with the required discharge
and could result in increased flooding. Rising
sea levels also increase saltwater intrusion,
exacerbating issues related to groundwater
over-extraction.

Identifying thresholds beyond which the
stability and performance of existing water,
wastewater, and stormwater systems are
adversely impacted is important to
understanding the current and future
vulnerability to changing coastal water
levels. Several infrastructure facilities,
especially those along the coast, are at risk
of inundation at a four-foot sea-level rise.

The Santa Cruz County Multi-Jurisdictional
Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) addresses
this risk. Figure 2.9 shows the projected
inundation depth at the 10-foot sea-level rise.

Increased Flooding
The MJHMP notes that flooding poses
numerous risks to the following critical
facilities and infrastructure:
• Creek or river floodwaters can back up
stormwater systems, causing localized
flooding.
• Culverts can be blocked by debris from
floodwaters, causing localized flooding.
• Floodwaters can penetrate drinking
water supplies, causing contamination.
• Sewer systems can back up, causing
waste to spill into residences,
commercial and industrial sites,
neighborhoods, rivers, and streams.

The impacts due to sea-level rise include
increased coastal flooding and damage to
existing infrastructure. The IRWMP further
notes that the City and surrounding
agricultural areas are subject to flooding
during a 100-year coastal flood. The impacts

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due to flooding include temporary and/or
permanent displacement of residences,
businesses and municipal facilities. The City
is a low-lying, economically disadvantaged
community (DAC) that will be particularly
vulnerable to flooding damages caused by
more intense storms and sea-level rise.

Fig. 2.4: Strawberries in the Pajaro Valley
Agricultural Impacts
The land use in the Pajaro Valley is primarily
agricultural. Recently, there has been a
trend toward increased cannabis cultivation.

Water use required for cannabis cultivation
is not well understood, particularly in
comparison to berries and vegetables, which
is the predominant crop. Regardless, a
reduction in regional water supplies could
severely impact agriculture and, in turn,
harm the economy of the region and the
City. The agricultural community is well
aware of this issue and is making significant
advances in water conservation by
implementing climate-based irrigation
systems and other technologies. Substantial
water savings could result from these
efforts. Continued efforts and vigilance are
required to manage the delicate balance
between water supply and demand.

Ecosystems and Habitat
The impacts of climate change on
ecosystems and habitat includes erosion and
sedimentation, increased temperatures,
drought conditions, and reduced water flow
and quality. Estuarine habitats, such as the
Watsonville Slough, could be impacted by
reduced seasonal freshwater flows. The
City’s coastal ecosystems may be particularly
vulnerable to acidification and changes in
salinity balances, sedimentation, and
nutrient flows.

2.3.6. Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
Watsonville’s Climate Action & Adaptation
Plan (CAAP) provides a roadmap to reduce
our community’s greenhouse gas emissions,
combat the impacts of climate change, and
explore carbon sequestration, habitat
restoration, and the repair of our natural
world. The full document is available on the
City’s website indicated below:

Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP)

2.4. POPULATION

2.4.1. Service Area Population
According to the most recent population
figures from the California Department of
Finance (DOF), the current 2025 resident

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population of the City is approximately
51,101 persons. Since the City’s water
service area boundary contains portions
outside of the City’s boundaries, an
additional unincorporated population of
13,790 was included, for a total of 64,891
persons. The unincorporated population
within the water service area was estimated
based on the unincorporated population in
the year 2020 (13,716) and an annual growth
of about 0.1 percent (%).

2.4.2. Adjusted Population Forecasts
Future population projections were
determined with a combination of the
District’s EAR populations from EAR and
2026 AMBAG’s Regional Growth Forecast
(RGF) Report.

AMBAG develops the forecast with a horizon
year that matches the planning timeline of
the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP)
and the model years for the Regional Travel
Demand Model (RTDM). In addition to
informing regional planning processes, the
forecast is used by local jurisdictions and
special districts to inform local and
subregional planning. AMBAG’s 2026
Subregional Growth Forecast Table shows
the subregional projected population
growth rates in between years 2010 and
2050 at around 5-year increments. Since
Watsonville’s water service area includes the
portions of Unincorporated Area of Santa
Cruz, each of those growth rates were
calculated separately and combined
afterward for a final projected population
values. Those growth rates are as below:

City of Watsonville
• 2023 – 2030: 0.18%
• 2023 – 2035: 0.17%
• 2023 – 2040: 0.14%
• 2023 – 2045: 0.12%
• 2023 – 2050: 0.10%
Unincorporated Santa Cruz County:
• 2020 – 2030: 0.11%
• 2030 – 2035: 0.11%
• 2035 – 2040: 0.01%
• 2040 – 2045: 0.06%
• 2045 – 2050: 0.07%
Based on the growth rates above, Table 2.5
shows the current and projected population
for the next 25 years.

Table 2.3: City Water Service Area
Projected Population
Year Population
2030 65,437
2035 65,941
2040 66,305
2045 66,666
2050 66,988
Based on the population projection for the
year 2050 above, the total growth from the
current (2025) population is roughly 2,000
persons, or 3% total growth.

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2.4.3. Other Social, Economic, and
Demographic Factors
The City of Watsonville enjoys more
affordable housing in the City than in other
Santa Cruz County communities; a beautiful,
temperate location; and a relatively young
and ethnically diverse population. These and
other attributes continue to draw new
residents. From 2010 to 2019, the City saw a
population growth rate of 0.57 percent per
year.

Table 2.4 compares 2019 demographics for
the City, the County of Santa Cruz, the State
of California, and the United States. These
statistics highlight the youthful nature of the
community and its diversity with seventyfive percent (75%) of households reporting a language other than English spoken in the
home. The City also has a significantly lower
than average household income, and slightly
higher than average poverty rate. The
median home value in 2019 was much lower
than the County average but was still high
given the median household income.

HUD defines moderate cost-burdened
households as those “spending more than
thirty percent (30%) of their income for
housing” and severe cost-burdened
households as those “spending more than
fifty percent (50%) of their income on
housing.” Households that have a median
household income of $4,500 per month
($54,000 per year) in Watsonville would be
paying over thirty percent (30%) of their
income on rent for an efficiency apartment
and over fifty percent (50%) of their income
on a 2-bedroom home, indicating that the
average household is moderately or severely
cost-burdened.

Table 2.4 Select Demographics
Watsonville
Santa Cruz
County
CA U.S.

Population 53,800 273,962 39,512,223 328,239,523
Median Age 30.6 37.8 37.0 38.1
Median Household Income 55,470 82,234 80,440 65,712
Median Home Value, Owner-Occupied
Units
464,200 839,500 568,500 240,500
Poverty Rate 14.8% 13.1% 11.8% 12.3%
High School Graduate or Higher
(>=25 Years Old)

60.8% 86% 84% 88%
Language Other than English Spoken
at Home
75% 32% 45% 22%
Note: The WSA is larger than the City of Watsonville; however, demographic data is not available for the WSA.

Source: 2019 ACS 5-Year Estimates, Map Survey Program, https://data.census.gov/cedsci/.

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2.5. WATER SYSTEM
A basic overview of the City’s water system
is provided in the following sections. More
information on the City’s water sources,
water treatment, and water demands can be
found in Sections 3 through 6. As this report
is a water-resource-management planning
document, it does not provide technical or
engineering detail on water system
components.

2.5.1. Water System Background
The City’s water system began in 1877, when
water was conveyed from the Corralitos area
to a reservoir on Whiskey Hill (now Freedom
Reservoir). Operated as the Watsonville
Water and Light Company, it served the
community until the City purchased it in
1927. In 1931, the Corralitos Filter Plant was
built to treat water from Corralitos and
Browns creeks. By 1979, the system had
expanded into its modern form, consisting of
eight pressure zones, 10 wells, 9 storage
facilities, more than 100 miles of pipeline,
and the Corralitos Filter Plant.

2.5.2. City Water System Overview
The City’s water system consists of the
following components:
• Groundwater Wells
• Surface Water
• Storage Facilities
• 190 miles of Water Mains
• Filtration Plant
The City distributes water to approximately
14,609 service connections through over a
190-mile network of distribution mains. The
water system is divided into 8 main pressure
zones (Figure 2.) served by 10 wells and 8
storage faciliti

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Figure 2.4 Watsonville Location in Santa Cruz County, California City
Boundaries
City
Location

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Figure 2.5 Watsonville City Limits

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Figure 2.6 City of Watsonville – Water Service Area Map

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Figure 2.7 City of Watsonville Sphere of Influence

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Figure 2.8 City of Watsonville: Areas of Projected Growth within City’s Sphere of Influence

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Figure 2.9 Projected Inundation Depth At 10-Foot Sea-Level Rise

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3.1. INTRODUCTION
The City currently uses potable and nonpotable (recycled) water to meet the needs of its service area. Recycled water is covered
in Section 4. The City’s potable water comes
from local water sources only, including
groundwater from the Pajaro Valley Basin
and surface water from the Corralitos and
Browns creeks. The City has no interties or
connections to import water. The Pajaro
Valley Basin is an unadjudicated basin, with
groundwater pumping managed by the
Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency
(PV Water). The Corralitos and Browns
creeks are also not adjudicated, although the
City has "appropriative" (pre-1914) water
rights to surface water from those creeks.

With regard to potable water production,
the City maintains groundwater wells,
surface water intakes, and a surface water
filtration plant.

This Section describes the current and
projected water resources available to the
City over a 25-year period (from 2025
through 2050). This Section also provides
background information on the overall
water supplies available to the region

3.2. GROUNDWATER

3.2.1. Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin
Groundwater is pumped from the Pajaro
Valley Groundwater Basin (Basin), as shown
in Error! Reference source not found., which
is one of two (2) subbasins within the
Corralitos Basin. The overall Corralitos Basin
3 Section 3:

Water Sources
& Supplies
The majority of the City’s
water supply comes from
Pajaro Valley Basin
groundwater, which is
recharged in part by
water diverted from the
sloughs (pictured).

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is located in the lower Pajaro River
Watershed, as indicated in Figure 3.1. The
Basin is bounded by the Monterey Bay to the
west, and the San Andreas Fault and Santa
Cruz Mountains to the east. The Basin is
about 10 miles long and 8 miles wide, or 13
miles long and 11 miles wide at the widest
point). The total surface area of the basin is
120 square miles (76,800 acres). The Basin
underlies southern Santa Cruz County,
northern Monterey County, and a small
portion of western San Benito County. The
City is the only incorporated community in
the Basin. The rest of the populated areas
overlying the Basin are unincorporated
communities. The surface elevations
overlying the Basin range from sea level (0
feet) at the westerly end to 1,600 feet at the
northerly and easterly ends, with the highest
elevation in the City being roughly 250 feet.

Groundwater in Basin is stored in three (3)
main aquifers, including the Alluvial, Aromas
Red Sands, and Purisima Aquifers. Additional
deposits/units are connected with the main
aquifers. The basal gravel unit for example
sits at the base of the Alluvial Aquifer (often
near the Pajaro River floodplain), and is a key
source of water for shallower wells in the
basin. The Aromas Red Sands Aquifer is the
primary water bearing aquifer for the Basin.

The total groundwater storage capacity of
the Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin is
estimated to be approximately 7,770,000
acre-feet (AF) when factoring in the upper
Purisima Aquifer. However, conservative
estimates put the total storage capacity at
approximately 2,000,000 AF. The typical
depth of the main aquifer depths ranges
from 100 ft to 1,000 ft, with the deepest
aquifers at 4,000 ft. Groundwater levels are
often very shallow in the Basin, with many
valley agricultural wells seeing groundwater
levels near the surface. Groundwater
contour maps indicate that the depth of
groundwater during portions of the year
may drop below sea level. The Basin receives
an average annual recharge of about 48,000
AF, which comes from natural sources
(streamflow and precipitation) and from PV
Water’s Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR).

Groundwater in the Basin moves westerly
and southwesterly, toward Monterey Bay.

However, during overdraft conditions,
groundwater elevations fall below sea level,
which reverses the natural gradient and
causes seawater to flow inland into the
freshwater aquifers.

The Basin is unadjudicated, meaning that no
court or board has adjudicated the rights of
the City, landowners, or other agency to
pump groundwater from the Basin. The
Basin has been in a state of overdraft for
several decades, which dates back just prior
to the 1950s. The overdraft has typically
been about 12,000 AF. This is primarily due
to agricultural pumping. In 1980, the
Department of Water Resources (DWR)

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Figure 0.1 Pajaro River Watershed

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Figure 0.2 Pajaro Valley Groundwater Subbasin

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formally designated the Basin as a critically
overdrafted basin. Accordingly, PV Water
was formed in 1984, due in part to the
overdraft conditions. PV Water is a Statechartered water management district formed to manage existing and
supplemental water supplies in the Basin, to
address overdraft, seawater intrusion, and
to provide for unified, local control of the
Basin. PV Water works to provide and ensure
sufficient water supplies for present and
future anticipated needs within its
boundaries, generally the greater coastal
Pajaro Valley.

The key characteristics of the Basin are
summarized below in Table 3.1:

Table 3.1
Pajaro Valley Basin
Summary of Characteristics
Item Description
Surface Area 120 sq. miles
(76,800 acres)
Storage 7.7 MAF
Natural Recharge/Safe Yield 48,000 AFY
Adjudicated Rights None
The total groundwater extraction from the
Basin in 2025 was 44,973 AF, of which
approximately 6,100 AF (13.5% of Basin
Total) was extracted by the City.

Under the Sustainable Groundwater
Management Act (SGMA), the DWR assessed
and prioritized basins throughout California.

The Pajaro Valley Subbasin received the
maximum possible level of Priority Points
(40), making it a High Priority Basin that was
critically over drafted. As such, the Act
required a Groundwater Sustainability Plan
(GSP) or an Alternative to a GSP to be
developed for the Subbasin. The Subbasin is
not adjudicated, meaning that no court or
board has adjudicated the rights of the City,
landowners, or other agency to pump
groundwater from the Subbasin.

Key stakeholders identified by PV Water’s
Communication and Engagement Plan is
broken down into the following categories:
• Cities
• Counties
• Rural Residential Users
• Agricultural Water Users
• Municipal/Urban Water Suppliers
• Industrial Users
• Commercial Users
• Remediation Pumpers
• Natural Ecosystems
• General Public
• Land Use Authorities
• Private Well Owners
• Public Agencies
• Environmental Interests
• Disadvantaged Communities (DACs)
• Native American Tribes

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3.2.2. Groundwater Sustainability
In September of 2000, 51 square miles of the
110-square-mile basin had water levels less
than sea level. Between 1964 and 1997,
freshwater storage in the basin decreased by
an estimated 300,000 AF. Approximately
200,000 AF was attributed to seawater
intrusion, while 100,000 AF was attributed to
chronic overdraft.

Today, PV Water leads numerous efforts to
assess the impact of climate change and
groundwater pumping in the Subbasin,
maintains groundwater and surface water
monitoring programs, and tracks and
analyzes other types of changes over time.

Most importantly, PV Water has and
continues to implement numerous projects
and programs to address these concerns. One
important example is the joint City/PV Water
Recycled Water Facility, discussed below and
in Section 4.

In addition, PV Water has constructed a
distribution system to deliver water from
recycled, blended, and potable water sources
to growers in the coastal portion of the
Subbasin. While the recycled water is slightly
more expensive than well water, some
growers have limited viable water sources
and may rely solely on delivered water, or a
mix of delivered and well water, or solely on
well water.

PV Water has completed multiple water
supply projects and implemented agricultural
and domestic water use conservation
programs, which work in conjunction to help
reduce overdraft, lessen seawater intrusion,
and improve and protect water quality within
the entire basin. The full list of PV Water
projects is provided in the 2014 BMP. A
partial list of key water supply facilities
completed includes:
• Watsonville Area Recycled Water
Treatment Facility (RWF) – The City of
Watsonville and PV Water jointly
developed the Watsonville Area Recycled
Water Treatment Facility (RWF), which
began operation in 2009. The City
operates the RWF, and PV Water
distributes the recycled water for
agricultural uses. Located at the
Watsonville Wastewater Treatment
Plant, the RWF has the design capacity to
produce about 4,000 AFY per year of
tertiary treated and disinfected recycled
water. Recycled water is augmented with
water from the Harkins Slough Facility,
Blend Wells, and the City’s potable water
to increase supply and improve quality for
agricultural irrigation needs.
• Increased Water Storage at City’s
Wastewater Treatment Plant –
Agricultural demand for recycled water is
highest during the day; however, recycled
water is also produced during nighttime

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hours. This project added 1.5 million
gallons (MG) of storage capacity, raising
total RWF storage capacity to over two
MG, and allowing an additional estimated
750 AFY of water supply to meet daytime
agricultural water demand.
• Harkins Slough Managed Aquifer
Recharge and Recovery Facility – This
facility allows PV Water to divert, filter,
store, and use water from Harkins Slough
that would otherwise flow to the
Monterey Bay.
• Coastal Distribution System – The CDS
consists of over 21 miles of pipeline
capable of providing a blend of recycled
water, Harkins Slough water, and inland
groundwater to over 5,500 acres of
agricultural land.
• Blend Wells – PV Water operates two
production wells that augment the
supplemental water supply and improve
water quality.

The City collaborates with PV Water on water
supply projects in the Basin, particularly the
RWF. For the future, the City is working with
PV Water on the following two projects that
will help reduce agricultural groundwater
pumping in the Subbasin:
• College Lake Integrated Resources
Management Project –this project
includes a weir structure and intake pump
station, treatment plant, and 5.5-mile
pipeline to convey water from the RWF to
supply 1,800–2,300 AFY to agricultural
users. While still under design,
components of the project will likely pass
through the City and may connect to the
RWF. As of October 2025, Construction
was nearing completion.
• Watsonville Slough System Managed
Aquifer Recharge and Recovery Projects –
These projects consist of upgrading and
expanding the existing Harkins Slough
pump station, developing Struve Slough
as a water supply source, and
constructing a recharge basin. The Struve
Slough project is scheduled for
completion in 2023 and Harkins Slough
pump station in 2025. Portions of the
projects are likely to connect to City
infrastructure; details are still under
investigation.
• Recharge Net Metering – The program
began inOctober of 2016 and has the goal
of enhancing groundwater recharge by
1,000 AFY. The program incentivizes
recharge projects by providing rebates
based on acre-feet of water infiltrated to
help offset costs incurred by landowners
for operation and maintenance of water
collection and infiltration systems on
their land. At the conclusion of the pilot
study in 2021, the PV Water Board

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approved maintaining the Recharge Net
Metering Program in its current form.

The City and all groundwater users in the
Subbasin currently pay an augmentation fee
to PV Water in order to pay the costs
(administration, operations, metering,
planning, and capital) in proportion to the
demands placed on the system and benefits
received from PV Water services. The City
pays approximately $1.5 million per year,
depending on the City’s water needs. The
augmentation fee is based on the quantity of
water extracted from groundwater sources.

PV Water uses these funds to implement the
2014 BMP and support proposed water
projects that will ultimately prevent further
groundwater overdraft and seawater
intrusion.

Groundwater overdraft and seawater
intrusion are continuing problems in the
Subbasin; however, there are some early
indicators of success. PV Water’s Water Year
2020 Pajaro Valley Subbasin Report reports
positive results in both water use and
groundwater storage, as shown in Figure 6-1.

Improvements to seawater intrusion are
discussed in Section 3 of this report. Many
factors, including precipitation and climate
change, affect these results. The City strongly
supports the continued diligence of our
community in conserving water, as well as the
many activities and projects provided
through PV Water.

Where appropriate, the City works closely
with PV Water to support BMP efforts that
increase conservation, develop new water
supplies, and optimize the use of existing
water supplies.

According to the current (June 2026)
rankings on DWR’s dashboard
(gis.water.ca.gov/app/bp-dashboard/final/),
the Basin has been ranked as a High priority
basin, with a score of 40. This is caused by
the Basin being in critical overdraft and salt
water intrusion in the Basin.

Since its formation in 1984, the Pajaro Valley
Water Management Agency has developed
and updated a Basin Management Plan
(BMP) several times. The Board of Directors
voted in favor of becoming a groundwater
sustainability agency in August 2015.

On December 31, 2016, PV Water submitted
the Basin Management Plan as an
alternative to a GSP. On July 17, 2019, DWR
approved the Alternative as functionally
equivalent to a GSP.

3.2.3. Potential Recharge Projects
The Watsonville Slough System Managed
Aquifer Recharge and Recovery Projects
consist of upgrading and expanding the
existing Harkins Slough pump station,
developing Struve Slough as a water supply
source, and constructing a recharge basin.

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The Struve Slough project were scheduled
for completion in 2023 and Harkins Slough
pump station in 2025. Portions of the
projects are likely to connect to City
infrastructure; details are still under
investigation.

3.2.4. Groundwater Production
Fourteen (14) groundwater wells provided
the City with a range of 6,168 to 7,027 AFY
of water over the last five years. All City
water is treated at each well site and meets
or exceeds state and federal drinking water
standards. The City’s wells are capable of
providing 21,000 AFY of water. The City
intends to continue pumping groundwater
from its existing well sources. It is likely that
additional sources will be explored for future
use to replace aging wells and to provide
sufficient redundancy. At this time, the City’s
wells are capable of providing for both
current and projected water demands
through the planning period of 2050.

The City relies primarily on its groundwater
sources for 90–100 percent of its water
supply and continuously monitors
groundwater well levels. Seasonal (between
winter and summer months) variations in
static water levels are common. Fluctuations
between three and seven feet have been
observed. The City and PV Water will
continue collaborative efforts that lead to a
sustainably managed groundwater basin and
prevent activities that lead to overdraft.

Error! Reference source not found. shows
the City’s groundwater supplies for years
2021 to 2025.

Table 0.1:

Overall Groundwater Production
Year Production
(AF)
2021 7,027
2022 6,758
2023 6,453
2024 6,381
2025 6,060
Average: 6,536
2016-2020 Avg.
(2020 UWMP) 6,630
As can be seen from the amounts shown,
overall water production decreased steadily
from 2021 to 2025. This is most likely a result
of the lingering effects of the State
mandated drought restrictions (see Section
7) and only a slight increase in the City’s
population.

3.3 SURFACE WATER
During years of average or above average
rainfall, the City utilizes a combination of
surface water and groundwater supply
sources. The City enjoys pre-1914 water
rights (S010141 and S010142) on the

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Corralitos and Browns creeks, which are
located north of the City limits.

The surface water diversions flow to the
Corralitos Filter Plant (CFP) and are treated
via slow sand filtration and disinfection.

When operational, the CFP treats up to 900
AFY, though it has a maximum design
capacity of 2 million gallons per day (MGD).

Its operation is limited by the amount of
surface water available in the Corralitos and
Browns creeks.

The CFP operates seasonally, typically
starting in late spring through the fall. During
the rainy season, the CFP is usually shut down
due to the high turbidity of the creek at the
intake. High turbidity is not conducive to the
efficiency of a slow sand filtration plant. The
City only collects and treats surface water
when the creek water turbidity is equal to or
less than 10 Nephelometric Turbidity Units
(NTU).

3.2.5. Pajaro River Watershed
To better understand and respond to these
vulnerabilities, regional agencies have
conducted numerous climate vulnerability
studies. PV Water, the San Benito County
Water District (SBCWD), and the Santa Clara
Valley Water District (SCVWD) entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to
coordinate water resources planning and
implementation activities watershed-wide.

The three agencies, collectively known as the
Pajaro River Watershed Collaborative, led the
development and implementation of the
2007 Pajaro River Watershed IRWM Plan. The
Plan was last updated in October 2019 (2019
Pajaro IRWMP) and is included as Appendix J.

The 2019 Pajaro IRWMP discusses the
potential effects of climate change on the
IRWM region, including an evaluation and
prioritization of the IRWM region’s
vulnerabilities and potential adaptive
responses to those vulnerabilities.

The City relies primarily on groundwater from
the Pajaro Valley Groundwater Subbasin
(Subbasin), which lies within the Pajaro River
Watershed Integrated Regional Water
Management (IRWM) area, as depicted in
Figure 3-4 and Figure 3-7 The Basin
Management Plan, developed by PV Water,
outlines management of the Subbasin and is
discussed in more detail in Section 6.

3.3. SURFACE WATER PRODUCTION
Error! Reference source not found. shows
the City’s surface water production for years
2021 to 2025.

Table 0.2: Overall Surface Water
Production
Year Production
(AF)
2021 0
2022 0
2023 37
2024 243
2025 100

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Average: 76
2016-2020 Avg.
(2020 UWMP) 346
As can be seen from the amounts shown,
overall surface water production is used
sparingly, and decreased since the 2020
UWMP.

3.4. PROJECTED WATER SUPPLIES
The City’s projected water supply rights are
not expected to change. The RWF is not
connected to the general distribution system
and is intended for agricultural purposes
only. Because the recycled water is intended
strictly for agricultural purposes, it is not
included in the total water supply volume.

3.4.1. Planned/Projected Supply Projects
New wells can be placed within the Pajaro
Valley and would be located hydraulically
upstream of the seawater intrusion areas in
order to reduce impacts on the groundwater
basin. The City is currently drilling a new well
and intends to continue to drill wells over
time, but only to maintain and replace aging
wells, not to increase water supply .

3.5. TRANSFERS OR EXCHANGES
Currently, the City has no plans to transfer or
exchange water. PV Water entered into an
agreement for the assignment of 6,260 AFY
of contracted Central Valley Project (CVP)
water from the Mercy Springs Water District
in November 1998. The agency has explored
options to exercise this agreement through
construction of a pipeline to link the Pajaro
Valley with the San Felipe water system, but
currently, this option is not being
considered.

3.6. RELIABILITY OF SUPPLIES
The reliability of water supplies regarding
regular threats to reliability, including
droughts, is discussed in detail in Section 7:.

The reliability of supplies regarding irregular
threats to reliability, including catastrophic
events or emergencies (earthquake/power
outage) is discussed in Section 8:

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4.1. OVERVIEW
Recycled water is defined as domestic
wastewater purified through primary,
secondary, tertiary, or advanced treatment,
and repurposed for beneficial use. Under
Title 22 regulations in California, disinfected
tertiary recycled water is acceptable for a
variety of non-potable water purposes such
as irrigation, groundwater recharge, and
industrial processes. Statewide, roughly
725,00 acre-feet (AF) of wastewater is
recycled annually, of which roughly 5,500 AF
is recycled in Santa Cruz County. Recycled
water is considered a reliable and droughtproof water source that will reduce reliance on imported water. Due to improvements in
treatment costs and changes to State codes
which permit more recycled water use
opportunities, recycled water demands are
projected to increase. As part of its founding
and current operating mission, the City
produces and promotes the use of recycled
water, and continues to investigate further
recycled water opportunities on behalf of its
customers and the region.

This Section describes the existing and
future recycled water opportunities
available to the City. The Section includes a
tabulation of recent recycled water use,
estimates of projected recycled water
demand, and an analysis of potential
recycled water users from 2026 through
2050, in 5-year increments.
4 Section 4:

Recycled Water
Opportunities
The City’s Wastewater
Treatment Facility
(WWTF) is permitted
for 12 MGD of dry
weather flow, and
treats an average flow
of 5 MGD in dry
weather.

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4.2. WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM
The City provides wastewater collection
services to roughly 65,000 persons over a
service area of roughly 21 square miles. The
City’s wastewater service area includes
the entirety of the City’s boundaries and
also the Pajaro, Freedom, and Salsipuedes
Sanitary Districts (3 Districts). Municipal
wastewater in the service area is generated
from residential, commercial, industrial, and
institutional, discharges.

The sewage from the City is collected from
roughly 170 miles of sewer mains. The City
maintains 20 pump stations which lift the
flow through force mains into downstream
sewers and/or trunk lines, which ultimately
discharge the flow into the City’s
Wastewater Treatment
Facility (WWTF). Figure

4.1 illustrates the City’s
wastewater collection
system and treatment
process. The WWTF is
located along the banks
of the Pajaro River,
southwest of the City’s
core, between Highway 1 and the Monterey
Bay, as shown in Figure 4.2. The WWTF is
operated by the City, and is permitted for a
dry-weather flow of 12 million gallons per
day (MGD), and a peak wet-weather capacity
of 36 MGD). The wastewater treatment
process includes primary sedimentation,
biological filtration, aeration, and secondary
clarification. In 2009, the City completed its
upgrade of the WWTF to include tertiary
treatment, thereby making recycled water
an available resource. Section 4.3 provides
further details on recycled water treatment
at the WWTF.

4.2.1 Wastewater Flows
On average, the WWTF treats 5 to 5.5 million
gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater during
normal (dry-weather) conditions. Table 4-1
below shows the average annual wastewater
flows treated at the WWTF:

Table 4.1
Wastewater Flows Treated at City WWTF
Year(s) Wastewater
(AF)
2021 - 2025 5,600 - 6,200
Given the WWTF permitted capacity of 12
MGD (13,400 AF), the WWTF currently
operates at about 50% capacity. All
secondary treated wastewater that does not
proceed to tertiary treatment (recycling)
undergoes extensive monitoring and testing
to ensure compliance with all state and
federal pollution prevention laws prior to
being discharged to the Monterey Bay over
a mile offshore.

4.2.2 Projected Wastewater Flows
Changes to the State water code, including
those recently brought about by Assembly
The City's
wastewater
collection system
consists of 170
miles of sewer
mains and twenty
(20) pump
stations.

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Sewer Laterals
Serving individual properties, the sewer
laterals collect the flows from
underground plumbing.

Sewers Main Lines
Sewer main lines collect the flows from
the sewer laterals and carry the flows
by gravity to downstream sewers.

Lift Stations
Thirteen (13) sewer Lift Stations pump
wastewater collected at various points
within the individual sewers.

Force Mains
The fift stations pump wastewater into
pressurized force mains to discharge
flows to downstream sewers, which are
often larger, "trunk" sewers.
"Trunk" Sewers
Larger sewers collect wastewater from
the force mains, or from upstream
gravity sewers, and carry the flows to
the City WWTF.

Treatment & Recycling
The City of WWTF treats all flows by
filtering out solids and by providing
aeration. Liquid flows remaining receive
disinfection as the last step prior to
discharge.

Beneficial Re-Use
Agricultural Irrigation*
*Indirect Seawater Intrusion Barrier Benefits
(Through Reduced Pumping)

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WWTF
Location

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Bill 1668 and Senate Bills 606 & 1157, will
result in an indoor water use of under 50
gallons per capita (person) per day (gpcd)
gpcd. Beginning in 2030, the standard will be
42 gpcd. Consequently, it is expected that
development and population growth will be
offset by water use efficiency. However, for
conservative planning purposes, Table 4.2
shows the projected wastewater flows:

Table 4.2
Projected Wastewater Flows Treated
at City WWTF
Year
Wastewater
(AF)
2030 5,500
2035 6,325
2040 7,250
2045 8,125
2050 9,000
As indicated by the values above, the
projected wastewater flows treated at the
WWTF are expected to be less than the
capacity of the WWTF (12 MGD).

4.3. RECYCLED WATER
The Recycled Water Treatment Facility
(RWF) is located at the City’s WWTF. The
RWF is designed to treat 4,000 AFY of
wastewater to recycled water standards (as
required under Title 22). In 2020, it provided
3,434 AFY of recycled water. Table 6-3
delineates total volumes of wastewater
treated, discharged to ocean outfall, and
recycled in 2020. Table 6-4 provides future
estimated recycled water use, and Table 6-5
compares 2025 actual and predicted
recycled water use.

The RWF provides recycled water for crop
irrigation throughout the coastal areas of the
South Santa Cruz and North Monterey
counties. By treating wastewater and
making it available to the local agricultural
industry, the RWF protects groundwater by
providing an alternative to well extraction,
supports the local agricultural industry, and
reduces wastewater discharges into the
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

The City collaborated with PV Water to
develop and build the RWF. The City
operates the RWF. PV Water manages the
distribution of the recycled water to provide
agricultural irrigation. Design capacity of the
RWF is 10,000 gallons per minute (GPM).

Because of limitations in wastewater flow
combined with current demand, the
recycled water can be supplemented with
the City’s potable water. The potable water
flows are limited to 2,000 GPM, and the City
reserves the right to limit this flow at any
time. PV Water does not take potable water
between midnight and 5 AM without prior
approval by Water Operations staff.

Recycled water is provided to nearby farms;
however, very little is provided to agriculture
within the WSA. No other urban water
agency claims credits for this recycled water.

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5.1. OVERVIEW
The quality of a natural body of water varies
over time and location, and these variables
must be recognized by water agencies.

During periods of intense rainfall,
contaminants can be washed into receiving
waters, although dilution of existing
contaminants may also occur. Conversely,
during a drought, the concentration of
existing contaminants may increase without
additional incoming flows. These principles
apply to both surface water and
groundwater. As groundwater levels
fluctuate, groundwater passes through
different layers of rock and sediment and
receives substances native to those strata.

Also, groundwater wells that have not been
used over long periods of time can have
water quality issues resulting from stagnant
water. For these reasons, City of Watsonville
(City) 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. A discussion of potential water
quality impacts on the reliability of supplies
is also provided.

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
5 Section 5:

Water Quality
In 1974, Congress
passed the Safe
Drinking Water Act
(SDWA) in order to
protect public health.

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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
ninety (90) contaminants in its National
Primary Drinking Water Regulations
(NPDWR) or “primary standards”). The main
categories 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
Water quality regulations have changed
since the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974.

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 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.

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
In 2014, the
State’s drinking
water program
was transferred
from the Health
Department to
SWRCB.

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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 often use
PHGs to provide information regarding
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. Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6)
As of the 2020 UWMP, California had
previously established a maximum
contaminant level (MCL) of 10 parts per
billion (ppb) for hexavalent chromium (Cr6),
which took effect on October 1, 2024. This
concentration can be described as one drop
in an Olympic-size swimming pool. Prior to
this, Cr6 was regulated under California's
total chromium MCL of 50-ppb. The Federal
Standard is currently set at 100-ppb. The
SWRCB is currently evaluating treatment
technologies and cost estimates for
Chromium-6 removal.

5.2.5. City Standards
To ensure quality of its water, the City
conducts sampling and testing of water on a
daily, weekly, and monthly 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 2000, are archived at the following link:
www.watsonville.gov/777/Water-Quality
The testing is conducted on several
parameters, including organic & inorganic
chemicals, bacteriological contaminants,
pesticides and 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 released to customers. The annual
reports identify regulated substances
(Primary MCLs), secondary substances
(Secondary MCLs), and unregulated
substances (PHGs). The City identifies all
detected substances in the annual reports.

In addition, the City conducted a lead service
line inventory in 2024 and the results are
available on the City website at:

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https://www.watsonville.gov/777/WaterQuality
According to the City’s 2024 Annual Water
Quality Report, the results for this type of
testing indicate that lead and copper were
not detected above the action level (AL).

5.3. QUALITY OF WATER SOURCES
The two main sources of the City’s water
supply are Groundwater from the Pajaro
Valley Groundwater Subbasin and Surface
water from the Corralitos and Brown Creeks.

Groundwater Quality have been really good
Surface water is only zero to 10 percent of
the City’s Water Supply.

5.3.1. Groundwater Quality
Based on water quality monitoring data
ranging from 1990 to the present, there are
no significant changes in the City’s primary
or secondary water quality standards.

Overall groundwater quality is very good,
and water quality objectives are achieved in
all wells. With continued diligence, the City
will continue to provide reliable water
quality and water quantity. The City will
strictly follow the requirements established
by Federal and State regulatory agencies and
ensure that it continues to deliver highquality drinking water. City wells are not currently run at full capacity and can supply
additional water when needed.

Nitrate levels in the Subbasin have
decreased for the past few years but still
remain a concern. High nitrate may not
necessarily be a result of current land and
water use, and may be a result of previously
high nitrate applications leaching through
the soil and reaching groundwater. If this is
the case, nitrate concentrations should
continue to slowly drop over time.

Due to seawater intrusion, chloride levels
are elevated. But, there have been no actual
well observations showing well specific
threshold exceedances in this or other areas
of the Basin.

5.3.2. Surface Quality
the City’s pre-1914 water rights to Corralitos
Creek and Browns Creek. The surface water
diversions flow to the Corralitos Filter Plant
(CFP) and are treated via slow sand filtration
and disinfection. When operational, the CFP
treats up to 900 AFY, though it has a
maximum design capacity of 2 million
gallons per day (MGD). Its operation is
limited by the amount of surface water
available in the Corralitos and Browns
creeks.

The largest quality concern with surface
water is with turbidity, if levels exceed 10
Nephelometric Turbidity Units, collection in
halted until turbidity goes down.

5.4. IMPACTS OF WATER QUALITY

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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. The poorer 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 and the ability to rely on surface
water to supplement supply, the City has a
degree of redundancy in the event of water
quality impairments with a particular well.

Figure 5.2 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’s water system is and has been in
compliance with all DDW water quality
standards.

5.4.1. 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 should be proactive about making
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 (CWC) 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 and Los
Angeles County (County) are responsible for
permitting and inspecting construction and
destruction of wells.

State policy for all functional and abandoned
wells is to establish a “well site control
zone”, the area immediately surrounding the
well alternatively
referred to as the
“wellhead”. The
purpose of this zone is
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
Abandoned
private wells can
pose a water
quality concern if
left unaddressed.

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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
(IWRP, 2007). Additionally, well owners are
responsible for destroying abandoned wells
per the Public Health and Safety Code, Part

9.5, Section 115700.

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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
Construct
Improvements
Or Remove Well Pump
and Adjust Depth of
Pump Intake
Re-Active Well
Once Construction
is Complete
Figure 5.1 Basic Overview
of Water Quality Testing
and Response for
Municipal Wells

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5.4.2. Groundwater Contamination
Response
Currently, the City has a Water Shortage
Contingency Plan (WSCP), Cross Connection
Control Plan (CCCP), and Sewer System
Management Plan (SSMP) and follow the
Santa Cruz County Multi-Jurisdictional
Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) which all
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.

5.4.3. Sanitary Surveys by DDW
The quality of water dictates numerous
management strategies a water purveyor
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 from the degradation of a
water source is increased treatment cost
before consumption. The poorer the quality
of the source water, the greater the
treatment cost. This in turn can decrease
water supply reliability by potentially
decreasing the total supply.

A Watershed Sanitary Survey examines the
potential sources of contaminants in the
watersheds and includes recommendations
for managing these effects. Per DDW
guidelines, the Watershed Sanitary Surveys
must be updated every five (5) years. Since
the City does not use any surface water
directly, 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
Surveys conducted by DDW include
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 (with State
Requirements)

5.4.4. Impacts on Management &
Reliability
As a result of the City’s water quality policies,
the City has not experienced water quality

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issues that affect its ability to meet
demands. As shown in Figure 5.2, when wells
are offline, additional groundwater will be
available through other wells to supplement
water supplies.

Therefore, the City does not anticipate any
significant impacts to water supply reliability
due to water quality issues.

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6.1. OVERVIEW
The City’s water consumption is subject to
significant change from year to year.

Further, water use within the City’s service
area is also variable over the course of a
given month or due to climate conditions.

This section explores the water usage trends
within the City and quantifies total water
usage per customer type. In addition, the
provisions of Senate Bill x7-7 (Water
Conservation Act) are explored in detail.

6.2. COVID PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON THE

WATER SYSTEM
As a result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) Pandemic, Commercial and
Institutional water use had declined. 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. It was then
modified on May 4, 2020. The Regional Stay
Home Order, announced December 3, 2020,
triggered additional restrictions after the
region was announced to have less than 15%
ICU availability. It prohibited private
gatherings of any size, closed sector
operations except for critical infrastructure
and retail, and required 100% masking (with
certain exceptions as indicated in guidance
for use of face coverings) and physical
distancing. The Regional Stay Home Order
was lifted January 25, 2021. During his 2021
State of the State Address Governor, Gavin
Newsom reported that California had
administered nearly eleven (11) million
doses of the vaccine, and that the State was
well on its way to seeing an end to this
pandemic.
6 Section 6:

Water Use
Water use within the
City’s service area
includes residential,
commercial,
institutional, and
landscape irrigation.

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The DDW has stated that the PWS
operations are designated as essential
functions and staff and suppliers are not
restricted by any current orders. This has
allowed water system operators and
maintenance workers to keep the PWS
providing safe and clean drinking water to its
customers.

The COVID‑19 pandemic temporarily altered
water‑use patterns and utility operations
across California. Stay‑at‑home orders in
2020 and 2021 led to higher residential
water use, while commercial, industrial, and
institutional demand declined due to
widespread facility closures. Many agencies
observed shifts in peak‑hour demand and
changes in spatial distribution, with more
water used in
neighborhoods and
less in business
districts. Although
these patterns
gradually normalized
as restrictions eased,
the pandemic
highlighted how
quickly demand can shift during major
disruptions.

Water utilities also experienced operational
and financial impacts during the pandemic.

Many households faced economic hardship,
leading to increases in delinquent customer
payments and reduced revenue stability for
some agencies. Utilities also had to deal with
staffing shortages, supply‑chain delays, and
the need for enhanced safety protocols to
maintain essential services. While most
systems remained resilient, the pandemic
underscored the importance of emergency
planning, financial reserves, and operational
flexibility for maintaining reliable water
service during large‑scale disruptions.

6.3. CURRENT CITY WATER NEEDS
Water use within the City’s service area
includes residential potable use, landscape
irrigation use, commercial and institutional
uses, and of course water losses. Water use
is variable and depends on a number of
factors which include seasonal climate
changes, demographic shifts, changes in
land use or redevelopment, and of course
legislation. Since the City’s service area is
largely residential, changes in residential
plumbing fixtures and customer usage habits
can significantly affect water usage.

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.

The Covid-19
Pandemic has
impacted water
use in the
residential and
commercial
sectors.

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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,
Snowpack, a
critical water
source, fell to 35%
of average by
April 1, 2022.

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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.

6.4.2. Surface Water
Climate change is widely expected to
produce increased storm intensities. These
storms, in turn, increase pollutant
concentrations and sedimentation in surface
water supplies. Intense storms can decrease
surface storage of water because local
reservoirs operate best with frequent, lowintensity rains. In addition, increased frequency and/or duration of drought
events and warmer temperatures will
reduce the quantity and quality of available
surface water while increasing water
demand.

6.4.3. Groundwater
In coastal aquifers, as groundwater levels
decrease, the pressure gradient between
the saltwater and freshwater also changes.

The lower the groundwater level becomes,

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the less pressure there is from freshwater
within the aquifer to resist the intruding
seawater. This process is illustrated in Figure

6.1. The California Ocean Protection Council
prepares guidance to ensure that state and
local governments use the best available
science to incorporate climate change into
decision-making processes. The latest
guidance6 predicts sea-level rise of 1.1 feet
by 2050 and a range of 2.4–3.4 feet by the
end of the century. Sea-level rise adds to the
threat of seawater intrusion.

During a drought, the City can rely on
groundwater for 100 percent of its supply.

However, reduced precipitation and stream
runoff associated with drought events
inhibit groundwater recharge. Natural
recharge has not been sufficient to maintain
groundwater levels in the PV Subbasin, and
therefore, groundwater has been recharged
through “artificial” means.

Artificial recharge captures and retains
water in surface impoundments (dams,
dikes, and infiltration areas) to allow water
to percolate into the underlying basin.

Additional overdraft in the Subbasin is
expected to exacerbate seawater intrusion.

Seawater intrusion is highly detrimental to
water quality, causing chloride
contamination of groundwater wells up to
three miles inland. Elevated chloride
concentrations can make the groundwater
unusable for irrigating salt-sensitive crops
and could require prohibitively expensive
desalination treatment technologies for
potable water.

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Figure 6.1 SEAWATER INTRUSION AND MITIGATION PROCESS
(SOURCE: PV WATER 2014 BMP)

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6.5. WATER USE

6.5.1. Past Water Use
As the population of the City had
experienced fluctuating growth rates, the
water consumption amounts fluctuated as
well. Annual water consumption from 2015
to 2020 listed in the 2020 UWMP ranged
from a high of 7,081 AF in 2020 to a low of
6,349 AF in 2016 with an average of 6,780 AF
as shown in Table 6.1.

Table 6.1 City Past Water Use
Year
Total Potable
Consumption
(AF)
Per Capita
(GPCD)
2015 6,660 N/A
2016 6,349 N/A
2017 6,734 N/A
2018 6,948 N/A
2019 6,908 N/A
2020 7,081 96.9*
Average: 6,780 96.9*
Note: The City’s consumption rate in 2020 was
reported as 87 GPCD in the 2020 UWMP;
however, it was determined to be 96.9 GPCD
during the 2025 UWMP preparation based off
updated water loss values reported in the City’s
2020 Validated Water Loss Audit.

As indicated by Table 6.1, water use hasd
been fluctuating, although generally
trending upward since 2015.

6.5.2. Recent Water Use
Table 6.2 shows the City’s water
consumption over the past five (5) years. As
indicated by Table 6.2, water demands
within the City's service area over the past
five (5) years were met by groundwater from
the Pajaro Valley Groundwater Subbasin
(Basin) and surface water from Corralitos
and Browns creeks.

Table 6.2 City Recent Water Use
Year
Total Potable
Consumption
(AF)
Per Capita
(GPCD)
2021 6,750 N/A
2022 6,409 N/A
2023 5,971 N/A
2024 6,139 N/A
2025 5,701 83.9
Average: 6,194 83.9
2020 Water Use Target: 117
Annual water use since 2021 has ranged
from approximately 5,701 AF to 6,750 AF,
with an average 6,194 acre-feet per year
(AFY). As indicated by Table 6.2, water use
has been fluctuating, although generally
trending downward since 2021.

6.6. WATER USE BY SECTOR

6.6.1. Service Connections/Accounts
The City maintains records of water
consumption and, as of July 1, 2025, bills its
customers on a monthly basis for water and

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sewer service. Prior to this customers were
billed bi-monthly. Approximately fifty-six
percent (56%) of the City’s water demand is
residential. Of the City’s potable water
supply CII sectors account for approximately
twenty-four percent (24%), agriculture
eight-and-a-half percent (8.5%), landscape
irrigation five percent (5%), and other (fire)
half-a-percent (0.5%). The remaining portion
of the City’s demand pertains to water losses
(Section 6.6.2). The City provides no sales to
other agencies, saline water intrusion
barriers, groundwater recharge, or
conjunctive use. Water losses due to leakage
or inaccurate water meters, are calculated in
accordance with CWC 10631(e)(3)(B). The
total number of service connections and
water consumption is shown in Table 6.3,
respectively.

Table 6.3 Service Connections (2025)
Sector Service
Accounts
Single-Family Residential 12,798
Multi-Family Residential 229
Commercial/Institutional 1,147
Industrial 12
Landscape Irrigation 422
Agriculture 1
Total Connections: 14,609
Nearly ninety percent (90%) of the total
service connections are residential (singleor multi- family), since the City consists primarily of residential properties. Singlefamily comprises the largest individual sector with eighty-eight percent (88%) of the
total service connections. Commercial and
institutional accounts comprise
approximately eight percent (8%) of the
total accounts. The City currently has twelve
(12) industrial accounts. The City has
approximately four-hundred and twentytwo (422) landscape irrigation accounts. The City provides sales to only one (1) agriculture
user.

The City’s water rates are listed in Section 9.

Water sales data is compiled by City water
staff and submitted to DWR in the Electronic
Annual Report (eAR) and . The total water
consumption by customer type since 2021 is
shown on Table 6.4. As indicated by Table

6.4, Single-Family Residential accounts are
the highest consuming sector in the City
since most of the City is zoned for singlefamily accounts (with higher densities for multi-family accounts).

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Table 6.4 Recent Water Demand by Sector (AF)
Sector 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Single Family Residential 3,075 2,974 2,784 2,828 2,826 Multi-Family Residential 809 789 776 787 777
Commercial/Institutional 1,092 989 948 961 934
Landscape Irrigation 419 360 292 331 326
Industrial 614 693 582 543 498
Agriculture 699 558 588 652 318
Other 42 45 1 37 32
Total Water Sales: 6,749 6,409 5,971 6,139 5,701
Water Loss
(Real Loss + Apparent Loss) 254 277 460 425 401*
Total Water Consumption
(Total Supply into System): 7,003 6,686 6,431 6,564 6,102 *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 and has therefore been excluded from the average.

Figure 6.2 Current Water Demand by Sector (in 2025)
Single-Family

46.2%
Multi-Family

12.7%
Commercial/Institutional

15.3%
Landscape
Irrigation

5.3%
Agriculture

5.2%
Loss

6.6%

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6.6.2. Distribution System Losses
As indicated by Table 6.4, the District's
Water Loss ranged from 254 to 460 AF,
which on average is approximately six-anda-half (6.5%) of the total water supply into the District'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 District’s Staff prepares annual
Water Loss Audits, using AWWA software.

The 2024 Audit shows that the District’s
Leakage Index (the ratio of real loss to
unavoidable loss) was 1.0, which is below
the 25th percentile of Water Purveyors. The
District’s Validated Water Loss Audits can be
found on DWR’s WUE Portal:
wuedata.water.ca.gov/awwa_plans

6.6.3. 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.

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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 31.3 gallons
per service connection per day (GPSCD) and
Real Loss Standard is 16.1 gpscd, resulting in
a Required Real Loss Reduction from
Baseline of 49%. Apparent Loss Standard is

7.8 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).
• 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 late, on
March 20, 2026.
• 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

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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
(AF)
Calculated/Projected Objective
(AF)
Current use lower than
objective?
24-25 1,414.0 2,258.9 Yes
25-26 1,414.0 2,162.9 Yes
30-31 1,414.0 2,032.0 Yes
35-36 1,414.0 1,929.8 Yes
40-41 1,414.0 1,877.6 Yes
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 the limited amount of water allowed
to be pumped in the San Joaquin Delta, the
California State Legislature drafted the
Water Conservation Act of 2009 (SBx7-7) to
protect statewide water sources. The
legislation called for a twenty percent (20%)
reduction in water use in California by the
year 2020. The legislation amended the
Water Code to call for 2015 and 2020 water
use targets in the 2010 UWMPs, updates or
revisions to these targets in the 2015 and
2020 UWMPs, and allows DWR to enforce
compliance to the new water use standards.

In essence, the bill requires each urban retail
water supplier to develop urban water use
targets to help meet the twenty percent
(20%) goal by 2020 and an interim 10
percent goal by 2015.

The bill establishes methods for urban retail
water suppliers to determine their targets to
help achieve statewide water reduction
targets, which may or may not be a strict
twenty percent (20%) level. The retail water
supplier must select one of the four targetsetting methods as described in Section

2.4.3. The retail agency may also choose to
comply with SBx7-7 as an individual or as a
region in collaboration with other water
suppliers. Under the regional compliance
option, the retail water supplier is mandated
to report the water use target for its

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individual service area. The bill also includes
reporting requirements in the 2010, 2015,
and 2020 UWMPs. Beginning in 2016, failure
to comply with interim and final targets
makes a retail agency ineligible for grants
and loans from the state needed to attain
water self-sufficiency by 2020; however, if
an agency which is not in compliance
documents a plan and obtains funding
approval to come into compliance, it could
then become eligible for grants or loans.

In addition to an overall statewide 20
percent 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, DWR recognizes 10
separate hydrologic regions in California as
shown in Figure 6.4. Each hydrologic region
was established for planning purposes and
corresponds to the State's major drainage
areas. The service area of the City is located
in the Central Coast Hydrologic Region (HR),
as shown in Figure 6.5.

Wholesale water suppliers are not required
to determine baseline daily per capita water
use, urban water use target, interim urban
water use target, or compliance daily per
capita water use. Instead, wholesale water
suppliers are required to include in their
UWMPs discussions of programs they intend
to implement to support the retail water
suppliers, such as the City, in attaining their
reduction goals and targets.

Figure 6.3 California's 2020 Water
Conservation Goals

6.8.2. Exempt Agencies
If an agency has a baseline 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. In such a case, that agency must
document in subsequent UWMPs that its
water usage is still under 100 GPCD.

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Figure 6.4 California's 2020 Water Conservation Goals

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Figure 6.5 Central Coast Hydrologic Region

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6.8.3. SBx7-7 Baseline & Target
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 6.6 and Figure

6.7. If an agency's 10-year baseline is slightly
higher than the Hydrologic Region's target,
that agency still must achieve a five percent
(5%) 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 101 GPCD, which was
calculated from a 10-year period from
January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2010.

Table 6.6 shows historic (January 1, 2001 to
December 31, 2010) water use and provides
the base period annual water use used to
calculate the baseline water use for City. The
data was used to calculate the continuous
10-year and 5-year average baseline.

Regardless of the compliance method
adopted by the City, it will not need to meet
the minimum water use target of five
percent (5%) reduction from a 5-year
baseline as calculated because the 10-year
baseline is slightly lower than the Hydrologic
Region's target. Values for 2001 to 2010 are
from the 2020 UWMP.

As shown in Table 6.7, the City’s 10-yr and 5-
yr baselines were determined to be 101
GPCD and 95. 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.

The selected SBx7-7 target is 117 GPCD [five
percent (5%) reduction from the Central
Coast HR's target] because this amount is
greater than 81 GPCD [twenty percent (20%)
from its 10-year baseline]. Since the City's
minimum reduction requirement of 90 GPCD
[five percent (5%) reduction from 5-yr.

Baseline] is less than the regional target of
123 GPCD, but the 10-year baseline (101
GPCD) is slightly lower, the City can select
Method 3 (117 GPCD) as its 2020 water use
target. Therefore, the City’s compliance
target for 2020 per capita water
consumption was 117 GPCD in accordance
with Section 10608.22 of the Code.

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Figure 6.6 Procedure for Determining Baseline Per Capita Water Use Figure 6.7 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 of Watsonville Water Use (GPCPD)
Year Service Area Population Total Potable
Consumption (AF) Per Capita (GPCD)
2001 58,517 7,345 112
2002 58,445 7,401 113
2003 59,502 7,316 110
2004 61,572 7,466 108
2005 69,982 7,268 93
2006 70,412 7,361 93
2007 70,275 7,598 97
2008 68,306 7,674 100
2009 69,136 7,098 92
2010 64,657 6,756 93
10-yr. Baseline (1996-2005) (SB7: 10608.20) 101
5-yr. Baseline (2003-2007) (SB7: 10608.22) 95
State Hydrologic Region Baseline 154
State Hydrologic Region Target 123
Table 6.7 City of Watsonville 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)
90* 81 117
2020 Per Capita Target: 117
Note: The City will not need to meet the minimum water use target of five percent (5%) reduction from a 5-year baseline as calculated because the 10-year baseline is slightly lower than the Hydrologic Region's target.

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6.8.4. SBx7-7 Target Compliance
Although the requirements of SBx7-7 were
stringent, the City has seen an increase in
water efficiency in the past ten years. This is
due in part to State legislation, stricter
conservation measures, saturation of watersaving plumbing fixtures, and overall water conservation awareness. As indicated by
Table 6.7, the City has already achieved not
only its interim (2015) target, but also its
final 2020 target. The City can 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 which will affect water
demand, such as development and/or
redevelopment, and climate patterns.

Climate conditions will continue to be a
major influence on demand as it will lead to
more frequent and severe drought
conditions, that will increase demand at
times when these supplies are limited.

6.9.1. Passive Savings
The City should experience modest increases
in its water consumption in spite of
population increases through 2050. This is
due to “passive savings.” Passive savings
would be realized by more homes being
equipped with water-saving fixtures and
landscapes. As a result of ongoing water
conservation programs to educate the City’s
water customers, water customers will
become more aware of water conservation
and City-specific policies such as limitations
on landscape irrigation and car washing.

These “passive savings” will assist in
offsetting a portion of water demands from
anticipated population growth in the City.

For future water demand projections in this
UWMP, these “passive savings” were
calculated by analyzing the declines in water
consumption rates. Beginning with a
consumption rate of 93.9 GPCD (average of
2020 and 2025), the rate of decline in GPCD
is projected to be half a percent (0.5%)
annually. It is assumed that water use
efficiency will continue to increase through
water code changes over the next twentyfive years.

6.9.2. Low-Income Water Demands
One significant change to the UWMP Act
since 2005 is the requirement for retail
water suppliers to develop water use
projections for “low-income” households at
the single- family and multi-family level.

These projections assist retail suppliers with
compliance with Section 65589.7 of the
Government Code, which requires suppliers
to grant priority for the provision of service
to low-income households. Consistent with
this Code section, a low-income household is
defined as a household with eighty percent
(80%) or less of the area’s median income.

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The City is an economically disadvantaged
community (DAC). DAC status was
determined based on the DAC definition
provided in DWR's Proposition 84 and 1E
IRWM Guidelines. A median household
income (MHI) of less than $61,600 is the DAC
threshold (80 percent of the statewide MHI).

The City, a 2010 Census Designated Place,
had an MHI of $55,470 (in 2019 dollars),
which is below the threshold and confirms
its DAC status.

The City of Watsonville 2015–2023 Housing
Element identifies that, of the City’s share of
the Monterey Bay Area’s regional housing
needs, 40 percent be designated to meet the
needs of low-, very low-, and extremely lowincome households in the years 2015–2023.

Therefore, the projected water demands for
low-income housing are projected at 40
percent of the water use. As a retail urban
water supplier, the City must ensure that
water supplies are available for these
households. The City has included lowincome housing in the water use projections.

In developing water demand estimates, no
future savings were estimated to occur from
future codes, standards, or ordinances.

6.9.3. Projected Water Use by Sector
Water deliveries projected within the City’s
WSA for 2026 through 2050 are shown in
Table 6.8. Calculations were based on the
City’s 2015–2020 usage and projected
population growth. Water use reductions
from codes, ordinances, and demand
management measures were assumed to
have been included in historical usage
data—no additional reductions from these
measures for the future were included in the
calculations. The City and its residents have
been particularly effective in reducing
residential water use, as discussed in
Sections 5 and 9. In developing future
projections, it was assumed that there may
be only minor additional decreases in indoor
water usage per household; however, the
effects of climate change (e.g., drought
occurrences and temperature changes)
would increase outdoor water usage over
time, resulting in an assumed net-zero
change for residential water use projections.

This conservative approach is consistent
with the City’s master planning approach.

While the master plan is still under
development, the demand projections
included in this report closely parallel the
draft master plan projections.

For planning purposes, the City's projected
water use for 2030-2050 is broken down by
sector in Table 6.8. The estimates per sector
are based on the ratios of water use by
sectors shown in Table 6.4, the population
projections shown in Table 2.3, and a
“passive savings” of half a percent (0.5%).

Figure 6.8 also shows the Projected Water
Demand by Sector (in 2050).

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Table 6.8 Projected Water Demand by Sector
Sector 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Water Service Area Population 65,437 65,941 66,305 66,666 66,988 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive
Savings

92.6 90.4 88.1 85.9 79.8
Demands
Single-Family Residential 2,991 2,939 2,882 2,826 2,769 Multi-Family Residential 813 799 783 768 753
Commercial/Institutional 1,017 999 980 961 941
Landscape Irrigation 357 350 344 337 330
Industrial 605 594 583 571 560
Agriculture 581 571 560 549 538
Other 33 32 31 31 30
Total Water Sales: 6,395 6,285 6,163 6,043 5,922
Water Loss
(Real Loss + Apparent Loss) 396 389 381 374 366
Total Water Consumption
(Total Supply into System): 6,791 6,674 6,544 6,417 6,288

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Figure 6.8 Projected Water Demand by Sector (in 2050)
Single-Family
Residential
2,769 AF
Multi-Family
Residential
Commercial/Institutional 753 AF
941 AF
Landscape Irrigation
330 AF
Industrial
560 AF
Agriculture
538 AF
Losses
366 AF

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7.1. OVERVIEW
Since the City mostly relies on groundwater
and surface water, drought conditions are a
critical issue for the City’s water supply. A
strong understanding of water supply
sources, and the current state, regional, and
local issues affecting those sources, are a
first step to properly managing supply and
demand. City should prepare for prolonged
droughts for 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. The City’s existing and planned
water management strategies and options
for increasing the reliability of water supplies
are also addressed. Shorter tern reliability
planning that may require immediate action,
such as drought or a catastrophic supply
interruption, is addressed in the Water
Shortage Contingency Plan. Demand and
supply projections are provided in Table 7.1
through Table 7.7.

7.2. HISTORIC 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
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
7 Section 7:

Reliability Planning
California has
experienced several
periods of severe
drought, including:
1928-34 and most
recently in 2020-
2022

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previously listed 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 Sacramento Delta
and are the source of water for the State
Water Project) which had an all-time low of
15 million acre-feet of average annual
runoff.

In 1983, as a result of previous droughts, the
State legislature enacted the UWMP Act,
which requires the preparation of an UWMP.

Several subsequent amendments have been
made to the Act to include such elements as
public coordination, recycled water, and
contingency response plans are included in
UWMPs.

In 1991, as a result of the 1987-1991
drought, over one hundred 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
two hundred 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,
Governor Schwarzenegger signed the Water
Conservation Act of 2009 (SBx7-7), requiring
mandatory water conservation up to twenty
percent (20%) by 2020.

In January of 2014, Governor Brown
declared a state of emergency and directed
state officials to take all necessary actions to
prepare for water shortages. As the drought
continued into Water Year 2015, Governor
Brown issued an executive order in April
2015, which mandated a statewide twentyfive percent (25%) reduction in water use, with each agency assigned specific target
reductions.

At the local level, water agencies have
enacted their own ordinances to deal with
the impacts of drought. The City’s Water
Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP), as
contained in Section 8:, deals with Water
Conservation.

7.3. RECENT DROUGHT (2020-2022)
California experienced a significant and
prolonged drought in 2020-2022. The
drought depleted reservoir levels across the
state, as reflected by Figure 7.1. On July 8,
2021, Governor Newsom declared a state of
emergency and issued an Executive Order
calling for a statewide voluntarily reduction
of fifteen percent (15%) from consumer’s
2020 levels in order to preserve the State's
surface and groundwater supplies, 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. On October

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19, 2021, Governor Newsom issued an
Executive Order declaring a statewide
drought emergency.

Figure 7.1 Governor Newsom at Lake
Mendocino in Ukiah on April 21, 2021
In May 2022, Governor Newsom ordered the
SWRCB to 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 acrefeet. 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 different from the planning by other water
managers that are
responsible for providing
water directly 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.

Since the recent droughts have more
significantly impacted northern and centralvalley agencies that use SWP water for agriculture, the City is directly impacted by
the recent drought conditions on Northern
California Waters.
2024 SWP
Drought Plan
consolidates
information and
actions taken
during past
droughts.

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Figure 7.2 Corralitos Creek During Low Flow
Figure 7.3 Corralitos Creek During High Flow

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7.4. CITY SUPPLY RELIABILITY
This section addresses potential constraints
on the reliability of water supply sources
through the year 2050. As the City obtains its
water sources from a combination of
groundwater and surface water, climatic
factors are the main constraint on the City’s
supplies, with precipitation being the only
source for surface flows and groundwater
recharge. The City’s water supply during
normal, dry, and multiple dry year conditions
is best defined in the context of the climatic
cycle that drives the City’s conjunctive use of
surface water and groundwater supplies.

The City closely monitors precipitation and
groundwater conditions to inform
management of their supply portfolio.

7.4.1. Constraints on Water Sources
Based on water quality monitoring data
ranging from 1990 to the present, there are
no significant changes in the City’s primary
or secondary water quality standards.

Overall groundwater quality is very good,
and water quality objectives are achieved in
all wells. With continued diligence, the City
will continue to provide reliable water
quality and water quantity. The City will
strictly follow the requirements established
by Federal and State regulatory agencies and
ensure that it continues to deliver highquality drinking water. City wells are not currently run at full capacity and can supply
additional water when needed.

Surface water comprises average
percentage value of two percent (2%) of the
City’s total water supply. In the event of a
drought or breakdown of the surface water
filtration plant, such as occurred from 1989
through 1996, the City would depend more
heavily on groundwater.

The City is able to supply its customers with
adequate water through several years of
drought. However, during drought
conditions, the City also implements stricter
water conservation measures.

The State of California has set a Maximum
Contaminant Level (MCL) for total chromium
of 50 parts per billion (ppb). The City meets
this MCL. In 2014, the State proposed a
reduced level of 10 ppb for hexavalent
chromium, also known as chromium-6. Six
of the City’s wells have chromium-6 levels
slightly above 10 ppb with an average of 8.5
ppb among all wells. The City engaged with
consultants and engineers to identify the
most appropriate treatment technology for
the chromium-6 impacted wells. In 2017, the
Superior Court of Sacramento County issued
a judgment invalidating the State’s
chromium-6 MCL for drinking water, ruling
that the State failed to comply with the Safe
Drinking Water Act’s requirement to
consider economic feasibility. The State is in
the process of developing a new MCL. The
City is prepared to ensure that each of its

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impacted sources meets the required
treatment levels within the compliance period.

7.5. DROUGHT RISK ASSESSMENT
In Table 7.1 through Table 7.7, the lack of
any deficit in supply for a near-term
extended drought condition is shown. The
District actively encourages responsible use
of water and conservation principles in all
year types; however, there is no indication of
the need for these conservation efforts to
mitigate a shortage of supply.

The quantity of supply available from
different water supply sources can vary from
one year to the next depending on
hydrologic conditions. The drought risk
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:
(1) normal water year, (2) single dry year,
and (3) multiple dry years. For the sake of
this UWMP, the multiple dry-year period is
taken to be five (5) years. Future supply and
demand conditions can be determined from
the following data:
• Population forecasts (Section 2.4)
• Water supply capacity (Section 3.1)
• Recent water use trends (Section 6.5.2)

7.5.1. Basis for Projected Demands
To project future demands, it was assumed
that total demand will change annually
based on changes in population multiplied
by the individual demand per-person (“percapita” consumption rate). The per-capita rates used in the future projections will be
based on actual water use data from the
recent past. Since the City lacking recent
historical prior to year 2025, the District
used the most reliable water data from years
2020 and 2025 as the basis to project
demands through the year 2050. To project
demands and supplies, the following is
assumed:
• Consumption rate of 93.9 gallons per
capita per day (GPCD) as the average
consumption of the City in years 2020 and
2025.
• Decreasing consumption rate (from 93.9
GPCD) starting in 2026 with a passive
savings of half a percent (0.5%) annually.

This brings the 2026 consumption rate to

90.0 GPCD
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
improvements in water-use efficiency Since
2020, the City has seen a seventeen percent
(17%) decrease in GPCD, revealing an increase
in water use efficiency. The City’s
consumption rate in 2020 was reported as 87
GPCD in the 2020 UWMP; however, it was

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determined to be 96.9 GPCD during the 2025
UWMP preparation to include updated water
loss values reported in the City’s 2020
Validated Water Loss Audit. The City’s
consumption rate in 2025 was 83.9 GPCD.

This amounts to an average decrease of
approximately 3.4% annually.

7.5.2. Basis for Projected Supplies
In 2020 UWMP, the City utilized the past
thirty (30) years of annual precipitation data
to identify the single driest year record in
2014 and the driest five (5) consecutive year
as 2012-2016. The City has identified the
following base water years to present the
Year Types:
• Average / Normal Year: 2014
(100% of supply)
• Single Dry Year: 2013
(111% of supply)
• Multiple Dry Years: 2012-2016
(104%, 111%, 100%, 92%, 85% of supply)
Additionally, for conservative planning
purposes, the District’s projected water
supplies will be based off 75% (25%
reduction) of its allowable supply capacity of
the wells, storage tanks, and year-round
direct diversion supplies.

7.5.3. Tabular Comparisons
Table 7.1 through Table 7.7 provide an
analysis of the City’s supply and demand
projections to the year 2050. Figure 7.4 and
Figure 7.5 show a visual pie-chartfor 2030 and
2050, respectively. Based on the data
contained in these tables, the District can
expect to meet future demands for all
climate conditions through 2050.

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Table 7.1 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Normal Water Year (AF)
Water Sources 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Population
Water Service Area Population 65,437 65,941 66,305 66,666 66,988 Consumption Rate (GPCD)1
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 88.2 86.0 83.9 81.8 79.8 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 6,337 6,228 6,107 5,988 5,868 Surface Water 127 125 123 120 118
Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies2
(Estimated Production) 6,464 6,353 6,230 6,109 5,986
Minimum Available Supply 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 Demand
Estimated Potable Water Demand 6,464 6,353 6,230 6,109 5,986 Estimated Recycled Water Demand 0 0 0 0 0
Total Estimated Demand 6,464 6,353 6,230 6,109 5,986
Compare to Avg. Demand from 2021-
2025 (6,164 AF) 104% 103% 101% 99% 97%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 9,961 10,072 10,195 10,316 10,439 Notes:

1. Total Demand = Consumption Rate x Projected Population a. Average consumption rate of 2020 & 2025 = 93.9 gallons per capita per day (GPCD) b. Estimated starting consumption rate in 2026 = 90.0 GPCD c. Approximate “passive” savings: 0.5% per year
d. Projected “passive” savings: 0.5% per year = 79.8 gpcd by 2050

2. Projected groundwater pumping and surface water is set equal to the projected water consumption (demands) shown in Table 6.8.

3. No other potable supply sources are expected to become available.

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Table 7.2 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Single Dry Year (AF)
Water Sources 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Population
Water Service Area Population 65,437 65,941 66,305 66,666 66,988 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 88.2 86.0 83.9 81.8 79.8 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 7,034 6,913 6,779 6,647 6,514 Surface Water 141 139 136 134 131
Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 7,175 7,052 6,915 6,781 6,645
Minimum Available Supply 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 Normal Year Supply 6,464 6,353 6,230 6,109 5,986
% of Normal Year 111% 111% 111% 111% 111%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 7,175 7,052 6,915 6,781 6,645
Normal Year Demand 6,464 6,353 6,230 6,109 5,986
% of Normal Year 111% 111% 111% 111% 111%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 9,250 9,373 9,510 9,644 9,780 Notes:

1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Single Dry Year Increase of 111%.

2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7.1.

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Table 7.3 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2026-2030) (AF)
Water Sources 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Population
Water Service Area Population 65,000 65,110 65,219 65,328 65,437 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 90.0 89.5 89.1 88.6 88.2 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 6,679 7,105 6,379 5,849 5,386 Surface Water 134 143 128 118 108
Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 6,813 7,248 6,508 5,967 5,495
Minimum Available Supply 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 Normal Year Supply 6,551 6,529 6,508 6,486 6,464
% of Normal Year 104% 111% 100% 92% 85%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 6,813 7,248 6,508 5,967 5,495
Normal Year Demand 6,551 6,529 6,508 6,486 6,464
% of Normal Year 104% 111% 100% 92% 85%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 9,612 9,177 9,917 10,458 10,930 Notes:

1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Multiple Dry Year Increases of 104%, 111%, 100%, 92%, and 85%.

2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7.1.

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Table 7.4 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2031-2035) (AF)
Water Sources 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
Population
Water Service Area Population 65,538 65,638 65,739 65,840 65,941 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 87.8 87.3 86.9 86.4 86.0 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 6,567 6,985 6,271 5,749 5,293 Surface Water 132 141 126 116 106
Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 6,700 7,126 6,397 5,865 5,400
Minimum Available Supply 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 Normal Year Supply 6,442 6,420 6,397 6,375 6,353
% of Normal Year 104% 111% 100% 92% 85%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 6,700 7,126 6,397 5,865 5,400
Normal Year Demand 6,442 6,420 6,397 6,375 6,353
% of Normal Year 104% 111% 100% 92% 85%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 9,725 9,299 10,028 10,560 11,025 Notes:

1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Multiple Dry Year Increases of 104%, 111%, 100%, 92%, and 85%.

2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7.1.

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Table 7.5 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2036-2040) (AF)
Water Sources 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040
Population
Water Service Area Population 66,014 66,087 66,160 66,232 66,305 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 85.6 85.2 84.7 84.3 83.9 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 6,451 6,859 6,155 5,640 5,191 Surface Water 130 138 124 113 104
Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 6,581 6,997 6,279 5,754 5,295
Minimum Available Supply 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 Normal Year Supply 6,328 6,303 6,279 6,254 6,230
% of Normal Year 104% 111% 100% 92% 85%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 6,581 6,997 6,279 5,754 5,295
Normal Year Demand 6,328 6,303 6,279 6,254 6,230
% of Normal Year 104% 111% 100% 92% 85%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 9,844 9,428 10,146 10,671 11,130 Notes:

1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Multiple Dry Year Increases of 104%, 111%, 100%, 92%, and 85%.

2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7.1.

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Table 7.6 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2041-2045) (AF)
Water Sources 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045
Population
Water Service Area Population 66,377 66,450 66,522 66,594 66,666 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 83.5 83.0 82.6 82.2 81.8 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 6,326 6,726 6,036 5,531 5,090 Surface Water 127 135 121 111 102
Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 6,454 6,861 6,157 5,642 5,192
Minimum Available Supply 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 Normal Year Supply 6,205 6,181 6,157 6,133 6,109
% of Normal Year 104% 111% 100% 92% 85%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 6,454 6,861 6,157 5,642 5,192
Normal Year Demand 6,205 6,181 6,157 6,133 6,109
% of Normal Year 104% 111% 100% 92% 85%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 9,971 9,564 10,268 10,783 11,233 Notes:

1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Multiple Dry Year Increases of 104%, 111%, 100%, 92%, and 85%.

2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7.1.

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Table 7.7 City of Watsonville Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections Multiple Dry Years (2046-2050) (AF)
Water Sources 2046 2047 2048 2049 2050
Population
Water Service Area Population 66,731 66,795 66,859 66,924 66,988 Consumption Rate (GPCD)
Including 0.5% Annual Passive Savings 81.4 81.0 80.6 80.2 79.8 Supply
Groundwater Pumped (Total) 6,203 6,593 5,916 5,421 4,988 Surface Water 125 133 119 109 100
Recycled Water 0 0 0 0 0
Purchased Water 0 0 0 0 0
Total Anticipated Use of Supplies
(Estimated Production) 6,327 6,726 6,035 5,530 5,088
Minimum Available Supply 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 16,425 Normal Year Supply 6,084 6,059 6,035 6,011 5,986
% of Normal Year 104% 111% 100% 92% 85%
Demand
Total Dry Demand 6,327 6,726 6,035 5,530 5,088
Normal Year Demand 6,084 6,059 6,035 6,011 5,986
% of Normal Year 104% 111% 100% 92% 85%
Supply/Demand Comparison
Supply-Demand (Difference) 0 0 0 0 0
Supply/Demand (%) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Available Supply Capacity 10,098 9,699 10,390 10,895 11,337 Notes:

1. Dry Demand = Normal Year Demands x Multiple Dry Year Increases of 104%, 111%, 100%, 92%, and 85%.

2. All other items determined in similitude to Table 7.1.

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Figure 7.4 Projected Normal Water Supply: Year 2030
Notes:

1. See Notes Under Table 7.1.

2. Surplus = Minimum Available Supply – Demands
Min Available
Supply
(16,425 AF)
Surplus
(9,961 AF)
Demand
(6,464 AF)

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Figure 7.5 Projected Normal Water Supply: Year 2050
Notes:

1. See Notes Under Table 7.1.

2. Surplus = Minimum Available Supply – Demands
Min Available
Supply
(16,425 AF)
Surplus
(10,439 AF)
Demands
(5,986 AF)

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7.6. ENSURING ADEQUATE SUPPLY
As indicated by Table 7.1 through Table 7.7
and Figure 7.4 and Figure 7.5, the City will be
able to meet demands from 2026 through
2050 for all future climatic conditions. If
supplies need to be increased in the future,
this can most likely be accomplished through
re-activation of the City’s Water Treatment
Plant and expansion to accommodate
additional wells, through the drilling of new
wells, additional surface water, or through
purchasing of imported or recycled water.

Besides expanding water supplies, there is
also the measure of demand management
(water conservation), which has more
immediate impacts and helps demands to be
met using the supplies that are already at
hand.

Finally, 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 an adequate
amount of supply can be provided to meet
demands for all weather conditions through
2050.

7.7. WSCP SUPPLY AUGMENTATION
Although the City does not expect to have a
water supply shortage through 2050, as
indicated by Table 7.1 to Table 7.7, 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 These values are also
reflected in DWR Submittal Table 7-5 in
Appendix E.

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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 quickly. 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 longterm 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 City staff and
other local and regional water agencies.

During a water shortage emergency, the City
will activate this WSCP. 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 has six
8 Section 8:

Contingency Planning
Diesel-powered
pumps can provide
emergency water
supplies during
sudden
catastrophes.

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water shortage levels (up to 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-,
50-percent, and greater than fifty percent
(50%) shortage compared to the normal
reliability condition).

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 WSCP is the City’s operational plan in the
event of a water shortage. Water shortages
would occur when available water supplies
are insufficient to meet normal customer
water demands. Various causes can bring
about a water shortage, including population
growth, climate change, drought, natural
disasters, and other catastrophic events.

The WSCP shall address the following ten
elements:

1. Water supply reliability analysis

2. Annual water shortage assessment
procedures

3. Six standard water shortage stages

4. Shortage response actions

5. Communication protocols

6. Compliance and enforcement

7. Legal authorities

8. Financial consequences of WSCP
implementation

9. Monitoring and reporting

10. WSCP refinement procedures
In addition, the modernization of the
California Water Plan 2028 is being directed
by Senate Bill 72 (SB 72). This legislation
provides a clear directive: move statewide
water planning from description to direction.

The California Water Plan 2028 will be
modernized to:
• 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 California Water Code
Amendments
There have been minor changes to the
California Water Code (CWC) 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 were required to significantly

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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 targeting
reducing water consumption and improving
system efficiency. Among the most important
provisions:
• Lower maximum flow-rates for toilets,
showerheads, and faucets (for example,
toilets continue to be capped at
approximately 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 emergency
regulations to encourage Californians to use
water wisely and make conservation a way of
life.

8.3. LEGAL AUTHORITY
As indicated by Sections 8.2, the City has the
legal obligation to prepare and implement a
WSCP during times of drought or sudden
supply interruptions. 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 ANALYSIS
Southern California is expected to experience
an increase in regional demands in the years
2030 through 2050 as a result of population
growth. Although increases in demand are
expected, future demands are effectively
limited due to the requirements of SBx7-7. It
can be reasonably expected that the majority
of agencies have met or were near their
compliance targets for 2020 and will continue
to meet, or will soon meet, their per-capita
usage limit in the future.

Section 7 describes the water availability
during single and multiple dry year scenarios.

Table 7.1 through 7.7 summarize the supply
and demand comparisons during normal,
single-dry year, and multiple dry year,
respectively. As shown, the City is capable of
providing a reliable supply of water to meet
the future demands.

8.4.1. WSCP Re-Adoption
Once the WSCP is revised, the City Council will

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be required to re-adopt the revised WSCP.

This will require a public hearing to receive
public comments on the WSCP. The revised
WSCP will replace the former WSCP, and will
then remain effective until the City elects to
update the WSCP.

A WSCP previously submitted in 2020 or later
may be reused; however, it must first be
reviewed, and if no updates are needed, it can
be readopted as is. It must be indicated in the
UWMP that a review was conducted and that
a previous WSCP is being readopted. Even
when no changes are made, the WSCP must
undergo a new review and adoption process
as part of the 2025 UWMP document. Section
7 of the 2025 UWMP may be used as a
reference to the readopted WSCP.

8.5. City Staff Response
The City has completed a planning process to
prepare for the impacts of hazards that could
impact the City’s service area. The City
worked with its neighbors and stakeholders to
prepare a detailed, multi-hazard plan and to
identify steps to be taken in advance to
mitigate impacts from those hazards. Through
the hazard mitigation planning process, the
City engaged its customers to inform them
about risk and seek their input on ways that
the City can reduce that risk and become
more resilient.

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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)
Construct
Improvements
Or Remove Well Pump
and Adjust Depth of
Pump Intake
Re-Active Well
Once Construction
is Complete
End Result is
Fully
Operational
System
Increase Pumping
from Other Wells in the Interim
Until Well is Restored to Service
Figure 8.1 Basic Overview of
Water Quality Contamination
Response for City Wells

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8.6. ANNUALWATER SUPPLY AND

DEMAND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
Under CWC Section 10632(a)(2), beginning by
July 1, 2022, each urban water supplier is
required to prepare their annual water supply
and demand assessment (Annual Assessment)
and submit an Annual Water Shortage
Assessment Report to DWR. The Annual
Water Shortage Assessment Report will be
due by July 1 of every year, as required by
CWC Section 10632.1.

This section outlines CVWD’s procedures used
in conducting an Annual Assessment,
including the following: 1) written decisionmaking process for determining water supply reliability; and 2) key data inputs and
assessment methodology for evaluating the
water supply reliability for the current year
and one dry year.

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 of
Directors by May each year.

Figure 8.2: Sample Annual Assessment Decision-Making Process Timeline

8.7. WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY

PLANNING
The City first developed a Water Shortage
Contingency Plan (WSCP) in 1995. The WSCP
serves as a flexible framework of planned
response measures to mitigate current or
expected water supply shortages. The WSCP
was prepared in accordance with the
following guiding principles:
• Shared contribution: All customers
will share the burden of reducing
water use.
• Meet basic health and safety needs:

Highest priority given to essential
uses.
• Prioritize reducing nonessential
water uses: Focus on eliminating

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outdoor water and other nonessential uses.
• Minimize economic impacts to
businesses: Minimize actions that
would have a substantial impact on
the local economy.
• Communication at every level to
ensure customer response and
confidence.

Previously, the WSCP was included as part of
the UWMP. California Water Code (CWC)
now requires that the WSCP be a standalone plan that can be updated at any time, outside of the UWMP Update process.

8.8. WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY

ANALYSIS
A water shortage may occur due to a number
of reasons, such as population growth,
climate change, drought, and catastrophic
events. A water shortage means that the
water supply available is insufficient to meet
the normally expected water use at a given
point in time.

Drought, regulatory action constraints, and
natural and man-made disasters may occur
at any time. The WSCP is the City’s operating
manual to prevent catastrophic service
disruptions through proactive, rather than
reactive, management. This way, if and
when shortage conditions arise, the WSCP
allows the City Council, City staff, and the
public to identify and implement predetermined steps to manage a water shortage.

In Section 7.6 the Water Supply Reliability
Analyses includes the following of note:
• During the second year of a drought,
the City’s surface water source is not
likely to be available. The primary
source of water would be
groundwater. This is not a problem in
and of itself—the City typically relies
on groundwater for 90–100 percent
of its water.
• The City experienced a three-year
drought in 2007–2009 and a five-year
drought in 2012–2016. During the
first two years of the droughts, water
usage increased considerably. It was
not until year four of the five-year
drought that water usage declined.
• The Drought Risk Assessment
reviews the possibility that 2026–
2030 will be a five- year drought..

A more serious or lengthy drought, a
catastrophic event such as an earthquake, or
an extended regional power outage could
temporarily impact the City’s ability to
produce water and/or maintain adequate
system water pressure. Minimum water
pressure is required to ensure water quality
and water supply for potable water and fire
suppression demands.

In addition, the State of California has and

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could again declare an emergency drought
water shortage, requiring implementation of
the City’s WSCP.

This WSCP outlines the efforts that the City
will take in the event that it faces a water
shortage or potential water shortage.

8.9. ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY AND

DEMAND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
The City will prepare an Annual Water
Shortage Assessment Report (Annual
Assessment) of water demand and supply,
which must be submitted to the California
Department of Water Resources each year.

Additional assessments may be performed
as warranted. This section outlines the
process required for the Annual Assessment.

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

8.9.1. Decision Making Process
The Public Works Director and/or Water
Operations Manager or his/her assigns shall
perform the Annual Assessment. Additional
assessments may be submitted throughout
the year as necessary to address changing
drought conditions. The Annual Assessment
will be submitted to the California State
Department of Water Resources by July 1 of
each year.

In the event that a water shortage exists or a
water shortage is predicted to occur, the
Public Works Director shall present the data
to the City Council, and the City Council shall
vote to enact appropriate Water Shortage
Stage Level conservation requirements, as
further described below.

8.9.2. Data and Methodologies
The Annual Assessment will include at a
minimum the current year and one dry year;
that is, it will assume that the next year will
be a dry year. The dry year must assume that
the water shortage is at least level one (one–
10 percent water shortage). Additional
information/assumptions to be included are:
• Locally applicable evaluation criteria
• Description of water supply
• Quantification of water supply –
current year supply and one dry year
supply
• Customer water demand – current
year unconstrained demand and one
dry year
• Existing infrastructure capabilities
and plausible constraints (e.g.,
anticipated capital projects and/or
repairs that may constrain supplies
or add capacity).

8.10. SIX STANDARD WATER SHORTAGE
STAGES

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California Water Code requires that urban
water suppliers define six stages of water
supply shortage levels: up to 10 percent, 10–
20 percent, 20–30 percent, 30–40 percent,
40–50 percent, and greater than 50 percent
shortage. Per the Urban Water Management
Plan Guidebook of 2020 (Guidebook), the
shortage levels were standardized “to
provide a consistent regional and statewide
approach to convey the relative severity of
water supply shortage conditions.”
The Water Code further allows that an
existing water shortage contingency plan
that uses different water shortage levels
may comply with the requirement by
developing and including a cross-reference
relating existing water shortage levels to the
newly established six standard water
shortage levels. The City’s 2015 WSCP
defined four stages of water supply
shortage. These have been cross-referenced
to the six stages of water supply, as shown in
Figure 8.3.

Figure 8.3: Water Shortage Levels, 2015
And Current WSCP Cross Reference
The water shortage level will be determined
based on supply conditions, including
changes in groundwater levels or voluntary
or mandatory conservation measures
implemented by the State of California.

8.11. SHORTAGE RESPONSE ACTIONS
Multiple factors, including drought, regional
power outages, disasters, or a water supply
system failure, could cause a reduction in the
City’s water supply. As discussed below, the
City’s primary approach to a shortage is to
manage demand; augmenting supply is not
feasible in the short-term. However, the City
has redundancy in its water supply network
that may be used to address certain types of
short-term shortages.

8.11.1. Demand Reduction Actions
The following sections describe the actions
the City will take to respond to water
shortages of various levels. The City will
implement the appropriate stage when the
City’s annual water supply is reduced by the

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specific levels: up to 10 percent, 10–20
percent, 20–30 percent, 30–40 percent, 40–
50 percent, and greater than 50 percent.

Shortage levels, water supply reduction
levels, and stages of shortage response
actions are shown in Table 8.1.

Table 8.1 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Levels

SHORTAGE
LEVEL

PERCENT

SHORTAGE
RANGE
STAGE

LEVEL SHORTAGE RESPONSE ACTIONS
1 Up to 10% 1 Implement Stage 1 Water Shortage Contingency Plan 2 Up to 20% 2 Implement Stage 2 Water Shortage Contingency Plan 3 Up to 30% 3 Implement Stage 3 Water Shortage Contingency Plan 4 Up to 40% 3 Implement/Continue Stage 3 Water Shortage Contingency Plan 5 Up to 50% 4 Implement Stage 4 Water Shortage Contingency Plan 6 >50% 4 Implement/Continue Stage 4 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Stage 1: Up to 10 Percent Water Shortage
During shortages of up to 10 percent, the
City will take the following actions:
• Expand existing efforts to promote
conservation – intensify water
conservation public information and
outreach programs.
• Allocate additional funds to water
conservation staffing, rebates, and
outreach programs.
• Stepped up enforcement of
landscape water use per the MWELO
and previously approved water
allowances.
• Reduce potable water supplement to
reused water by 25 percent.

Stage 2: 10 to 20 Percent Water Shortage
Stage 2 includes all Stage 1 actions and
initiates several mandatory water use
restrictions and requirements:
• Washing paved or hard surfaces is
prohibited, except by bucket or to
prepare a surface for painting, to
maintain solar panels, or for health
and safety reasons.
• At-home vehicle washing is
prohibited, except by bucket.
• Watering or irrigating landscapes is
restricted as follows:
o Prohibited between 9:00 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m. (except by
bucket or hand-held hose
with shut-off nozzle).
o Allowed only two days per
week as scheduled and
posted by the City.
o Prohibited for more than 15
minutes per allowed day and
method (except for drip
irrigation).

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• Using potable water to fill decorative
water features is prohibited, except
to sustain aquatic life.
• Draining and refilling of private
swimming pools is prohibited, unless
necessary for health and safety or
leak repair.
• Constructing or installing and
operating new commercial car
washes and commercial laundry
systems that do not use waterrecirculating technologies is prohibited.
• Irrigation of landscaping on street
medians and narrow strips in and
alongside of public streets is
prohibited.
• Using potable water for construction
needs is prohibited when recycled
water is readily available.
• Water-conserving dishwashing spray
valves are required in restaurants
and other commercial kitchens.
• Hotels must offer guests the option
to reuse sheets and towels.
• Water use in training exercises is
prohibited.
• Customers are required to repair
broken or defective water systems
within five days.
• Reduce potable water supplement to
reused water by 50 percent.

As an alternative to the restrictions limiting
irrigation days and duration, large landscape
customers may instead limit irrigation to a
set percentage of their water budget, as
determined by the City based on the severity
of the water shortage.

Stage 3: 20 to 40 Percent Water Shortage
Stage 3 includes all Stage 1 and Stage 2
actions plus the following additional
restrictions:
• Landscape watering is limited to one
day per week for 15 minutes
(includes all types of irrigation,
including sprinkler, drip, and hand
watering).
• Irrigation of public parks, public
buildings, and playing fields,
including school grounds, is
prohibited.
• Using potable water to fill swimming
pools and spas is prohibited.
• Repair of leaks and malfunctions in
customer’s water system is required
within 48 hours.
• Allows for implementation of water
rationing if target reduction is not
met.
• Additional staff may be hired to
address outreach enforcement and
leak repair.
• Reduce potable water supplement to
reused water by 75 percent.

Stage 4: Greater than 40 Percent Water
Shortage

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Stage 4 includes all Stage 1, Stage 2, and
Stage 3 actions, plus the following additional
restrictions:
• Prohibits irrigation of any landscape
except for fire prevention, erosion
control, or environmental mitigation.
• Mandates a water rationing system
with financial penalties for violations.
• Prohibits all home vehicle washing,
including bucket method.
• Requires repair of broken or
defective customer water systems
within 24 hours.
• The City may intensify restrictions in
previous stages or add new
restrictions.
• No letters of water availability will be
issued by the building department.
• Cease all potable water supplements
to reused water.

Some of the above actions are also
considered standardized approaches by the
State of California Department of Water
Resources. The City’s Demand Reduction
Actions are listed in Table 8.2—those that
are not included in the DWR’s standardized
list are included under “Other.” Water
savings from each action are estimated, but
it should be noted that these are rough
estimates

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Table 8.2 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Levels
Shortage
level
Demand reduction
actions
How much
isthis going
to reduce
The
shortage
gap?
Additional
explanation or
Reference
Penalty, charge,
or other
Enforcement?
1 Expand Public
Information
Campaign
Estimated
4% No
1 Other 182 AFY
Reduce potable
water supplement
to reused
water by 25%
No
1 Other Estimated
4% See narrative No
2 Landscape – Limit
landscape irrigation
to specific times
Estimated

1.5% Yes
2 Landscape – Limit
landscape irrigation to
specific days
Estimated

1.5% Yes
2 Landscape – Other
landscape
restriction or
prohibition
Estimated
1%
Watering or
irrigating limited
to 15 minutes per
day and method
(except for drip
irrigation)
Yes
2 CII – Lodging
establishment must offer
opt out of linen
service
Estimated

0.2% Yes
2 CII – Commercial
kitchensrequired to use
pre-rinse spray
valves
Estimated

0.2% Yes
2 Other – Customers
must repair leaks,
breaks, and
malfunctions in a
timely manner
Estimated

0.2% Within 5 days Yes

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2 Water Features – Restrict
water use for decorative
water features, such as
fountains.

Estimated

0.1% Yes
2 Prohibit draining and
refilling of private
swimming pools, unless
necessary for health and
safety or
leak repair
Estimated

0.1% Yes
2 Other – Prohibit use of
potable water for
washing hard surfaces
Estimated

0.2% Yes
2 Other 365 AFY
Reduce potable
water supplement
to reused
water by 50%
No
2 Other Estimated
3%
See narrative Yes
3-4
Landscape – Limit
landscape irrigation
to specific days
Estimated
1% Yes
3-4
Landscape – Prohibit
certain types of
landscape irrigation
Estimated
3% Yes
3-4
Other – Customers
must repair leaks,
breaks, and
malfunctions in a
timely manner
Estimated
.1%
Within 48
hours Yes
3-4 Other 547 AFY
Reduce potable
water supplement
to reused
water by 75%
No
3-4 Other Estimated 1% See narrative Yes
5-6
Landscape – Prohibit all
landscape irrigation
Estimated

2.5% (total of Yes

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5% with
drought
surcharge/rati
oning
system)
5-6
Implement or Modify
Drought Rate Structure or
Surcharge
Estimated

2.5% (total of
5% with
landscape
irrigation
prohibition)
Yes
5-6
Other – Customers must
repair leaks, breaks, and
malfunctions in a
timely manner
Estimated
.1%
Within 24 hours Yes
5-6
Moratorium or Net Zero
Demand Increase on
New
Connections
0% No
5-6 Other 729 AFY
Reduce potable water
supplement to reused
water by 100%
No
5-6 Other Estimated 2.9% See narrative Yes
NOTE: Shortage gap estimates for each shortage level are additive to those in the prior level.

8.11.2. Supply Augmentation
The City relies on two sources of water—the
Pajaro Valley Subbasin (groundwater) and
the Corralitos and Browns creeks (surface
water). Groundwater provides 90–100
percent of the City’s needs, because the
ability to treat the surface water is limited by
the high turbidity of the creek. When
available, surface water use is considered
normal and is not an augmentation source.

There are no short-term augmentation
sources available as shown on Table 8.3.

Table 8.3 Short-Term Supply Augmentation and Other Actions Shortage level Supply augmentation methods and other
Actions by water supplier
How much is this going to
Reduce the shortage gap?
1-6 No short-term augmentation supplies
available
n/a

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8.11.3.Operational Changes To Address
Water Shortages
The City has made a number of preparations
to provide water during emergencies.

Historically, the most common emergencies
have been regional power outages and
earthquakes.

While there are no short-term water
augmentation sources available, the City
manages water supply risk through
redundancies designed into the City’s water
transmission and distribution system. The
system is designed as a network so that if
one source of water or zone is damaged,
water can be supplied from another area of
the City. Additionally, most areas within the
service system are served by more than one
source, thus limiting dependence on a single
supply source.

Nearly all source water sites are equipped
with emergency back-up generators and fuel
tanks that will keep the system operational
during emergencies for at least one to three
days depending on the site; this time can be
extended indefinitely by refilling fuel tanks.

8.11.4. Additional Mandatory Restrictions
As discussed in the Demand Reduction
Actions, in a severe water shortage, the City
may implement mandatory restrictions. The
City may also change the Demand Reduction
Actions as necessary to address water supply
shortages.

8.11.5. Emergency Response Plan
The City addresses emergency response
planning through the 2020 City of
Watsonville Local Hazard Mitigation Plan,
Water Emergency Response Plan (ERP), the
Risk Assessment Summary Report for City of
Watsonville (Risk and Resilience Report) and
other periodic vulnerability assessments,
and education and training:
• The 2020 City of Watsonville Local
Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) was
formulated to identify hazards of
concern; develop a public outreach
strategy; identify critical facilities;
perform and review risk and
vulnerability assessments; develop
mitigation actions; integrate
Community Rating System (CRS)
credits; and develop a plan for
monitoring, maintenance, and
evaluation. Critical facilities included
water system assets. The LHMP
addressed a multitude of hazards,
including climate change, dam
failure, drought, earthquake (seismic
risk), flood, high winds, landslide,
liquefaction, and wildfire.
• The ERP is being developed to
address planning and response to
potential emergencies, including

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earthquakes, flooding, and wildfire.

As an example, earthquake planning
included:
o Planning: Review agreements
and contracts with other
agencies and vendors, reach
out to Emergency
Management Agencies (Fire
Department, Police
Department, Sheriff’s
Department, and California
Highway Patrol, etc.), check
equipment, and conduct
incident response drills.
o Updating Seismic Risk
Assessment and Mitigation
Plans: Review maintenance
procedures to defend against
potential damage, add new
facilities as necessary,
remove decommissioned
facilities, and update
procedures for changing field
conditions. Conducting
Earthquake Drills.
• The Risk and Resilience Report and
other vulnerability assessments
review risks to water infrastructure,
identify the highest priority assets,
and establish a plan for risk reduction
through redundancies and/or
hardening/protection of high value
assets.
• Education and training of City
employees and City Council
members for emergency planning
occurs on an ad hoc basis, often
following Federal, State, and County
funding and course availability. State
and National trade associations—
such as the American Water Works
Association, Water Environment
Federation, and American League of
Cities, to name a few—also provide
staff with valuable training
opportunities via conferences with
continuing education credits.

8.11.6. Shortage Response Action
Effectiveness
In the event of a shortage, shortage action
effectiveness will be reviewed monthly and
compared to same month water demand in
previous years. If conservation measures are
not meeting the goals established in Table

8.2, the City may, at its option, implement
additional Demand Reduction Measures,
including those from higher shortage levels.

8.12. COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS
External communications related to this
WSCP are generally done for the following
reasons:

1. General – educational, financial,
regulatory, etc.

2. A change in water shortage level
(Current Shortage) or a statewide
emergency conservation
requirement

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3. An expected future water shortage
level (Predicted Shortage)

4. Emergency (e.g., a sudden drop in
water supplies/water pressure)
Expected communications approaches that
will be used for each category of
communications are listed in
Table 8.4.

Table 8.4 Short-Term Supply Augmentation and Other Actions General
Current
shortagechange in
shortage
Level
Current
shortagechange in
stage
Level
Predicted
shortage Emergency
Social Media and City Web Site     
Sandwich Boards and Electric
Signage in Affected
Neighborhoods

Press Release (Radio, Television,
and Newspaper)
  
Bill Inserts  TBD  
Written and Phone Alerts to PV
Water
  
Written Alert to State and Local
Government, if required
    
Community Center/School
Outreach/Field Trips
    
Community Events/Festivals     
Each change in Water Stage Level (that is,
from Stage 1 to Stage 2) will precipitate a
new round of communications to alert
customers and other affected parties of
current or predicted water shortages. A
change in Water Shortage Level will likely
require State notification. To avoid
confusion, the public may not be notified of
a change in Water Shortage Level unless the
Water Stage Level also changes. Additional
communications may occur as appropriate.

When a communication alert is triggered by
a Current Shortage or Predicted Shortage,
the Public Works Director shall initiate and
ensure completion of the appropriate
communications.

8.13. COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT
Public Works and Utilities Customer Service
enforce the City’s water conservation
regulations. Initial enforcement is focused
on soliciting cooperation from water
customers who are unaware of the
restrictions or have failed to comply. If
discussions with the customer are
unsuccessful in obtaining compliance, the

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City’s Municipal Code includes fines,
doubling of water rates, and as a last resort,
discontinuance of water service (City
Municipal Code 6-3).

Reports of water wasting in the City service
area are handled by the Customer Services
Division through a “hotline” via email and
phone. Customer Service Technicians are
dispatched to respond to reports of water
waste and other violations. City staff offers
free technical assistance to customers to
help address water wasting. If measures are
not corrected, notices of violation are issued
and a timeline is given to correct the water
wasting. Fines are implemented for chronic
offenders.

Customers can appeal under City Municipal
Code 6-3.702 – Appeals to the City Manager:

Any person affected by any administrative or
compliance order, cease and desist order,
emergency suspension, or termination of
service, may file a written appeal to the City
Manager. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Code, this appeal must be
filed with the City Manager within ten (10)
calendar days of the date of service of the
order or of the suspension notification, or
the date of service termination. The City
Manager shall provide notice and shall hear
the appeal and render a decision no later
than thirty (30) calendar days from the date
of submission of the appeal to the City
Manager. Failure to submit an appeal to the
City Manager within the ten (10) calendar
days of the date of service shall be
considered a waiver of the right to appeal
and the person shall be required to comply
with all requirements immediately. The City
Manager’s decision in such matters shall be
final.

8.14. LEGAL AUTHORITIES
The City’s Municipal Code provides the legal
authority to implement this Water Shortage
Contingency Plan through Section 6-3.202 of
the City’s Municipal Code:

In order to conserve water and lessen the
impact on limited water resources, it is
necessary that the City implement water
conservation programs and rate structures
that provide incentives to conserve and
prevent waste of water.

The City will declare a water shortage
emergency whenever it finds and
determines that without additional
conservation measures, the ordinary
demands and requirements of its water
consumers could deplete water supply to
the extent that there could be insufficient
water for human consumption, sanitation,
and fire protection.

In addition, the City will coordinate with any
city or county within which it provides water
supply services for the possible
proclamation of a local emergency under

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California Government Code, California
Emergency Services Act (Article 2, Section
8558).

8.15. FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF WSCP
The City’s water rates are designed to fully
fund ongoing annual costs and maintain an
adequate reserve. Water rates are
composed of a flat fee and tiered per-unit
fee for water consumed for residential
customers. Nonresidential customers pay a
uniform rate for each volume of water used.

Development of the City’s water rate
structure included the potential for reduced
water consumption due to drought
conditions. The rate structure was designed
to generate sufficient revenue to support
ongoing water enterprise fund costs with
reduced water use and the ongoing water
conservation practices and programs that
the City is implementing.

During the Statewide Drought Emergency
declared in 2014, the City imposed
mandatory water restrictions. Due to proper
rate structuring, this did not produce a
negative financial impact. However, a severe
water shortage resulting in a water demand
decrease of more than 20 percent and
lasting more than a year would likely
precipitate the need for a new rate study
and potentially increased rates.

In addition to the rate structure, the City
may prohibit excessive water use by
residential customers. During a local drought
and/or statewide, regional, or local drought
emergency, the City may establish
fines/excessive use charges. Excessive use is
identified through water meters. Under
State law, Chapter 3.3 (commencing with
Section 365) of Division 1, a fine may include,
but is not limited to, “up to five hundred
dollars ($500) for each hundred cubic feet of
water, or 748 gallons, used above the
excessive water use threshold established by
the urban retail water supplier in a billing
cycle.” Excessive use fines are not expected
to provide significant revenue.

8.16. MONITORING AND REPORTING
Under normal water supply conditions,
automated flow meters and a computer
network record potable water production
figures continuously; these records are
periodically reviewed by the Water
Operations Manager. Irrigation use for the
City’s largest landscapes is monitored
monthly by Parks staff and annually by the
Water Conservation program using the
landscape water budget.

During a supply shortage, staff will continue
to monitor water use on at least a monthly
basis to determine the effectiveness of the
WSCP’s water use restrictions.

The State Water Board is updating
regulation for monthly reporting of water
production and other water uses, along with
associated enforcement metrics. As

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necessary, the City is prepared to meet new
reporting regulations and update this WSCP
for monitoring and reporting requirements.

8.17. WSCP REFINEMENT PROCEDURES
The City will review its WSCP during any
change in Stage Level, and more often as
necessary, to ensure that its shortage risk
tolerance is adequate and that appropriate
water shortage mitigation strategies are
implemented as needed. The Public Works
Manager or the Water Operations
Supervisor may instigate a revision to the
WSCP at the request of City staff, Council, or
residents, as appropriate.

8.18. SPECIAL WATER FEATURE

DISTINCTION
Swimming pools and spas are considered a
separate category from water features, such
as ponds, lakes, waterfalls, and fountains. As
noted in Table 8.2, water use for decorative
features, such as fountains, is prohibited
during Stages 2 through 4.

There are no plans to supply reused water
for special water features; there is more
than sufficient demand by agriculture for
reused water.

8.19. WSCP ADOPTION, SUBMITTAL, AND

AVAILABILITY
The CWC requires that the WSCP be made
available for public review within 30 days
after adoption of a new or revised plan;
however, this WSCP was made available
before adoption. On June 8, 2021, and June
15, 2021, the City informed the public via the
local newspaper, the Santa Cruz Sentinel,
that the 2021 WSCP and the 2020 Urban
Water Management Plan (UWMP) were
available for review. The City also informed
the following agencies:
• Pajaro Valley Water Management
Agency
• Santa Cruz County
• Aromas Water District
• Community Foundation Santa Cruz
County
• Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community
Services District
These notifications also included the date of
a public hearing, June 22, 2021, the location
and time, and encouragement of the public’s
participation. In addition, the City’s website
offered the same information.

The Public Hearing and subsequent City
Council adoption of the WSCP and UWMP
were held on June 22, 2021.

The WSCP will be submitted to the California
State Department of Water Resources by
July 1, 2026 A copy of the WSCP will be made
available to the public and the Santa Cruz
County within 30 days after this submission.

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9.1. OVERVIEW
As a result of seasonal droughts and
continued urban development, water
conservation is important to California’s
sustainability. To help conserve California's
water resources, several public water
agencies came together to form the
California Urban Water Conservation Council
(CUWCC). The CUWCC was officially formed
in 1991 when the agencies signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on
urban water conservation. In January 2018,
the CUWCC became the California Water
Efficiency Partnership (CalWEP). Currently,
over two hundred (200) water agencies are
members of CalWEP. The main focus of
CalWEP is to assist its member agencies with
public policy, research, and education tools.

Regarding the UWMPs, CalWEP works with
DWR in order to help form BMP/DMM
policies contained in the UWMPs.

The CUWCC MOU established fourteen (14)
Best Management Practices (BMPs) which
were defined roughly as policies, programs,
practices, rules, regulations, or ordinances
that resulted in a more efficient use or
conservation of water. The BMPs were
equivalent to the fourteen (14) Demand
Management Measures (DMMs) defined in
the UWMP Act, until 2015. As of the 2015
UWMPs, the Department of Water
Resources (DWR) streamlined the 14 DMMs
into six (6) generalized categories, with an
additional seventh (7th) optional category.

The 2025 UWMP Guidebook contains the
same DMM categories for the 2025 UWMPs.

The City acknowledges that efficient water
use is the foundation of its current and
9 Section 9:

Conservation
Measures
Conservation
measures are an
essential part of
the City’s policies.

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URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
future water planning and operations
policies. The City implements water
conservation through a combination of
programs, resources, and policies.

9.2. DWR DMMs FOR 2025 UWMPs
The DMMs are intended to reduce long-term
urban demands from what they would have
been without their implementation. The
DMMs are in addition to programs which
may be instituted during occasional water
supply shortages.
i. Water Waste Prevention Ordinances
ii. Metering
iii. Conservation Pricing
iv. Public Education & Outreach
v. Programs to Assess and Manage
Distribution System Real Loss
vi. Water Conservation Program
Coordination and Staffing Support
vii. Other Demand Management
Measures that have a significant
impact on water use
As with previous UWMPs, agencies that are
members of CalWEP can submit the BMP
annual reports in lieu of providing a
description of each DMM in the UWMP.

9.3. CalWEP BMPs
An active member of the CalWEP has signed
the MOU and implements the water
conservation measures stipulated by the
CalWEP (Figure 9.1). According to CalWEP,
an agency “implements” a conservation
measure by achieving and maintaining the
level of activity called for in each BMP's
definition, as described in the MOU. This
requires a minimum level of staffing and
funding efforts. To document the
implementation of a BMP, an agency is
required to submit annual BMP reports to
CalWEP that document the implementation
of each BMP.

Figure 9.1 CUWCC became CalWEP in January
2018
The City is not currently a member of
CalWEP. However, the City is implementing
the same conservation measures as
described in the previous sub-section.

9.4. CITY CONSERVATION MEASURES
The City recognizes the importance of water
conservation and is committed to promoting
and practicing the sustainable use of water
resources. The City demonstrates this
commitment through English/Spanish
bilingual outreach and educational
programs, financial incentive programs, and
implementation of water conservation at

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City properties. The City also participates in
regional water conservation planning and
outreach programs. The following sections
outline the City’s specific efforts to reduce
current demand and conserve water
resources for the future.

9.4.1. DMM No. 1 Water Waste
Prevention Ordinances
Wasting of Water
It is unlawful for any person to use water for
any of the following:
a) Watering of grass, lawn, ground
cover, shrubbery, open ground,
crops, trees, including agricultural
irrigation, or an indiscriminate
running of water or washing with
water in a manner or to an extent
which allows water to run to waste;
b) Permit the loss of water through
leaks, breaks, or malfunction within
the customer’s plumbing;
c) The use of a hose without a quickacting positive shut-off nozzle; d) Maintenance or operation of any
new ornamental fountain which does
not recirculate 100 percent of water
used;
e) Operation of a new car wash that
does not use the best available water
conservation technology;
f) Irrigation of turf, lawns, gardens or
ornamental landscaping between
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., except by
drip irrigation or hand watering with
a quick-acting shut- off nozzle. (§ 1,
Ord. 1088-00 C-M, eff. April 14, 2000)
Figure 9.2 Water Waste
Landscape Irrigation Systems
The Watsonville City Council adopted the
Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
(MWELO) in 2015. It has been permanently
incorporated into the Watsonville Municipal
Code. The ordinance includes water use
restrictions focused on reducing water use in
new development and major remodels. The
MWELO requires City approval of landscape
plans prior to issuance to building permits
and also requires post-construction
inspections. This ordinance applies to
projects requiring a planning-level permit
that contain over 500 square feet of new or
rehabilitated landscape areas. The MWELO
reduces the size of turf areas in residential
projects and prohibits turf in commercial
projects. It also requires the use of highly
efficient irrigation methods and is predicted
to reduce landscape water use in new
projects by 30 percent or more. The
Watsonville Municipal Code also requires

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that existing irrigation systems be
maintained to avoid run-off, over-spray, low
head drainage, or other similar conditions
where water flows to waste. Over the last
five years, nine landscape plans have been
reviewed and approved for MWELO
compliance.

Irrigation Efficiency Action Plans
The City focuses its efforts on public
education programs to promote water
conservation activities, while reminding
customers of the City's ordinances, and will
enforce the codes when necessary. The
City’s licensed landscape irrigation specialist
will first meet with each business to create
an Irrigation Efficiency Action Plan to
address the water waste violations. Failure
to complete the tasks according to the code
compliance schedule of the Irrigation
Efficiency Action Plan may result in fines
and/or a rate increase if water waste from
the property is observed and documented.

Over the last five years, 10 action plans have
been completed to require businesses who
are chronically wasting water to
demonstrate and implement corrective
actions.

Irrigation Efficiency Action Plans
The City focuses its efforts on public
education programs to promote water
conservation activities, while reminding
customers of the City's ordinances, and will
enforce the codes when necessary. The
City’s licensed landscape irrigation specialist
will first meet with each business to create
an Irrigation Efficiency Action Plan to
address the water waste violations. Failure
to complete the tasks according to the code
compliance schedule of the Irrigation
Efficiency Action Plan may result in fines
and/or a rate increase if water waste from
the property is observed and documented.

Over the last five years, 10 action plans have
been completed to require businesses who
are chronically wasting water to
demonstrate and implement corrective
actions.

Plumbing Retrofit Water Conservation
Certificate Program
In January 2017, the City of Watsonville
updated its water conservation program to
better protect the City’s water resources,
reduce consumption, and follow the
requirements of State Bill 407. This update
applies to properties located within the City
of Watsonville and those in unincorporated
Santa Cruz County that are supplied water by
the City of Watsonville. All properties at the
time of sale must retrofit water fixtures that
do not meet high efficiency standards. At the
time of sale, sellers must complete a Water
Conservation Certificate for Property
Transfers form, or alternatively, buyers may
complete the Transfer of Responsibility to

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Retrofit form. The City receives
approximately 60 certification forms per
year.

City of Watsonville Green Building Code
The City follows the California Green
Business Code, which sets standards for
improved energy efficiency, water
conservation, indoor environmental quality,
and waste reduction.

9.4.2. DMM No. 2: Metering
The City is fully metered for all customer
sectors, including separate meters for singlefamily and multi-family residential, commercial, large landscapes, and all
institutional/ governmental facilities.

Metering is an effective conservation
measure that directly associates cost with
the amount of water used. It also provides
the means for the City to identify and
monitor high-use customers. In addition, all
fire services are metered, contractors are
provided with hydrant meters, and the
water refill station is also metered.

The City will continue to install and read
meters on all new services. To help ensure
that the water is metered correctly, the City
has a proactive meter calibration and
replacement program. Small meters (one
inch or less) are replaced at 20-year
intervals. Large meters (one and a half
inches and greater) are replaced at 15 year
intervals. Meter installation costs are part of
new service connection fees. From 2016
through 2020, the City of Watsonville has
replaced 4,135 water meters, with 244
meters outstanding (pandemic related) to be
replaced, and has scheduled to replace 2,208
meters over the next five years. The
replacement rate over the next five years is
shown in Table 9.1 City of Watsonville Meter
Sizes below:

Table 9.1 City of Watsonville Meter Sizes
Expected Meter Replacements 2021–2026
Meter Size # of meters
5/8 inch and 3/4 inch 974
1 inch 1,045

1.5 inch–2 inch 189
Periodic reviews of customer water use are
done to evaluate the effectiveness of this
measure, comparing current water use with
historic data. Meters three inches and larger
are tested annually (no meter testing was
performed in 2020 due to the pandemic) and
replaced as appropriate.

9.4.3. DMM No. 3: Conservation Pricing
The City has a three-tiered increasing rate
structure that applies to all customers. The
City’s current water rates (as of July 2026),
are shown in Table 9.2:

Table 9.2 City of Banning Current Water
Rates

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Tier Pricing (per HCF)
Tier 1 (0-7 HCF) $3.48
Tier 2 (8‐15 HCF) $3.72
Tier 3 (16+ HCF) $4.31
The City uses a tiered rate structure for
single-family accounts, based on the varying
costs to produce water across the system.

Commercial and other non-residential water
accounts are billed by the volume of water
used at a uniformed rate. Water rates
consist of a monthly fixed service charge and
a commodity charge. The fixed service
charge pays for fixed costs of operating and
maintaining the water system. The costs do
not change based on the amount of water
used by customers. The commodity charge is
split into three tiers for residential
customers and increases as customer water
use exceeds the designated tier thresholds.

9.4.4. DMM No. 4: Public Education &
Outreach
The City’s Environmental Outreach Team
provides bilingual programming to the city’s
diverse population. Water conservation
education and outreach are top priorities of
the Outreach Team given the groundwater
overdraft and saltwater intrusion in the
region.

The following is a list of tools used to provide
information to the public and, where
available, the frequency of use/posting of
tools.
• City website: 300 annual views of
web pages on Water Division, Conservation
Resources, Report a Leak, Water Efficient
Plumbing pages.
• Social Media: City of Watsonville
Facebook and Instagram; five posts on
specific water conservation resources and
facts with community engagement annually.
• Bilingual water conservation flyers
and at least two articles included in the
utility bills and “Our Town” monthly
newsletter are published and mailed out to
20,000 customers annually. Specific water
conservation topics include rebates for
toilets, washers, and lawn conversion, as
well as free distribution of water
conservation devices. Promotion of rain
barrel rebates provided by Pajaro Valley
Water are also included.
• Billing Inserts:
o Annually, flyers are included in
20,000 customer bills on specific water
conservation topics, such as rebates for
toilets, washers, and lawn conversion, as
well as free distribution of water
conservation devices.
o Pajaro Valley Water regularly
provides promotion flyers for rain barrel
rebates.
o Bi-annually, water conservation
articles are included with customer bills.
o Conservation articles and notices of
conservation rebates are also included in the

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City’s “Our Town” newsletter included with
the customer bills.
• Brochure racks at City facilities with
information on Watsonville’s Water System,
water conservation consultation, lawn
rebate, and conservation tips.
• Water rebate information to local
retailers, including hardware stores and
nurseries.
• Newspaper advertisements and
feature stories in the local English and
Spanish publications.
• Annual appearance at local events:

Earth Day/Day of the Child and Santa Cruz
County Fair reach several thousand
residents per year.
• Financial support to Green Business
Program, Green Gardener Program, and
Watersmart Garden web tool with regional
partners.

The City offers bilingual programs, materials,
and financial incentives to encourage
conservation. Providing these tools along
with information and inspiration is what
leads to a change in behavior in
conservation. Programs include:
• Every year, the Outreach
Conservation team has been reaching over
3,000 residents through the Watsonville
Nature Center, discussing water
conservation practices, and providing free
conservation devices and “Lose Your Lawn”
and toilet rebates.
• Ongoing presentations to hundreds
of community members are offered annually
by the City’s Bilingual Community Outreach
Coordinator. Participants receive tips and
free conservation resources to help
conserve water and save money while
learning where Watsonville's water comes
from and about the City’s tap water safety.
• The City’s Environmental Education
Coordinator provides virtual, classroombased, and in-person field trips and presentations to hundreds of intermediateaged Watsonville students each year. Topics covered are local groundwater and surface
water works and water conservation
behaviors.
• Funding Green Gardener Training
with regional partners (not done in 2020 due
to Covid): The City provides cost-share
funding, along with regional partners, for the
Monterey Bay Green Gardener Certification
Program, a 10-week series of ecological
landscaping classes offered in Spanish and
English at the Watsonville/Aptos Adult
School. Classes include water-wise plant
selection, efficient irrigation system design
and management, soil health, and LID
strategies for stormwater management. In
addition, the City financially sponsors annual
“Lose Your Lawn” workshops for the general
public. The workshops draw in about 50
residents each year and result in a lawn
conversion/Monterey Bay Friendly
Landscaping demonstration project at a City

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Park.
• Landscape Audit Consultation
Program: The City offers free water audits
for residential customers and commercial
customers through its Landscape
Consultation Program. A licensed landscape
irrigation specialist is sent to the property to
assess water usage, identify leaks or breaks,
re-program irrigation controllers, and make
recommendations for specific repairs or
retrofits. The customer is also referred to the
Water Smart Gardening web-based tool for
low- water landscape design ideas. The
online tool was developed for Watsonville’s
climate and includes only plants that thrive
here with minimal water. It also provides
technical assistance on irrigation systems
and soil issues, as well as local resources,
including retailers, classes, and contact
information for certified Green Gardeners.

To identify the top water users in all
customer categories, the City performs an
annual evaluation of the water usage by
customer account. Customers with high
usage are offered the free Landscape
Consultation, landscape water conservation
program rebate information, and certified
Green Gardeners contact information.
• High-Efficiency Clothes Washers
Rebates: Customers who purchase
qualifying high- efficiency clothes washers
can receive a City rebate of $100. This
program includes washers in laundry rooms
of apartment complexes and other high-use
locations. Over the last five years, 362
rebates were issued to replace washers. City
staff have observed a market saturation with
a decrease in demand for this program, and
the rebate may no longer be necessary as
the price gap between an Energy Star and
Non-Energy Star Clothes Washers is now
minimal.
• Free Showerheads, Hose Nozzles,
Faucet Aerators, and Shower Timers: These
devices are offered during the Landscape
Water Consultation and at the City’s Nature
Center. In both programs, staff ensures that
devices meet the customer’s need with a
high likelihood of effective usage. The
Watsonville Nature Center
provided an average of 654 low-flow
showerheads, aerators, and hose nozzles on
an annual basis over the last five years,
saving an estimated minimum of 2.5 million
gallons of water.
• DWR Grant Collaborations: In
addition to offering free water-saving
devices through the Nature Center, the City
partnered with Ecology Action to implement
a Department of Water Resources
Water/Energy Grant in 2017/18 to complete
direct installation of water conservation
measures at residential and commercial
food service properties in disadvantaged
community census tracts. This program
served 1,482 properties in the City’s service
area and reduced water demand by

28.9 million gallons annually. A summary of
results from this project is below.