Analysis:
The bargaining unit vacancy rates are as follows:
• Confidential: 16.7% vacancy
• Executive: 0.0% vacancy
• Fire, Local 3793: 4.0% vacancy
• Fire Management: 0.0% vacancy
• First Level Managers: 9.1% vacancy
• Local 1: 13.8% vacancy
• Mid-Managers: 22.2% vacancy
• Police First Level Managers: 0.0% vacancy
• Police Mid-Managers: 16.7% vacancy
• Police Officers' Association: 17.9% vacancy
The Human Resources Department will continue efforts to improve upon recruitment and retention by working to modernize rules, streamline processes, and provide more flexibility. Human Resources will continue to monitor the City’s recruitment process to ensure that recruitments are completed efficiently and result in the selection of the best qualified candidate for the City of Yuba City.
All City bargaining units have been notified of this public hearing and have received a copy of this presentation. All have been offered an opportunity to make a presentation. The Mid-Manager bargaining unit with a vacancy rate of over 20% did not request reporting of additional information in the public hearing.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no impact to the general fund. There is no fiscal impact to receive a report from City staff on the status of vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts; and to conduct a Public Hearing as required by Government Code Section 3502.3.
Alternatives:
None. The City is required to present the attached report and conduct a Public Hearing to comply with California state law, AB 2561.
Recommendation:
Receive a report from City staff on the status of vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts; and conduct a Public Hearing as required by Government Code Section 3502.3.
Attachments:
None
Prepared By: Submitted By:
Aricka Espinoza
Administrative Analyst
Robert Bendorf
City Manager
Agenda Item 19
CITY OF YUBA CITY
STAFF REPORT
Date: June 2, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor & Members of the City Council;
From: Utilities Department
Presentation By: Christian Elder, Water Treatment Plant Supervisor, & Robert Heather, Zanjero (Consultant)
Summary
Subject: 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan Recommendation: A. Conduct a Public Hearing; and
B. Adopt a Resolution adopting the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and authorizing the Utilities Director to submit the Plan to the California Department of Water Resources
C. Adopt a Resolution adopting the Water Shortage Contingency Plan and authorizing the Utilities Director to submit the Plan to the California Department of Water Resources
Fiscal Impact: Without an approved Urban Water Management Plan, the City would be ineligible to receive grants, loans, or drought assistance through the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).
Purpose:
To support long-term resource planning, ensure adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and future water demands, and to identify implementation measures to address water shortages.
Council's Strategic Focus Areas:
This project addresses the City’s Strategic Focus Areas of Safe Communities and Workforce Excellence by supporting reliable water service, operational preparedness, and long-term water resource planning.
Background:
To strengthen local and regional water management and drought planning, the Urban Water Management Planning Act (UWMPA) was signed into law in 1983. Since then, the Legislature has amended the UWMPA to require additional details in Urban Water Management Plans (UWMP), including addressing resilience to drought and climate change.
The UWMPA requires urban water suppliers serving over 3,000 customers or supplying at least 3,000 acrefeet of water annually to prepare and adopt an UWMP every five years, and demonstrate water supply reliability in a normal year, single dry year, and droughts lasting at least five years over a twenty-year planning horizon. The UWMPA also requires each urban water supplier to prepare a drought risk
assessment and water shortage contingency plan.
The UWMP provides a water management planning foundation, outlining the City’s past and current, as well as projected future, water supply and demand conditions.
The Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) addresses possible conditions in which the water supply available to customers is insufficient to meet the normally expected customer water use at a given point in time due to a drought, regulatory action constraints, and natural and man-made disasters. The WSCP describes the City’s strategy for allocating water during such water supply shortages, while assuring customers that at all times it will meet the minimum health and safety requirements of a drinking water purveyor.
Per California Water Code (CWC) § 10642, the City published a notice of Public Hearing in the Appeal Democrat on May 7 and May 14.
Analysis:
Consistent with the requirements of CWC § 10631, the City’s 2025 UWMP contains:
1. A description of the City’s water service area, including current and projected population, climate, and other social, economic, and demographic factors affecting the supplier's water management planning. The description shall include the current and projected land uses within the existing or anticipated service area affecting the supplier's water management planning.
2. An assessment of existing and planned water supply sources in five-year increments, including supporting information required by statute, as well as an evaluation of water supply reliability under varying hydrologic conditions, including up to a five-year drought scenario.
3. Opportunities for exchanges or transfers of water
4. An assessment of water demands by customer type
5. A description of demand management measures implemented or planned to be implemented
6. An explanation of water management strategies designed to integrate supply and demand conditions
7. Discussion on climate change and any potential impacts
8. A Water Shortage Contingency Plan
SUPPLY CHARACTERIZATION
Total Potential Supplies Through 2050
WATER SERVICE RELIABILITY
Long Term Reliability (Normal and Single Dry Year Scenarios) Water Shortage Contingency Planning
The Urban Water Management Planning Act (UWMPA) requires that the Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) must include a Water Shortage Contingency Plan that outlines staged response actions for varying levels of water supply shortages, including scenarios involving reductions exceeding 50 percent of available supply. As part of these requirements, the City must establish mandatory water use prohibitions and implement consumption reduction measures during the most severe shortage stages.
The City's Water Shortage Contingency Plan includes 6 stages, which includes voluntary and mandatory conservation measures. Supply shortages and City Council action will trigger the different stages. A description of each stage is as follows:
Stage Percent Shortage Water Supply Condition
1 Up to 10% Water Alert
2 Up to 20% Water Warning
3 Up to 30% Severe Shortage
4 Up to 40% Critical Shortage
5 Up to 50% Water Crisis
6 Greater than 50% Water Emergency
The Water Shortage Contingency Plan includes restrictions and prohibitions on water customers specific to each stage.
The Public Review Draft of the UWMP is available for review at City Hall, 1201 Civic Center Boulevard, or can be found on the City’s website at www.yubacity.net/departments/public_works/utilities/water/.
Fiscal Impact:
Without an approved Urban Water Management Plan, the City may not be eligible to receive grants, loans, or drought assistance through the California Department of Water Resources.
Environmental Review:
California Water Code § 10652 provides that the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply to the preparation and adoption of Urban Water Management Plans or to projects implementing such plans under CWC § 10632.
Alternatives:
Conduct a public hearing, and direct staff to make modifications to the Draft 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and/or Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
Recommendation:
A. Conduct a Public Hearing, and
B. Adopt a Resolution adopting the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and authorizing the Utilities Director to submit the Plan to the California Department of Water Resources C. Adopt a Resolution adopting the Water Shortage Contingency Plan and authorizing the Utilities Director to submit the Plan to the California Department of Water Resources Attachments:
1. Resolution - UWMP
2. Resolution - WSCP
3. City of Yuba City 2025 UWMP Public Review Draft
Prepared By: Submitted By:
Mylaina McMurray
Administrative Analyst II
Robert Bendorf
City Manager
ATTACHMENT 1
RESOLUTION NO. _________
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YUBA CITY ADOPTING THE 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN AND AUTHORIZING THE
UTILITIES DIRECTOR TO SUBMIT THE PLANS TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
WATER RESOURCES
WHEREAS, the Urban Water Management Planning Act requires every urban water supplier providing water for municipal purposes to more than 3,000 customers to adopt and submit an Urban Water Management Plan to the California Department of Water Resources and the California State Library every five years; and
WHEREAS, the City of Yuba City has prepared an Urban Water Management Plan, published a Notice of Public Hearing pursuant to California Water Code 10642, published May 7 and May 14, 2026, and held the appropriate Public Hearing.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Yuba City that the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan is hereby adopted, subject to minor and typographical edits as deemed necessary by the Utilities Director.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Utilities Director is hereby authorized to submit the Plan to the California Department of Water Resources.
The foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced, passed, and adopted by the City Council of the City of Yuba City at a regular meeting thereof held on the 2nd day of June, 2026.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
________________________________
Marc Boomgaarden, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________
Ciara Wakefield, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM
COUNSEL FOR YUBA CITY
______________________________
Shannon L. Chaffin, City Attorney
Aleshire & Wynder, LLP
ATTACHMENT 2
RESOLUTION NO. _________
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YUBA CITY
ADOPTING THE WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN AND AUTHORIZING THE
UTILITIES DIRECTOR TO SUBMIT THE PLANS TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
WATER RESOURCES
WHEREAS, the Urban Water Management Planning Act requires every urban water supplier providing water for municipal purposes to more than 3,000 customers to adopt and submit a Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) as part of an Urban Water Management Plan every five years to the California Department of Water Resources; and WHEREAS, the City of Yuba City has prepared a Water Shortage Contingency Plan, published a Notice of Public Hearing pursuant to California Water Code 10642, published May 7 and May 14, 2026, and held the appropriate Public Hearing.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Yuba City that the Water Shortage Contingency Plan is hereby adopted, subject to minor and typographical edits as deemed necessary by the Utilities Director.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Utilities Director is hereby authorized to submit the Plan to the California Department of Water Resources.
The foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced, passed, and adopted by the City Council of the City of Yuba City at a regular meeting thereof held on the 2nd day of June, 2026.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
________________________________
Marc Boomgaarden, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________
Ciara Wakefield, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM
COUNSEL FOR YUBA CITY
______________________________
Shannon L. Chaffin, City Attorney
Aleshire & Wynder, LLP
Public Review Draft – June 2, 2026
2025 Urban Water Management Plan
Prepared By:
Table of Contents
Executive Summary/Layperson’s Description.......................................................................................ES-1 ES-1 City of Yuba City .................................................................................................................ES-2 ES-2 Water Service Reliability .....................................................................................................ES-4 CHAPTER 1 Introduction........................................................................................................................1-1
1.1. Background and Purpose......................................................................................................1-1
1.2. Basis for Plan Preparation.....................................................................................................1-2
1.3. Coordination and Outreach ..................................................................................................1-3
1.3.1. Statutory Requirements for Notice ....................................................................................1-4
1.4. Public Hearing, Adoption, and Submittal ...............................................................................1-5
1.5. Document Organization........................................................................................................1-5 CHAPTER 2 Water Service and System Description.................................................................................2-1
2.1. Service Area Climate ............................................................................................................2-3
2.1.1. Climate Change ...............................................................................................................2-5
2.2. Current and Projected Population, Land Use, Economy, and Demographics ...........................2-7
2.2.1. Current Population and Historic Trends.............................................................................2-7
2.2.2. Projected Population........................................................................................................2-8
2.2.3. Current and Projected Land Use .......................................................................................2-8
2.2.4. Economic Trends & Other Social and Demographic Factors .............................................2-12
2.2.5. Expected Population Based Upon Land-Use Planning ......................................................2-13
2.3. Delivery System Details ......................................................................................................2-14
2.3.1. Potable Water System ....................................................................................................2-14
2.4. Energy Intensity..................................................................................................................2-16 CHAPTER 3 Water Supply ......................................................................................................................3-1
3.1. Surface Water Supplies ........................................................................................................3-1
3.1.1. Yuba City State Water Project Contract .............................................................................3-1
3.1.2. SWP Carryover Supplies ...................................................................................................3-6
3.1.3. Water Right License 13855 .............................................................................................3-10
3.1.4. Water Right Permit 18558...............................................................................................3-12
3.1.5. North Yuba Water District Contract (Permit 11518 Terms) ...............................................3-15
3.2. Groundwater......................................................................................................................3-17
3.2.1. Sutter Groundwater Subbasin.........................................................................................3-17 Holocene Stream Channel and Floodplain Deposits .....................................................................3-18
3.2.2. Groundwater Basin Management by the City of Yuba City.................................................3-19
3.2.3. City’s Groundwater Use..................................................................................................3-20
3.3. Transfers and Exchanges ....................................................................................................3-22
3.4. Water Quality .....................................................................................................................3-22
3.5. Planned Projects ................................................................................................................3-23
3.6. Desalination.......................................................................................................................3-24
3.7. Recycled Water Supplies ....................................................................................................3-24
3.8. Bay Delta Plan....................................................................................................................3-26
3.9. Supply Summary ................................................................................................................3-27 CHAPTER 4 Water Use...........................................................................................................................4-1
4.1. Current Customer Water Use................................................................................................4-1
4.1.1. Customer Water Use: 2021 to 2024 ..................................................................................4-1
4.1.2. Customer Use in 2025......................................................................................................4-4
4.1.3. Existing Distribution System Losses ..................................................................................4-5
4.1.4. Water Loss Control Standard............................................................................................4-6
4.1.5. Water Treatment Plant Process Water...............................................................................4-6
4.2. Compliance with Water Use Target and Objectives ................................................................4-7
4.2.1. Compliance with 2020 Urban Water Use Target.................................................................4-7
4.3. Demand Management Measures...........................................................................................4-7
4.3.1. Foundational Demand Management Measures..................................................................4-8 Water Waste Prevention Ordinances ..............................................................................................4-8 Metering........................................................................................................................................4-8 Conservation Pricing .....................................................................................................................4-9 Public Education and Outreach......................................................................................................4-9 Programs to Assess and Manage Distribution System Real Loss ....................................................4-16 Water Conservation Program Coordination and Staffing Support...................................................4-16
4.3.2. Recent DMM Activities....................................................................................................4-16
4.3.3. Planned DMM Activities ..................................................................................................4-17
4.4. Forecasting Customer Use..................................................................................................4-17
4.4.1. Representative Current Water Use..................................................................................4-17
4.4.2. Factors Affecting Future Customer Use...........................................................................4-18 Water Conservation Directives.....................................................................................................4-18 Prohibition on Non-Functional Turf...............................................................................................4-19 Requirements in California Building Code ....................................................................................4-21 California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.................................................................4-21 Metering, Volumetric Pricing, Water Budgets ................................................................................4-22
4.4.3. Customer Water Use Forecast........................................................................................4-22 Existing Customer Future Use ......................................................................................................4-22 New Customer Future Use...........................................................................................................4-23 New Residential Customer Water Use..........................................................................................4-23 New Non-Residential Customer Water Use ..................................................................................4-25
4.4.4. Summary of Forecast Water Use.....................................................................................4-26
4.4.5. Adjusting Water Use Forecasts for Single-Dry and Multiple Dry Conditions .......................4-27
4.4.6. Climate Change Conditions............................................................................................4-28
4.5. Projecting Disadvantaged Community Water Use ................................................................4-28 CHAPTER 5 Water System Reliability......................................................................................................5-1
5.1. Five Year Drought Risk Assessment.......................................................................................5-1
5.2. Long Term Service Reliability.................................................................................................5-3
5.2.1. Normal and Single Dry Year Conditions (2030-2050) .........................................................5-3
5.2.2. Five Consecutive Dry Years (2030-2050)...........................................................................5-4
5.3. Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment.....................................................................5-5
5.4. Water Supply Reliability Summary.........................................................................................5-5 CHAPTER 6 Water Shortage Contingency Plan........................................................................................6-1
6.1. Water Supply Reliability Analysis...........................................................................................6-2
6.2. Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment Procedures...................................................6-2
6.2.1. Analytical and Decision-making Processes........................................................................6-3
6.2.2. Submittal Procedures.......................................................................................................6-4
6.3. Six Standard Water Shortage Stages and Triggers...................................................................6-4
6.4. Shortage Response Actions ..................................................................................................6-4
6.4.1. Stages of Shortage Response Actions................................................................................6-5 Shortage Response Actions ...........................................................................................................6-7
6.4.2. Demand Reduction Actions ............................................................................................6-12
6.4.3. Supply Augmentation Actions .........................................................................................6-12
6.4.4. Operational Changes......................................................................................................6-13
6.4.5. Mandatory Prohibitions ..................................................................................................6-14
6.4.6. Emergency Operations Plan for Catastrophic Water Shortages ........................................6-14
6.4.7. Seismic Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan..................................................................6-16
6.5. Communication Protocols ..................................................................................................6-16
6.6. Compliance and Enforcement ............................................................................................6-17
6.7. Legal Authorities ................................................................................................................6-18
6.8. Financial Consequences ....................................................................................................6-19
6.8.1. Revenue and Expenditure Impacts ..................................................................................6-19
6.8.2. Drought Rate Structures and Surcharges.........................................................................6-20
6.9. Monitoring and Reporting....................................................................................................6-20
6.10. Re-evaluation Procedures...................................................................................................6-21
6.11. Special Water Feature Distinction .......................................................................................6-21
6.12. Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Availability............................................................................6-22 Appendix A Notifications .......................................................................................................................A-1 Appendix B DWR Submittal Tables .........................................................................................................B-1 Appendix C Adopting Resolutions ......................................................................................................... C-1
List of Tables
Table 1-1: Public Water System Information...........................................................................................1-2 Table 1-2: Public and Agency Coordination ............................................................................................1-4 Table 2-1: Customer Water Service Connections....................................................................................2-2 Table 2-2: Historical Population.............................................................................................................2-8 Table 2-3: Population Forecast ..............................................................................................................2-8 Table 2-4: Summary of Land Use Plans in Yuba City with Anticipated Future Residential Units..................2-9 Table 2-5: Forecast Residential Housing, Population and Growth Rate ..................................................2-14 Table 2-6: Energy Intensity – Total Utility Approach ...............................................................................2-17 Table 3-1: Yuba City Table A Allocations, 2016 – 2025 (acre-feet)............................................................3-3 Table 3-2: SWP Estimated Table A Deliveries from DCR (TAF)..................................................................3-4 Table 3-3: SWP Future Table A Projected Normal Year Water Year Deliveries (acre-feet) ..........................3-4 Table 3-4: SWP Allocation for Five Consecutive Dry Years from 2026-2030..............................................3-5 Table 3-5: Future SWP Allocations by Year Type Through 2050 (acre-feet) ...............................................3-6 Table 3-6: Yuba City Historic SWP Carryover (acre-feet)..........................................................................3-7 Table 3-7: Future Contribution to Table A Carryover Supplies from 2026 Through 2030 (acre-feet) ...........3-8 Table 3-8: Future Available Table A Carryover Through 2050 (acre-feet).................................................3-10 Table 3-9: City Use Under License 13855 Since 2015 (acre-feet)...........................................................3-11 Table 3-10: Monthly Availability of License 13855 Through 2030 (acre-feet)...........................................3-12 Table 3-11: Annual Availability of License 13855 Through 2050 (acre-feet)............................................3-12 Table 3-12: City Water Use Under Permit 18558 Since 2015 (acre-feet).................................................3-13 Table 3-13: Monthly Availability of Permit 18558 Through 2030 (acre-feet) ............................................3-14 Table 3-14: Annual Availability of License 13855 Through 2050 (acre-feet)............................................3-14 Table 3-15: Last Five Years Monthly Water Use Under Agreement Between City and District (acre-feet)..3-16 Table 3-16: Monthly Water Supplies Under Agreement Through 2030 (acre-feet) ...................................3-16 Table 3-17: Projected Annual Water Supplies Under Agreement Through 2050 (acre-feet) .....................3-17 Table 3-18: Last 10 Years of Groundwater Use (acre-feet).....................................................................3-21 Table 3-19: Groundwater Supply in Varying Year Types (acre-feet).........................................................3-21 Table 3-20: Future Projected Groundwater Supply Availability Through 2050 (acre-feet) ........................3-22 Table 3-21: Yuba City Potable Water Quality.........................................................................................3-23 Table 3-22: 2025 Recycled Water Use (acre-feet) .................................................................................3-25 Table 3-23: Projected Recycled Water Supply Through 2030 (acre-feet) ................................................3-25 Table 3-24: Projected Recycled Water Supply Through 2050 (acre-feet) ................................................3-26 Table 3-25: Potable Supply Availability in Varying Year Types Through 2030 (acre-feet) ..........................3-28
Table 3-26: Future Projected Total Potable Supply Availability Through 2050 (acre-feet) ........................3-28 Table 4-1: Potable Customer Use 2021 to 2024 (acre-feet).....................................................................4-3 Table 4-2: 2025 Potable Water Use ........................................................................................................4-4 Table 4-3: Distribution System Loss: 2021 through 2025.........................................................................4-5 Table 4-4: Historic Water Treatment Plant Process Water (AF) ................................................................4-6 Table 4-5: Regional Rebates and Installations from 2021-2025 .............................................................4-14 Table 4-6: Representative Current Produced Water (acre-feet) .............................................................4-18 Table 4-7: Anticipated New Residential Units (from Table 2-5) ..............................................................4-23 Table 4-8: Forecast Future Water Use (acre-feet)..................................................................................4-27 Table 4-9: Estimated Low-Income Water Use Forecast (acre-feet) ........................................................4-29 Table 5-1: Five Year Drought Risk Assessment (acre-feet).......................................................................5-2 Table 5-2: Normal and Single Dry Year Water Supply and Demand through 2050 (acre-feet).....................5-4 Table 5-3: Five Consecutive Dry Years Water Supply and Demand through 2050 (acre-feet).....................5-5 Table 6-1:WSCP Actions to Reduce Customer Use - Stage 1....................................................................6-8 Table 6-2: WSCP Actions to Reduce Customer Use - Stage 2...................................................................6-9 Table 6-3: WSCP Actions to Reduce Customer Use - Stage 3.................................................................6-10 Table 6-4: WSCP Actions to Reduce Customer Use - Stage 4.................................................................6-11 Table 6-5:WSCP Actions to Reduce Customer Use - Stage 5..................................................................6-11 Table 6-6: WSCP Actions to Reduce Customer Use - Stage 6.................................................................6-12 Table 6-7: Response Actions during Catastrophic Events ......................................................................6-15 List of Figures
Figure ES-1: Water Service Area……………………………………………………………………………………………..ES-3 Figure 2-1: Water Service Area...............................................................................................................2-3 Figure 2-2: Average Climate Conditions .................................................................................................2-4 Figure 2-3: Annual Precipitation Variability (years)..................................................................................2-5 Figure 2-4: Historical Annual Temperature (years) ..................................................................................2-6 Figure 2-5: Agency Land Use Map.........................................................................................................2-11 Figure 2-6: Agency Area Employment Data ...........................................................................................2-12 Figure 2-7: Potable Water System ........................................................................................................2-15 Figure 3-1: Sutter Subbasin within the Sacramento Valley Basin............................................................3-19 Figure 3-2: All GSA Boundaries Within the Sutter Subbasin....................................................................3-20
List of Preparers
City of Yuba City
Philip Marler – Utilities Director
Christian Elder – Water Treatment Plant Supervisor
Katherine Willis – Environmental Compliance Manager
Zanjero
Greg Young, P.E. – Principal
Robert Heather, E.I.T. – Senior Resources Planner
Savanna Sanders – Resources Planner
Olive Ellringer – Resources Planner
Jennie McCarl – Office Manager
This 2025 Urban Water Management Plan was prepared under the direction of a California licensed civil engineer.
Executive Summary
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft ES-1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LAYPERSON’S DESCRIPTION
After the devastating drought in the late 1970s, the California Legislature declared California’s water supplies a limited resource, subject to ever-increasing demands and that the longterm, reliable supply of water is essential to protect California’s businesses, communities, agricultural production, and environment. To strengthen local and regional water management and drought planning, the Urban Water Management Planning Act (UWMPA) was signed into law in 1983.1 Since then, the Legislature has amended the UWMPA to require additional detail in UWMPs, including addressing resilience to drought and climate change.
The UWMPA requires urban water suppliers serving over 3,000 customers or supplying at least 3,000 acre-feet of water annually to prepare and adopt an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) every five years,2 and demonstrate water supply reliability in a normal year, single dry year, and droughts lasting at least five years over a twenty-year planning horizon.3 The UWMPA also requires each urban water supplier to prepare a drought risk assessment and water shortage contingency plan.4
At a practical level, the UWMP provides the water management planning foundation for urban water suppliers throughout California. A well-constructed UWMP will provide the supplier’s elected officials, management, staff, and customers with an understanding of the agency’s past and current, as well as projected future, water supply and demand conditions.
The UWMP integrates local and regional land use planning, regional water supply, infrastructure, and demand management projects, and also identifies challenges that may result from climate change and evolving regulations. Thoughtful urban water management planning provides an opportunity for the supplier to evaluate supplies and demands using a balanced and methodical planning platform that addresses short-term and long-term planning conditions. In brief, the UWMP gathers, characterizes, and synthesizes water supply related information from numerous sources to inform the agency’s planning, while also providing interested local, regional, and statewide stakeholders with access to the same information.
1 California Water Code §10610 et seq. (Chapter 1 added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1009, Sec. 1). 2 California Water Code §10610 et seq.
3 California Water Code §§10631-10635
4 California Water Code §10632
Executive Summary
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft ES-2
ES-1 CITY OF YUBA CITY
The City of Yuba City (City or Yuba City) is the agricultural, economic and social hub of Sutter County, situated on the west bank of the Feather River in the northern part of California’s fertile Central Valley. Surrounded by agricultural land, it is a family-oriented residential community which maintains a small-town feel. The City provides both water and wastewater services to its community.
The water service area is about 14.9 square miles and generally contiguous with City boundaries, but it does extend service to some customers located outside the city limit and in the City’s Sphere of Influence (SOI). The map in Figure ES-1 shows the water service area. The City provides water service to over 19,000 residential, commercial, irrigation, industrial and institutional/governmental service connections. Much of the development is low-density, single-family housing and retail related commercial use. Notable large industrial water customers are Sunsweet, Valley Fine Foods, Greenleaf II, Yuba City Energy Center, and Feather River Energy Center.
Executive Summary
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft ES-3
FIGURE ES-1:WATER SERVICE AREA
Prior to completing a surface water treatment plant in the late 1960’s, the City’s water supply was derived from groundwater. Currently, the City relies primarily on surface water obtained through an array of water rights and contracts, supplementing with a small amount of groundwater periodically. Specifically, the City’s water supply portfolio contains the following rights and contracts:
• Licensed and permitted water rights authorized by the State Water Resourced Control Board
• Contract with the State Water Project
• Contract with the North Yuba Water District
With growth projected into the future, the City will see an increased demand for water service, requiring the City to continue to diligently manage its existing supplies and assure that both existing and new future customers will use water efficiently and effectively so as to maintain desired levels of water service reliability.
Executive Summary
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft ES-4
ES-2 WATER SERVICE RELIABILITY
Yuba City’s water service reliability hinges on the active management of the City’s water supply portfolio to meet its demands. More succinctly, even though the City’s total annual water supplies are more than enough to meet the City’s annual water demands, the monthly availability of each supply must be actively managed to meet the City’s monthly water demands over the course of any given year. In addition, the supplies must be even more astutely managed in order to provide sufficient water supplies to meet the monthly demands during extended dry conditions.
The fundamental management tenet for Yuba City’s water service reliability in dry periods is to preserve as much water supply during normal and wet conditions in order to make those water supplies available during dry conditions. The City’s water supply contracts with the California Department of Water Resources and North Yuba Water District provide opportunities to reschedule a normal or wet year water supply so that this water supply can be accessed for use in dry months or dry conditions. These carryover and rescheduling provisions allow water to be stored for use in drier months or subsequent years. Each year, the City should try to maximize its contract water supplies in order to recapture those supplies during dry conditions.
A second management principle for the City is to use supplies that would otherwise be lost if they are not used when those supplies are available. For example, in normal and dry year conditions, the City’s appropriative water rights – License 13855 and Permit 18558 – vary in their availability depending upon hydrological and regulatory conditions. In normal and wet years, License 13855 is available as many as 10 months of the year but in dry and critically dry years, the right may be curtailed for up to 5 months. Similarly, Permit 18558 is normally available 8 months of the year and in dry and critically dry conditions may be available only 5 months of the year. Accordingly, during the months when these supplies are available, the City should use these water assets because if the rights are not exercised, the water supplies cannot be stored or otherwise preserved for other future uses.
Third, the City should preserve other water supplies in its portfolio that have additional flexibility related to their potential delivery. For instance, in a normal or dry year, the City has access to State Water Project water supplies in all months of the year and potentially to its North Yuba Water District supplies between 6 months and 12 months in the year. The City should plan to take these water supplies only when other water supplies become unavailable (like the appropriative water rights noted above). Managing the City’s water supply portfolio with these three management principles in mind, creates the water service reliability for the City to weather a drought lasting five consecutive years over the UWMP planning horizon.
Executive Summary
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft ES-5
Last, the City should use its groundwater capabilities to help flexibly manage the City’s surface water asset portfolio. The groundwater available to the City considered in this UWMP is tied to its historical monthly use based on well-system and other infrastructure constraints.
The City may use this supply to help preserve surface water assets for use in dry months and dry years.
Over the long term, the City’s water supply portfolio should be adequate to meet its potential long-term growth objectives. The City’s long-term water service reliability considerations have three important components in this analysis: (1) an increase in the annual total demand that the City’s water supplies will need to satisfy; (2) an increase in the monthly demands that will impact the City’s active annual water management; and (3) potential increase in the City’s total water supply available in its water supply portfolio. All of these items are considered in the City’s water service reliability projections.
The City has a diverse and robust water supply portfolio capable of meeting the water demands in its service area in normal, single dry, and five consecutive dry years from 2025 through 2050 so long as active management of its supply portfolio occurs. The City’s diverse water supply portfolio requires coordinated water management between the City and its contract partners – DWR and NYWD – in order to render the City’s total supply reliable in all year types through 2050.
In addition to these water service reliability considerations, the City also has updated its Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) to address any potential water shortage conditions. This updated WSCP allows the City to reduce the water demands on its water system in shortage or catastrophic outage conditions. The measures contemplated in the updated WSCP include typical dry condition water management actions – like mandatory outdoor irrigation during evening, nights, and early mornings – imbedded into six water shortage categories (up to 10%, 11-20%, 21-30%, 30-40%, 40-50% and over 50%). Importantly, in the event there were to be a catastrophic water outage in the City, water demands will be limited to use for health and safety purposes only. Combining the updated WSCP with the City’s active water management of its supply portfolio provides additional buffer against unpredictable water conditions.
In summary, Yuba City’s diverse surface water supply portfolio, its active management of its water supply portfolio, and its WSCP provide the City with stable and reliable water service to meet the City’s current and 2050 projected water demands in normal, single dry, and five consecutive dry year scenarios.
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Yuba City is the agricultural, economic, and cultural hub of Sutter County, located along the west bank of the Feather River in the northern portion of California’s Central Valley. The community is surrounded by productive agricultural lands and is known for its familyoriented character and small-town atmosphere. As Yuba City continues to grow, the thoughtful transformation of open space into well-planned neighborhoods remains a central priority. The City’s long-term vision emphasizes cohesive development that links housing, parks, schools, and commercial areas in a way that supports livability and community identity. Supporting this growth with strong economic development that attracts and retains quality businesses and industry continues to be a guiding principle for the City.
Ensuring a reliable and sufficient water supply remains a critical component of the City’s ability to meet the needs of its residents and its commercial, institutional, and industrial (CII) customers. The 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) builds on prior planning efforts and incorporates updated local, regional, and statewide information. This Plan provides a comprehensive framework to guide water resource management decisions, ensuring that Yuba City can adapt to evolving conditions, meet regulatory requirements, and plan for future growth in a sustainable and resilient manner.
1.1. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The Urban Water Management Planning Act (UWMPA) was enacted by the California Legislature in 1983 to address the growing need for comprehensive water supply planning across the state's urban areas. Codified in California Water Code (CWC) §§10610-10656, the UWMPA requires urban water suppliers serving more than 3,000 customers or delivering more than 3,000 acre-feet annually to prepare and adopt comprehensive water management plans every five years. The City has prepared this 2025 UWMP to comply with the UWMPA requirements and address the City's water management planning efforts to assess water supplies and forecasted demands over the next 25 years.
As required by the UWMPA, this 2025 UWMP specifically assesses the availability of the City's supplies to meet forecasted water uses during average, single-dry, and five consecutive drought years through 2050. Assessing the City’s supply and demand projections under various hydrologic conditions, identifying potential shortage scenarios, and addressing these
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shortage conditions through Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) actions are key functions of this UWMP. The 2025 UWMP is an update to the City's 2020 UWMP and presents new data and analysis as required by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the CWC since 2020. This comprehensive water planning document describes existing and future supply reliability, forecasts future water uses, presents demand management progress, and identifies local and regional cooperative efforts to meet projected water use.
The UWMP is designed to be a valuable water management and planning tool to guide and inform the City's managers, customers, and the State of California about Sacramento's water management practices. It reflects the City's planning assumptions and goals and should be used in combination with other planning resources and documents over the UWMP planning horizon, representing Sacramento's continued commitment to responsible water stewardship and proactive strategies that protect both water reliability and community prosperity.
1.2. BASIS FOR PLAN PREPARATION
The City operates a Public Water System as described in California Health and Safety Code 116275. The City qualifies as a Retail Urban Water Supplier as described in CWC §10617, providing water for municipal purposes to more than 3,000 customers or 3,000 acre-feet of water per year. This qualification requires the preparation of an Urban Water Management Plan every five years.
The City's Public Water System details are listed in Table 1-1.
TABLE 1-1: PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM INFORMATION
Public Water System Number Public Water System Name Number of Municipal Connections 2025
CA5110002 City of Yuba City 19,166
The State Legislature passed numerous new requirements for the 2020 UWMP cycle which continue to apply to this 2025 UWMP. Since there have been no additional statutory changes to UWMP requirements between 2020 and 2025, this plan incorporates the same comprehensive framework established for 2020 UWMPs. Major requirements implemented in 2020 and continued in this 2025 UWMP are listed below along with references to the corresponding sections where they are addressed in this document.
Five Consecutive Dry-Year Water Reliability Assessment: The Legislature modified the dryyear water reliability planning from a "multiyear" time period to a "drought lasting five consecutive water years" designation. This statutory change requires the City to analyze the
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reliability of its water supplies to meet its water use over an extended drought period. This requirement is addressed in Chapter 3—Water Supply Characterization, Chapter 4—Water Use, and Chapter 5—Water Service Reliability Assessment.
Drought Risk Assessment (DRA): Due to the extensiveness of recent California droughts and the variability associated with climate change predictions, the California Legislature created a DRA requirement for UWMPs. The DRA requires assessment over a five-year period from 2026 to 2030 that examines water supplies, water uses, and the resulting water supply reliability for five consecutive dry years. The DRA is addressed in Chapter 5—Water Service Reliability Assessment and Chapter 6—Water Shortage Contingency Plans.
Seismic Risk: Evaluating seismic risk to water system infrastructure and facilities and having a mitigation plan is now required by the CWC. Incorporating the water system into regional or county hazard mitigation planning is an important aspect of this statute. Seismic risk is addressed in Chapter 6.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan: The Legislature modified the UWMPA to require a Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) with specific elements. The WSCP is a document that provides the City with an action plan for a drought or catastrophic water supply shortage.
The WSCP is included in Chapter 6 of this UWMP.
Groundwater Supplies Coordination: UWMPs are required to be consistent with Groundwater Sustainability Plans following the 2014 Legislature enactment of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The City's groundwater supplies are described in Chapter 3—Water Supply Characterization.
Lay Description: A synopsis of the fundamental determinations of the UWMP is a statutory requirement. This section is intended for new staff, new governing members, customers, and the media, and ensures a consistent representation of the City's detailed analysis.
1.3. COORDINATION AND OUTREACH
The City has complied with the UWMPA by engaging in coordination with local and regional agencies to ensure a consistent, transparent, and regionally integrated approach to water resource planning. Coordination and communication among agencies play a critical role in promoting reliability, resilience, and sustainability of the region’s water supplies. In accordance with CWC §10620(d)(3), the City coordinated the preparation of this UWMP with other appropriate agencies within and adjacent to its service area, including water suppliers sharing common sources, water management agencies, and relevant public entities.
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Yuba City actively participates in several region-wide water planning efforts that support long-term water reliability and resilience. The City coordinates with the North Yuba Water District on surface water supply management and engages in the Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management process to advance multi-benefit water projects.
Yuba City also collaborates with Sutter County and other local agencies in implementing the Sutter Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan under SGMA and contributes to regional flood and ecosystem planning through the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency. These partnerships ensure that the City’s water management strategies align with broader regional objectives and evolving statewide requirements.
In compliance with CWC §10621(b), the City provided notification to all affected cities and counties at least 60 days prior to the public hearing on this UWMP update. Additionally, the City conducted outreach to community stakeholders and encouraged the involvement of diverse social, cultural, and economic elements within the service area, as required under CWC §10642. These efforts reflect the City’s ongoing commitment to public transparency and engagement in water resource planning. A summary of these notifications is provided in Table 1-2.
TABLE 1-2: PUBLIC AND AGENCY COORDINATION
Coordinating Agencies Sent Copy of
Draft UWMP
Sent 60-Day
Notice
Notice of
Public
Hearing
Sutter County X
Department of Public Works X
North Yuba Water District X
Department of Water Resources X
Sutter LAFCo X
General Public X
1.3.1. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS FOR NOTICE
In compliance with CWC §10621(b), the City notified Sutter County on April 9, 2026 regarding its intent to update and adopt this 2025 UWMP. The notification was provided more than 60 days prior to the scheduled public hearing, fulfilling statutory requirements. Furthermore, consistent with CWC §10642, the City encouraged public participation by providing notice of the hearing date, time, location, and methods for accessing the draft UWMP. Notifications
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were published in local newspapers and sent directly to interested stakeholders to promote inclusive community involvement in the plan’s development.
1.4. PUBLIC HEARING, ADOPTION, AND SUBMITTAL
The City held a public hearing regarding its 2025 UWMP on June 2, 2026 [ANTICIPATED HEARING DATE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE]. Before the hearing, the City made a draft of the 2025 UWMP available for public inspection at the City’s Public Works Department and on the City’s website. Pursuant to CWC §10642, general notice of the public hearing was provided through publication of the hearing date and time in the local press as required under the UWMPA, and posting of the hearing at the City’s office.
The City adopted this 2025 UWMP on June 2, 2026 [ANTICIPATED ADOPTION DATE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE. A copy of the adopted 2025 UWMP will be submitted to DWR, provided to the County and the California State Library, and posted onto the City’s website.
The City plans to submit all required documentation related to the UWMPA through the DWR submittal website soon after adoption. These include the on-line submittal of information associated with the following DWR Excel workbooks:
• “2025 Submittal Tables.xlsx”
• “2025UWMP Checklist.pdf” (from Appendix F of DWR’s 2025 UWMP Guidebook)
1.5. DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION
This 2025 UWMP is organized as follows:
• Executive Summary provides an overview of the purpose and findings of this 2025 UWMP.
• Chapter 1 establishes the basis for the UWMP, describes the outreach activities and introduces the document organization.
• Chapter 2 provides a description of the City’s service area, demographic characteristics and climate, and describes the future population the City anticipates needing to serve.
• Chapter 3 describes the current and future water supplies and the availability of the supplies through 2050.
• Chapter 4 details the customer uses, including the past and future estimated uses, and describes the City’s past and on-going demand management measures.
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• Chapter 5 presents the City’s water system service reliability into the future, including an assessment of reliability if a drought occurred over the next five consecutive years. • Chapter 6 is the City’s stand-alone water shortage contingency plan, incorporated as a chapter in this UWMP, but also available to be shared and utilized separately from the UWMP.
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NOTE TO DWR:
The City of Yuba City has prepared this Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) primarily as a water resources planning tool to effectively manage water supply, reliability and demand. This UWMP also satisfies all the requirements of the Urban Water Management Planning Act (UWMPA).
The body of the document provides narratives, analysis and data that DWR requests in its 2025 UWMP Guidebook, including changes to the California Water Code since 2020. Efforts have also been made to include enhancements to this document wherever possible as recommended in the UWMP Guidebook.
Unless otherwise noted, annual reporting is on a calendar year basis and units for volumetric values are reported in acre-feet.
To facilitate review by DWR for compliance with the UWMPA, data from the body of the document has been transferred into required DWR submittal tables consistent with the organization of the tables in Appendix E of the 2025 UWMP Guidebook. These tables are separately uploaded to DWR’s web portal. This UWMP has been reviewed for adequacy according to the UWMP Checklist as contained in Appendix F in the 2025 UWMP Guidebook.
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CHAPTER 2
WATER SERVICE AND SYSTEM
DESCRIPTION
Yuba City is located in the Sacramento River basin watershed along the west bank of the Feather River in Northern California about 40 miles north of Sacramento. The City has served as the Sutter County seat since 1856 and was incorporated in 1908. The Sutter Buttes lie just to the northwest, and the surrounding area is mostly undeveloped agricultural land to the north, west, and south of the City. Its sister city, Marysville, is directly across the river to the east at the confluence of the Yuba and Feather Rivers.
Yuba City is a medium-sized valley community and serves as the urban and economic hub of the Yuba-Sutter region. Most of the economic activity is attributed to agriculture and support businesses, including agricultural processors, retail, medical, and other government and private service providers. Yuba City also serves as a residential base for a commuter population to nearby Sacramento and its economically growing metropolitan region.
Yuba City provides both water and wastewater services to its community. The water service area is about 14.9 square miles and generally contiguous with City boundaries, but it does extend service to some customers located outside the city limit and in the City’s Sphere of Influence (SOI). The map in Figure 2-1 shows the water service area in detail. The City provides water service to approximately 19,200 residential, commercial, irrigation, industrial and institutional/governmental service connections. Much of the development is low-density, single-family housing and retail related commercial use. Notable large industrial water customers are Sunsweet, Valley Fine Foods, Greenleaf II, Yuba City Energy Center, and Feather River Energy Center.
Table 2-1 shows the historical and current service connections by customer class.
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TABLE 2-1: CUSTOMER WATER SERVICE CONNECTIONS
Customer Class 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Single Family Residential 16,027 15,998 16,141 16,179 16,285 16,335 Multi-Family Residential 1,158 1,161 1,164 985 992 994
Commercial/Institutional 1,235 1,228 1,245 1,430 1,428 1,425 Industrial 7 7 8 5 5 5
Landscape Irrigation 380 407 309 404 406 407
Total 18,807 18,801 18,867 19,003 19,116 19,166
Yuba City’s water supply and wastewater services are managed by the City’s Utilities Department, which operates the Yuba City Water Treatment Plant (YCWTP), Wastewater Treatment Facility, and Laboratory. The municipal water district was created in 1910 and in 1922 a sanitation department was formed and installed a sewer system. Prior to the completion of the YCWTP, water supply came from local groundwater sourced from Cityoperated wells. The water was “hard” and contained high levels of sulfides, iron, and manganese. In 1965 voters passed a bond measure, with 91% of the vote in favor, to fund a new surface water treatment plant. The YCWTP was placed into service in 1969. Two treatment processes are included: the original conventional filtration treatment process and a newer membrane filtration treatment facility that was installed in 2007.
Following completion of the YCWTP, the primary water source has been surface water diverted from the Feather River. The City’s water supply assets are detailed in Chapter 3.
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FIGURE 2-1: WATER SERVICE AREA
2.1. SERVICE AREA CLIMATE
Typical of the California Central Valley, Yuba City has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Historical averages show January as the coolest and wettest month, and July as the hottest and driest. The wet season is from December to February with a 30-year annual average rainfall of 20.5 inches (see Figure 2-2). The annual mean temperature is 62 degrees, but the summer months can regularly see average highs in the mid-high 90s, and average winter lows hover down in the 30s and 40s. Other climate characteristics include frequent tule fog coinciding with the rainy season which brings dense fog caused by high relative humidity (after rain) and rapid cooling during the night. The fog can get trapped, due to temperature inversions common in the Sacramento valley, for days or even weeks. Snow is rare but cold fronts can bring freezing temperatures with trace amounts of snow and ice. Autumn starts warm and dry and becomes cooler, wetter and foggier later into the season. The last rains in spring are generally in late April or early May.
Figure 2-2 shows the average monthly temperature, rainfall, and evapotranspiration (ETo) for
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the service area. Actual annual rainfall totals deviate quite significantly from the 30-year average as illustrated in Figure 2-3; in most years, precipitation totals fall below the mean.
FIGURE 2-2: AVERAGE CLIMATE CONDITIONS5
5 Temperature and rainfall data represents annual averages from 1995-2025 from the PRISM Climate Group https://prism.oregonstate.edu/, Location: Lat: 39.1293 Lon: -121.6260 Elev: 56ft; ETo data is from CIMIS Browns Valley – Sierra Foothill - Station 84, Apr 1989-Nov 2025.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Temp 47.6 50.8 54.8 59.3 66.8 74.2 78.5 77.1 73.0 64.1 53.5 47.2 Precip 3.86 3.37 2.95 1.54 0.90 0.24 0.00 0.04 0.16 1.17 2.15 3.97 ETo 1.25 1.88 3.21 4.68 6.47 7.66 8.35 7.39 5.60 3.82 1.85 1.13 0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 9
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
January February March April May June July August September October November December Mean Monthly Temp (
Precipitation, ETo (inches)
°F)
Temp (degrees F) Precip (inches) ETo
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FIGURE 2-3: ANNUAL PRECIPITATION VARIABILITY (YEARS)
2.1.1. CLIMATE CHANGE
While the CWC does not prescribe specific climate change planning and management measures for water suppliers, it does emphasize that climate change is appropriate to consider when assessing drought risk assessment, water conservation and use efficiency, and demand management and supply—both in a historical and projected context. Yuba City’s climate is highly variable with respect to precipitation and temperature; the dry summer months make the state extremely susceptible to drought when a deficiency in precipitation materializes, especially in mountain snowpack. Much of the water supply comes from the mountains, falling as winter rain or snow. It is then stored as snowpack and subsequently captured in reservoirs and appropriated throughout the year. Climate change is generally forecast to bring higher temperatures, more variability in precipitation, and more frequent and prolonged droughts. Rising temperatures equate to decreasing snowpack and earlier snowmelt. The Sierra snowpack is projected to experience a 48% to 65% loss relative to the historical April 1 average by the end of the century. This will place great strain on summer and fall water supply in Yuba City and throughout the state. Increased evapotranspiration would also accompany intensification of hotter extreme temperatures. Yuba City has experienced a general warming trend over the last 100 years, as shown by the trendlines in
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Figure 2-4. Since 1920, maximum and minimum temperatures have increased at a rate of
1.64 °F and 2.64 °F per 100 years, respectively. More recently, since 1975, maximum and minimum temperatures have increased at a rate of 3.99 °F and 4.17 °F per 100 years, respectively.
FIGURE 2-4: HISTORICAL ANNUAL TEMPERATURE (YEARS)6
Yuba City’s 2015 UWMP (prepared by Carollo Engineers) incorporated an Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment. The assessment highlighted several climate-related sensitivities relevant to Yuba City’s service area. These included substantial seasonal fluctuations in water use; increased regional wildfire risk that can degrade water quality through post-fire erosion; dependence on source waters with periodic eutrophication issues; projected shifts in streamflow patterns that may alter pollutant concentrations; storm-driven water quality changes that can challenge treatment plant operations; the potential for environmental flow requirements in regulated rivers to become more difficult to satisfy; and reduced reliability of regional hydropower as river flow timing continues to shift.
6 Temperature data is from the PRISM Climate Group https://prism.oregonstate.edu/, Location: Lat: 39.1239 Lon: - 121.6174 Elev: 56ft
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In 2016 the City of Yuba City completed a Resource Efficiency Plan7 (Atkins) focusing on policy, recommendations and goals that incorporate environmental responsibility, energy and resource efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The plan directly addresses Federal, State, and Local regulations, citing benefits for the City including: Local Control; Energy and Resources Efficiency; Increased Public Health; Demonstrating Consistency with State GHG Reduction Goals; and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Requirements. Recommendations for meeting reductions in GHG and energy savings include water conservation measures, public outreach, recycled water programs, and expanding allowed grey water use.
This 2025 UWMP Update includes additional Climate Change discussions in Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and Chapter 5.
2.2. CURRENT AND PROJECTED POPULATION, LAND USE, ECONOMY,
AND DEMOGRAPHICS
Service area population and land use projections are critical to developing a useful planning framework as population dynamics and growth are a primary influence on water use. These projections directly influence planning measures for system supply, delivery, infrastructure, and demand management. Similarly, understanding the City’s economic, social, and demographic trends gives valuable insight to water management and planning. This section of the UWMP addresses these factors to provide a supportable basis for forecasting future water use.
2.2.1. CURRENT POPULATION AND HISTORIC TRENDS
Since its incorporation in 1908, Yuba City has experienced steady and sustained population growth, with a significant increase in growth rates following World War II. The construction of Highways 99 and 20 improved regional connectivity and helped establish a strong commercial core within the city. Over time, Yuba City has also annexed adjacent unincorporated areas within its Sphere of Influence (SOI), gradually incorporating additional residents into the City’s official population count.
Historically, the City’s population nearly doubled every two decades through 2000 and continued to grow at a pace that exceeded overall Sutter County trends. Table 2-2 summarizes historic population within City limits; this does not include residents in the SOI 7 https://cdnsm5-
hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_239174/File/Development%20Services/Resource%20Links/Resource%2 0Efficiency%20Plan_Final.pdf
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who receive City water service. Conversely, a small portion of land within the City boundary is not served by the municipal water system (see Figure 2-1).
TABLE 2-2: HISTORICAL POPULATION
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
27,385 34,071 36,758 57,975 64,925 66,916 70,458
Source: 2020 UWMP
2.2.2.PROJECTED POPULATION
To forecast projected service area population as accurately as possible requires consideration of the past growth rate, local economic predictions, and current and projected land uses. The UWMP Act states urban water suppliers “shall coordinate with local or regional land use authorities” regarding land uses that may affect water management planning.8 Table 2-3 bases City growth on the Sutter County projected population growth rate as predicted by the California Department of Finance (DoF) through 2050.9 This estimate presumes that the City’s will mimic the projected County annual growth rate during each of the indicated 5-year increments.
TABLE 2-3: POPULATION FORECAST
2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
70,453 73,008 76,288 79,969 83,433 86,684
2.2.3.CURRENT AND PROJECTED LAND USE
Development in Yuba City is largely dedicated to residential and commercial zones. This type of land use tracks with its role as a service center for surrounding regional agricultural activity, and as a residential community for the locally and regionally employed population.
The intersection of Highway 99 and Highway 20 has been the center of City employment with much of the commercial development being retail related. The majority of residential development is low-density, single family housing, though the City also has a number of 8 CWC §10631(a)
9 CA Department of Finance Report P-2A: Total Population Projections, 2020-2070
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multi-family facilities. Over the past several years, the residential sector accounts for between 65% and 75% of total water consumption in the City’s SOI.10 The City has approved, is currently reviewing, or expects to consider several development projects, including a planned expansion south of the city limits between Bogue Road to the north and Stewart Road to the south. These projects are summarized in Table 2-4, which includes estimates of remaining or planned residential units. Table 2-4 also provides estimates of potential residential units to be constructed on vacant parcels within the City limits, as well as the larger land areas in the SOI that do not currently have designated land use plans. Overall, the City anticipates the construction of approximately 8,000 to 12,000 new residential units.
TABLE 2-4: SUMMARY OF LAND USE PLANS IN YUBA CITY WITH ANTICIPATED FUTURE RESIDENTIAL UNITS Existing or
Planned Project
Estimated Remaining Units to Reach Build-Out
Single-family Multi-family
Bogue Stewart MP 1,760 760
Central City SP 10 10
Harter SP -- 180
Lincoln East SP 3,480 1,390
Yuba Crossing MUP 50 40
Butte Vista NP 580 --
Sutter Heritage 160 --
Other Vacant in City Limits 80 30
Other Vacant in SOI (est.) 690 20
Total w/o SOI Vacant 6,120 2,410
Total with SOI Vacant 6,810 2,430
Comparing the population projection at 2050 with the total dwelling units associated with Table 2-4 indicates that a portion of the remaining development will occur after the 2050 planning horizon. That is, based on the population projections, the City anticipates 10 Based upon reporting by the City to the SWRCB as part of monthly conservation reporting requirements.
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approximately 5,500 new dwelling units (based on occupancy rate of 2.96 persons per household) to be constructed by 2050. The total dwelling units at buildout is approximately 9,200 units, indicating nearly 3,700 additional units will be constructed after the 2050 planning horizon.
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FIGURE 2-5: AGENCY LAND USE MAP11
11 City of Yuba City. (2024). Yuba City 2040 General Plan (adopted January 21, 2025). Figure 3-1 Land Use Diagram.
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2.2.4. ECONOMIC TRENDS & OTHER SOCIAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS Being the urban economic hub of Yuba and Sutter counties, Yuba City’s local economy has traditionally focused on retail and commercial services for the surrounding agricultural region. While this is still true, in the last 20 years the City has added strong employment in health care-related services and manufacturing.
In the years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, some areas within the greater Sacramento region experienced substantially low unemployment rates. Figure 2-6 displays the Sacramento metropolitan area labor force and employed populations as well as the resulting unemployment rate for the period January 2010 through September 2025. As seen on the figure, in September 2019, the region experienced the lowest unemployment rate for the period (3.1%). Commensurate with the impacts on the labor market due to the pandemic, 2020 saw the largest increase in the unemployment rate for the period, resulting in a high of
14.3% (April 2020). Since then, the area has experienced an overall decrease in the unemployment rate, although recent trends indicate that the rate has rebounded from a local low of 3.1% (May 2022) up to 5.2% as of September 2025.
FIGURE 2-6: AGENCY AREA EMPLOYMENT DATA
According to the 2020 US Census, the ethnic makeup of Yuba City is 42% White, 33% Hispanic/Latino, 21% Asian, 2% African American, 18% other races or mixed race, including a
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strong Sikh Indian population that along with Mexican immigrants were the first ethnic groups to settle in Yuba City.
Yuba City’s median household income is $78,153 which gives it a Disadvantaged Community designation based on the median household income being less than 80% of the State’s median household income.12
For 2025 conditions, the CA Department of Finance estimates there are 24,373 (occupied and unoccupied) housing units in Yuba City, with an average occupancy of 2.96 persons per household.
13 2.2.5. EXPECTED POPULATION BASED UPON LAND-USE PLANNING While the City has a projected population based upon the County’s rate of growth and an expected number of new residential units, the projection may not truly reflect the population projections.
With an average occupancy equal to the current rate of 2.96 people per household, the additional 16,000 residents anticipated by 2050 (see Table 2-3) would require about 5,500 new residential units – a combination of single family and multi-family homes. This is in the range of anticipated housing based upon the known and anticipated developments (see Table 2-4). To estimate the number of new housing for each five-year increment of the UWMP’s 25-year planning horizon, the City’s history of issuing new housing permits is useful.
The City has had periods of rapid building in the early 2000’s but has only averaged less than 40 new housing permits a year recently. Based on these conditions, the estimated 5,500 new housing starts would take a long time.
To represent a plausible rate of new housing for purposes of this UWMP, the City is anticipating a higher rate than the last decade. Table 2-5 presents the resulting new housing starts and forecast population. These assumptions do not differentiate between the listed projects in Table 2-4, however. The cumulative housing will be used to forecast future water use as detailed in Chapter 4.
12 United States Census Bureau, Table S1901 (2024).
13 California Department of Finance, E-5 City/County Population and Housing Estimates.
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TABLE 2-5: FORECAST RESIDENTIAL HOUSING, POPULATION AND GROWTH RATE Category
Forecast
2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Assumed Annual Housing Starts 172 221 248 234 219
Total Housing Starts over 5-years 862 1,107 1,242 1,169 1,097 Single-Family Units Added
(75% of total)
647 830 932 877 823
Multi-Family Units Added
(25% of total)
215 277 310 292 274
Cumulative New Housing Units 862 1,969 3,211 4,380 5,477 Occupancy Rate
(People per Household)
2.96 2.96 2.96 2.96 2.96
Forecast Population 73,008 76,288 79,969 83,433 86,684
Resulting Average Annual Growth
Rate
0.72% 0.88% 0.95% 0.85% 0.77%
2.3. DELIVERY SYSTEM DETAILS
This subsection focuses specifically on Yuba City’s potable water delivery system. The water supplies delivered through this system are described in Chapter 3, with water uses described in Chapter 4.
2.3.1. POTABLE WATER SYSTEM
The City operates a potable water system to provide water service to its customers. Figure 2-7 represents the major features of this system, including the City’s diversion on the Feather River, its water treatment plant, and the numerous pipes, storage tanks and pump stations.
The potable water distribution system is a single pressure zone with approximately 280 miles of pipeline, a High Lift Pump Station (HLPS), and five booster pump stations that pump from five ground level tanks. At this time, the City’s system includes backup/standby groundwater wells located at the YCWTP, which is periodically used as a raw water source and fed into the
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treatment plant. Additional groundwater wells are being contemplated but currently are not integrated into the City’s system (see Chapter 3).
In 2001 the City acquired the Hillcrest Water Company (HWC) which operated in four regions within the City’s sphere of influence. The HWC system included approximately 4,600 service connections and 13 active groundwater wells. The City provided groundwater from some of the HWC wells to customers through September 2010 but completed transition of all customers to surface water from the YCWTP in October 2010. All of the HWC wells are now inactive. However, the City is considering rehabilitation of three wells from the HWC system for additional emergency water supply.
FIGURE 2-7: POTABLE WATER SYSTEM
Water delivery to the City begins at the Low Lift Pump Station (LLPS) and associated raw water intakes located in the Feather River, which convey water to the YCWTP. The YCWTP has a firm treatment capacity of 36 million gallons per day (mgd) and operates two parallel filtration
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systems. The original treatment facilities, in service since 1969, consist of pretreatment processes, four rapid sand filters, and chlorine disinfection. A membrane filtration system added in 2007 operates alongside the original facilities. Treatment residuals and filter wash water are managed through two percolation basins that process approximately 500,000 to 600,000 gallons per day.
The approximately 280 miles of distribution pipelines generally are sized from two to 12 inches in diameter, with transmission mains ranging from 14 to 36 inches. The City uses a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System to monitor and control the water distribution system and facilities.
At the YCWTP, spent filter backwash water, filter-to-waste water, sedimentation basins’ sludge, and membrane systems’ backwash water are discharged to one of the two spent backwash water basins located to the north of the pretreatment trains. The spent backwash water is currently not recovered and recycled as part of the water treatment process. Spent backwash and back-pulse water is pumped from the sump to percolation ponds for percolation into the soil and solids dewatering. The opportunity to recover about 80 MG annually from this backwash water would require YCWTP facilities upgrades that comply with EPA’s Filter Backwash Recycling Rule (FBRR) and also California’s Cryptosporidium Action Plan (CAP).
No infrastructure or systems currently exist to support recycled water within the City’s distribution system. However, the City’s wastewater treatment plant uses a small quantity of treated wastewater effluent for irrigating onsite landscaping and plant processes (see Chapter 3).
2.4. ENERGY INTENSITY
Referred to as “Energy Intensity Reporting” for urban water suppliers, energy intensity is defined as: total amount of energy expended in kilowatt-hours (kWh) by the urban water supplier on a per acre-foot basis to take water from the location where the urban water supplier acquires the water to its point of delivery.
For purposes of the 2025 UWMP, the City uses the Total Utility Approach for reporting its energy intensity. This method sums the annual energy consumed for all water management processes, divided by total volume of water in acre-feet. These processes include diversion, treatment, and distribution, as applicable. The total energy intensity is reported in Table 2-6.
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TABLE 2-6: ENERGY INTENSITY – TOTAL UTILITY APPROACH
Sum of All Water Management Processes
Volume of Water Entering Process (acre-feet) 13,649
Energy Consumed (kWh) 4,827,468
Energy Intensity (kWh/acre-foot) 354
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CHAPTER 3
WATER SUPPLY
The City of Yuba City has numerous water supply sources that serve its customers. The City’s diverse surface water supplies – derived from water rights and contracts – provide significant annual volumes of water that can be used to meet end user demands. However, the details imbedded in each water right and contract impact the monthly availability of each surface supply source. This limited availability requires the City to carefully manage its water supply portfolio in order to have sufficient water supply available in extended drought periods. The City also has access to groundwater resources and anticipates additional diversification of its supply portfolio in order to maximize the utility of these resources. Furthermore, the City’s water supply portfolio has additional administrative matters that require resolution in order to support the long-term reliability projections. This section describes the City’s water supply portfolio and identifies the key components within each water asset that impact the City’s long-term water supply reliability.
3.1. SURFACE WATER SUPPLIES
The City has two water supply contracts and two water rights that constitute the City’s surface water supply portfolio. In each year, the City must collectively manage all four surface water assets in order to optimize the utility of each surface water asset – especially in times of water shortage. The City’s four surface water supplies are: (1) State Water Project contract; (2) State Water Resources Control Board water right license; (3) State Water Resources Control Board water right permit; and (4) contract with North Yuba Water District.
All of these supplies have management opportunities and constraints that must be managed in each year to ensure maximum utility. This section describes the details of each surface water supply and projects the availability of these supplies through 2050 under normal year, single dry year, and five consecutive dry year conditions.
3.1.1. YUBA CITY STATE WATER PROJECT CONTRACT
The City holds a State Water Project Contract (SWP Contract) to obtain water supplies derived from the California State Water Project (SWP). The SWP was created in 1957 following the devastating floods that inundated great portions of the Sacramento Valley. In 1960, under the Burns-Porter Act (also known as the California Water Resources Development Bond Act), the SWP was funded for construction and most facilities were completed by 1973. The State Water Project is the largest state-built, multipurpose water project in the nation. Today, the
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SWP includes 28 dams and reservoirs, 26 pumping and generating plants, and approximately 660 miles of aqueducts.
The primary water source for the SWP is the Feather River, a tributary of the Sacramento River.
The water flowing in the Feather River is captured by the SWP in Oroville Dam and reservoir.
Storage released from Oroville Dam flows down the Feather River and then the Sacramento River until it reaches the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta). The SWP diverts, stores, and distributes water to 29 agricultural and urban suppliers throughout Northern, Central and Southern California. Approximately 70% of the SWP supply is contracted for urban uses and 30% is contracted for agriculture. The diversion rights are based upon State Water Resources Control Board-issued appropriative water rights with 1927 priority dates.
The total planned annual delivery capability of the SWP and the sum of all contractors’ maximum Table A Amounts was originally 4.23 million acre-feet. The initial SWP storage and conveyance facilities were designed to meet contractors’ water demands with the construction of additional storage facilities planned as demands increased. However, few additional SWP storage facilities have been constructed since the early 1970s and a portion of the original conveyance design was never completed. SWP conveyance facilities were generally designed and have been constructed to deliver Table A to all contractors. The maximum Table A Amounts of all SWP contractors now totals about 4.133 million acre-feet. 14 The City is one of the 29 water suppliers that executed a State Water Project Contract with the California Department of Water Resources. The original SWP Contract was signed in 1963 and includes numerous amendments. In 2003, DWR prepared an aggregated agreement that attempted to incorporate all of the amendments that were added to the City’s SWP Contract through 2013. However, DWR disclaims legal validity of the consolidated document by stating that:
[the 2013 document] is intended only to provide a convenient reference source, and the Department of Water Resources is unable to provide assurances that this integrated version accurately represents the original documents. For legal purposes, or when precise accuracy is required, users should direct their attention to the original source documents rather than this integrated version.
As such, the City’s SWP Contract and its amendments should be consulted when assessing each component of the City’s SWP water assets.
14 The State Water Project Draft Delivery Capability Report, DWR, December 2025 at 24.
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The City has a Table A Amount of 9,600 acre-feet annually under its SWP Contract (Table A).
The Table A amount represents the maximum amount of water that is available to the City through the SWP Contract. The SWP Contract may be subject to shortages that require all SWP contractors to reduce water supply deliveries. Although the primary source of the SWP water for the City’s allocation is Lake Oroville, additional SWP facilities – including San Luis Reservoir, located south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta – also contribute to the City’s ability to utilize SWP water assets. Since 2016, the City has received the following SWP Table A Allocations listed in Table 3-1.
TABLE 3-1: YUBA CITY TABLE A ALLOCATIONS, 2016 – 2025 (ACRE-FEET) Year Table A
Allocation
% Allocation Amount Used
2016 5,760 60% 1,229
2017 8,160 85% 1,746
2018 3,360 35% 1,715
2019 7,200 75% 1,655
2020 1,920 20% 1,812
2021 480 5% 88
2022 480 5% 1,205
2023 9,600 100% 1,544
2024 3,840 40% 1,661
2025 4,800 50% 1,494
DWR has noted that it is less likely that 100% allocation years will occur on a regular basis in the future. In December 2025, DWR drafted the “The State Water Project Draft Delivery Capability Report 2025” (2025 Draft DCR) that outlined the probable future water supply allocations for the SWP system. The 2025 Draft DCR showed variations in future Table A deliveries based upon hydrological and regulatory conditions. These conditions are summarized in Table 3-2 below.
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TABLE 3-2: SWP ESTIMATED TABLE A DELIVERIES FROM DCR (TAF) Year Long Term
Average
Single Dry
Year (1977)
Dry Periods
2 Year
Drought
(1976-77)
2-Year
Drought
(2014-15)
6-Year
Drought
(1987-92)
6-Year
Drought
(1929-34)
2021 Report
(1922-2015)
2,321 56% 233 6% 1,377 33% 708 17% 1,163 28% 1,039 25%
2023 Report
(1922-2021)
2,202 53% 184 4% 922 22% 360 9% 860 21% 597 14%
2025 Report
(1922-2021)
2,234 54% 237 6% 936 23% 403 10% 897 22% 627 15%
As shown in Table 3-2, DWR’s long-term average reliability shows a downward trend from 56% in the 2021 SWP DCR to 54% in the 2025 Draft DCR. However, as a result of the North of Delta Settlement (December 31, 2013), the North of Delta (NOD) allocation should be larger than the identified reliability described in the 2025 Draft DCR. Specifically, the NOD allocation should increase the future annual Table A allocation by approximately 10%, although this increase depends on the final Table A allocation. Accordingly, the City will incorporate the NOD allocation bump in considering its long-term water supply availability of 64%. Table 3-3 depicts the City’s Future Table A Projected Normal Year Water Year Deliveries.
TABLE 3-3: SWP FUTURE TABLE A PROJECTED NORMAL YEAR WATER YEAR DELIVERIES (ACRE-FEET) Year Type Table A Allocation % Allocation
Normal Year 6,144 64%
The current and previous DCRs depict the single driest year as 1977 with a 6% allocation estimate in 2021, a 4% allocation estimate in 2023, and a 6% allocation estimate from the 2025 DCR. The single lowest historical SWP allocation occurred in 2014, as well as 2021 and 2022 at 5% as shown in Table 3-1. Although the City anticipates the NOD allocation applying in critically dry years, out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with the 2021 SWP allocation, the City will assess a critically dry year at 5% allocation. In dry years that are less severe than critically dry years, however, the City will increase this baseline number by 10% in accordance with the North of Delta Settlement.
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The 2025 Draft DCR also identifies various drought periods for purposes of characterizing SWP allocation percentages that would accompany those drought periods. The averaging of the allocations over the course of the drought period is not representative of supply scenarios that reasonably accommodate the City’s drought plans in light of climate change and regulatory uncertainty. As such, the City will use the following drought characterization for its short-term and long-term planning, incorporating both the 2021 critical year allocation and the NOD Allocation adjustment: year 1 at 30%; year 2 at 15%; year 3 at 10%; year 4 at 15%; and year 5 at 30%. This characterization reasonably represents a projected drought over a five consecutive year period. Table 3-4 shows the Table A allocation over five consecutive dry years on a monthly basis from 2026-2030. The Table A allocation in the tables below are reduced by 50% so that the remaining portion may be used as “Carryover Water” for future uses in other years (see Section 3.1.2).
TABLE 3-4: SWP ALLOCATION FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE DRY YEARS FROM 2026-2030 Year Type Total
Normal 3,072
Single Dry Year 240 Multi-Year Drought
2026 1,440
2027 720
2028 480
2029 720
2030 1,440
Table A supply reliability has also been examined over the broader planning horizon considered in this 2025 UWMP. Table 3-5 shows the normal year, single dry year, and five consecutive dry years planned SWP Table A Allocation for the City of Yuba City through 2050.
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TABLE 3-5: FUTURE SWP ALLOCATIONS BY YEAR TYPE THROUGH 2050 (ACRE-FEET) Table A
Allocation Year Type 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Normal 3,072 3,072 3,072 3,072 3,072
Single Dry-Year 240 240 240 240 240 Multi-Year Drought
Year 1 1,440 1,440 1,440 1,440 1,440
Year 2 720 720 720 720 720
Year 3 480 480 480 480 480
Year 4 720 720 720 720 720
Year 5 1,440 1,440 1,440 1,440 1,440
The characterizations of the City’s SWP Table A Allocation long-term reliability reflect numerous hydrological and regulatory issues that inform the DCR modeling, are reasonable assessments related to SWP system management, and reflect the City’s local conditions.
Long-term hydrological and regulatory issues that affect the water management include the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, the Coordinated Operations Agreement, the Delta Biological Opinion, modifications to San Luis Reservoir, SWP Seismic considerations, DWR’s Emergency Planning, and assessments related to the City’s local conditions and climate change. These issues are all considered in the City’s planning and incorporated into its supply characterizations in this 2025 UWMP.
3.1.2. SWP CARRYOVER SUPPLIES
The City’s SWP Contract allows it to forgo use of its allocated SWP Table A supply and retain a portion of that allocated supply in storage for future use. This retained supply is termed “Carryover” and is governed under Article 56 of Yuba’s SWP contract. Carryover water is water that is released from Oroville Dam and reservoir, re-diverted at the Delta, and then stored in San Luis Reservoir – an off-stream reservoir located just outside the City of Santa Nella at the junction of Interstate 5 and California State Highway 152. San Luis Reservoir is jointly owned and operated by the state and federal governments and all SWP contractors may use the storage facility to manage Carryover water supplies. In short, the San Luis Reservoir receives, regulates, and stores exported water derived from the State Water Project and Federal Central Valley Project.
The amount of Carryover water that the City may store in any given year is subject to a set of rules that apply to all SWP contractors throughout California. In brief, the City delivers its Table A supplies to Carryover in San Luis Reservoir with an expectation that it will be able to divert
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all or a portion of these supplies in a subsequent year. In the event that water supplies are abundant, San Luis Reservoir may “spill.” When San Luis Reservoir reaches a “spill” stage, DWR releases the City’s Carryover in accordance with the aforementioned rules as they apply in the context of all entities with stored water in San Luis Reservoir. Nevertheless, the City generally retains a portion of its Table A Allocation as Carryover in any given year and continues to maintain a Carryover balance. Table 3-6 shows the City’s Carryover balance from 2016 through 2025.
TABLE 3-6: YUBA CITY HISTORIC SWP CARRYOVER (ACRE-FEET) Year Carryover Used
2016 2,550 0
2017 4,800 0
2018 5,485 0
2019 4,800 0
2020 4,908 0
2021 4,908 1,300
2022 3,999 0
2023 4,800 0
2024 6,979 0
2025 6,979 0
The City will have access to its Table A Carryover supplies in future years based upon the hydrological and regulatory conditions. The Table A Carryover supplies result from a number of variables that are both tied to the SWP Table A annual percent allocation, operations in San Luis Reservoir, and water supply management by the City. The City conservatively estimates that future Carryover contributions will equate to approximately fifty percent (50%) of its Table A Allocation in any given year type. Thus, in a normal year, where Table A Allocations are predicted to be 64%, the City expects the carryover supply to be approximately 50% of 6,144 acre-feet or 3,072 acre-feet. In a single dry year, the Carryover supply is expected to remain at 3,072 acre-feet as a remnant of the previous normal year carryover action. In a multiple dry-year scenario, carryover contributions are presented as 50% of the previous year’s Table A allocation, plus any unused carryover from previous years. Not all carryover is used in a given year, allowing reserves to persist into subsequent years and provide supplemental supplies in critically dry years. The City will manage these supplies over the
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five-year drought planning horizon to satisfy the City’s demands in light of other constraints on other water resources.15 In other words, the Carryover supply need not be used in the next year it is available but may be managed throughout the five-year drought planning scenario.
Table 3-7 shows the projected amount of Table A carryover water available at the beginning of each year in normal, single dry, and five consecutive dry years from 2026 through 2030.
Amounts include unused supplies managed for future dry years.
TABLE 3-7: FUTURE CONTRIBUTION TO TABLE A CARRYOVER SUPPLIES FROM 2026 THROUGH 2030 (ACREFEET) SWP
Carryover Year Type Amount
Normal 3,072
Single Dry-Year 240
Multi-Year Drought
2026 1,440
2027 720
2028 480
2029 720
2030 1,440
15 Carryover supplies in the State Water Project system are managed to address water supply shortages when direct diversion rights are insufficient to satisfy demands. Moreover, the Carryover supplies may have applicability over the course of many years after they are designated for carryover.
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Table 3-8 shows the representative Table A Carryover supplies from 2030 through 2050.
These supplies show only the previous year’s carryover amounts and do not include unused supplies that the City may carryover for multiple years.
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TABLE 3-8: FUTURE AVAILABLE TABLE A CARRYOVER THROUGH 2050 (ACRE-FEET) SWP
Carryover Year Type 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Normal 3,072 3,072 3,072 3,072 3,072
Single Dry-Year 240 240 240 240 240 Multi-Year Drought
Year 1 1,440 1,440 1,440 1,440 1,440
Year 2 720 720 720 720 720
Year 3 480 480 480 480 480
Year 4 720 720 720 720 720
Year 5 1,440 1,440 1,440 1,440 1,440
The tables above provide the planning level annual contributions to the SWP Table A under the hydrologic conditions and annual allocations previously presented (see Section 3.1.1).
Importantly, the amount of carryover going into a particular year depends on previous years’ utilization of Table A annual amounts, as well as then-current carryover availability. For purposes of the Drought Risk Assessment (DRA) and Long Term Service Reliability (both presented in Chapter 5), the amount of carryover assumed to be available at the beginning of each assessment is taken as the “Normal Year” characterization presented in Table 3-8, amounting to 3,072 acre-feet. This SWP Table A Carryover supply represents a relatively conservative estimate for supply’s availability entering Year 1 each the DRA. As seen from Table 3-6 above, the City manages the carryover balance to maximize availability for use during dry periods. For the period 2016 through 2025, the availability of Table A Carryover supplies has averaged 5,021 acre-feet.
3.1.3. WATER RIGHT LICENSE 13855
The City holds State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) issued appropriative water right License 13855. License 13855 has a priority date of March 5, 1958 and may be diverted from the Feather River from January 1 through July 1 and September 1 through December 31 each year with a maximum diversion rate of 15.6 cubic feet per second (cfs) and total volume not to exceed 6,500 acre-feet per year.16 The water supply may be used for municipal purposes anywhere in the City’s Sphere of Influence “Based on 2004 Updated General Plan.”17 16 License for Diversion and Use of Water 13855, State of California Environmental Protection Agency, State Water Resources Control Board, December 9, 2011 (License 13855) at 1. 17 License 13855 at 1.
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The water supply under License 13855 is generally reliable on a monthly timestep in normal years. Although the supply is never available in July and August, the relatively young priority date of 1958 renders this water right susceptible to curtailment in certain dry years. Thus, the likelihood that the water supply will be curtailed in the future may increase in dry conditions as system demands increase, runoff patterns change from climate conditions, and regulatory conditions limit diversions during certain times of year. Accordingly, in single dry and multiple dry years, the water asset may be unavailable beyond the monthly diversion limitations noted in the license.
The City has continued to use this water right each year in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in the license language. Table 3-9 shows the City’s use under License 13855 since 2015.
TABLE 3-9: CITYUSE UNDER LICENSE 13855 SINCE 2015 (ACRE-FEET) Year License 13855 Used
2015 6,500 1,393
2016 6,500 2,855
2017 6,500 1,580
2018 6,500 3,128
2019 6,500 1,340
2020 6,500 4,292
2021 6,500 3,668
2022 6,500 3,357
2023 6,500 1,220
2024 6,500 1,488
2025 6,500 2,002
The City will continue to use this water supply into the future to meet the demands in its service area. The reliability of this supply in dry conditions depends upon the climatological conditions and the applicable regulatory standards imposed by the SWRCB. It is expected that the City will be able to use this supply up to its full amount in all year types. However, monthly availability of License 13855 may be affected by regulatory standards in single dry and multi dry year scenarios. In order to reflect these conditions, the monthly availability of License 13855 is depicted in
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Table 3-10 below through 2030 and the total annual availability through 2050 is depicted in Table 3-11.
TABLE 3-10: MONTHLY AVAILABILITY OF LICENSE 13855 THROUGH 2030 (ACRE-FEET) Year Type Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Normal 650 650 650 650 650 650 0 0 650 650 650 650 6,500 Single Dry Year 929 929 929 929 929 0 0 0 0 0 929 929 6,500 Multi-Year Drought 2026 650 650 650 650 650 650 0 0 650 650 650 650 6,500
2027 650 650 650 650 650 650 0 0 650 650 650 650 6,500
2028 929 929 929 929 929 0 0 0 0 0 929 929 6,500
2029 650 650 650 650 650 650 0 0 650 650 650 650 6,500
2030 650 650 650 650 650 650 0 0 650 650 650 650 6,500
TABLE 3-11: ANNUAL AVAILABILITY OF LICENSE 13855 THROUGH 2050 (ACRE-FEET) Table A
Allocation Year Type 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Normal 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500
Single Dry-Year 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 Multi-Year Drought Year 1 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500
Year 2 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500
Year 3 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500
Year 4 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500
Year 5 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500
3.1.4. WATER RIGHT PERMIT 18558
The City holds State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) issued appropriative water right Permit 18558. Permit 18558 has a priority date of 1978 and may be diverted from the Feather River from January 1 through June 30 and October 1 through December 31 each year with a maximum diversion rate of 21 cubic feet per second (cfs) and total volume not to exceed
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9,000 acre-feet per year.18 The water supply may be used for municipal purposes anywhere in “Yuba City’s Sphere of Influence Based on 2004 Updated General Plan.”19 The water supplies under Permit 18558 are less reliable than other City surface supplies because Permit 18558 includes both months where diversions are not allowed (July through September) and is also subject to “Term 91.” Term 91 is a special Permit condition that further limits the utility of SWRCB issued appropriative water rights. Term 91 is declared by the SWRCB when it is determined that the SWP and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project (CVP) are required to release stored water in excess of low natural flow to meet Sacramento Valley in-basin uses plus export demands. In short, when Term 91 is activated, the City is denied water under Permit 18558.
Table 3-12 shows the water use under Permit 18558 since 2015. Term 91 was declared in water years 2016, 2018, 2020-2022, 2024, and 2025.
TABLE 3-12: CITYWATER USE UNDER PERMIT 18558 SINCE 2015 (ACRE-FEET) Year Permit 18558 Use
2016 6,244
2017 8,546
2018 6,490
2019 8,722
2020 5,566
2021 5,325
2022 5,894
2023 8,237
2024 8,538
2025 7,538
In light of the climatological trends that appear to be changing runoff patterns for surface water supplies as well as the tightening regulatory requirements in meeting water quality conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta (Delta), Term 91 is likely to be declared 18 Amended Permit 18558 for Diversion and Use of Water, SWRCB Division of Water Rights, April 24, 2012 (Permit 18558) at 1-2.
19 Permit 18558 at 2.
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more often in the future and may have duration that lasts beyond the historical pattern. Thus, for purposes of this UWMP, the City has taken a conservative approach to Term 91 activation by showing it active in six or seven months in the five consecutive dry year scenario. Table 3-13 shows the projected monthly availability of Permit 18558 in normal, single dry, and five consecutive dry year conditions through 2030. Table 3-14 shows the annual availability through 2050.
TABLE 3-13: MONTHLY AVAILABILITY OF PERMIT 18558 THROUGH 2030 (ACRE-FEET) Year Type Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Normal 1,125 1,125 1,125 1,125 1,125 0 0 0 0 1,125 1,125 1,125 9,000 Single Dry Year 1,291 1,166 1,291 1,250 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,250 1,291 7,539 Multi-Year Drought 2026 1,291 1,166 1,291 1,250 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,250 1,291 7,539 2027 1,291 1,166 1,291 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,250 1,291 6,290
2028 1,291 1,166 1,291 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,250 1,291 6,290
2029 1,291 1,166 1,291 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,250 1,291 6,290
2030 1,291 1,166 1,291 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,250 1,291 6,290
TABLE 3-14: ANNUAL AVAILABILITY OF LICENSE 13855 THROUGH 2050 (ACRE-FEET) Year Type 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Normal 9,000 9,000 9,000 9,000 9,000
Single Dry-Year 7,539 7,539 7,539 7,539 7,539 Multi-Year Drought Year 1 7,539 7,539 7,539 7,539 7,539
Year 2 6,290 6,290 6,290 6,290 6,290
Year 3 6,290 6,290 6,290 6,290 6,290
Year 4 6,290 6,290 6,290 6,290 6,290
Year 5 6,290 6,290 6,290 6,290 6,290
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3.1.5. NORTH YUBA WATER DISTRICT CONTRACT (PERMIT 11518 TERMS) In 2010, the City and North Yuba Water District (District) entered an agreement to extend the existing water supply agreement between the City and District through 2035 (Agreement).20 The Agreement authorizes the District to provide up to 4,500 acre-feet of water per year on a prescribed monthly delivery schedule from April through October.21 The City has the ability to alter the monthly delivery schedule and the District will use its “best efforts” to accommodate the City’s requests for changes. The water made available under the Agreement is for domestic, municipal, and industrial purposes for uses at locations that are “both within the City’s service area and within the authorized place of use specified in Amended Permit 11518.”22
SWRCB issued appropriative water right Amended Permit 11518 (Permit 11518)23 is an important component of the Agreement. Permit 11518 was issued to the District under Application 14113 with a priority date of December 28, 1950. The District is entitled to divert water from the Feather River, South Fork Feather River, and Lost Creek for irrigation, domestic, municipal, and industrial purposes. As Permit 11518 applies to the City, the water may be used for the identified purposes within Yuba City “as shown on maps dated July 1958, December 1988, and August 2000 filed with the State Water Board.”24 Importantly, the uses of the water for municipal and industrial purposes required compliance with Permit Condition 9 which states that use is “subject to Permittee’s submission of water conservation plans that meet the requirements for an urban water management plan….”25 In addition, Permit 11518 has specific requirements related to filing Progress Reports as they align the water supplies with direct diversions and re-diversion of stored water.26
Table 3-15 shows the last five years of the City’s monthly water use under the Agreement with the District.
20 Amended Agreement for Sale of Surplus Water between North Yuba Water District and the City of Yuba City, May 20, 2010 (Agreement). Provisions in the Agreement provide for a mechanism to extend beyond the 2035 date through mutual agreement. For purposes of this UWMP, the City has assumed supplies made available under the Agreement will be accessible over the UWMP planning horizon.
21 Agreement at 5(a).
22 Agreement at 5(b).
23 Permit For Diversion and Use of Water, Amended Permit 11518, State of California Environmental Protection Agency State Water Resources Control Board, April 27, 2006 (Permit 11518). 24 Permit 11518 at 2.
25 Permit 11518 at 3.
26 Permit 11518 at 4 and 5.
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TABLE 3-15: LAST FIVE YEARS MONTHLY WATER USE UNDER AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY AND DISTRICT (ACRE-FEET)
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total 2021 0 0 0 18 648 644 922 922 456 188 0 0 3,798
2022 0 0 0 0 0 319 922 922 538 298 0 0 3,000
2023 0 0 0 0 0 0 922 922 494 0 0 0 2,338
2024 0 0 0 0 0 0 922 922 572 0 0 0 2,416
2025 0 0 0 0 0 248 922 922 508 15 0 0 2,615
Table 3-16 shows the anticipated monthly water use of the Agreement water supplies in varying year types through 2030 as shown in the schedule of deliveries in the Agreement.
Table 3-17 shows the anticipated annual water use of the Agreement water supplies in varying year types through 2050, assuming the Agreement is extended for an additional 15 years.
TABLE 3-16: MONTHLY WATER SUPPLIES UNDER AGREEMENT THROUGH 2030 (ACRE-FEET) Year Type Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Normal 0 0 0 181 392 893 922 922 714 476 0 0 4,500
Single Dry Year 0 0 0 0 184 628 922 922 922 922 0 0 4,500 Multi-Year Drought 2026 0 0 0 81 392 893 922 922 714 576 0 0 4,500
2027 0 0 0 181 392 793 922 922 714 576 0 0 4,500
2028 0 0 0 0 184 628 922 922 922 922 0 0 4,500
2029 0 0 0 181 392 793 922 922 714 576 0 0 4,500
2030 0 0 0 181 392 793 922 922 714 576 0 0 4,500
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TABLE 3-17: PROJECTED ANNUAL WATER SUPPLIES UNDER AGREEMENT THROUGH 2050 (ACRE-FEET) Year Type 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Normal 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500
Single Dry-Year 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500 Multi-Year Drought Year 1 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500
Year 2 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500
Year 3 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500
Year 4 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500
Year 5 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500
3.2. GROUNDWATER
Groundwater supplies are a less significant component of the Yuba City’s water supply portfolio. The groundwater supplies are derived from Yuba City’s groundwater production facilities. This section provides a description of the groundwater basin, characterizes the management structures related to various areas in the groundwater basin, and quantifies supplies available to the City from the groundwater basin.
3.2.1. Sutter Groundwater Subbasin
Yuba City derives its groundwater supplies from the Sutter Subbasin of the Sacramento Valley Groundwater Basin. The Sutter Subbasin (5-21.62) covers approximately 366 square miles and is defined as the area bounded on the north by the confluence of Butte Creek and the Sacramento River and Sutter Buttes, on the west by the Sacramento River, on the south by the confluence of the Sacramento River and the Sutter Bypass, and on the east by the Feather River. The subbasin lies entirely within the Sacramento River watershed with the most notable hydrological features being the Sacramento and Feather Rivers. Other notable features are Tisdale Bypass and Sutter Bypass. The manmade Sutter Bypass acts as a flood control overflow for the Sacramento River. The topography of the subbasin is comprised primarily of the gentle flatlands of the Sacramento River Valley. The only prominent topographic feature near the subbasin is the Sutter Buttes at its northern boundary, a Pliocene volcanic plug which rises abruptly 2,000 feet above the surrounding valley floor.
The geologic formations of the Sutter Subbasin include pre-Cretaceous metamorphic and igneous rocks of the Sierra Nevada block, which extends beneath the valley fill overlain principally by Tertiary sedimentary formations derived from these and other rocks which are exposed in the Sierra Nevada to the east. The sedimentary rocks are of both marine and
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continental origin and are frequently interbedded with tuff-breccias. Volcanic rocks are also represented in the area in and around Sutter Buttes, which are erosional remnants of an extinct Pliocene volcano. Only the sedimentary rocks can be considered as being water bearing to any appreciable degree. The Sutter Subbasin aquifer system is comprised of continental deposits of Quaternary (Recent) to Late Tertiary (Miocene) age. The cumulative thickness of these deposits increases from a few hundred feet near the Sierra Nevada foothills on the east to over 2,000 feet along the western margin of the basin (DWR 1978).
Groundwater and geology information for this aquifer system was referenced from Olmsted and Davis 1961, DWR 1978, Page 1986, and B-E 1992.
HOLOCENE STREAM CHANNEL AND FLOODPLAIN DEPOSITS
These alluvial materials occur as coarse sand and gravel along present stream channels of the Yuba, Feather, and Sacramento Rivers. Coarser grained materials occur near streams with thicknesses up to about 100 feet. Both grain size and thickness decrease with increased distance from streams. These deposits are highly permeable and provide for large amounts of groundwater recharge within the subbasin. Well yields are reported in the range of 2,000 to 4,000 gpm. The Sutter Subbasin and Yuba City’s service area are shown below in Figure 3-1.
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FIGURE 3-1: SUTTER SUBBASIN WITHIN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY BASIN
3.2.2.GROUNDWATER BASIN MANAGEMENT BY THE CITY OF YUBA CITY The City of Yuba City manages groundwater resources in coordination with the implementation of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Sutter Groundwater Subbasin.
DWR designates the Sutter Groundwater Subbasin as a medium-priority basin under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which required the subbasin’s Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to submit a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) by January 31, 2022. The Plan was finalized in January of 2022. Through participation with the Sutter Subbasin GSAs, the City supports basin wide management actions and monitoring programs intended to achieve long-term groundwater sustainability and support the reliability of local water supplies.
There are eight (8) other GSA’s that overlie the Sutter Subbasin in addition to the City of Yuba City’s GSA. The GSAs continue to coordinate ongoing monitoring, data collection, and annual reporting activities required by the DWR. Implementation efforts remain focused on maintaining sustainable groundwater levels, improving data collection and basin
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understanding, and supporting ongoing coordination among participating agencies. Overall, the GSP remains active and in good standing, with continued emphasis on compliance, transparency, and adaptive management across the subbasin.
FIGURE 3-2: ALL GSA BOUNDARIES WITHIN THE SUTTER SUBBASIN
3.2.3.CITY’S GROUNDWATER USE
The City’s Water supply portfolio primarily consists of surface water assets, but the City also has groundwater supplies that augment its supply portfolio. Specifically, the City has one well located at its treatment plant that provides raw water into the City’s delivery system.
Moreover, the City has other groundwater wells dispersed throughout the City’s boundaries that provide irrigation water that is disconnected from the City’s potable water system.
Yuba City’s historical pumping numbers since 2015 at its groundwater well located at the treatment plant are depicted in Table 3-18. Yuba City will continue to protect and secure groundwater supplies as it implements its conjunctive use program in accordance with its SGMA activities. These efforts may include, as noted in Section 3.5, additional groundwater
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production facilities and systems – like Aquifer Storage and Recovery – that would enhance the City’s water supply portfolio.
TABLE 3-18: LAST 10 YEARS OF GROUNDWATER USE (ACRE-FEET) Year Groundwater Use
2016 414
2017 0
2018 0
2019 0
2020 0
2021 844
2022 612
2023 0
2024 0
2025 0
The City anticipates the following Groundwater supply for normal, single dry, and five consecutive dry years through 2030 in Table 3-19 and through 2050 as shown in Table 3-20.
TABLE 3-19: GROUNDWATER SUPPLY IN VARYING YEAR TYPES (ACRE-FEET) Year Type Supply Available
Normal 1,920
Single Dry-Year 1,920 Multi-Year Drought
2026 1,920
2027 1,920
2028 1,920
2029 1,920
2030 1,920
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TABLE 3-20: FUTURE PROJECTED GROUNDWATER SUPPLY AVAILABILITY THROUGH 2050 (ACRE-FEET) Year Type 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Normal 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400
Single Dry-Year 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 Multi-Year Drought Year 1 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400
Year 2 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400
Year 3 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400
Year 4 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400
Year 5 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400
3.3. TRANSFERS AND EXCHANGES
The City may engage in water transfers and exchanges in order to best support its supply reliability objectives. Most of the City’s water assets could be made available for transfer or exchange. For instance, the City’s SWP Table A supplies could be delivered to other SWP contractors per the transfer and exchange protocols established by the California Department of Water Resources. The City’s appropriative water rights may also be transferred pursuant to the rules established in the California Water Code (CWC) and implemented by the State Water Resources Control Board. Accordingly, the City may engage in water transfers and exchanges in the future to deliver supplies derived from the City’s water assets to other water users.
The City may also acquire water supplies through transfers and exchanges. For example, the City may find itself purchasing SWP Table A supplies from other contractors if it desires to augment its Table A supplies in the future. Nevertheless, the City does not account for any transfers or exchanges as part of its water supply portfolio contemplated in this Chapter.
3.4. WATER QUALITY
The drinking water quality of the Yuba City System must comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which is composed of primary and secondary drinking water standards.
Compliance with primary drinking water standards is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Compliance with both primary and secondary standards is required by the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water (DDW).
Yuba City continually monitors the water quality within its Water Service Area system and samples water at the sources as well as within the distribution system to ensure compliance
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with regulatory standards. Yuba City treats the water derived from the contracted supplies and groundwater systems with appropriate treatment actions that meet all state and federal guidelines. Table 3-21 below shows the most recent water quality report issued by Yuba City for the Water Service Area demonstrating compliance with water quality regulatory standards.
Issues with groundwater quality were the reason for the City expanding its water treatment plant and transitioning away from significant groundwater use. Current groundwater is pumped from a well near the treatment plant and plumbed in upstream of the treatment system. As such, any groundwater use water quality considerations are captured in the table below.
TABLE 3-21: YUBA CITY POTABLE WATER QUALITY
Water Quality Standards Goal Level Max Level Range
Amount
Detected
Primary Standards
Arsenic* (ppb) 0.004 10 0.3 – 0.9 0.7
Fluoride (ppm) 1 2 0.58 - 0.75 0.69
Nitrate as N (ppm) 10 10 ND ND
Chlorine (ppm) 4 4 1.2 - 1.7 1.5
Copper* (ppm) 0.3 1.3 N/A ND
Lead* (ppb) 0.2 15 N/A ND
Secondary Standards
Odor (tons) N/A 3 ND - 3 0.75
Iron* (ppb) N/A 300 ND - 15 4
Specific Conductance (umho/cm) N/A 1,600 114 - 140 129
Manganese* (ppb) N/A 50 ND - 2.1 0.8
TDS (ppm) N/A 1,000 53 - 88 76
*Samples taken in 2022
3.5. PLANNED PROJECTS
The City has explored the feasibility of developing Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells to provide seasonal and long-term underground storage of drinking water. ASR would make efficient use of existing water diversion, treatment, and transmission facilities. ASR is defined as the recharge of water into a well during times when water of suitable quality is available
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for storage and recovery of water from the same well during times when the water is needed.
The City completed an ASR feasibility assessment that concluded that ASR is feasible and recommended that the City should proceed with an ASR demonstration project at the water treatment plant.
In 2012, the SWRCB adopted Water Quality Order (WQO) 2012-0010, General Waste Discharge Requirements for Aquifer Storage and Recovery Projects that Inject Drinking Water into Groundwater (State Board, 2012). WQO 2012-0010 provides a streamlined regulatory process for projects, such as the City’s planned ASR project. In 2015, the City completed construction of three multiple-completion groundwater monitoring wells at the WTP site for the purpose of more fully characterizing the hydrogeology of the site and to assess groundwater flow gradients and groundwater quality in the two targeted aquifer zones. The planned project would consist of construction of one or two municipal wells at the WTP site. These wells would be screened in the upper and lower aquifer zones respectively. Alternatively, the existing municipal well at the WTP could be modified to enable injection and extraction from the lower aquifer zone. The wells would be used to inject treated surface water sourced from the WTP into the two aquifer zones during the late fall, winter and early spring, when demands are typically lower and surface water supplies are plentiful, and recovery of the treated surface water during the summer and early fall when demands are higher and surface water supplies are limited. Water recovered from the wells would be blended with treated surface water at the WTP.
3.6. DESALINATION
Desalination of ocean water is not physically or financially viable for the City at this time and there are no future plans to develop water supplies derived from desalination activities.
3.7. RECYCLED WATER SUPPLIES
The Yuba City Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF), originally built in 1975, was redesigned in 2003 to treat an average flow of 10.5 million gallons per day (MGD). Yuba City’s current average flow is about 6.5 MGD. The WWTF is a Class IV Wastewater Treatment Facility with a pure oxygen activated sludge process designed to handle high and variable biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) load from local food processing facilities, commercial facilities, and residential areas. The facility consists of three main treatment processes – Primary Treatment, Secondary Treatment and Bio-solids Treatment. As the final step in treatment, secondary effluent is disinfected with chlorine followed by de-chlorination before being
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discharged into the Feather River or percolation ponds located on the east side of the Feather River in the river flood plain.27
The City uses only a limited amount of recycled water for plant processes and irrigation at the WWTF. The total recycled water use is shown in Table 3-22 below.
TABLE 3-22: 2025 RECYCLED WATER USE (ACRE-FEET)
Year Recycled Water Use
(acre-feet)
2025 507
The City anticipates limited growth in its recycled water uses over time. Although it is coordinating with regional agencies about potential recycled water supply development, the actions are limited at this time. Table 3-23 shows the projected recycled water use through 2030 and Table 3-24 shows the projected recycled water availability through 2050. In all instances, the City intends to continue recycled water use at the WWTF consistent with past practices. This supply is not counted towards the City’s future potable supply assessment.
TABLE 3-23: PROJECTED RECYCLED WATER SUPPLY THROUGH 2030 (ACRE-FEET) Year Type Amount
Normal 650
Single Dry-Year 650 Multi-Year Drought
2026 650
2027 650
2028 650
2029 650
2030 650
27 https://yubacity.net/departments/public_works/wastewater_treatment/index.php
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TABLE 3-24: PROJECTED RECYCLED WATER SUPPLY THROUGH 2050 (ACRE-FEET) Year Type 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Normal 650 650 650 650 650
Single Dry-Year 650 650 650 650 650 Multi-Year Drought
Year 1 650 650 650 650 650
Year 2 650 650 650 650 650
Year 3 650 650 650 650 650
Year 4 650 650 650 650 650
Year 5 650 650 650 650 650
3.8. BAY DELTA PLAN
The Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Update (Plan) is a pending State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) action that could implicate water supplies that connect to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta (Delta). Although the Plan has not yet been adopted, the various proposed State Board actions could impact each urban water purveyor’s water supply reliability. The Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program (HRL Program) is an alternative to the Plan and provides opportunities for urban purveyors to meet the Plan’s aquatic species and water quality objectives through coordinated regional management activities. In addition, the Plan has numerous post-adoption water management activities, such as coldwater storage and management, that are to-be-determined as the Plan is implemented.
These to-be-determined management actions could impact how water supplies are made available to each urban purveyor. Finally, the Plan appears to exempt some tributaries and other geographical areas from strict adherence to the Plan or HRL Program that would not affect long-term urban water planning projections. Importantly, all three of the City’s primary surface water supply sources – the State Water Project, the Solano Project, and License 7848 – derive from rivers and tributaries that may be regulated under the Plan. The City is actively monitoring these regulatory developments and is taking proactive steps to protect its water supply portfolio, including engagement with regional water management partners and evaluation of supply optimization and augmentation alternatives.
The water supply reliability projections described in this Urban Water Management Plan update reflect characterizations of water supplies and demands as they exist based upon reasonably available information. Although the Plan, HRL Program, and post-Plan water management adjustments could change UWMP water supply reliability projections, the water supply implications are not yet suitable for analytical integration into the current water
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supply reliability projections for this UWMP iteration. Once the Plan or HRL Program is adopted, and post-adoption implementation actions become better known, the projections for urban water supply reliability can be reasonably calculated. We anticipate that the 2027 through 2030 iterations of Annual Assessments will guide urban purveyors in assessing near term impacts of the Plan on water supply reliability and generate useful information that can be incorporated into the next UWMP update in 2030. In the interim, the City is proactively assessing opportunities to optimize and potentially add to its existing portfolio by analyzing potential supply alternatives, partnerships, and water rights protections that position it to maintain reliable water service to its customers across a range of potential regulatory scenarios.
3.9. SUPPLY SUMMARY
The City’s four surface water supplies are: 1) State Water Project Contract; 2) Water right license 13855; 3) Water right permit 18558; and 4) Contract with North Yuba Water District. All of these supplies are available in normal, single dry, and five consecutive dry years through the 25-year planning horizon in the 2025 UWMP. Table 3-25 summarizes the supplies available from 2026 through 2030 on a monthly timestep.
Table 3-26 shows the annual summary, totaling for each water asset held by the City through the UWMP planning horizon. These tables represent managed actions for each water asset to demonstrate sufficient monthly supplies to meet demands.
It is noted that the City actively manages all supplies to meet expected demands. Annual allocations of its Table A supply, current year carryover, and diversions under its surface water rights and entitlement may vary from the monthly distribution presented below.
Monthly tables presented in this chapter provided a high-level overview of the supplies available and anticipated utilization, realizing that management actions and supply availability may alter how each supply is actually utilized for meeting demands. This City conducts an Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment (Annual Assessment) each year pursuant to CWC §10632.1 where current conditions are contemplated in determining the City’s ability to meet expected demands over the prescribed 12-month timeframe. The City has submitted these reports to DWR annually since 2022. Considerations include current year Table A allocation, SWP Carryover available, hydrologic conditions, and unconstrained demands.
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TABLE 3-25: POTABLE SUPPLY AVAILABILITY IN VARYING YEAR TYPES THROUGH 2030 (ACRE-FEET) Year Type Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Normal 1,975 2,231 2,231 2,412 2,623 1,999 1,634 1,734 1,820 2,707 2,231 1,975 25,572 Single Dry Year 2,420 2,295 2,420 2,378 1,313 1,393 1,612 1,842 1,542 1,632 2,378 2,420 23,644 Multi-Year Drought 2026 2,141 2,016 2,141 2,181 1,442 1,743 1,722 1,872 1,879 1,576 2,200 2,141 23,054 2027 2,141 2,016 2,141 1,031 1,442 1,643 1,692 1,872 1,714 1,676 2,100 2,141 21,610 2028 2,420 2,295 2,420 1,129 1,438 1,508 1,697 1,872 1,722 1,697 2,378 2,420 22,995 2029 2,141 2,016 2,141 1,131 1,442 1,643 1,717 1,872 1,714 1,701 2,100 2,141 21,760 2030 2,141 2,016 2,141 1,131 1,442 1,643 1,772 1,887 1,739 1,701 2,100 2,141 21,855 TABLE 3-26: FUTURE PROJECTED TOTAL POTABLE SUPPLY AVAILABILITY THROUGH 2050 (ACRE-FEET) Year Type 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Normal 25,572 25,572 25,572 25,572 25,572
Single Dry-Year 23,644 23,644 23,644 23,644 23,644 Multi-Year Drought Year 1 23,054 23,054 23,054 23,054 23,054
Year 2 21,610 21,610 21,610 21,610 21,610
Year 3 22,995 22,995 22,995 22,995 22,995
Year 4 21,760 21,760 21,760 21,760 21,760
Year 5 21,855 21,855 21,855 21,855 21,855
As previously stated, the assumed amount of SWP Table A Carryover available to the City at the beginning of each multi-year drought presented in Table 3-25 and Table 3-26 assumed “Normal Year” availability of 3,082 acre-feet. The monthly and annual use of the carryover supply is incorporated into the summary tables above and used later in the Water System Reliability assessment presented in Chapter 5.
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CHAPTER 4
WATER USE
Developing a thorough understanding of water use enables the City to reliably and costeffectively manage its water supplies to continue to meet customer needs. This chapter characterizes Yuba City’s current and forecasted retail customer water needs, examining how various factors such as seasons, land use classifications, and differing hydrologic conditions impact water use.
A thorough analysis of the City’s past and current water use enables realistic water use predictions to be made for the future that consider anticipated growth, new regulations, changing climate conditions, and trends in customer water use behaviors. After individually analyzing each water use sector, information can be aggregated into a comprehensive projection of customer water use that becomes the foundation for integration with the City’s water supplies (see Chapter 3) to assess long-term water system reliability (see Chapter 5).
4.1. CURRENT CUSTOMER WATER USE
As described in Chapter 2, Yuba City serves potable water to over 19,000 customer connections. Under normal circumstances, all of the water supplied by the City to its customers is drawn from the Feather River, treated at the City’s water treatment plant, and delivered through an array of pipelines and turnouts. Information on the City’s current customers, their recent and expected water use trends, and Yuba City’s ongoing demand management efforts targeting these customers provide a foundational basis for this UWMP’s water use forecast through 2050.
Furthermore, annual records of actual water use are the basis for determining the City’s compliance with the Making Conservation a California Way of Life regulation and its Urban Water Use Objective (UWUO).28 The UWUO became required annual reporting to the State on January 1, 2024.
4.1.1. CUSTOMER WATER USE: 2021 TO 2024
Recent customer water use data can help the City understand water use trends, effects of temporary use restrictions imposed during the most recent prolonged drought and recovery 28 Enacted by SB 606 and AB 1668. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/conservation/regs/water_efficiency_legislation.html
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from such temporary restrictions, effects of long-term demand management measures, and other pertinent water use factors relevant to its forecast of future water use. Additionally, the City is required to quantify past customer water use pursuant to California Water Code §10631(d)(1).
Table 4-1 below presents the City’s past customer potable water use by customer classification for 2021 through 2024 in acre-feet. The City records potable water use within five different categories:
• Single-Family Residential
• Multi-Family Residential
• Commercial
• Industrial
• Irrigation
• Other
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TABLE 4-1: POTABLE CUSTOMER USE 2021 TO 2024 (ACRE-FEET) Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total SingleFamily
Residential
2021 399 381 337 458 722 974 972 1,001 797 746 577 351 7,714 2022 320 331 421 514 548 712 771 849 828 662 604 439 6,999 2023 272 298 283 308 452 636 784 912 869 749 560 421 6,544 2024 354 294 287 339 452 714 878 1,000 884 794 689 412 7,097 Multi-Family
Residential
2021 101 115 92 105 124 144 139 141 123 120 110 85 1,400 2022 83 83 86 99 101 113 120 130 127 114 110 105 1,272
2023 73 84 73 84 88 110 125 134 133 120 103 92 1,218
2024 88 81 82 80 90 112 127 142 132 125 121 93 1,274
Commercial
2021 123 140 117 131 162 196 193 202 181 166 151 114 1,877 2022 111 112 126 148 142 167 159 168 179 171 151 130 1,763 2023 87 101 94 110 121 147 158 181 187 174 145 122 1,626 2024 109 100 100 109 123 150 166 190 188 175 167 119 1,695 Industrial
2021 78 78 60 59 54 69 84 106 78 66 97 69 898
2022 70 89 86 72 43 38 61 57 61 66 66 86 796
2023 48 60 47 37 32 20 23 29 30 39 57 35 457
2024 4 29 27 28 31 19 28 51 33 23 32 57 362
Irrigation
2021 37 22 21 40 84 122 133 129 113 113 77 26 918
2022 20 17 47 71 67 84 89 96 105 86 78 40 800
2023 14 15 17 16 29 84 111 129 130 113 79 40 777
2024 26 16 14 21 45 85 115 137 136 119 98 47 860
Other
2021 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 3 4 1 1 0 14
2022 4 1 1 3 2 4 4 3 1 2 2 1 27
2023 0 1 1 0 1 3 3 2 5 7 13 4 40
2024 8 3 1 3 1 4 2 6 6 5 4 1 44
Total
Metered
Deliveries
2021 738 736 627 793 1,147 1,505 1,525 1,582 1,295 1,212 1,013 646 12,820 2022 608 632 767 908 902 1,118 1,204 1,303 1,301 1,101 1,012 801 11,656 2023 494 558 515 555 723 999 1,204 1,386 1,353 1,202 958 715 10,663 2024 590 522 512 581 742 1,084 1,316 1,526 1,379 1,241 1,110 729 11,332 The historical data also provides insight into the relative ratio of differing customer classifications as well as seasonal variations. For instance, residential and irrigation demands are significantly higher in the summer months compared to the winter, when rainfall is generally sufficient to meet the water needs of landscapes.
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The single-family residential classification illustrates two important characteristics of the City’s water service: (1) it represents about 60% of the annual potable water demand, and (2) it has summer demands that are two times the monthly volume needed in winter months.
Combined with the multi-family residential use, overall residential use represents over 70% of the City’s water service.
4.1.2. CUSTOMER USE IN 2025
Customers served by the City are metered at their connection to the City’s distribution system. As of January 1, 2024, for each customer account, the City is required to collect and submit metered delivery values to the State Water Board on a monthly basis, summarized annually in an auto-generated Clearinghouse Annual Inventory Report (CAIR Report).29 This data was formerly submitted as part of the City’s annual reporting to the SWRCB Division of Drinking Water. The 2025 actual customer use presented in Table 4-2 represents the summarized delivery to all the City’s potable customers. It does not, however, include the distribution system losses inherent in a pressurized water delivery system that occur during the City’s efforts to treat, store, and route the water throughout the extensive distribution system to each customer’s connection.
TABLE 4-2: 2025 POTABLE WATER USE
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
Single-Family
Residential 326 343 282 361 489 787 847 924 821 838 525 355 6,899 Multi-Family
Residential 83 83 72 86 90 122 123 134 119 131 104 85 1,232 Commercial
Institutional 103 104 94 115 118 163 162 175 142 181 142 105 1,604 Industrial 250 298 283 238 198 6 127 121 113 126 126 115 2,000 Landscape
Irrigation 23 20 17 21 52 103 114 126 125 121 69 32 822 Other 1 1 1 1 2 3 6 7 4 4 2 1 31
Total Metered
Deliveries 785 849 750 822 948 1,184 1,379 1,487 1,324 1,401 968 692 12,588 29 Monthly submitted reports include the water system supply and demand and conservation actions datasets to the SAFER Clearinghouse.
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4.1.3. EXISTING DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM LOSSES
Distribution system water losses include both “real losses” and “apparent losses”. Real losses are physical losses from the water distribution system, such as leaks from pipes, joints, and storage facilities, occurring up to the point of delivery to the customer (e.g., the residential water meter). Apparent losses represent water that is consumed but not properly measured or accounted for, such as meter inaccuracies, data handling errors, and/or unauthorized consumption.
Beginning in 2016, the City has been required to quantify its distribution system losses using the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Method. 30 An electronic copy of the audit in Excel format is to be submitted to the DWR by October 1 of each year for the prior year’s estimated system losses, using DWR’s online submittal tool pursuant to CA Code of Regulations §638.5.
The 2025 estimate has not been officially submitted to DWR as of the drafting of this UWMP but is estimated to be approximately 1,061 acre-feet over the year, or about 7.8% of the water entering the distribution system. This value reflects real losses as well as apparent losses, such as from meter inaccuracies.
Table 4-3 presents the distribution loss – representing both real and apparent losses. These values are derived from the City’s AWWA water loss reports that provide details on total water supplied and water loss (real and apparent). As can be anticipated given the dynamic functions of a pressurized potable water distribution system, the estimated annual distribution system loss as a percentage of water entering the system will vary year-to-year and month to month. On average, however, the City’s distribution system loss represents about 11.1% of the water entering the City’s distribution system.
TABLE 4-3: DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM LOSS: 2021 THROUGH 2025
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
11.0% 15.5% 14.9% 14.1% 7.8%
Average 12.7%
As seen from Table 4-3, the City’s water loss continues to decrease and is anticipated to be reduced to levels to address the City’s Water Loss Control Standard in the near future. 30 Title 23 California Code of Regulations §638.1 et seq.
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4.1.4.WATER LOSS CONTROL STANDARD
The CWC §10608.34 required the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to develop water loss control and performance standards (Real Water Loss Standards) applicable to urban retail water suppliers. The Real Water Loss Standard for the City was developed using validated water loss audit data submitted to the State for the period 2017 through 2020 and resulted in a standard of 37.97 gallons per service connection per day (gpcd), including both active and inactive connections.
Application of this standard to the City’s annual supply and service connection data for 2017 through 2020 indicates that real water losses averaged approximately 5.8% of total water supplied. Using the same dataset, apparent water losses averaged approximately 0.9% of total water supplied. Combined real and apparent losses therefore averaged approximately
6.7% of annual water supplied. This average percentage is used for purposes of forecasting total potable water use through 2050.
4.1.5.WATER TREATMENT PLANT PROCESS WATER
As part of the City’s water treatment processes, additional water is diverted from the river but not included as part of the City’s production values. This water accounts for water used in filter backflushing and other treatment process steps. The City is evaluating opportunities to recirculate this water back into the beginning of the treatment process consistent with some advanced water treatment best management practices, but does not have any plans in place for this action as of the preparation of this UWMP. Therefore, the total quantity diverted from the river and pumped from the ground includes water necessary for the water treatment processes. The last four years of process water is shown in Table 4-4, and represents about 5% added to the metered customer deliveries and the distribution system losses.
TABLE 4-4: HISTORIC WATER TREATMENT PLANT PROCESS WATER (AF) 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Average
Inflow 15,024 14,068 13,340 14,091 13,649 14,034
Production 14,282 13,783 12,602 13,238 12,853 13,639
Diff (af) 742 285 738 853 797 608
Diff (%) 95% 99% 94% 94% 94% 96%
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4.2. COMPLIANCE WITH WATER USE TARGET AND OBJECTIVES
This section examines the City’s derivation and compliance with state-mandated water use targets and objectives. The Water Conservation Act of 2009, also known as SB X7-X, introduced water conservation targets that served as a valuable measure of progress through 2020 and beyond.
4.2.1. COMPLIANCE WITH 2020 URBAN WATER USE TARGET
SB X7-7, also known as the Water Conservation Act of 2009, introduced sustainable water use and demand reduction legislation requiring the City to make incremental progress in reducing per-capita water use. Specifically, urban water retailers were tasked with achieving a 10% reduction in per capita water use by December 31, 2015, and a 20% reduction by December 31, 2020. Beyond 2020, although reporting on compliance is no longer required, this target remains valuable as a baseline for the City to measure progress on achieving water efficiency goals.
The City’s 2020 Gallons per capita per day (gpcd) target was established in the 2015 UWMP as 192 gpcd, derived as the “gross water use” divided by the population during a defined baseline period, and reduced pursuant to one of four methods defined under California Water Code §10608.20(b). The City’s calculation of their 2020 actual gpcd used the same methodology.
“Gross water” was determined to be the total water entering the City’s water treatment plant.
This value represents both the customer deliveries shown in Table 4-2 and the distribution system losses recorded in Table 4-3. As shown in Table 2-4, the City’s population in 2020 was estimated to be 70,458. This results in a calculated 2020 compliance value of 179 GPCD, which is less than the City’s established target. Thus, the City is in compliance with CWC §10608.24(b).
4.3. DEMAND MANAGEMENT MEASURES
Pursuant to California Water Code §10631(e), the City needs to provide a narrative discussion of the water demand management measures it has implemented, is currently implementing, and plans to implement. The historic and on-going measures can help the City understand the effectiveness on managing existing customer uses so as to help guide refinements, emphasis or augmentation that will help position the City to best meet water use objectives.
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4.3.1. FOUNDATIONAL DEMAND MANAGEMENT MEASURES
This subsection describes the foundational demand management measures (DMMs) that underpin the City’s operations and customer deliveries. These particular DMMs represent adopted ordinances, policies, and long-standing budgeted conservation programs.
WATER WASTE PREVENTION ORDINANCES
Wasteful use of water is prohibited in the City’s service area under Section 6-6.08(b) of the City’s municipal code. No customer shall permit leaks or the waste of water, and if water is wastefully or negligently used on a customer’s premises, the City may discontinue service if wasteful conditions are not corrected.
Section 6-6.19 of the City’s municipal code recognizes emergency water restrictions and states that, when City Council declares that there are water supply conditions that dictate and justify the implementation of emergency water restrictions, the regulations in the Water Shortage Contingency Plan will apply. These fundamental prohibitions align with statemandated requirements. The ordinance includes graduated penalties for waste and/or unreasonable use during all stage declarations. For all conditions, including Normal Water Supply, restrictions on water waste include:
• Runoff prohibited.
• Watering after rainfall event prohibited.
• Automatic shutoff nozzles are required for all hoses. • Washing driveways and other paved areas is prohibited. • Pools, ponds, and fountains are required to use recirculated water.
In addition, the City has “yc311”, which is an online service and mobile app which allows anyone to report water waste, facilitating proactive response and improved management.31 The City has implemented this DMM over the planning period (through WSCP water conservations stages) and will continue to actively manage water waste through 2050.
METERING
All water service connections in the City’s service area are metered. The City began using radio-read customer meters in 2010 and began transitioning to automated metering infrastructure (AMI) in 2017 to provide more timely information to customers and for the City’s management needs. AMI meters have been shown to reduce exterior landscape use and 31 https://yubacity.hosted.civiclive.com/online_services/yc311
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modest reductions in interior water use. The City currently has nearly 20,000 AMI meters installed with 100% of customers having an AMI meter.
CONSERVATION PRICING
The City’s water rate structure is set to generate the necessary funds to efficiently operate the City’s water system and maintain reliable water supplies. The City uses a single-tier pricing structure based on water use and meter size. The rate structure includes a baseline allocation rate and per HCF charge above baseline component. Under normal water supply conditions, this rate structure has effectively reduced customer water use. The City can assess surcharges for violations of water use restrictions according to City ordinance 6-6.20.
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
The City regularly engages its customer base with several conservation and demand management outreach programs. Promoting water-wise activities, water schedules, and educational programs are part of the City’s regular outreach efforts, which include a water efficiency web page providing resources to the community for conserving water.32 In addition to local public education and outreach programs, the City also participates in a regional public education and outreach program through the Regional Water Authority. The Regional Water Authority (RWA) is a joint powers authority formed in 2001 to promote collaboration on water management and water supply reliability programs in the greater Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Yolo and Sutter counties. In collaboration with 19 water provider members and other wastewater, stormwater and energy partners, RWA formed the Water Efficiency Program (WEP) in 2001 to bring cost effectiveness through economies of scale to public education and outreach activities. While the City is not an active participant in the WEP, through its membership in RWA, the City’s water service customers can access the WEP materials through RWA.
The main function of the WEP is to develop and distribute public outreach messages to customers in the region by collaborating with its water supplier members. The Program distributes these messages on a regional scale through regional media and advertising buys and was honored with the United States Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense Partner of the Year award in 2021 along with three Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), California Capital Chapter awards in 2023/2024 for WEP’s public outreach and school education programs. From 2021-2025, the WEP created a series of public outreach campaigns. Below is a summary of each campaign and highlighted achievements. 32 https://yubacity.net/departments/public_works/utilities/water_conservation/index.php
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2021 was a year for nimble messaging and maximum flexibility to adapt outreach to the rapidly changing conditions. RWA’s WEP began 2021 with a focus on household leaks and then transitioned to the fourth year of an award-winning outreach campaign focused on tackling the landscape overwatering problem by encouraging residents to check soil moisture before turning on sprinklers (Check & Save). With the sudden emergence of drought in May 2021, the program introduced new creative and tools for WEP participants. The goal: Help provide consistent and actionable tips region-wide while providing flexibility for RWA members to customize materials to reflect their unique water supply situation and call to action.
As the drought grew more serious through late 2021 and into 2022, the WEP updated messaging again and ramped up outreach, asking residents to reduce lawn watering while continuing to water trees (Stress Your Lawn, Save Your Trees), understanding that lawns can handle less water but that drought-stressed trees can be lost forever. This messaging supported the Governor’s request of water suppliers to voluntarily reduce water use by 15 percent. Additionally, the WEP continued to partner with the Sacramento Tree Foundation to help educate residents and business on how to maintain and expand the region’s healthy tree canopy and included a series of co-branded educational videos and materials.
After the drought subsided in 2023, the WEP launched a new multi-year outreach program aimed at encouraging water efficiency during a non-drought year. Research indicates that public engagement in water conservation tends to surge during drought periods, such as 2022, but declines during non-drought years, like 2023. Consequently, garnering attention and motivating action becomes more challenging during non-drought periods. To tackle this challenge, the 2023 outreach program focused on two main messages:
• SUMMER STRONG—focused on promoting water-wise best practices outdoors. A Summer Strong yard is tough enough to muscle through the Sacramento region’s hottest days and still look its best. The campaign featured eye-catching graphics to promote efficient tree watering, adding low-water and native plants, checking soil moisture, using weather-based sprinkler timers, and watering early to minimize evaporation.
• SUDS WOULD BE DUDS WITHOUT H2O—With clean, reliable water essential to great beer (and to the success of local breweries), the WEP launched a pilot project to partner with local craft brewers, aiming to educate patrons about the importance of water to beer and how to preserve this natural resource. Initial partners included Jack Rabbit Brewing Company and Red Bus Brewing Company, which committed to distributing Be Water Smart materials to their customers. This campaign featured the development of a rebate program to upgrade brewing equipment to be more water
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efficient and the distribution of coasters, koozies and stickers with water savings messages.
In 2024, the WEP enhanced its existing Summer Strong campaign with the Summer Strong Yard Champs promotion, spotlighting Sacramento-area residents who transformed their landscapes into water-efficient yards. Homeowners nominated yards featuring low-water plants and efficient irrigation systems for a chance to be featured on regional billboards.
Nearly 50 nominations were reviewed, with winners receiving professional photoshoots.
Featured yards included a mix of DIY and professionally designed landscapes, all showcasing water-saving practices like low-water and native plants, drip irrigation, and rainwater capture, inspiring others to adopt similar approaches. In 2025, the Summer Strong campaign added a new mascot, Jack LaPlant, an animated plant figure that carried on all the same water savings tips but with refreshed visuals to draw in a new audience. In 2024, the WEP expanded its successful pilot project, Suds Would be Duds without H2O, with local craft breweries to raise awareness about water’s role in craft beer production and to promote water efficiency. The campaign visited 52 breweries across the Sacramento region. Around 20 breweries are considered active partners, including six of the top craft breweries in the area. Promotional materials, including 10,500 coasters and 7,200 stickers, were distributed by these partners and included water-saving tips and a link to our BeWaterSmart.Info website to access rebates. Additionally, two breweries, Urban Roots Brewery & Smokehouse and Solid Ground Brewing participated in WEP’s commercial indoor rebate program. Each brewery received $15,000 to upgrade or add equipment that reduced water used for chilling and sanitizing processes.
Both campaigns, Summer Strong and Suds Would be Duds without H2O, were continued through the end of 2025 and were implemented through both paid advertising buys and earned media from public service announcements (PSAs) and aired in English and Spanish.
Every year the campaigns’ messaging can be heard on local radio stations such as Capital Public Radio and online through Google, Facebook, and YouTube advertisements. For clarification below, impressions represent how many times an ad was seen.
From 2021-2025, the WEP public outreach campaigns produced:
• Television Advertising
3,926 television advertisements
23,212,700 impressions
• Streaming Video Advertising (Comcast, EyeQ, Hearst, Paramount Plus, & Premion) 3,532,621 advertisements
3,532,621 impressions
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• Radio Advertising
• 5,273 radio advertisements
19,994,200 impressions
• Digital Advertising (Facebook, Google Display Network & Spotify) • 29,472,602 million impressions
297,870 clicks
• Billboard advertising
• 2,037,102 digital advertisements
62,807,653 impressions
• Public Service Announcements (Television and Radio)
• 24,248,000 impressions
$683,400 in value had they been purchased as advertising • Facebook
60 posts per year
The Program continues to utilize our public outreach website, BeWaterSmart.Info, and the “Be Water Smart” brand to reach customers throughout the region. The website, which completed a major redesign and upgrade in 2025, contains customer-specific (enter your address) local water supplier information on rebates and services, general top ways to save for residents and businesses, an interactive watering guidelines and water waste reporting tool, a water-wise plant and gardening database, recent press releases, the Sacramento Smart Irrigation Scheduler tool, and more. Between 2021 and 2025, the website averaged 37,000 unique visitors per year.
For more targeted outreach, the Program distributed quarterly e-newsletters to enrolled residents. The e-newsletters are filled with water savings tips, upcoming events, and region specific articles. They are usually timed around changes in the weather to help signal the need for residents to adjust their irrigation systems, such as daylight savings coupled with a message to dial back/reduce sprinkler systems run times. The e-newsletter reaches 9,361 households.
The WEP selects 2 public events each year to attend as an opportunity for the public to interact with local water efficiency staff. This provides an opportunity for the region to communicate its messages in person. From 2023-2024, WEP attended ECOS Earth Day (April) and the Farm-to-Fork Festival (September).33 In 2025, the WEP opted to attend the Sacramento Republic Brew Festival (June) instead of the Farm-to-Fork Festival to elevate our 33No public events were attended in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID pandemic.
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existing partnership with Sacramento Republic FC. At these events, the Be Water Smart team provided water-wise tips, encouraged visitors to sign the pledge banner, collected e-mails for those who wish to sign up for the e-newsletter list, as well as identified a customer's water supplier and connected them with rebates and services. Additionally, WEP, in coordination with participating local water suppliers, hosts an annual Mulch Mayhem event (May) in which customers can pick up a truck load of free mulch from selected locations throughout the region.34 Combined, these in person events are attended by thousands of people each year throughout the region.
The Program provides a variety of “give-a-way” items to customers at in person public events and through direct mail requests from the BeWaterSmart.Info website. From 2021- 2025, WEP has distributed thousands of leak detection tablets, moisture meters, garden gloves, and drink koozies to customers to encourage the water savings practices described in our public outreach campaigns and brewery partnerships.
The Program is also highly active in communicating to local media outlets. Between 2021 and 2025, RWA issued 23 press releases on WEP activities and regionally significant news and participated in 17 radio public affairs interviews airing on 18 stations across the Sacramento region’s major commercial radio networks. The RWA and the WEP were mentioned in dozens of news articles published by local and regional media outlets both within and outside of the Sacramento region during the same time frame.
Finally, the WEP partners with professional sports teams in the region to expand the Be Water Smart advertising to new and captive audiences. WEP partnered with the Sacramento River Cats (local Triple – A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) in 2021, which included our long standing water savings advertisements on all bathroom stall doors as well as 30-second Check & Save spots broadcast on KMAX Channel 31 during each Saturday game and multiple 30-second radio spots broadcast during every game via their streaming radio coverage. The total attendance for regular season games was 342,861. In addition, 24 special events at Sutter Health Park drew 66,300 people in 2021. In 2023, WEP launched a new partnership with Sacramento Republic FC (local USL professional soccer team), displaying water-wise messages at games to promote "Summer Strong" yards. The partnership continued through 2025 and included the following activities: a 30-second LED ad, messaging on water refill stations, and giveaways booths at events/games.
To support public outreach messaging and promote water savings tips, the Program also coordinated several regional rebate programs, which were partially or fully funded by state, 34The 2021 Mulch Mayhem event was held in September due to the COVID pandemic.
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federal, and private foundation grants. A variety of high efficiency rebate options were provided including toilets, clothes washers, and irrigation efficiencies (full summary in Table 4-5). Additionally, from August 2023 - November 2025, RWA managed a regional direct installation program, in which a contractor was hired to replace old high use fixtures in multifamily and commercial/institutional properties in disadvantaged communities in the region. Collectively these rebates and direct installations will produce an estimated lifetime (10 years) savings of 7.4 billion gallons of water and 7.9 million kilowatt hours of energy.
TABLE 4-5: REGIONAL REBATES AND INSTALLATIONS FROM 2021-2025 Rebate/Installation
Type 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Lifetime Water
Savings
2021-25
(acre-feet)
Lifetime Energy
Savings 2021-
25 **(kWh)**
High Efficiency
Clothes Washer
Rebates
359 256 307 321 298 229.2 79,309
High Efficiency
Toilet Rebates 767 1,275 602 423 326 422.0 145,990
Smart Irrigation
Controller Rebates 686 1,049 3,051 556 464 3,652.6 1,264,024 Irrigation
Efficiencies
Rebates*
5,941 7,153 13,327 11,160 10,321 16,170.6 5,595,912
Turf Replacement
Rebates (sq ft) 153,880 239,645 135,607 300,152 266,840 1,244.7 430,711 Toilet Direct
Installation n/a n/a 584 2,183 1,688 435.5 150,671
Showerhead Direct
Installation n/a n/a 562 1,766 1,532 605.2 209,475
Faucet Aerators
Direct Installation n/a n/a 884 3,215 2,343 63.2 21,850 Urinal Direct
Installations n/a n/a n/a 19 40 4.0 1,348
Total Water Savings 22,826.7 7,899,291
*Includes: pressure regulator equipment, pipe and pipe fittings, drop or low volume equipment, and sprinkler heads or nozzles. **Regional average of 346 kWh per AF
kWh = kilowatt-hour
n/a = no funding available
Lifetime = 10 years
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In addition to public outreach, the Program also coordinates regional school education activities. The RWA-sponsored water efficiency exhibits ($500,000 sponsorship) opened for viewing in 2021 at the new SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC) in downtown Sacramento, reflecting years of input by RWA Water Efficiency Program Manager, Amy Talbot, who helped shape the exhibits. The exhibits teach visitors to become a “Home Water Detective,” create their own mix tape from water conserving sounds in “Drop a Beat” and learn about local “Water Champions. MOSAC currently welcomes around 150,000 visitors a year from all over the region. Since 201235 , the Program has hosted the Water Spots Video Contest for high school and middle school students. The WEP provides a new contest theme each year and provides the region’s teacher and students with relevant facts and images to help them develop 30 second video PSAs. The contest themes for 2022 and 2023 were “When in Drought…take action to reduce water use” and Do Your Part to Be Water Smart” respectively. Students submit their videos to WEP who hosts a panel of local celebrities including Monica Woods from ABC 10 to decide on a first, second and third place winner. The top 10 scoring videos are then posted online for public voting to select a “people’s choice” winner as well. Both teachers and student receive cash prizes, and the winning videos are played at Raley Field during River Cats games and in select movie theaters throughout the region (Example: Century Blue Oaks theatre in Rocklin and Century Laguna 16 in Elk Grove).
The winning PSAs are incorporated into the WEP’s media activities as well. The 2022 Grand Prize winner video “Doing Your Part” appeared 2,619 times in theatres and delivered 49,000 impressions. The 2023 Grand Prize winner video “Saving Water” appeared 2,149 times in theatres and delivered 47,000 impressions. Students from about a dozen area schools submitted a total of 54 videos total for the 2022 and 2023 contests.
In late 2023, WEP sunset the Water Spots Video Contest and launched a new school education program, Drip Drop, Hip Hop, in collaboration with NorCal School of the Arts (NorCal Arts), which brings together the worlds of art and sustainability to empower children, families, and communities in the Sacramento region. Funded by a $300,000 grant from the Capital Region Creative Corps and California Arts Council, Drip Drop, Hip Hop educates students and families about water efficiency through a two-person play and arts-integrated lesson plan.
The program is free of charge for primarily Title I schools and community venues in Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado counties plus the City of West Sacramento. The children receive a shower timer with water-efficiency tips with each classroom visit. Additionally, in 2024 the program developed a 30-second television and radio Public Service Announcement (PSA) showcasing local children spreading the water efficiency message to a broader audience in both English and Spanish. In 2024, the PSA was broadcast 1,205 times in 7 35The program did not host a Water Spots Video Contest in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.
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television outlets for a total of 5.6 million impressions for an added value of $124,250 and 567 times in 17 radio outlets for a total of 1.2 million impressions and an added value of $45,290. As of the end of 2025, the Drip Drop Hip Hop reached 13,232 students through 509 classroom performances and additional community events in Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado counties. Teachers reported increased water conservation knowledge and that students shared the information with their families.
Implementation of this DMM is active and ongoing.
PROGRAMS TO ASSESS AND MANAGE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM REAL LOSS The City’s water loss assessment and management program includes annual water audits and an ongoing leak detection and repair. This includes an ongoing meter calibration and replacement program for all production and distribution meters. The City’s activities include:
• Annual water audit and water balance
• Proactive leak identification and repair in the City’s distribution system • Annual meter calibration and replacement program
In addition, the City has recently updated its Water Loss Control Plan in 2025 and implementation is aimed at reducing overall water loss through the distribution system.
These actions in conjunction with other measures are aimed at reducing overall system water loss.
WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM COORDINATION AND STAFFING SUPPORT The City funds a full-time Administrative Analyst that acts as our water conservation coordinator on a part-time basis to run the City’s water conservation programs. The City budgets $30,000 annually for water conservation rebates. The conservation budget is used to fund various rebate, conservation and education programs. The City works with customers, neighboring water suppliers and RWA to promote conservation through public education, water audits, landscape studies to affect water conservation, and monitoring conservation efforts.
Recently, the City was able to secure $3.4 million grant funding from DWR through its Urban Community Drought Relief Program.
4.3.2. RECENT DMM ACTIVITIES
The City has continued to promote and implement water conservation actions with great success. Highlights of the City’s recent actions and conservation measures include:
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• Facilitating children’s education activities through its Children’s Conservation Connection.
• Providing flyers and brochures, updated throughout the year. • Respond to over 81 service calls per year and fixing over 42 leaks per year in the distribution system.
• Offering rebate programs for the following water conservation fixtures and activities:
o WaterSense labeled toilets
o WaterSense labeled smart irrigation controls
o WaterSense labeled showerheads
4.3.3. PLANNED DMM ACTIVITIES
In addition to ongoing water conservation commitments, the City will continue to evaluate the need for additional programs and actions necessary to achieve water use objectives in compliance with California Water Code §10609.20. Resources will be dedicated in the City’s budget for demand management activities which will help comply with these future water use objectives. Special consideration will be taken regarding changing urban water use patterns in the service area as well as the configuration of anticipated new residential customers to assure use remains efficient.
4.4. FORECASTING CUSTOMER USE
Forecasting future water demands begins with existing customer demands and trends, aggregates additional customers expected through growth, and considers the factors that will influence the water use of both existing and new customers well into the future, including factors that directly affect the efficiency of water use.
Pursuant to California Water Code §10610.4(c), an urban water supplier “shall be required to develop water management plans to actively pursue the efficient use of available supplies.” The City recognizes the importance of efficient use and incorporates this approach into its planning for forecasted water uses. In other words, as required by the UWMPA, the future water uses of both existing customers and those added over the 25-year planning horizon reflect the “efficient use” of water.
4.4.1.REPRESENTATIVE CURRENT WATER USE
The actual monthly potable customer water use data for 2021 through 2025 is shown in Table 4-1 and Table 4-2. From this information an estimate of the representative “current” water use by existing customers has been developed. Knowing that actual use by existing customers varies slightly year-to-year based on a variety of factors (e.g. total rainfall and the timing of spring rain events impacting when landscape irrigation may begin), the recent data
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provides a basis for estimating current water use. 2025 metered volumes by classification with slight adjustments are used as a proxy for “current” water use for each customer classification, which allows a baseline from which to estimate the future use of these existing customers.
TABLE 4-6: REPRESENTATIVE CURRENT PRODUCED WATER (ACRE-FEET) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
Single-Family Residential 330 340 280 360 490 790 850 920 820 840 530 360 6,910 Multi-Family Residential 80 80 70 90 90 120 120 130 120 130 100 80 1,210 Commercial Institutional 100 100 90 110 120 160 160 170 140 180 140 100 1,570 Industrial 250 300 280 240 200 10 130 120 110 130 130 110 2,010 Landscape Irrigation 18 18 18 18 45 90 99 117 117 108 63 27 738 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 0 0 0 20
Total Potable Use 790 850 750 820 950 1,180 1,380 1,490 1,320 1,400 970 690 12,590 WTP Process Water 47 51 45 49 57 71 83 89 79 84 58 41 755 System Loss 50 60 50 50 60 80 90 100 90 90 60 50 830
Total 887 961 845 919 1,067 1,331 1,553 1,679 1,489 1,574 1,088 781 14,175
4.4.2. FACTORS AFFECTING FUTURE CUSTOMER USE
There are several factors that affect the forecast of future customer use, ranging from State and local landscape regulations, building code requirements, and other water-use mandates, to changes in the types of housing products being offered. These factors are incorporated into determining the appropriate per-dwelling unit or per customer connection water demand values for use in forecasting future water needs. Relevant characteristics of the factors are described here.
WATER CONSERVATION DIRECTIVES
In response to the 2013 through 2015 multi-year drought conditions, Governor Brown issued Executive Order B-37-16 in May 2016 entitled “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life.” In May 2018, Governor Brown signed into law SB 606 and AB 1668, which imposed additional statutory requirements above and beyond the 20 percent by 2020 target reflected in the 2009 legislation. This is expected to result in continued efforts to increase water use efficiency and ultimately to reduce water demands of existing water users and continue to influence the expected demands of future water users. One key outcome of the 2018 legislation was establishing Urban Water Use Objectives for all urban retail water suppliers. As noted previously, the City is in compliance with these UWUOs as reflected in reporting to the State.
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PROHIBITION ON NON-FUNCTIONAL TURF
In 2023, the Legislature determined that the use of treated, potable drinking water for irrigating decorative or aesthetic landscaping that serves no recreational or public use is inefficient and inconsistent with state water conservation and climate resilience objectives.36 Under CWC §10608.12(u), “nonfunctional turf” (NFT) is defined as “any turf that is not functional turf, and includes turf located within street rights-of-way and parking lots.” Per CWC 10608.12 (m), “functional turf” is defined as “a ground cover surface of turf located in a recreational use area or community space. Turf enclosed by fencing or other barriers to permanently preclude human access for recreation or assembly is not functional turf”. The NFT definition excludes cemeteries, parks, sports fields, and lawns that are regularly used for recreation or community gathering.37
The prohibition on NFT applies primarily to commercial, industrial, institutional, and municipal properties, as well as common areas maintained by homeowners’ associations and common interest developments38. Potable water may continue to be used to maintain the health of trees and other perennial, non-turf landscaping, and where irrigation is necessary to address immediate public health or safety concerns. For example, potable irrigation may be allowed where discontinuation would compromise fire prevention or fuel reduction efforts, dust control, or other measures needed to protect human health and safety.
Implementation of the NFT provisions is phased over several years and may be enforced at the local level by public water systems, cities, and/or counties.39 Non-compliance of the NFT provisions may result in civil penalties imposed on property owners, or other locally defined enforcement actions.
Initial compliance begins in 2026, with progressively broader property categories subject to the prohibition through 2030 and beyond, including later deadlines for properties located in disadvantaged communities.40 In 2026, public water systems are required to update local ordinances and customer policies to reflect the new restrictions. 36 In 2025 provisions of Assembly Bill 1572 were codified into the California Water Code. 37CWC §10608.12
38 Per Civil Code §4100, common interest developments are defined as community apartment projects, condominium projects, planned developments, and stock cooperatives. 39 CWC §10608.14
40 Per CWC §10608.12 (l), “disadvantaged community” means a community with an annual median household income that is less than 80 percent of the statewide annual median household income.
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The following timeline outlines the dates set forth by the CWC and corresponding requirements:
• By January 1, 2027: Public water systems must update local ordinances, regulations, or policies to reflect NFT requirements and must notify customers. • Beginning January 1, 2027: State properties owned or leased by the Department of General Services will no longer be allowed to irrigate NFT with potable water. In addition, all potable irrigation of NFT will be prohibited for local governments, public agencies, public water systems41, as well as municipal and institutional properties.
Revised water systems ordinances and customer communications must be in effect statewide.
• Beginning January 1, 2028: All potable irrigation of NFT will be prohibited statewide for all other commercial and industrial properties.
• Beginning January 1, 2029: All potable irrigation of NFT will be prohibited for multifamily residential properties, excluding disadvantaged communities. This limitation also applies to common areas of homeowners’ associations and similar entities.
• June 30, 2030: Commercial, industrial, and institutional property owners with more than 5,000 square feet of irrigated area must begin certifying compliance to the State Water Resources Control Board. Certification is required every three years thereafter (through 2039).
• June 30, 2031: Owners of HOA and common-interest development properties with more than 5,000 square feet of irrigated common area must begin certifying compliance. Certification is required every three years thereafter (through 2040).
The City was awarded funding through the Department of Water Resources’ Urban Community Drought Relief Program to support landscape conversion projects that reduce outdoor potable water use. The program is expected to convert approximately 152,000 square feet of City-owned non-functional turf to water-efficient landscaping, resulting in an estimated annual water savings of 8.2 acre-feet. In addition, rebate incentives are being offered to commercial property owners to facilitate the conversion of approximately 100,000 square feet of non-functional turf, with an estimated annual water savings of 5.2 acre-feet.
The incentives apply to non-functional turf previously irrigated with potable City water.
Project installations are required to be completed by the end of 2026. Because newly installed 41Per CWC §10608.14(a)(5), properties owned by public agencies, local governments, and public water systems located in a disadvantaged community have an implementation date beginning January 1, 2031.
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drought-tolerant landscaping requires an establishment period, full water savings are expected to be realized approximately three years after project completion.
REQUIREMENTS IN CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE
Beginning in January 2010, the California Building Standards Commission adopted the statewide mandatory Green Building Standards Code (hereafter the “CAL Green Code”) requiring the installation of water-efficient indoor and outdoor infrastructure for all new projects after January 1, 2011. The CAL Green Code was incorporated as Part 11 into Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations and was most recently updated in 2025.
The CAL Green Code applies to the planning, design, operation, construction, use and occupancy of every newly constructed or remodeled building or structure. All new residential and non-residential customers must meet the water use requirements of the CAL Green Code as well as the outdoor requirements described by MWELO (see next section).
The CAL Green Code’s indoor requirements generally manifest through: (1) installation of plumbing fixtures and fittings that meet the 20 percent reduced flow rate specified in the CAL Green Code, or (2) by demonstrating a 20 percent reduction in water use from the building “water use baseline.”42
CALIFORNIA MODEL WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE
The California Department of Water Resources Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) governs new development and retrofitted landscape water efficiency standards. All retail water suppliers or counties are required to adopt the MWELO or enact their own provisions that are equal to or more restrictive than the MWELO provisions. The most recent MWELO update in January of 2025 repealed several sections and added a distinction in compliance options for new construction projects between 500 and 2,500 square feet of landscape area and those with 2,500 square feet or more of landscape area.43 The MWELO provides a methodology to calculate total water use based upon a given plant factor and irrigation efficiency or sets forth the Maximum Applied Water Allowance (MAWA) formula to use if project landscaping details are lacking. Additionally, if using the plant factor basis, the MWELO requires the landscape design plan to delineate hydrozones (based upon plant factors) and then to assign a unique water use value for each hydrozone (low, medium, high).44 The City reviews all new development for conformance with these standards. 42 See CAL Green Code Chapter 4.
43 CCR Tit. 23, Div. 2, Ch, 2.7, Sec. 491.2
44CCR Tit. 23, Div. 2, Ch. 2.7, Secs. 490.2
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METERING, VOLUMETRIC PRICING, WATER BUDGETS
California Water Code §525 requires water purveyors to install meters on all new service connections after January 1, 1992. California Water Code §527 requires water purveyors to charge for water based upon the actual volume of water delivered if a meter has been installed. This action alone is not expected to substantially reduce water use. However, it is anticipated that the retail billing system will encourage and help maintain reasonable use (e.g., through implementation of a tiered rate structure and/or water budgets), so that individual customer water demands are reasonably not expected to increase over time.
The City’s customers are fully metered. Customers are billed at a baseline allocation rate with a per HCF charge above the baseline amount.
4.4.3. CUSTOMER WATER USE FORECAST
Forecasting future water demands begins with an understanding of existing customer demands and trends, recognizing the additional customers expected through growth, and considering the factors that will influence the water use of both existing and new customers well into the future – especially factors that directly affect the efficiency of water use.
Pursuant to California Water Code §10610.4(c), an urban water supplier “shall be required to develop water management plans to actively pursue the efficient use of available supplies.” One challenge from this directive is reflecting how the pursuit of efficient use is best represented in the forecast water uses that are the cornerstone of good planning. As required by the Act, the future water uses of both existing customers and those added over the 25- year planning horizon should reflect the “efficient use” of water.
EXISTING CUSTOMER FUTURE USE
To be conservative and assure the analysis of water system reliability is adequate (see Chapter 5), the City is maintaining the annual “current” retail customer potable water use as shown in Table 4-6, a total delivered quantity of about 12,590 acre-feet, with a total production need of about 13,420 acre-feet when considering distribution system losses, and a total of 14,175 acre-feet when considering necessary WTP processing water.
While these existing customers may undertake a variety of conservation measures – actively through decisions to modify a behavior or a water use, or passively through the purchase of appliances and fixtures that simply use less water – they may also maintain their use as-is.
Holding the current use as a constant for all existing customers into the future will provide a conservative number that can be re-evaluated prior to the 2030 UWMP.
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NEW CUSTOMER FUTURE USE
As detailed in Chapter 2, the City anticipates continued growth with an associated increased demand placed upon the City’s water supplies. Forecasting the needs of these future customers is dependent upon the type and number of customers and the unit water demand factors associated with each customer type.
For this UWMP, two distinct customer classifications are anticipated: (1) residential, and (2) non-residential. Residential customers will include both single-family dwelling units built under a variety of densities, and multi-family residential dwelling units. Non-residential uses are expected to include a blend of commercial, institutional, industrial and active landscapes, such as parks, in ratios similar to the City’s current residential-to-non-residential customers.
Values developed for each distinct land use are based on several sources of information, details of which are provided in the following subsections.
NEW RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER WATER USE
Table 2-5 summarized the City’s anticipated new residential growth over the UWMP planning horizon. This growth provides the basis for the estimated future customer water needs, as the non-residential customers will be ratio of the new residential customers. Table 4-7 presents the relevant residential growth information from Table 2-5.
TABLE 4-7: ANTICIPATED NEW RESIDENTIAL UNITS (FROM TABLE 2-5) Category
Forecast
2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Total Housing Starts Over 5 years 862 1,107 1,242 1,169 1,097 New Single-Family Units 647 830 932 877 823
New Multi-Family Units 215 277 310 292 274
Total New Housing Units (cumulative) 862 1,969 3,211 4,380 5,477 The City anticipates these new residential elements will be built in accordance with all applicable building code including the Cal Green Code discussed previously, and relevant City ordinances.
Distinct demand factors are provided for the following residential uses:
• Indoor Residential Use – this category identifies the generally anticipated water use for single-family and multi-family dwelling units.
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• Outdoor Residential Use – this category addresses the landscape water demands commonly anticipated for the two primary dwelling unit types.
For purposes of this UWMP, residential unit water demand factors are described as the “acrefeet of water use annually per dwelling unit” – or acre-feet/dwelling unit (af/du).
New residential connections are assumed to meet all Urban Water Use Objectives. All residential connections built until January 1, 2030 are assumed to meet the 47 gpcd indoor residential use standard. Starting in 2030, all new residential units are assumed to meet the 42 gpcd standard under California Water Code §10609.
Based on this per-capita assumption, the following indoor per-dwelling unit value is assumed for each new residential unit:
• Single-family residential indoor use: 0.14 acre-feet per year based upon an assumed occupancy of 2.96 people per unit based on CA DOF estimates for occupancy rate associated with the City.
• Multi-family residential indoor use: 0.14 acre-feet per year based upon an assumed occupancy of 2.96 people per unit.
Outdoor residential water use is primarily a factor of lot size and the type and extent of landscaped area. The City’s anticipated growth will likely include a range of residential densities (e.g. houses per acre) and therefore an estimated “typical” lot is assumed for purposes of forecasting.
As represented in Table 2-4, several anticipated projects are recognized by the City which will reflect a range of housing types, densities and configurations that affect the irrigable area for each lot. For purposes of this UWMP, each new single-family residential unit is anticipated to have a total gross area of 7,000 square-feet, with 3,000 square-feet anticipated to be irrigable (after accounting for the home footprint, driveways, walkways, other hardscapes, and non-irrigated areas. Multi-family units, which typically have shared common landscape areas, are assumed to have an associated irrigable area of 300 square-feet per unit.
Outdoor demands for new residential dwelling units are calculated based on regulations defined under the MWELO. The MWELO provides for determining the Maximum Applied Water Allowance (MAWA) where the maximum is calculated as 55 percent of the reference evapotranspiration for the area for every square foot of landscaped area, resulting in the following equation:
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MAWA = (ETo)(0.62)(0.55 x LA)
Where,
ETo is the reference evapotranspiration in inches per year, LA is the landscape area in square-feet. 0.62 is a conversion factor to gallons. The resulting value is in “gallons per year.”
A primary factor in this calculation is evapotranspiration (“ET”). The methodology directs the use of ET from a reference crop, such as maintained grass – a value referred to as ETo. For this UWMP, the ETo is 53.31 inches per year (4.4 feet per year). 45 Using the MAWA equation, outdoor demand factors for each residential lot category are calculated:
• Single-Family Residential – Anticipated single-family dwellings are conservatively assumed to have an outdoor demand factor of 0.17 acre-feet per dwelling unit per year.
• Multi-Family Residential – Anticipated multi-family dwellings will have larger, shared common areas, resulting in an outdoor demand factor of 0.02 acre-feet per dwelling unit per year.
The resulting forecast water use for existing and new residential customers is provided in Table 4-8.
NEW NON-RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER WATER USE
The City anticipates several acres of non-residential uses to be developed in the future to accompany the residential growth. Non-residential per-connection demand factors were also estimated for purposes of forecasting the water needs of these anticipated commercial, institutional, industrial and irrigated landscape customers. For purposes of the UWMP, the City assumes non-residential connections will mimic the existing residential to non-residential ratios, where non-residential connections represent about 10% of the total current connections.
For purposes of this 2025 UWMP, demand factors were developed for the two categories of non-residential use: Commercial, institutional, and industrial (CII), and Irrigated Landscape. • CII Connections – this customer classification includes a wide array of different uses from neighborhood retail centers, to large retail centers, to office and government 45 ETo is from CIMIS Station 84 (Browns Valley) available at: https://cimis.water.ca.gov/
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buildings, to light and even heavy industrial uses. To reflect this variety, each acre of new CII use is assumed to use 1.98 acre-feet per connection, which matches the City’s current CII customers average annual use per connection. • Irrigated Landscape – this classification includes passive and active parks, streetscapes, and other dedicated landscape areas. Each landscape connection is assumed to have an average annual water need of 1.99 acre-feet per connection. This is based upon the City’s existing use for landscape connections and includes a 10% reduction to account for the ban on non-functional turf described in previous sections.
The resulting forecast future use of existing and new non-residential customers is provided in Table 4-8.
4.4.4. SUMMARY OF FORECAST WATER USE
Based upon the estimated water use of the existing and new customers, the City anticipates an increase in potable water use over the planning horizon while also reflecting the full contract quantity for non potable uses. Table 4-8 presents the resulting customer water use forecast. Although the forecast is presented on an annual basis in 5-year increments through 2050, the monthly pattern is expected to mimic the current monthly pattern. This characterization is important when evaluating the City’s water service reliability as detailed in Chapter 5.
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TABLE 4-8: FORECAST FUTURE WATER USE (ACRE-FEET)
Classification 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Existing
Single-family Residential 6,910 6,703 6,502 6,307 6,117 Multi-family Residential 1,210 1,174 1,138 1,104 1,071
Commercial/Institutional 1,570 1,570 1,570 1,570 1,570
Industrial 2,010 2,010 2,010 2,010 2,010
Landscape Irrigation 738 738 738 738 738
Other 20 20 20 20 20
New
Single-family Residential 199 454 741 1,011 1,264
Multi-family Residential 34 77 125 171 214
CII 141 323 526 717 897
Landscape 40 92 150 204 255
Potable Customer Water Use Subtotal 12,872 13,160 13,520 13,852 14,156 Distribution System Water Loss 922 943 968 992 1,014
Total Potable Water Use 13,794 14,102 14,488 14,844 15,170 Treatment Plant Process Water 659 674 693 710 725
Total Diversion 14,453 14,777 15,181 15,554 15,896
As seen from the table above, the existing residential water use (single-family and multifamily) is reduced over the planning period. This reduction is aimed to incorporate changes in UWUO regulations, specifically the reduction of the outdoor residential water use standard over the planning horizon. These assumed reductions will be tracked by the City and actual use will be reported to the State Water Resources Control Board consistent with existing UWUO reporting requirements.
4.4.5. ADJUSTING WATER USE FORECASTS FOR SINGLE-DRY AND MULTIPLE DRY
CONDITIONS
The demand forecasts presented in the prior subsection represent expected water needs under normal hydrologic conditions. To credibly forecast potential maximum future water use, the forecasted normal year water uses must be modified to reflect anticipated increases in demand during drier conditions. Conservative modifications to the forecasted normal year water use to more likely reflect use conditions during drier and dry years are warranted to help adequately address water service reliability in Chapter 5. For purposes of this UWMP, the following adjustment is made:
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• Single dry year: Landscape irrigation needs would increase to reflect the generalized earlier start of the landscape irrigation season due to limited rainfall in the single driest year. Since this increase only applies to the outdoor portion of a customer’s forecast use, an adjustment factor of 5% is applied to the total normal-year forecasts to conservatively reflect the expected increase in demand for water for landscaping. • Multiple dry years: During multiple dry years, demands are also expected to increase similar to the single dry year. For multiple dry year conditions, the single dry year increase of 5% is held in each of the subsequent years. This is representative of an “unconstrained demand” as should be represented when evaluating whether Water Shortage Contingency Plan actions may be warranted.
46 These values are reflected in tables provided for the Drought Risk Assessment and Annual Reliability Assessment presented in Chapter 5.
4.4.6. CLIMATE CHANGE CONDITIONS
Including climate change analysis into a water use analysis will assist the City in understanding the potential effects on long-term reliability, which in turn, allows the City to proactively begin planning appropriate responses. For example, hotter and drier weather may lead to an increased demand in landscape irrigation, especially during spring and fall months, increasing the pressure on water supplies that may have availability restrictions during these periods. This potential is reflected in the consideration of the single dry year increase of 5% that is used for the water service reliability analysis, as discussed previously.
Whether the elevated single dry year water forecast becomes more akin to the “normal” demand will become more apparent as the City continues to assess monthly water use trends throughout its service area.
4.5. PROJECTING DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY WATER USE
Pursuant to CWC §10631.1, retail suppliers are required to include the projected water use for lower income households. Per California Health and Safety Code §50079.5, a lower income household has an income below 80 percent of area median income, adjusted for family size.
For purposes of this UWMP, annual median income was derived from U.S. Census Bureau information and determined to be about $100,149 for the State.47 Therefore, 80% of this is estimated to be about $80,119 per year. According to the detailed data, approximately 51% of the households earn at or below this 80-percentile income. 46 California Water Code §10632(a)(2) states water suppliers should use “unconstrained demand” when performing their annual water supply and demand assessment.
47 https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US0686972-yuba-city-ca/
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For purposes of estimating the future water needs, 51% of the total single-family and multifamily connections are presumed to represent disadvantaged households, resulting in approximately 28-29% of the future total potable water use. Applying this condition to the forecast water use for the entire City results in the estimate provided in Table 4-9.
TABLE 4-9: ESTIMATED LOW-INCOME WATER USE FORECAST (ACRE-FEET) 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Total Potable Use 14,453 14,777 15,181 15,554 15,896
Low Income Use 4,222 4,250 4,300 4,343 4,380
% of Total Potable Use 29% 29% 28% 28% 28%
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CHAPTER 5
WATER SYSTEM RELIABILITY
This chapter provides the City’s water system reliability findings as required under Water Code §10635 and provides reliability information that City may use in completing an annual supply and demand assessment pursuant to Water Code §10632.1.
Assessing water service reliability is the fundamental purpose for City in preparing its 2025 UWMP. Water service reliability reflects the City’s ability to meet the water needs of its customers with water supplies under varying conditions. The City’s UWMP considers the reliability of meeting customer water use by analyzing plausible hydrological variability, regulatory variability, climate conditions, and other factors that impact the City’s water supply and its customers’ water uses. The reliability assessment looks beyond the City’s past experience and considers what could be reasonably foreseen in the future.
Moreover, the analysis posits that active supply management will be integral to the City’s long-term water reliability. This chapter synthesizes the details embedded in the Chapters 3 and 4 and provides a rational basis for future decision-making related to supply management, demand management, and project development. This chapter presents three system reliability findings:
• Five Year Drought Risk Assessment: The 2026 through 2030 Drought Risk Assessment (DRA) for the City’s service area.
• Long-Term Service Reliability: The reliability findings for a Normal Year, Single Dry Year, and Five Consecutive Drought Years in five-year increments through 2050.
In short, through active management, City has reliable water supplies available for its service area through 2050.
5.1. FIVE YEAR DROUGHT RISK ASSESSMENT
The Drought Risk Assessment (DRA) requires a methodical assessment of water supplies and water uses under an assumed drought period that lasts five consecutive years. The City has prepared an independent monthly assessment of the water supplies and demands for its system because of the monthly variability associated with the water supplies that are used to serve that system.
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The City has a unique water supply portfolio. The City currently has access to five sources of supply and each source has unique attributes that affect reliability under various hydrological and regulatory conditions. These supply sources are further complicated by the carryover and storage provisions available to some of the water assets. This diverse water supply portfolio creates a water management structure that requires careful consideration of hydrological, regulatory, and institutional variability. Specifically, some water assets are particularly susceptible to drought while other water assets have varying degrees of reliability based upon regulatory constraints and historical water use. Nevertheless, the City has organized and coordinated its water portfolio management to optimize water supply reliability in the event of a severe drought. The City’s DRA represents a consolidation of its water supplies into an organized monthly management structure.
Table 5-1 below shows the City’s DRA that integrates all of its supplies for 2026 through 2030 as described in Chapter 3 and reflects the dry year unconstrained water uses described in Chapter 4. As the table shows, the City has sufficient water assets available in all months under its prescribed water management protocol although some months have limited supplies as compared to the conservatively projected demands (unconstrained demands devoid of potential conservation savings).
TABLE 5-1: FIVE YEAR DROUGHT RISK ASSESSMENT (ACRE-FEET) Drought Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total 2026
Supply 2,091 1,966 2,091 2,181 1,442 1,793 1,772 1,922 1,929 1,626 2,150 2,091 23,054 Demand 814 834 802 926 1,129 1,490 1,677 1,843 1,683 1,558 1,280 906 14,943 Difference 1,278 1,132 1,289 1,255 313 303 95 79 246 68 869 1,185 8,112 2027
Supply 2,091 1,966 2,091 1,031 1,442 1,693 1,742 1,922 1,764 1,726 2,050 2,091 21,610 Demand 817 838 805 929 1,133 1,496 1,683 1,850 1,690 1,564 1,285 910 15,001 Difference 1,274 1,129 1,286 102 309 197 59 72 74 162 764 1,181 6,609 2028
Supply 2,370 2,245 2,370 1,129 1,438 1,558 1,747 1,922 1,772 1,747 2,328 2,370 22,995 Demand 820 841 809 933 1,138 1,502 1,690 1,857 1,696 1,570 1,290 913 15,059 Difference 1,550 1,404 1,561 196 300 56 57 65 76 177 1,038 1,456 7,935 2029
Supply 2,091 1,966 2,091 1,131 1,442 1,693 1,767 1,922 1,764 1,751 2,050 2,091 21,760 Demand 823 844 812 937 1,142 1,508 1,697 1,865 1,703 1,576 1,295 917 15,118 Difference 1,268 1,122 1,280 194 300 185 70 57 61 175 754 1,174 6,642 2030
Supply 2,091 1,966 2,091 1,131 1,442 1,693 1,822 1,937 1,789 1,751 2,050 2,091 21,855 Demand 826 847 815 940 1,147 1,514 1,703 1,872 1,710 1,582 1,300 920 15,176 Difference 1,265 1,119 1,276 191 295 179 119 65 79 169 749 1,171 6,679 Note: Supplies do not include anticipated recycled water use (non-potable) as demands are characterized as potable.
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5.2. LONG TERM SERVICE RELIABILITY
The Urban Water Management Planning Act directs urban water purveyors to analyze water supply reliability in a normal, single dry, and five consecutive dry years over a 20-year planning horizon. The following subsections describe the long-term water service reliability for the City through a 25-year planning horizon under the normal and single planning scenarios dry year scenarios.
5.2.1. NORMAL AND SINGLE DRY YEAR CONDITIONS (2030-2050) The City’s future water supplies in normal and single dry conditions reflect the same hydrological, regulatory, and institutional criteria described in previous sections. In normal years, supplies are generally constrained only by their express limiting features. In dry years, additional hydrological, regulatory, and institutional issues will constrain the availability of water. However, future water supplies remain relatively constant as average demands grow over time. All of this information is described in detail in Chapters 3 and 4 and is reflected in the tables below.
The City’s future water demands in normal and single dry conditions through 2050 reflect the same considerations described in previous sections of this chapter. In normal conditions, demands tend to reflect anticipated uses based upon normal hydrological conditions. But in dry conditions, demands increase to reflect dry conditions and additional application of water for outdoor irrigation. Future water demands are generally predicted to increase as land uses and populations within the City’s service area grow. All of this information is detailed in Chapter 4 and reflected in the numbers shown in the tables below.
Table 5-2 shows the normal year supplies and demands on an annual timestep from 2030 through 2050.
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TABLE 5-2: NORMAL AND SINGLE DRY YEAR WATER SUPPLY AND DEMAND THROUGH 2050 (ACRE-FEET) Normal Year 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Supply 25,572 25,572 25,572 25,572 25,572
Demand 14,453 14,777 15,181 15,554 15,896
Difference 11,119 10,795 10,391 10,018 9,676
Single Dry Year 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Supply 23,644 23,644 23,644 23,644 23,644
Demand 15,176 15,515 15,940 16,331 16,690
Difference 8,468 8,129 7,704 7,313 6,954
Note: Supplies do not include anticipated recycled water use (non-potable) as demands are characterized as potable.
5.2.2. FIVE CONSECUTIVE DRY YEARS (2030-2050)
The City defines drought condition lasting five consecutive years as one that constrains the City from obtaining some of its water supplies in its water supply portfolio due to hydrological, regulatory, and institutional constraints. These conditions include more restrictive regulatory constraints on its water rights and constrained conditions for its water supply contracts. The restrictive conditions manifest in changes to the availability of the City’s water assets during different periods in a given year but keep the annual volumes above the annual need.
Moreover, these restrictive conditions may also impact the increased uses of available supplies in the future that are associated with land use and population growth. These conditions are described in significant detail in Chapter 3 and reflected in the tables below.
Five consecutive dry year demands include the anticipated demands based upon historical trends in water usage in drought conditions by the City’s customers. Demands in extended dry conditions may increase as hydrological conditions generate additional customer uses for outdoor irrigation. As droughts persist, however, demands may decline as the realistic constraints on supply availability are realized at the customer level. Out of an abundance of caution to ensure supplies are available to meet projected demands, the fluctuating demand pattern is not reflected in this future reliability assessment. The gradual increase in demands also account for reasonable water conservation measures derived from improved efficiencies in indoor fixtures, improved management of outdoor landscape irrigation, and a general awareness of the value of long-term water conservation at the consumer level. In addition, the future dry conditions reflect increased land use and populations that would rely upon available supplies. These variable conditions are described in significant detail in Chapter 4 and reflected in the tables below. Table 5-3 below shows the annual water supply
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and demand conditions for the City’s service area in five consecutive dry years from 2030 through 2050.
TABLE 5-3: FIVE CONSECUTIVE DRY YEARS WATER SUPPLY AND DEMAND THROUGH 2050 (ACRE-FEET) 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Year 1
Supply 23,054 23,054 23,054 23,054 23,054
Demand 15,176 15,515 15,940 16,331 16,690
Difference 7,878 7,539 7,114 6,723 6,364
Year 2
Supply 21,610 21,610 21,610 21,610 21,610
Demand 15,244 15,600 16,018 16,403 16,762
Difference 6,366 6,009 5,591 5,206 4,847
Year 3
Supply 22,995 22,995 22,995 22,995 22,995
Demand 15,312 15,685 16,097 16,475 16,834
Difference 7,683 7,309 6,898 6,520 6,161
Year 4
Supply 21,760 21,760 21,760 21,760 21,760
Demand 15,380 15,770 16,175 16,547 16,906
Difference 6,380 5,989 5,585 5,213 4,854
Year 5
Supply 21,855 21,855 21,855 21,855 21,855
Demand 15,448 15,855 16,253 16,619 16,977
Difference 6,407 6,000 5,601 5,236 4,877
Note: Supplies do not include anticipated recycled water use (non-potable) as demands are characterized as potable.
5.3. ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY AND DEMAND ASSESSMENT
Each year, the City considers current supply and demand conditions and performs an annual water supply and demand assessment (Annual Assessment) pursuant to CWC §10632.1 to evaluate real time circumstances, which may differ from the projected DRA scenarios. This assessment evaluates current water supply and use for a 12-month forecast from July through the following June. Procedures for conducting the Annual Assessment are contained in the City’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan. The City has conducted the assessment as required by the CWC and will continue to provide a reliability assessment for current conditions regarding supplies and expected demands.
5.4. WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY SUMMARY
The City has a diverse and robust water supply portfolio capable of meeting the water demands in its service area in normal, single dry, and five consecutive dry years from 2025
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through 2050 so long as active management of its supply portfolio occurs. The City’s diverse water supply portfolio requires coordinated water management between the City and its contract partners – DWR and NYWD – in order to render the supply reliable in all year types through 2050.
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CHAPTER 6
WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
This Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) addresses the requirements in California Water Code §10632 of the Urban Water Management Planning Act (The Act). The WSCP is incorporated into the City of Yuba City’s (City or Yuba City) 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and is used by Yuba City to respond to water shortage contingencies as they may arise. The WSCP addresses possible conditions in which the water supply available to customers of the City is insufficient to meet the normally expected customer water use at a given point in time due to drought, regulatory action constraints, and natural and man-made disasters. This WSCP describes the City’s strategy for allocating water during such water supply shortages, while assuring customers that at all times it will meet the minimum health and safety requirements of a drinking water purveyor.
This WSCP consists of the following required elements:
1. An analysis of water supply reliability.
2. Procedures for conducting an annual water supply and demand assessment.
3. Six standard water shortage levels corresponding to progressive ranges of up to 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 percent shortages and greater than 50 percent shortage.
4. Shortage response actions that align with the defined shortage levels.
5. Communication protocols and procedures.
6. Customer compliance, enforcement, appeal, and exemption procedures.
7. A description of legal authorities.
8. A description of financial consequences.
9. Monitoring and reporting requirements.
10. Reevaluation and improvement procedures.
11. Special Water Feature Distinction.
12. Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Availability.
The Act contains specific requirements for each of these elements.48 As required by California Water Code §10632 this WSCP is incorporated into the UWMP, yet it is also a stand-alone plan that is adopted independently from the UWMP and may be amended or refined and 48 California Water Code §10632, available at:
(https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=WAT§ionNum=10632)
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readopted over coming months and years as needed (see subsection 6.12 Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Availability, below).
6.1. WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY ANALYSIS
Yuba City is located in eastern Sutter County on the western bank of the Feather River.
Located adjacent to the east of the Feather River is the City of Marysville, and to the north, west, and south is generally undeveloped agricultural land. The City delivers quality, reliable water to a population of approximately 70,000 located in a 15 square mile service area within and just outside of its City limits (see Chapter 2). The City‘s water source is surface water from the Feather River, with a small supplemental groundwater supply available at the water treatment plant, and independent non-potable groundwater wells used to irrigate City parks (Blackburn-Talley, Regency, Gauche Aquatic Park, Sam Brannan, and Northridge.
As described in Chapter 5 of the UWMP, the City has a reliable water through 2050 with active management of its supply portfolio. The City has a diverse and robust water supply portfolio capable of meeting the water demands in its service area in normal, single dry, and five consecutive dry years from 2025 through 2050 so long as active management of its supply portfolio occurs. The City’s diverse water supply portfolio requires coordinated water management between the City and its contract partners – DWR and NYWD – in order to render the supply reliable in all year types through 2050. Although Yuba City has a secure water supply, this WSCP serves as a roadmap to help the City meet the challenges that may arise from future droughts, regulatory actions, and unforeseen man-made and natural disasters.
6.2. ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY AND DEMAND ASSESSMENT
PROCEDURES
The WSCP describes the City’s procedural methodology for managing shortages and conducting its required Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment (Annual Assessment).
The Annual Assessment is to be submitted to California Department of Water Resources (DWR) by July 1 each year with the first Annual Assessment due July 1, 2022. The Annual Assessment examines Yuba City’s anticipated water reliability for the current year and one additional dry year. The Annual Assessment will be prepared at the beginning of each calendar year to evaluate near-term water supply reliability and determine what, if any, water shortages stages may be triggered during the required period. The Annual Assessment will be used by Yuba City decision-makers to prepare for and initiate implementation of any needed response actions, as well as to inform customers, the general public, interested
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parties, and local, regional, and state governmental entities to prepare for such required actions.
6.2.1. ANALYTICAL AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES
Yuba City plans to conduct its Annual Assessment according to the following timeline and process:
February Initial data collection and analysis
March Preliminary Draft Annual Assessment internal review and revisions April Draft Annual Assessment and results briefing for Yuba City decision-makers May Public Notification and Release of Draft Annual Assessment June Approval of Annual Assessment by Yuba City decision-makers By July 1 Submit Annual Assessment to DWR in advance of July 1 deadline The City will prepare its Annual Assessment using the following key data and analytical procedures (which may be modified as needed):
• The Water Treatment Plant Supervisor and Chief Plant Operator will utilize their Standard Operating Procedure spreadsheet to prepare supply estimates for each water source on a monthly basis for the analysis period, considering desired reservations of supplies in the event the following year is also dry (e.g. maintain a predetermined minimum as SWP Carryover supply for a future year). • Update unconstrained customer demand and estimate anticipated actual water use on a monthly basis for the analysis period.
• Update infrastructure assessment, including estimated water supply production capability on a monthly basis for the analysis period.
• Identify and quantify any locally applicable factors that may influence or disrupt supplies during the analysis period.
• Refine the definition of “dry year” as relevant to dry conditions like water year 2015 and 2021, especially as related to recently realized constraints on water supply availability . • Identify any shortfall between projected available supply for the upcoming year and anticipated unconstrained demand.
• Identify and incorporate any applicable constraints (infrastructure, regulatory, etc.). • Develop, analyze, and propose water resource management strategies to address any shortfall between projected supply and anticipated demand with reference to the water shortage stages identified in this WSCP.
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• Present the Annual Assessment (and resulting water shortage stage declaration, if applicable) to the City decision-makers.
If the results of the Annual Assessment indicate the need for any alternative water shortage response actions which may be addition to those specified in Subsection 6.4, below, the alternative response actions will be described and submitted in the Annual Assessment, as specified in CWC 10632.2.
6.2.2. SUBMITTAL PROCEDURES
The City will submit its Annual Assessment to the DWR via email by June 15 each year, but in no case later than July 1 each year. Prior to DWR submittal, Yuba City will also notify Sutter County Office of Emergency Services, Cal Water, the City of Marysville, the public, and other stakeholders concerning the results of the Annual Assessment and where it is available for review.
6.3. SIX STANDARD WATER SHORTAGE STAGES AND TRIGGERS
New state requirements for the WSCP require water suppliers to adopt six water shortage stages, which correspond to progressively severe water shortage conditions (up to 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and greater than 50% percent shortage), as compared to the normal service reliability condition. The City has adopted the six standard water shortage stages. Each stage corresponds to a range of reduction in anticipated water supply availability (or reduction in treated water production capacity) in relationship to “normal” demand. Because average water use varies on a monthly, seasonal, and sometimes annual basis, the City will determine the actual water shortage stage based on the expected water production “gap” between actual available water supply and anticipated water use (water demand) at any given time.
Reduction of available water supply by the indicated percentages will trigger an appropriate water shortage stage and the City will implement some or all of the response actions identified in Tables 6-1 through 6-6.
6.4. SHORTAGE RESPONSE ACTIONS
The WSCP is required to identify locally appropriate shortage response actions that align with the defined shortage stages and include demand reduction actions, supply augmentation actions, system operational changes, and mandatory prohibitions against specific water use practices that are in addition to state-mandated prohibitions and appropriate to the local conditions. For each response action the WSCP is to provide an estimate of the extent to which the gap between supplies and demand will be reduced by implementation of the action.
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6.4.1. STAGES OF SHORTAGE RESPONSE ACTIONS
The City has identified shortage response actions to be implemented during each of the six sequential stages and corresponding water shortage conditions. These actions are based on specific hydrological and regulatory conditions and the fundamental need to meet water service requirements within the City’s service area. Moreover, the shortage response actions provide the City with some flexibility to address dynamic water shortage conditions while protecting the City against extreme conditions where supplies are drastically reduced beyond 50%. The following is an overview of the staged response actions the City could follow during a given water shortage condition based on shortage severity, relative supply conditions for each stage, and percent shortage reduction levels.
A water shortage declaration would be made by resolution of the City Council, with administrative discretion delegated to the Public Works Director under the direction of the City Manager (Mun. Code Sec. 6-6.19 (a) Emergency water restrictions and Sec. 6-6.04.
Administration).
In general, shortage response actions are intended to address water shortages in City water production from the Water Treatment Plant, which is primarily treated surface water from the Feather River. . Because many of the City’s parks are irrigated with groundwater and some property owners have wells for irrigation, these properties may not be subject to the mandatory watering restrictions, with administrative discretion delegated to the Public Works Director restrict City groundwater use at Stage 3 and above or in response to catastrophic events.
The shortage response actions that may be implemented in each stage include, but are not limited to, the following:
Stage 1 (up to 10 percent shortage) “Water Alert” – If water supplies are threatened with constraint, the Plan calls for an introductory Stage 1 drought response, during which customers are informed of possible shortages and asked to voluntarily conserve 10 percent.
In addition, customers are prohibited from wasting water or unreasonably using water for beneficial purposes. For example, prohibited water uses under this stage include: allowing water to run off unused into a gutter, ditch, or drain; failing to repair a controllable leak; washing sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts, patios, or other paved areas; utilizing a hand-held hose without an automatic shut-off nozzle; and irrigating during a precipitation event. Additional prohibitions will apply to new developments such as prohibiting single pass-through cooling water systems; commercial car washes and laundries without recirculating water systems; and decorative fountains without recirculating water systems.
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This stage includes performing public outreach and education about the shortage and methods individuals can implement to reduce their water use. The City will inform the public and neighboring governmental bodies of the potential shortage condition and will coordinate with customers to implement the actions consistent with this Stage.
Stage 2 (up to 20 percent shortage) “Water Warning” – In the event Stage 2 is implemented the City will continue to encourage community-oriented voluntary conservation measures, enforce conservation measures, and implement mandatory water use reduction measures to decrease demand by up to 20 percent. Stage 2 activities include a continuation of activities described under Stage 1, as well as greater conservation and water use restrictions. These additional restrictions include beyond those identified in Stage 1, Encourage customers to voluntarily water one day less per week and to water during the coolest part of the day and vehicle washing must be done using a bucket or hand-held hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle, or take place at a commercial car wash. The City may consider limiting hours or closing spray pads or water slide at City parks. Customer baseline water use may be monitored and addressed with excess use above the shortage percentage potentially subject to financial penalties as described in Subsection 6.8, below.
The City will also continue to engage in public outreach and education as it applies to the water shortage conditions and the actions necessary to achieve up to 20% reduction in use.
Stage 3 (up to 30 percent shortage) “Severe Shortage” – Stage 3 includes all response actions taken in Stages 1 and 2 and is focused on continuing to encourage customers to voluntarily reduce water use regarding turf watering, fillings pools, etc., and may include additional mandatory-watering restrictions as appropriate, such as allowing outdoor irrigation only between the hours of 6:00 PM and 9:00 AM on certain days. Increased monitoring related to prescribed water conservation actions will occur under this stage. The City would close spray pads and water slide at City parks Customer baseline water use may be monitored and addressed with excess use above the shortage percentage potentially subject to financial penalties as descried in Subsection 6.8, below.
The City will also continue to engage in public outreach and education as it applies to the water shortage conditions and the actions necessary to achieve up to 30% reduction in use.
Stage 4 (up to 40 percent shortage) “Critical Shortage” – Stage 4 includes all response actions taken in prior stages regarding mandatory conservation and intensifies their implementation and enforcement. Stage 4 restrictions will be implemented if the Stage 3 demand reduction and other response actions are deemed insufficient to achieve reductions due to water supply shortages. All Stage 3 response actions will be intensified, and water
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production will be monitored daily by Yuba City for compliance with necessary reductions.
Customer baseline water use may be monitored and addressed with excess use above the shortage percentage potentially subject to financial penalties as descried in Subsection 6.8, below.
The City will also continue to engage in public outreach and education as it applies to the water shortage conditions and the actions necessary to achieve up to 40% reduction in use.
Stage 5 (up to 50 percent shortage) “Water Crisis” – Stage 5 includes all response actions taken in prior stages regarding mandatory conservation. The primary focus of Stage 5 is to ensure the protection of the water supply for all public health and safety purposes. This Stage will require reductions in water demand by up to 50 percent and will follow all voluntary and mandatory actions described in Stages 1-4. Customer baseline water use may be monitored and addressed with excess use above the shortage percentage potentially subject to financial penalties as descried in Subsection 6.8, below. The City will also continue to engage in public outreach and education as it applies to the water shortage conditions and the actions necessary to achieve up to 50% reduction in use.
Stage 6 (greater than 50 percent shortage) “Water Emergency” – Stage 6 includes all response actions taken in prior stages focused on reducing water demands by more than a fifty percent in response to greater than 50 percent water shortages. This stage requires only use of water for human health and safety purposes. No additional water uses are permitted, including any outdoor irrigation for anything other than maintenance of mature trees (particularly heritage oaks and cottonwoods). Customer baseline water use may be monitored and addressed with excess use above the shortage percentage potentially subject to financial penalties as descried in Subsection 6.8, below. The City will also continue to engage in public outreach and education as it applies to the water shortage conditions and the actions necessary to achieve greater than 50% reduction in use.
SHORTAGE RESPONSE ACTIONS
Table 6-1 through Table 6-6 summarize staged response actions to reduce customer use and identify their estimated effectiveness (in parenthesis).
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TABLE 6-1:WSCP ACTIONS TO REDUCE CUSTOMER USE - STAGE 1 Water Alert: Shortage up to 10%
1. Waste and Unreasonable Use of Water Prohibited and Voluntary conservation encouraged (up to 10%)
2. Situation and possible subsequent water shortage stages explained to the public and governmental bodies (up to 10%)
3. Focus on customers with high per capita water usage to achieve proportionally greater reduction than those with low use
4. Actions include, but not limited to:
• Public information campaign consisting of distribution of literature, speaking engagements, website updates, bill inserts, and conversation messages printed in local newspapers
• Educational programs in area schools
• Conservation Hotline (combined up to 10%)
5. Consumption Reduction Methods, including:
• Demand reduction program
• Plumbing and irrigation fixture replacement
• Water conservation kits
• Education programs
• Voluntary rationing (combined up to 10%)
6. Conservation Rules and Restrictions and Prohibitions on End Uses, to include:
• Allowing water to run off unused into a gutter, ditch, or drain; • Failing to repair a controllable leak;
• Washing sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts, patios, or other paved areas;
• Utilizing a hand-held hose without an automatic shut-off nozzle; and • Irrigating during a precipitation event
• For new development additional prohibitions include single pass-through cooling water systems; commercial car washes and laundries without recirculating water systems; and decorative fountains without recirculating water systems.
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TABLE 6-2: WSCP ACTIONS TO REDUCE CUSTOMER USE - STAGE 2 Moderate Shortage (up to 20%)
• All measures implemented in Stage 1
• Request voluntary conservation water usage reductions (up to 20%) • Enforce Conservation Rules and Restrictions and Prohibitions on End Uses listed in Table 6-1 (10-20%)
• Usage in excess of customer baseline may be subject to drought penalty • All Consumption Reduction Methods from Stage I and intensified as needed; additionally:
• Use prohibitions
• Encourage customers to voluntarily water one day less per week and to water during the coolest part of the day
• Vehicle washing must be done using a bucket or hand-held hose with an automatic shutoff nozzle, or take place at a commercial car wash. • Limit hours or close spray pads and water slide at City parks.
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TABLE 6-3: WSCP ACTIONS TO REDUCE CUSTOMER USE - STAGE 3 Severe Shortage (up to 30%)
All measures implemented in Stages 1 and 2
Enforce outdoor irrigation restrictions including limiting number of watering days per week, and time when irrigation can occur (e.g., between 6:00 pm and 9:00 am)
1. Some or all of the following:
• Adherence to customer baselines and actual water use reductions water allocations and mandatory conservation rules
• Water usage goals established by an authorized government agency or official • Customer water usage in excess of baseline to be monitored and recorded • Intensify enforcement of water use prohibitions; including restrictions of days and daytime hours for watering, excessive watering resulting in gutter flooding, using a hose without a positive shutoff device, use of decorative fountains with non-recirculating pumps, washing down sidewalks or patios, not repairing leaks in a timely manner, etc. (up to 30%)
2. Monitor water production weekly for compliance with necessary reductions;
3. All activities are intensified and production is monitored daily for compliance with necessary reductions. (up to 30%)
4. All Consumption Reduction Methods from Stage 2 and intensified as needed; additionally:
• Reduce pressure in water lines; Flow restriction
• Mandatory rationing
• Close spray pads and water slide at City parks
• Incentives to reduce water consumption; Excess use penalty • Percentage reduction by customer type (combined up to 30%)
5. Penalties and Charges for Excessive Use, including penalties for not reducing consumption, charges for excess use
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TABLE 6-4: WSCP ACTIONS TO REDUCE CUSTOMER USE - STAGE 4 Critical Shortage (up to 40%)
1. All measures implemented in Stages 1-3
2. All activities are intensified and production is monitored daily for compliance with necessary reductions. (up to 40%)
3. All Consumption Reduction Methods from Stage 3 and intensified as needed; additionally:
• Restrict building permits; Restrict for only priority uses
4. Penalties and Charges for Excessive Use, including penalties for not reducing consumption, charges for excess use (up to 40%)
• Continue monitoring and addressing water use above baseline with penalties
5. Catastrophic Event (Supply reduction up to 40%): Implement Applicable Actions for Catastrophic Events
TABLE 6-5:WSCP ACTIONS TO REDUCE CUSTOMER USE - STAGE 5 Shortage Crisis (up to 50%)
1. All measures implemented in Stages 1-4
2. Source of supply for the System is severely curtailed to the level that requires each customer to restrict their water use for only human health and safety purposes (up to 50%)
3. All activities are intensified and production is monitored daily for compliance with necessary reductions (up to 50%)
4. All Consumption Reduction Methods from previous stages and intensified as needed
5. Possible reductions in customer baselines and actual water use reductions (up to 50%)
6. Usage in excess of customer baseline to be charged at regular rate plus an additional drought emergency surcharge amount (up to 50%)
Update current water shortage condition response measures based on Council approvals and direction, state policy directives, emergency conditions, or to improve customer response
7. Catastrophic Event (Supply reduction up to 50%): Implement Applicable Actions for Catastrophic Events (such as boil water order)
- Continue water monitoring for reduction from baseline with potential penalties
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TABLE 6-6: WSCP ACTIONS TO REDUCE CUSTOMER USE - STAGE 6 Emergency Shortage (greater than 50%)
1. All measures implemented in Stages 1-5
2. Source of supply for the System is severely curtailed to the level that requires each customer to restrict their water use for only human health and safety purposes (>50%)
3. All activities are intensified and production is monitored continually for compliance with necessary reductions (up to >50%)
4. All Consumption Reduction Methods from previous stages and intensified as needed
5. Possible reductions in customer baselines and actual water use reductions (up to >50%)
6. Usage in excess of customer baseline to be charged at regular rate plus an additional drought emergency surcharge amount
7. Update current water shortage condition response measures based on Council approvals and direction, state policy directives, emergency conditions, or to improve customer response
8. Catastrophic Event (Supply reduction greater than 50%): Implement Applicable Actions for Catastrophic Events. Continue water monitoring for reduction from baseline with potential penalties
6.4.2. DEMAND REDUCTION ACTIONS
The City has identified a range of available and feasible customer demand reduction actions that can be used adaptively and implemented with progressively greater intensity to meet the supply shortage challenges faced under each water shortage condition. These demand reduction actions are identified by the associated water shortage stage in which they may be implemented. Tables 6-1 through 6-6 summarize Yuba City demand reduction actions associated with each water shortage stage and shortage level. An estimate of the action’s effectiveness as related to that stage is indicated parenthetically. Other response actions not specified in this Plan may also be identified by the City to implement the essential purposes of this Plan or the UWMP (see CWC 10632.2).
6.4.3. SUPPLY AUGMENTATION ACTIONS
The flexible management of the City’s water supplies to avoid shortages and support water system reliability have been described in Chapter 3. The following supply augmentation mechanisms may be used as response actions under a given water shortage condition, in combination or as replacement to demand reduction responses, as determined by the City.
Emergency Intertie with Marysville Treated Water System - The City completed construction of an emergency intertie with California Water Service Company (Cal Water),
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which serves the City of Marysville. This intertie has a capacity of 1,500 gallons per minute (gpm). It crosses the Feather River as part of the newly completed 5th Street Bridge replacement project, connecting the water distribution systems of the two cities and providing for emergency service in either direction on demand. The emergency intertie is available as needed to mitigate the water shortages under all stages. An agreement for usage of the intertie is currently being developed by the City of Yuba City and Cal Water.
Emergency Groundwater Supply - One groundwater well is located at the WTP and connected with the water supply system by providing a raw water source into the WTP, providing immediate supplemental water supply of up to 1,500 gpm. This well is regularly maintained and managed to enhance the City’s water reliability. The WTP groundwater well is available as needed to mitigate the water shortages under all stages.
The City also owns several legacy groundwater supply wells in various locations, many of which are adjacent to the water distribution pipelines (see Figure 2-7). Several of these wells (5,8,9 arsenic treatment plant) are being rehabilitated as emergency supply wells and are currently scheduled to be in production and available to provide emergency groundwater supplies. Within a few days the cumulative potential production capacity of these wells would be 2,300 gpm. The City will assure any direct use of groundwater conforms with drinking water standards, which may require well-head treatment. In addition, future groundwater use may be restricted by groundwater management provisions associated with implementing the Sutter Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan. The City is one of nine Groundwater Sustainability Agencies which work collaboratively as the Sutter Subbasin Groundwater Management Coordination Committee (SSGMCC) to ensure the long-term supply and quality of groundwater resources in the basin.
Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) – The City has evaluated the feasibility of an aquifer storage recovery (ASR) project to enhance water supply reliability. The ASR system would allow the City to divert and treat seasonally available surface water for long-term underground storage, thereby creating a significant emergency storage capability.
6.4.4. OPERATIONAL CHANGES
The following water system operational change may be used as response actions under a given water shortage condition, as determined by the City.
Reduce Water System Pressure – The City normally operates its water distribution system at 50 to 60 pounds per square inch (psi). In the event of significant water shortages, the system pressure could be reduced to a minimum pressure of 50 psi to maintain sufficient fire flow.
System pressure is maintained using variable speed pumps. No elevated water storage tanks
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are in use. The pressure reduction would reduce demand and reduce the amount of distribution system leakage. Reducing water system pressure is included as a response action under Stage 3 no lower than 50 psi to ensure adequate pressure to meet fire flow requirements.
6.4.5. MANDATORY PROHIBITIONS
This section is required to identify any mandatory prohibitions against specific water use practices that are in addition to state-mandated prohibitions and appropriate to the local conditions. The Yuba City Water Regulations prohibit water waste. Certain prohibited water use practices, including intentional or unintentional water waste and unreasonable uses of water, are also listed among the demand reduction actions on Tables 6-1 through 6-6.
6.4.6. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN FOR CATASTROPHIC WATER SHORTAGES This section identifies actions to be undertaken by Yuba City to prepare for, and implement during, a catastrophic interruption of water supplies. In addition to climate, other events that can cause water supply shortages are earthquakes, chemical spills, flooding, dam failures, waterline ruptures, and energy outages at treatment and pumping facilities, which could cause a water shortage severe enough to trigger a Stage 1-6 water supply shortage condition.
The City Manager’s Office and the Fire Department are planning to begin development of an Emergency Operations Plan soon, which will provide procedures and guidance to City personnel in responding to emergency situations including catastrophic events, both natural and manmade. The plan will provide procedures for preparing, mobilizing, and employing City resources and coordinating outside resources during an emergency. The City provides periodic training, including simulated events and responses to keep City personnel fully trained on implementation of emergency procedures. Mobilization is consistent with Standardized Emergency Management and the Incident Command System.
In addition to specific actions to be undertaken during a catastrophic event, the City performs maintenance activities, such as annual inspections for earthquake safety, and budgets for emergency items, such as auxiliary generators, to prepare for potential events.
The following is a summary of actions cross-referenced against specific catastrophes for three of the most common possible catastrophic events: regional power outage (such as Public Safety Power Shutoff or “PSPS” events), natural disasters (such as earthquake, flood or storm damage, or fire), and malevolent acts.
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TABLE 6-7: RESPONSE ACTIONS DURING CATASTROPHIC EVENTS
Possible
Catastrophe Summary of Potential Actions
Regional Power
Outage
• Isolate areas that will take the longest to repair and/or present a public health threat. Arrange to provide emergency water.
• Establish water distribution points and ration water if necessary. • If water service is restricted, attempt to provide potable water tankers or bottled water to the area.
• Make arrangements to conduct bacteriological tests, in order to determine possible contamination.
• Utilize backup power supply to operate pumps in conjunction with elevated storage.
Natural Disaster • Assess the condition of the water supply system. • Complete the damage assessment checklist for reservoirs,water treatment plants, system transmission and distribution.
• Coordinate with Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. City to identify immediate firefighting needs.
• Isolate areas that will take the longest to repair and/or present apublic health threat. Arrange to provide emergencywater.
• Prepare report of findings, report assessed damages, advise as to materials of immediate need, and identify priorities includinghospitals, schools and other emergency operation centers.
• Take actions to preserve storage.
• Determine any health hazard of the water supply and issue any“Boil Water Order” or “Unsafe Water Alert” notification to customers. • Cancel the order or alert information after completingcomprehensive water quality testing.
• Make arrangements to conduct bacteriological tests, in orderto determine possible contamination.
Malevolent acts • Assess threat or actual intentional contamination of the watersystem. • Notify local law enforcement to investigate the validity of thethreat. • Get notification from public health officials if potentialwater contamination. • Determine any health hazard of the water supply and issue any “Boil Water Order” or “Unsafe Water Alert” notification to the customers, if necessary. • Assess any structural damage from an intentional act. • Isolate areas that will take the longest to repair and or present apublic health threat.
• Arrange to provide emergencywater.
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6.4.7. SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION PLAN
Beginning January 2020, CWC §10632.5 mandates urban water suppliers include in their UWMP a seismic risk assessment and mitigation plan to assess the vulnerability of each of the various facilities of a water system and mitigate those vulnerabilities. This requirement can be met by submittal of a copy of the most recent adopted local hazard mitigation plan or multi-hazard mitigation plan under the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390) if the local hazard mitigation plan or multi-hazard mitigation plan addresses seismic risk.
Sutter County completed the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) in May 2021, and specific information regarding the City of Yuba City is provided in the LHMP as Annex B. The LHMP assesses current community risk and vulnerability to identified hazards (including seismic risks, identifies implantation actions to reduce future losses, and serves a mean to maintain eligibility for federal mitigation funds in accordance with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000.
The LHMP concludes that Yuba City unlikely risk of earthquake occurrence and medium significance. Earthquake hazard for Yuba City is characterized with regard to the likelihood of occurrence as “Unlikely” (less than 1% chance of occurrence in the next 100 years, or has a recurrence interval of greater than every 100 years), and with regard to significance s “Medium” (moderate potential impact). The LHMP includes a number of Multi-Hazard Actions for Yuba City which will serve to mitigate risk posed by the identified hazards assessed in the LHMP, including seismic risk.
6.5. COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS
The City maintains an established and effective communications program to inform its customers, neighbors, and other stakeholders of water service issues, updates, and policies.
Implementation of the WSCP will utilize the existing communication program structure to inform customers and others of the declared shortage stage and respective actions and restrictions in place.
The City Council meetings addressing the Annual Assessment and any potential water shortage declaration will be noticed using normal City Council meeting public notification procedures. The meeting will also be announced through regular agenda posting protocols.
Once a shortage stage as been declared by the City Council, the City will notify its customers and others through a range of efforts. The stage and restrictions will be identified in a press release, customer billing statements, and posted on the City’s website. Specifically, the City’s website will be updated to feature the shortage declaration, restrictions, and resources
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available to customers from the City and other entities to help meet the restrictions.
Subsequent City Council meetings will include a review of the shortage condition, customer response results, and discussion and recommendations for potential modifications. The City will also coordinate with water providers in Sutter County, Cal Water and the City of Marysville, and other public agencies such as Sutter County’s Office of Emergency Services as necessary, to declare a local emergency with respect to anticipated water supplies and demands in the event conditions necessitate.
The City’s communications protocols may include, but are not limited to, some or all of the following locally relevant actions. These communications protocols will be used at the discretion of City staff based on then-current and anticipated water shortage conditions:
• Publishing information on Yuba City’s website.
• Staffing a telephone hotline.
• Providing bill inserts and direct mailings above and beyond those legally required. • Directly calling customers.
• Distributing materials for non-English speaking customers. • Preparing social media posts to communicate Yuba City actions. • Advertising actions on other local audio and video media. • Coordinating voluntary and mandatory water conservation activities with other local and regional governing bodies.
• Using CodeRed, the City’s emergency alert system.
6.6. COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT
The Yuba City Water Regulations (Chapter 6 of Title 6 of the Yuba City Municipal Code) include the legal authority for the City Council impose emergency water restrictions and specifies significant compliance and enforcement options. 49 Compliance is generally
improved by on-going customer outreach and education. City staff has discretion to enforce the Yuba City Water Regulations using warnings and by issuing citations to water customers in consideration of the specific circumstances, including the applicable water shortage stage. Violations may include watering on the wrong day of the week or midday, watering on the correct day of the week but wasting water into the street, using water to clean sidewalks, driveways, parking lots and other hardscapes, and failing to use shutoff nozzles on hoses.
Financial penalties, flow restrictors, and disconnected water service are among the options 49 https://library.municode.com/ca/yuba_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6PUWO_CH6WASY
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available to the City to ensure compliance with the required water shortage actions. Appeals processes are also available for those that are subject to the enforcement.
Enforcement measures include, among others:
• Water patrol staff looking for properties in violation of the emergency water restrictions.
• Water patrol staff obtains time-stamped photos of the property as the violation is occurring.
• The photo is attached to a letter that is sent to the person to whom the water bill is sent notifying them of the violation and giving them one week to make the necessary adjustments to gain compliance.
• If a second or subsequent violation is issued, the Finance Department may add the appropriate surcharge to their next monthly bill.
The penalties associated with water use violations are assessed in the form of a surcharge added to the bill of the responsible party. Section 6-6.20 of the City Municipal Code states:
"For each violation of any of the provisions/regulations set forth in this chapter, there shall be assessed against the responsible party for the property on which the violation occurs, i.e. the owner, lessee, person in possession of said property, or the person reflected in the Yuba City utility records as the party to whom the water bill is sent, the following penalties:
a) First violation: A written warning of such violation b) Second violation: Fifty and no/100ths ($50.00) Dollars surcharge which shall appear on the next monthly water billing.
c) Third violation: One hundred and no/100ths ($100.00) Dollars surcharge which shall appear on the next monthly water billing.
d) Fourth and subsequent violations: Two hundred- fifty and no/100ths ($250.00) Dollars surcharge which shall appear on the next monthly water billing.”
6.7. LEGAL AUTHORITIES
The City is authorized to implement and enforce the water shortage response actions in this WSCP by Chapter 6 of the Yuba City Municipal Code, the "Yuba City Water Regulations.” This includes the legal authority for the City Council impose emergency water restrictions and
Chapter 6 – Water Shortage Contingency Plan
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft 6-19
specifies that “the regulations in the WSCP will apply”50, including the water shortage response actions required to meet the specific circumstances posed by the water shortage stages described in Subsection 6.3, above.
In addition, the City is able to exercise general powers granted to water distributors in CWC §§350-359. CWC §350 authorizes the governing body of a distributor of a public water supply to declare a water shortage emergency whenever it finds and determines that the ordinary demands and requirements of water consumers cannot be satisfied without depleting the water supply of the distributor to the extent there would be insufficient water for human consumption, sanitation, and fire protection. Upon a finding of such an emergency condition, the distributor can adopt such regulations and restrictions on the delivery and consumption of water as will conserve the water supply for the greatest public benefit, with particular regard to domestic use, sanitation, and fire protection (CWC §353). The regulations and restrictions remain in force and effect until the supply of water available for distribution within such area has been replenished or augmented, and restrictions may include the right to deny new service connections and discontinue service for willful violations (CWC §355 and §356).
The City also coordinates with Sutter County and the City of Marysville for the possible proclamation of a “local emergency” under California Government Code, California Emergency Services Act (Article 2, §8558).
6.8. FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES
The Act requires an analysis of the impacts of implementation of this WSCP and likely financial consequences to the City. This section addresses aspects of revenue reduction, expense increases, and additional costs that may arise, and identifies financial response actions.
6.8.1. REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE IMPACTS
The City water utility is a financially independent enterprise. The City has established water rates that support its on-going operation and maintenance activities, as well as the capital projects required to provide a safe and reliable water supply to its customers. Metered customers are billed per unit of water used under the City’s rate structure, with a minimum monthly fee determined by the meter size. Because water rates are tied to customers’ normal water consumption activities, if there were a significant reduction in demand due to customer conservation measures associated with a water shortage condition, the City water utility will experience a reduction of income. In addition to the revenue reductions, the City will also experience an increase in expenses resulting from augmented communication actions, 50 Yuba City Municipal Code, Chapter 6 – Water System
Chapter 6 – Water Shortage Contingency Plan
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft 6-20
increased enforcement activities, and the administration of water shortage management actions identified in the WSCP. At the same time, a decrease in expenses related to power costs, raw water costs, and chemicals to treat the water would also occur. Staff will regularly report the identified and anticipated revenue and expenditure impacts and recommend appropriate responses to the City Council.
The City water utility can absorb a reduction of income without an immediate required rate adjustment. The City maintains a minimum of three months operating reserves and at least
3.5 million dollars in reserves that can be used as an emergency fund for water in the event of water shortages. However, if the water utility experienced a significant water shortage and reduced water demand over the longer-term, the rate structure would be reevaluated and adjusted as required.
6.8.2. DROUGHT RATE STRUCTURES AND SURCHARGES
The City does not currently have a drought rate structure or surcharges. As water rate structures are subject to the regular rate review, the City may choose to consider adopting drought rate structures or surcharges to address the financial consequences of longer-term water shortages. Should the City decide to proceed, such rate changes would be adopted in compliance with statutory rate-setting requirements. Once in place, the drought rate structure or surcharge could be activated by resolution of the City Council and remain in effect until water shortage end and drought-related costs have been recovered.
6.9. MONITORING AND REPORTING
The City will conduct regular monitoring and reporting to ensure WSCP implementation is effective and responsive to conditions as they unfold. The City will then use this information to restore and maintain the water supply and demand balance. Similar to the supply and demand projections used to establish a shortage condition, the City will monitor the same data to determine effectiveness and efficacy.
Monitoring activity will include, but is not limited to:
• Gathering monthly or bi-weekly customer water use data. • Preparing technical assessments of customer water use and identifying deficiencies. • Analyzing trends in water supply availability, including meteorological events, regional water supply coordination actions, and statewide regulatory trends. • Assessing water conservation activities and the effectiveness of enforcement actions as applicable to achieving conservation objectives.
Chapter 6 – Water Shortage Contingency Plan
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft 6-21
Data reporting will include preparation of written reports and presentations, as necessary, for Yuba City management meetings and other public meetings summarizing key information and data, including but not limited to:
• Actual water demands compared to projected demands by customer class and in total.
• Actual supply availability and utilization compared to projected availability for each supply source.
• Projected supply availability for next 12 months for each supply source. • Monthly reporting of water production and conservation, as required by the State Water Resources Control Board.
These and other data will be regularly evaluated by staff to assess the effectiveness of response measures and to identify the need for any changes or modifications to the declared water shortage stage or actions based on the results. City staff will report to the City Council on a bi-monthly basis as needed to report the status of the water utility. With regard to monitoring and reporting, City staff may determine the need for additional monitoring and reporting measures, or the need to develop or amend ordinances, or update the WSCP as a whole. Any WSCP update or modification will be conducted through the City Council public meeting process, unless specific conditions require otherwise.
6.10. RE-EVALUATION PROCEDURES
The City will continually review and assess its procedures for implementing the WSCP.
Specifically, the City will use the monitoring and reporting protocols identified above as a quality assurance and quality control measure to understand the effectiveness of water conservation activities. These re-evaluation and improvement procedures will include developing reports, memoranda, and presentations that assess the effectiveness of water conservation actions and the WSCP. These materials will be provided to the City’s customers and decision-makers for consideration. Public comments on the published materials and management considerations should be incorporated into the development and implementation of future actions. These protocols will be continually assessed and updated by the City management staff.
6.11. SPECIAL WATER FEATURE DISTINCTION
For purposes of water shortage contingency planning and implementation, the City defines as “special water features” those that are artificially supplied with water, including ponds, lakes, waterfalls, and fountains. Such special water features are considered distinct from
Chapter 6 – Water Shortage Contingency Plan
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft 6-22
swimming pools and spas (as defined in subdivision (a) of §115921 of the Health and Safety Code).
The City has determined that special water features are a relatively small discretionary use but may be restricted under all identified water shortage conditions. Water shortage response actions will focus on health and safety issues and balancing continuation of these uses with the severity of the water shortage condition. The relative total water use from these sources is a consideration for how special water features and swimming pool uses could be curtailed during specific water shortage conditions. For instance, when swimming pool filling and refilling would exceed a customer’s use allocation under the various drought stages, then these actions are prohibited and can be subject to City enforcement actions.
6.12. PLAN ADOPTION, SUBMITTAL, AND AVAILABILITY
The WSCP has been adopted, submitted, and is available as required by the Urban Water Management Planning Act. As a stand-alone document, the WSCP is also subject to the following separate adoption, submittal, and availability processes, and whenever it is separately amended or revised in the future. Yuba City may refine or amend this WSCP as necessary and in compliance with the normal public notice and adoption. Yuba City has followed all applicable law in adopting the WSCPs. The current adopted WSCP shall be available to City customers and to Sutter County and the City of Marysville within 30 days of its adoption. A copy of the current WSCP is available for public inspection during business hours at City Hall, located at 1201 Civic Center Blvd, Yuba City (subject to current COVID-19 restrictions). The current WSCP is posted and available for download here:
https://yubacity.net/departments/public_works/utilities/water_conservation/index.php
Appendix A
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft A-1
APPENDIX A
NOTIFICATIONS
Appendix B
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft B-1
APPENDIX B
DWR SUBMITTAL TABLES
Appendix C
2025 UWMP – Public Review Draft C-1
APPENDIX C
ADOPTING RESOLUTIONS
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Agenda Item 20
CITY OF YUBA CITY
STAFF REPORT
Date: June 2, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor & Members of the City Council;
From: Administration Department
Presentation By: Ciara Wakefield, City Clerk
Summary
Subject: Policy Governing Remote Participation and Enhancement of Public Participation in City Council and Commission Meetings to implement Senate Bill No. 707 Recommendation: Adopt the Attached Resolution to Adopt a Policy Entitled “Policy Governing Remote Participation and Enhancement of Public Participation in City Council and Commission Meetings” to implement Senate Bill No. 707 Fiscal Impact: Estimated costs associated with SB 707: $25,000 Annually (Translation Services, Technology, etc)
Purpose:
The purpose of California SB 707 is to make City Council meetings more accessible, inclusive, and transparent for residents while reflecting modern technology and community engagement expectations.
Background:
On October 3, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill No. 707 (“SB 707”), which revises and updates the Ralph M. Brown Act’s open meeting laws to provide greater flexibility in teleconferencing and enhance accessibility requirements, including translation services in certain circumstances and real-time captioning. SB 707 requires the City Council to formally authorize teleconferencing for advisory bodies, including commissions, committees, and boards, through a resolution or policy, pursuant to California Government Code section 54953.8.6.
These new requirements build on the existing teleconferencing framework established under prior legislation, including Assembly Bills 361 and 2449. SB 707 takes effect on July 1, 2026, and will remain in effect until January 1, 2030. A draft policy, entitled “Policy Governing Remote Participation and Enhancement of Public Participation in City Council and Commission Meetings” is now presented to the City Council to implement Senate Bill No. 707.
It is important to note that SB 707 has new provisions applicable to all city councils and new provisions only applicable to an “eligible legislative body”, which is defined as city councils in jurisdictions with a population of 30,000 or more, or city councils of any size located within a county with a population of 600,000 or more. Because our current population is 70,000+, the City of Yuba City will be subject to all provisions of SB 707.
Analysis:
SB 707 updates the City’s open meeting requirements to enhance public participation, transparency, and accessibility.
Teleconferencing and Remote Participation Requirements
• Mandatory Hybrid Meetings: By July 1, 2026, the City Council must provide for hybrid meetings (inperson plus a teleconference option). The teleconference option must be either a two-way telephonic or audiovisual platform (e.g., zoom). If using audiovisual platforms, a call-in option and active captioning (if available) are required.
• Policy Regarding Broadcast Disruption: Prior to July 1, 2026, the City Council must adopt an open session policy regarding hybrid meetings that includes procedures for restoring service in the event of a broadcast disruption. The policy should include (i) steps to be taken if audio, video, or the entire platform fails, (ii) the appropriate personnel to take corrective action to restore service, and (iii) the procedure to notify the public and resume the meeting upon restoration of service.
In addition, the policy should also outline how the City Council will deal with a disruption or disturbance from a member of the public, either in-person or on teleconference, and restore decorum to the meeting. The policy should also address the procedures for accommodating disability requests by a Councilmember or a member of the public in participating in the meeting, as well as define “just cause” and “emergency circumstances” for purposes of remote participation by a Councilmember. • One-Hour Recess Requirement: Starting July 1, 2026, if a disruption prevents the public from attending the meeting remotely, the City Council must take a recess and try to restore service. If service cannot be restored within one (1) hour, the City Council must conduct a roll call vote confirming that good faith efforts were made, and make a finding that public interest in continuing the meeting outweighs remote access.
• Legal Basis for Remote Participation of Councilmember: Starting January 1, 2026, Councilmembers and commissioners who participate remotely must have their legal basis for remote participation recorded in the meeting minutes.
• Councilmember with Disability: Starting January 1, 2026, Councilmembers and commissioners with a disability may participate remotely as a reasonable accommodation, including participation via audio only (but only if their condition prevents participation on camera). Once an accommodation is granted for a disability, the Councilmember’s remote participation counts toward quorum at the in-person meeting site. Unlike the “just cause” or “emergency circumstance” reasons for Councilmembers/commissioners to participate remotely, there are no restrictions on the number of meetings a Councilmember/commissioner may attend remotely and no geographic limits on participation, once a disability is established and accommodated. However, those attending remotely must still disclose any present adults and their relationship to them. • “Just cause” definition expanded and extended: Currently, Councilmembers and commissioners may participate remotely due to “just cause”. In addition to the existing reasons of childcare needs, a contagious illness, official City-related travel, and physical or family medical emergency, as of January 1, 2026 the definition of “just cause” will now include military service obligations. Previously sunsetting at the end of 2025, the allowance for remote participation via “just cause” has been extended to December 31, 2029.
Enhancing Public Engagement (Starting July 1, 2026):
• Translation of meeting agendas: If 20% of the City’s population speaks an applicable foreign language and at the same time, that population speaks English less than “very well” , then the City must translate meeting agendas (but not the entire agenda packet) into that applicable language.
There is no need to verbally state how the foreign language translation of the agenda may be accessed during the applicable Council meeting. [Note that the 20% calculation must be based on data regarding foreign languages from the most recent American Community Survey.] • Translation of the City website: Similar to meeting agendas, the following information on the City’s website must also be translated if 20% of the City’s population speaks an applicable foreign language and at the same time that population speaks English less than “very well”. Each translation must be accessible through a prominent direct link posted on the City’s website home page. (A) An accessible internet webpage dedicated to public meetings that includes, or provides a link to, all of the following information:
(I) A general explanation of the public meeting process for the City Council. (II) An explanation of the procedures for a member of the public to provide in-person or remote oral public comment during a public meeting or to submit written public comment .
(III) A calendar of all public meeting dates with calendar listings that include the date, time, and location of each public meeting.
(IV) The agenda posted online.
• Social Media Use: Existing law temporarily allows a Councilmember to participate in individual communications on an internet-based social media platform for specified purposes, provided that a majority of Councilmembers do not use the platforms to discuss or deliberate on matters within the City’s specific subject matter jurisdiction. This bill makes removes the sunset date and makes this exception permanent.
• Brown Act Copy: The City must provide a copy of the Brown Act to each Councilmember of the City.
• Oral Reporting of Compensation Decisions: SB 707 clarifies that the City is required to orally report, prior to final action, a summary of any recommendation of final action on compensation for the City Manager, any department heads, or other comparable administrative officer during an open meeting at which the final action is to be taken.
• Assistance in translation services: The City is required to reasonably assist members of the public who wish to translate a public meeting into any language or wish to receive interpretation provided by another member of the public. The bill does not require the City to provide translation services, but only to reasonably assist others who choose to engage in translation/interpretation services. It is important to note that in providing any translation service, SB 707 limits the City’s liability in negligent translation and provides that the City will not be responsible for the contents or accuracy of any translation. • The bill states that the City Council shall publicize instructions on how to request assistance to the public.
• The “assistance” listed in the bill may include any of the following, as determined by the City Council: (i) Arranging space for one or more interpreters at the meeting location, (ii) Allowing extra time during the meeting for interpretation to occur, and/or (iii) Ensuring participants may utilize their personal equipment or reasonably access facilities for participants to access commercially available interpretation services.
Automated translation tools, such as Google Translate, may be used to satisfy these requirements, provided the other statutory obligations are met and a disclaimer is included noting that translations are automatically generated and may not be exact.
• Translation near posting sites: The City must also provide a freely accessible physical location near where the agendas are posted to allow the public to post additional translations of the agenda in that location.
• Outreach requirements: The City must make reasonable efforts to invite groups that do not traditionally participate in public meetings to attend those meetings. Examples of such groups include the following:
• Media organizations providing news coverage within the City or region, including ethnic and language-specific outlets serving non-English-speaking communities. • Civil-rights, civic-engagement, neighborhood, and community-based organizations, particularly those active in or serving multilingual or historically marginalized communities.
C. Additional Key Requirements
• Teleconferencing for Eligible Subsidiary Bodies: SB 707 further standardizes teleconferencing procedures for eligible subsidiary bodies, such as advisory boards and committees of the City. Before an eligible subsidiary body may use teleconferencing, the City Council must first formally authorize it by charter, ordinance, resolution or other formal action. If teleconferencing is authorized, members participating remotely must maintain real-time, two-way communication for the duration of the meeting, unless the member has a physical or mental condition meeting ADA disability criteria that results in a need to participate off camera. Further, the bill removes the prior requirement to publicly notice each remote location. Also, SB 707 requires each legislative body to reauthorize an eligible subsidiary body’s use of teleconferencing every six months by majority vote, confirming that the practice continues to serve the public interest in accordance with Government Code section 54953.8.6.
The proposed policy sets forth the authority of the City Council to authorize advisory commissions to use teleconferencing, but a separate resolution(s) will need to be adopted by the City Council in the future if the City Council chooses to allow specific teleconferencing authorization. Costs of staffing and the technology for implementation of the hybrid format for each commission will need to be considered.
The policy, if adopted, will help to ensure compliance with Senate Bill 707. Further, the policy will support the City’s mission to ensure public meetings remain transparent, accessible, and inclusive, consistent with the City Council’s goal of proactive communication with all members of the community.
Fiscal Impact:
Estimated costs associated with SB 707: $25,000 Annually (Translation Services, Technology, etc) Alternatives:
1. Defer action and provide direction to staff
Recommendation:
Adopt the Attached Resolution to Adopt a Policy Entitled “Policy Governing Remote Participation and Enhancement of Public Participation in City Council and Commission Meetings” to implement Senate
Bill No. 707.
Attachments:
1. Resolution - SB 707
2. SB 707 Teleconference Meeting Policy
Prepared By: Submitted By:
Ciara Wakefield
City Clerk
Robert Bendorf
City Manager
ATTACHMENT 1
RESOLUTION NO. _________
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YUBA CITY,
CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING A POLICY GOVERNING REMOTE PARTICIPATION
AND ENHANCEMENT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN CITY COUNCIL AND
COMMISSION MEETINGS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW PROVISIONS OF THE RALPH M. BROWN ACT AS ENACTED BY SENATE BILL NO. 707 WHEREAS, the Ralph M. Brown Act (“Brown Act”), California’s open meeting law, governs the conduct of public meetings by governmental bodies; and WHEREAS, on October 3, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill No. 707 (“SB 707”) to revise the Brown Act’s open meeting laws by allowing greater flexibility in teleconferencing and accessibility requirements, including translation services in certain circumstances and real time captioning, effective July 1, 2026, and until January 1, 2030; and WHEREAS, the City Council now desires to adopt a policy, entitled “Policy Governing Remote Participation and Enhancement of Public Participation in City Council and Commission Meetings” to implement Senate Bill No. 707.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YUBA CITY, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
1. The foregoing Recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein by this reference.
2. The City Council hereby adopts the “Policy Governing Remote Participation and Enhancement of Public Participation in City Council and Commission Meetings” dated June 2, 2026, attached hereto, for purposes of implementing Senate Bill 707.
3. The City Manager or designee is authorized to implement and enforce the provisions of the Policy adopted herein.
4. The City Manager, or his/her designee, is hereby directed and authorized to make such modifications as may be necessary to the agenda templates of the City Council and City’s commissions, committees, and boards, along with any other agenda related materials, in order to implement the teleconferencing and related rules of SB 707.
5. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Resolution is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Resolution. The City Council of the City of Yuba City hereby declares that it would have adopted this Resolution and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
6. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, which, shall in turn, have immediate effect.
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Yuba City at a regular meeting held on the 2nd day of June 2026.
Marc Boomgaarden
Mayor
ATTEST:
Ciara Wakefield
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM
COUNSEL FOR YUBA CITY:
Shannon Chaffin, City Attorney
Aleshire & Wynder, LLP
ATTACHMENT 2
Policy Governing Remote Participation and Enhancement
of Public Participation in City Council Meetings
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this Policy Governing Remote Participation and Enhancement of Public Participation in City Council and Commission Meetings is to implement Senate Bill No. 707 (“SB 707”), signed into law on October 3, 2025, which revises and updates the Ralph M. Brown Act’s open meeting laws to provide greater flexibility in teleconferencing and enhance public participation, transparency, and accessibility in public meetings of the City Council and authorized commissions approved by the City Council pursuant to this Policy.
POLICY:
For purposes of implementation of SB 707, the City Council hereby adopts the following requirements.
I. Hybrid meeting format.
Meetings of the City Council and commissions approved for teleconferencing pursuant to Section VII below shall be conducted in a hybrid-format, consisting of two-way telephonic or audiovisual platform, with a call-in option and automatic captioning activated if the platform provides this feature, pursuant to Government Code section 54953.4(b)(1), as may be amended.
II. Broadcast disruption procedures.
If audio, video, or the entire teleconference platform fails in a manner that prevents the public from observing or participating remotely, the presiding officer shall recess the meeting. The City Clerk or appropriate technical personnel shall take immediate corrective action to restore service. Notice of the disruption shall be posted on the City’s website and announced at the in-person meeting location, if feasible.
If remote access cannot be restored within one (1) hour, the City Council or approved commission shall conduct a roll call vote confirming that good faith efforts were made to restore service and shall make a finding that the public interest in continuing the meeting outweighs the need for remote access before proceeding in accordance with Government Code section 54953.8(b)(7).
If a disruption affects a Councilmember or a commissioner (for commissions approved for teleconferencing pursuant to Section VII below) participating remotely due to an authorized basis, including for just cause or as a reasonable accommodation for a disability, the presiding officer shall determine whether quorum is maintained and shall recess the meeting if necessary to restore quorum or connectivity. All disruption procedures shall apply equitably whether the disruption affects the public, a Councilmember/ a commissioner (for commissions approved for teleconferencing pursuant to Section VII below), or a member participating remotely for disability accommodation. These procedures also apply
to disruptions impacting individuals participating remotely as a reasonable accommodation under applicable law.
III. Disruptions by members of the public.
In addition to authority exercised pursuant to Government Code sections 54954.3 and 54957.9, the presiding officer or their designee may remove, or cause the removal of, an individual who is disrupting a meeting, including a teleconferenced meeting, consistent with Government Code section 54957.95.
For purposes of this Policy, “disrupting” means engaging in behavior during a meeting that actually disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting, including failure to comply with reasonable and lawful regulations governing public comment.
Prior to removing an individual for disruptive behavior, the presiding officer or their designee shall warn the individual that their behavior is disrupting the meeting and that failure to cease the behavior may result in removal. If the individual does not promptly cease the disruptive behavior, the presiding officer or their designee may remove the individual.
A warning is not required if the behavior constitutes use of force or a true threat of force, meaning a threat that a reasonable observer would perceive as an actual threat to use force.
IV. Remote participation by Councilmembers and Commissioners.1 (1) Just cause. A Councilmember or commissioner may participate remotely for “just cause” as defined by Government Code section 54953.8.3(c), including childcare or caregiving needs, a contagious illness, official Cityrelated travel, a physical or family medical emergency, or military service obligations. The legal basis for remote participation shall be disclosed and recorded in the meeting minutes as required by law.
(2) Emergency circumstances. Remote participation due to emergency circumstances shall comply with applicable statutory requirements, including required findings and disclosures.
(3) Disability accommodation. A Councilmember with a qualifying disability may participate remotely as a reasonable accommodation consistent with state and federal law. Participation may occur via audio only if the disability prevents on-camera participation. Once granted, such remote participation shall count toward quorum at the in-person meeting location. Required disclosures regarding adults present at the remote location shall be made as required by law.
V. Translation and public access.
1 This section applies to the City Council and all commissions whether or not advisory commissions are approved for teleconferencing pursuant to Section VII below.