By Gavin J. Quinton and Kennedy Zak
Glendale News-Press
State water regulators are one step closer to cementing new conservation rules for California cities, a move that will define how Glendale Water and Power grapples with water supply constraints over the next two decades.
The State Water Resources Control Board released updated draft regulations for urban water conservation on March 12, signaling that the state will implement “water budgets” for local agencies such as Glendale Water and Power.
California has historically experienced large swings between dry and wet weather, and because of climate change, those seasonal differences are becoming more severe, according to the State Water Board. Hotter and drier periods which are increasing in frequency, reduced snowpack and drier soils are making state water supplies more vulnerable.
As part of the state’s strategy to expand storage, develop new water supplies and promote more efficient water use, the proposed regulation would require suppliers to annually calculate their “water objective,” using a state-defined formula. Any overuse would result in fines or other consequences for the local agency.
The Water Board’s March 12 draft included changes to the regulation, including a deadline extension for water agencies to reach conservation targets, a move that conservation advocates said would result in significantly less water savings until 2040, allowing many water suppliers to delay any action on conservation for 15 more years.
“The State Water Board’s new proposed timelines are governed by the lowest common denominator. Instead of crafting a regulation that assists a few systems in need of help, the State Water Board has lowered the bar for everyone, leaving California vulnerable,” Cody Phillips, an attorney with water conservation nonprofit California Coastkeeper Alliance, said in a statement.
The new rules would push back implementation of the policy to 2027, giving water agencies like GWP time to implement changes. The strictest water-use restrictions won’t kick in until 2040, though moderately strict limitations will be imposed in 2035 and relaxed cutbacks will be the norm until then.
Glendale Water and Power officials said they see increasing water use efficiency “as an important initiative towards ensuring a climate resilient water supply,” yet they see some fault in the state’s approach.
“GWP shared the concerns of many other retail water agencies that the approach being taken by the proposed regulation failed to provide reasonable pathways to success of compliance, pushing beyond a reasonable and attainable level of efficiency,” GWP said in a statement to the News-Press. “This could potentially limit urban water supplier’s flexibility to pursue other cost-effective water savings initiatives as well as other climate resilient projects.”
The utility also shared that since the state’s initial drought regulation draft, GWP has been proactive in looking to improve indoor and outdoor water use efficiency, performance measures, water loss and data collection.
Since 2020, GWP has reduced water consumption by more than 20%, attributing this goal to its commitment to improving drought planning and response.
GWP emphasized its support for many of the changes made to the proposed regulation, relating to addressing the water communities’ feasibility, cost and flexibility concerns.
“GWP’s goal is to continue to partner with the state in developing meaningful water savings initiatives that recognizes water supply constraints and that are reasonable in advancing long-term, sustainable water use efficiencies,” GWP officials said.
Last week, more than 100 nonprofit organizations and other water advocates signed a statement urging California leaders to lean into conservation as the first line of defense against future droughts and unreliable precipitation patterns, not infrastructure investments.
“The delay of meaningful water efficiency standards is absolutely reckless and means that California communities will be less prepared for future droughts, which could occur as early as next year,” said Tracy Quinn, president of water conservation nonprofit Heal the Bay, in a statement. “Just two years ago, California communities were on the verge of losing access to water due to severe drought. This short-sighted change to the regulation will ultimately make our water more expensive and less reliable.”
First published in the March 23 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
