Stephen Cole

The 2026 Water Use Efficiency Strategic Plan for SCV Water details how California's state regulations and policies, including AB 1668, SB 606, SB 555, AB 1572, and MWELO, establish a permanent, standards-based framework for urban water management. It outlines the impacts of these mandates on SCV Water's planning, operations, and customer programs, aiming to ensure water reliability and efficient resource utilization through alignment with state requirements.

This document summarizes Phase 1 of the Water Use Efficiency Strategic Plan (WUESP) engagement initiative. It details stakeholder outreach, including surveys and meetings with residential customers, businesses, school districts, and local government agencies. The initiative aims to gather feedback on water reliability, conservation practices, and program effectiveness to inform the strategic plan. Key themes include community value for water conservation, low awareness of existing programs, and challenges related to funding and infrastructure. The overall goal is to enhance water use efficiency, reduce demand, and conserve water supply, ensuring long-term reliability and sustainability for the Santa Clarita Valley community.

This Water Use Efficiency Strategic Plan provides a roadmap for the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency to meet state-mandated Urban Water Use Objectives and ensure reliable, high-quality water at a reasonable cost. It aims to close a projected 13,000 acre-feet per year conservation gap by 2040 through a balanced portfolio of strategies. Key elements include conservation incentives, water loss control, enforcement, recycled water expansion, price and demand signals (budget-based tiered rates), and education and engagement. The plan seeks to achieve a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable water future.

This document details the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency's 2026 Water Use Efficiency Strategic Plan, providing an analytical foundation for conservation program design. It evaluates water consumption patterns by customer class, season, and over time, focusing on trends since 2018 and seasonal demand variability. The plan prioritizes single-family residential efficiency and irrigation demand management, with the goal of reducing seasonal variability and summer peak demand to maximize operational, reliability, and long-term resource benefits.

This document details the methodology for forecasting population and water demand to support the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency's Water Use Efficiency Strategic Plan. The forecasting framework integrates demographic projections, land-use and development build-out assumptions, residential and non-residential water-use factors, demand calculation methodologies, and scenario and adjustment considerations. This comprehensive approach provides a consistent analytical foundation for long-range water-resources planning, demand management, and regulatory compliance, resulting in annual water-demand projections that reflect expected growth, conservation trends, and long-term planning assumptions.