San Andreas, CA…The Calaveras County Water District Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2015 Update of the Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), which is one of the central water resources planning documents for large water agencies in the state. To view the updated plan and appendices, click here.

“The comprehensive overview of the District’s water supplies and demands in the updated Urban Water Management Plan will help guide our ongoing efforts to provide for the current and future needs of our community for safe, reliable water supplies for human consumption, agriculture and fire protection,” said Dave Eggerton, CCWD general manager.

Leading the effort to update the UWMP was Peter Martin, CCWD water resources program manager. Martin said the completion of this update is critical to CCWD’s ability to be eligible for state grants and other financial assistance, adding he was also pleased with how CCWD customers have responded during the recent drought.

“I’m happy to report that the UWMP update clearly shows that over the past five years, customers have shown their commitment to making water conservation a “way of life”,” Martin said. “The District is well on its way to meeting the 20% water conservation by 2020 state mandate, and the majority of the credit goes to the customers for their willingness to make lifestyle changes.”

“The plan signals to the State that the District has done a very good job in water supply planning and conservation efforts,” Martin said, “and is therefore able to withstand a multi-year drought or other water supply emergency.”

One key portion of the UWMP is the Water Shortage Contingency Plan. This plan outlines steps the District can take to respond to water supply shortages. To read the updated WSCP, click here and navigate to Chapter 8. A key component of the WSCP update was implementing a new procedure that guides the District’s response to water supply shortages. The CCWD Board has the ability to implement stages 1-5 by resolution, depending on the severity of the supply shortage. In order to enforce watering restrictions in each of the stages, the Board passed Ordinance 2016-01

“With the Board’s implementation of the District’s new Water Shortage Contingency Plan, CCWD is prepared to address any future changes to local water supplies due to drought or new conservation mandates imposed by the state,” Eggerton said.

In May, the State Water Resource Control Board changed its requirements for water conservation regulations. Since CCWD has adequate water supplies to meet customer demands, the District is currently at a 0% conservation standard. While there are no longer any emergency drought restrictions in place, customers should continue using water efficiently.