DWR Releases Methodologies for Calculating Urban Water Use Baseline

The Department of Water Resources has released a document outlining eight methodologies for calculating baseline urban per-capita water use and compliance with new conservation requirements.

The document was prepared in consultation with the California Urban Water Conservation Council with guidance from a 33-member urban stakeholder committee.

The 2009 comprehensive water legislation requires a 20% reduction in urban per-capita water use by 2020. To reach that goal, urban retail water suppliers are required to develop urban water use targets for the year 2020.

DWR's technical methodologies are designed to help calculate baseline and compliance year per-capita water use for consistent implementation of the legislation.

The methodologies are available here.