Water Use Efficiency

  • Jan 30, 2024

ACWA supports California’s advancement of long-term efficient and wise use of water in a manner that is feasible, cost-effective and minimizes unintended impacts to California’s communities.

On March 12, 2024, the State Water Resources Control Board released a revised draft regulation for Making Conservation a California Way of Life. The revised draft regulation outlines WUE requirements for urban retail water suppliers, including urban water WUE standards, variances, an urban water use objective, and commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) measures.

ACWA is actively engaged on the state’s development of the regulation through its WUE Work Groups. Members interested in participating can contact ACWA State Relations Assistant Sonja Eschenburg.

Please contact ACWA Regulatory Relations Manager Chelsea Haines for additional information on the revised draft regulation.

More information on requirements, timelines and resources is available below.

Updates

3/27/24: Written comments on revised draft regulation due to State Water Board.
3/20/24: State Water Board workshop on revised draft regulation.
3/12/24: State Water Board releases revised draft regulation for Making Conservation a California Way of Life.
01/02/24: Legislative Analysts’ Office (LAO) releases a report to the Legislature.
10/17/23: Written comments on draft regulation are due to the State Water Board.
10/4/23: State Water Board public hearing on draft regulation.
08/18/23: State Water Board initiates formal rulemaking for “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” and releases draft regulation text. 
03/22/23: State Water Board workshop on the draft regulatory framework for Making Conservation a California Way of Life.
03/15/23: State Water Board releases draft regulatory framework for Making Conservation a California Way of Life
10/19/22: State Water Board adopts Water Loss Performance Standards regulation
9/28/22: Governor signs Senate Bill 1157 to update the standards for daily per capita indoor water use to reflect the joint recommendations of DWR and the State Water Board
9/29/22: DWR releases urban water use efficiency recommendations 
May 2021: DWR releases draft report on indoor residential water use studies
4/15/21: State Water Board releases revised water loss economic model 
12/16/20: State Water Board Workshop on proposed water loss standards and regulatory framework
6/9/20: Written comments on water loss regulation due by noon
5/13/20: State Water Board held Webinar on Water Loss Regulations

Urban Water Use Objective

Each urban water supplier will be required to comply with the following three components, as currently proposed in the draft regulations.

1. Urban Water Use Objectives

The urban water use objective is a total water budget, in gallons per capita per day (GPCD) that is the sum of efficiency budgets for a subset of water uses that include:

 

Each suppliers’ urban water use objective will be calculated using statewide standards for the above urban water uses along with unique local service area characteristics such as population, climate, and landscape area. The State Water Board’s rulemaking will consider adoption of the statewide efficiency standards for outdoor residential water use, CII landscapes with dedicated irrigation meters (DIMs), variances, and bonuses. Statewide efficiency standards for indoor residential water use and water loss are already adopted.

2. Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) Performance Measures

 

3. Annual Reporting Requirements

Starting Jan. 1, 2024 and by Jan. 1 every year thereafter, each urban retail water supplier is required to comply with Annual Reporting Requirements to the State Water Board that include their urban water use objective, the actual urban water use, documentation of the implementation of CII performance measures, and a description of progress made towards meeting the urban water use objective (§Water Code 10609.24).

Resources

Below are a number of resources available to help ACWA member agencies stay informed.

ACWA Bi-Monthly Water Use Efficiency Meeting Materials

ACWA Comment Letters & Resources

Related Resources