ACWD is embarking on an integrated planning effort that provides an opportunity to regroup, re-think, and re-imagine the future of water resources in our community. The Water Resources Master Plan 2050 (WRMP) will guide ACWD by providing valuable information about the District’s future resilience in the face of known uncertainties, such as climate change and changing regulations. This plan will create a roadmap for water supply reliability by analyzing changing conditions and the communities we serve – now and in the future.
The WRMP will serve as long-range planning document that will outline the District’s water supply strategy and inform many aspects of District planning. With a 25-year planning horizon, the 2025 WRMP will inform critical decision making on infrastructure, water supply investments, and water resource policies.
Efforts to develop a new plan will involve:
- Analyzing a comprehensive list of water supply projects and/or strategies
- Addressing risk and uncertainty through that analysis
- Documenting decision making so that it can be used in future decisions
- Evaluating funding options
- Engaging with the public, interested parties, and elected officials on priorities and needs
- Educating the public on water resources
- Providing a foundation for other planning efforts so that they align (e.g., emergency planning and rate studies)
ACWD prepared the 1995 Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) which looked carefully at the costs and benefits of dozens of approaches to match water supply to water demand. Since that time, the District has embarked on a number of planning efforts such as the Capital Improvement Plan, Urban Water Management Plan, and Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Plan. Additionally, much about the District and the state of water in California has changed. Recognizing this, ACWD is embarking on this new WRMP to build on the existing work and continue its path to long-term resiliency.
ACWD has developed five goals for our water resources future in 2050 and the WRMP will outline a plan to achieve them.
Preliminary intentions for the new plan include:
‣ Reliable water supply portfolio that leverages local resources and adapts to climate change
‣ Affordable and equitable supplies for all direct and indirect customers
‣ Resilient and optimized water service infrastructure system and operations
‣ Healthy watersheds that are managed to provide multiple benefits
‣ Collaborative leadership in facilitating regional water management within the region and state
Fall/Winter 2024
Confirm the Goals, Objectives, and Evaluation Criteria for the WRMP
Early 2025
Develop Options and Strategies for Future Resilience
Spring 2025
Create Project Portfolios to Achieve Multiple Benefits
Late Summer 2025
Evaluate Project Portfolios and Select Preferred Options
Fall 2025
Release Public Draft of the Plan
Before kicking off the planning work, ACWD conducted a statistically significant poll of the general public to better understand community values and communication preferences. Specifically, this poll examined the community’s perspective on issues, local knowledge of water, outreach effectiveness, and demographics. In addition, ACWD held workshops with four groups of Interested Parties (Other Governments/Related Agencies, Regulatory/Environmental, Community Advocacy, and Groundwater Users) to discuss goals, priorities, and interaction with water resources. This research provided key takeaways to how we will engage during this process, such as using online platforms that are more convenient than public meetings and providing presentations to community or civic groups. The goal during the WRMP development process is to support the public, industry groups, community leaders, and others in participating.
One innovative approach to participation will be an online public input tool which will allow users to interact with the plan elements here, directly on this webpage. Please check back for updates to this page as plan components are ready for review.
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