The Department of Water Resources provides urban water management planning services to local and regional urban water suppliers. In 1983, the California Legislature enacted the Urban Water Management Planning Act (Water Code Sections 10610 - 10656). The Act states that every urban water supplier that provides water to 3,000 or more customers, or that provides over 3,000 acre-feet of water annually, should make every effort to ensure the appropriate level of reliability in its water service sufficient to meet the needs of its various categories of customers during normal, dry, and multiple dry years. The Act describes the contents of the Urban Water Management Plans as well as how urban water suppliers should adopt and implement the plans. It is the intention of the Legislature, in enacting this part, to permit levels of water management planning commensurate with the numbers of customers served and the volume of water supplied.

NOTE: Please be aware of recent changes to the law by SB 1087 (Florez) adding Section 10631.1 to the Water Code and amending Government Code Section 65589.7 that may effect your reporting requirements under the Urban Water Management Planning Act and other government codes. For more information, see the memo on Senate Bill 1087 at the Department of Housing and Community Development web site at: http://www.hcd.ca.gov/hpd/memo_sb1087.pdf.

DWR has designed its urban planning assistance program to assist urban water suppliers to meet the requirements of the Act. Program staff assists urban water suppliers with preparing comprehensive and useful water management plans, implementing water conservation programs, and understanding the requirements of the Act.

DWR staff reviews all of the urban water management plans that are submitted to DWR in accordance with the Act. Results are provided to local and regional water suppliers through a review letter. Reviews of the approximately 315 UWMPs filed are in process. As the plans are identified as being in compliance with the law, or "complete", electronic copies are being added to this site in PDF format. Results are also compiled into a Legislative Report provided to California Legislature one year after plans are due to DWR.

Urban Water Management Plan workshops were conducted in early 2005. The Urban Water Management Planning Worksheets and Demand Management Measure Worksheets have been updated for the 2005 UWMP and are posted in the Technical Assistance section under UWMP Review Sheets. The Guidebook, "Guidebook to Assist Water Suppliers in the Preparation of a 2005 Urban Water Management Plan" is now available.

Please contact Dave Todd, dtodd@water.ca.gov, if you would like additional information.