Orange County’s Water Story: Regional Water Issues and the Import Supply Stan Sprague General Manager Municipal Water District of Orange County Santiago Canyon College Managerial Issues Class March 21, 2003

Water supply development in Orange County Chapter 1 Water supply development in Orange County Once upon a time... March 21, 2003

...at the turn of the last century, Early settlements near surface water streams Later development depended on groundwater By turn of the century, settlers were outpacing nature’s ability to replenish March 21, 2003

…LA turns to Owens Valley Development of L.A. Aqueduct Access for others came at the price of annexation to Los Angeles March 21, 2003

March 21, 2003

Others turn to the Colorado... Metropolitan Water District formed in 1928 to provide imported water to Southern California Anaheim, Santa Ana, Fullerton were original members Coastal MWD formed in 1941 MWD of Orange County formed in 1951 March 21, 2003

Meanwhile, Orange County shores up rights on the Santa Ana River Orange County Water District (OCWD) formed in 1933 to file lawsuit to litigate rights vs. upstream diverters Availability of import water leads to agency taking preeminent role in groundwater management March 21, 2003

Eventually, we all look north SWP authorized by voters in 1960 First water delivered in early ‘70s Contractually agreed to 2 MAF/year to Southern California March 21, 2003

Where Southern California Gets its Water Today Transfers & Storage Local Supplies LA Aqueduct Colorado River Aqueduct SWP Entitlement Local Supplies Groundwater & Recycling Conservation 3 March 21, 2003

Who is the Municipal Water District of Orange County? Chapter Two Who is the Municipal Water District of Orange County? March 21, 2003

March 21, 2003

MWD of Orange County is... Wholesale water supplier for Orange County Governed by 7-member elected board 30 retail agencies Among the largest of Metropolitan’s member agencies Service area of 600 square miles Service area population of 2 million Four (4) directors appointed to Metropolitan board March 21, 2003

MWD of Orange County exists to... Coordinate and plan local water management programs in Orange County Secure a reliable supply of imported water Represent local retail agencies that provide water directly to homes and businesses March 21, 2003

MWD of Orange County as Planner… Initiated and Manages South Orange County Reliability Study Will make recommendations for both system and supply reliability improvements Implementation will be cooperative effort Analyzes data and trends and coordinates projects and programs with retail providers throughout the county March 21, 2003

MWD of Orange County as Advocate… Represents water agencies and cities Influences and helps develop policies at Metropolitan at local government level at State & Federal levels Works with other Orange County water providers Helps to secure funding for local agency projects March 21, 2003

MWD of Orange County as Service Provider… Water-Use Efficiency Programs School Education Water Emergency Response Orange County (WEROC) Water-related legislative tracking, analysis and advocacy March 21, 2003

Chapter Three Traditional Imported Sources Challenged March 21, 2003

Our County’s Supplies Orange County depends on imported water for almost half of its total supply 48% groundwater 46% imported through Metropolitan from Colorado River Aqueduct and State Water Project (Northern California) 4% recycled water 2% local surface water March 21, 2003

Challenges for Orange County’s traditional imported water sources... Questions about water rights and surplus availability Increasing environmental regulations and restrictions Water quality concerns, i.e. impacts of salinity and organic compounds require greater treatment levels, and hamper recycling and groundwater uses March 21, 2003

Colorado River issues Metropolitan has high priority entitlement to approximately 700,000 AF Additional 500,000 AF annually comes from surpluses Arizona & Nevada now taking full shares, other states wary, drought conditions continue to worsen Interior Secretary declares no surplus water in 2003 March 21, 2003

March 21, 2003

Immediate concerns … California’s inability to agree to a plan to reduce its take of surplus water over 15 years Immediate cutbacks on surplus supplies eliminated “soft landing” option Southern California will now only receive an 800,000 AF allocation in 2003 March 21, 2003

March 21, 2003

Long-term concerns … Over allocation Growth in other basin states Native American lawsuits Mexico Water quality concerns Perchlorate Moab tailings Salinity March 21, 2003

Challenges to Northern California water State Water Project Sacramento San Francisco Bay/ Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Hub of State’s water system Degraded ecosystem Poor water quality Supply impacted by endangered species Early 90s drought, regulatory actions create crisis San Francisco Los Angeles Aqueduct Colorado River Aqueduct Los Angeles March 21, 2003

Challenges to Northern California water Struggle is to maintain what we have Historical annual supplies to exporters from the Bay-Delta have been cut by 25% due to federal actions Future regulatory actions threaten to cut supplies by another 25% This year, State can only promise 45% (approximately 900,000 AF) March 21, 2003

March 21, 2003

CALFED Bay-Delta Program CALFED Bay-Delta Program to the rescue Joint state-federal consortium formed in 1994 California Bay-Delta Authority created in January 2003 Collaborative, non-regulatory process to fix problems in the Delta Implementation of Record of Decision Reduce conflict among stakeholders March 21, 2003

Endangered Species Act Protected Species in the Delta 1989 - Winter-Run Threatened 1994 - Winter-Run Endangered 1999 - Spring-Run Threatened Chinook Salmon Delta Smelt 1993 - Threatened Steelhead 1998 - Threatened Winter Run: [from Rick Sitts] The current take limit is for last season (2001-02) and is 39,823, 15 times higher than 2,700, set in early 1993 following the run being listed as threatened in late 1991. NOTE, that these two take estimates are based on 1 and 2 percent take criteria for 1993 and 2002, respectively, so the "times higher" can be an artifact of the calculation. If based on a 2% take limit level for both years, 2002 is 7.4 times higher than for 1992-93/ Green Sturgeon 2001 - Petitioned for listing Sacramento Splittail 1999 - Threatened March 21, 2003

CALFED’s Ecosystem Accomplishments Status: 382 new projects $398 million 100,000 acres new wetlands 17 new fish screens 10 diversion dams removed March 21, 2003

Environmental Gains Fishery Recovery – It’s Working! Delta Smelt Nearing Recovery! Delta Smelt Fall Midwater Trawl Index Delta smelt Fall Midwater Trawl Index and some delisting criteria; indices of 239 or greater in 2 of 5 years and not less than 84 more than 2 years in a row, during 2 extreme flow years in a row with one dry or critical year (Still need extreme years) [Sitts] March 21, 2003

Spring-run Chinook Salmon -- Butte Creek Environmental Gains Fishery Recovery – It’s Working! 20,000 15,000 3 new fish screens & ladders 3 dams removed # of Fish 10,000 New fish ladder 5,000 Information based on page 52 of CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program, Draft Stage 1 Implementation Plan, August 6, 2001. Dam removed 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 Spring-run Chinook Salmon -- Butte Creek March 21, 2003

Environmental Gains Fishery Recovery – It’s Working! Current take limit is 15 times higher than initially Winter-Run Chinook Salmon Winter Run Chinook Salmon Adult Female Spawner Escapement The current take limit is for last season (2001-02) and is 39,823, 15 times higher than 2,700, set in early 1993 following the run being listed as threatened in late 1991. NOTE, that these two take estimates are based on 1 and 2 percent take criteria for 1993 and 2002, respectively, so the "times higher" can be an artifact of the calculation. If based on a 2% take limit level for both years, 2002 is 7.4 times higher than for 1992-93. Wild winter run chinook salmon adult female spawner escapement (Delisting criteria include 13 consecutive years at >10,000 female spawners.) * Source: Kano (CDFG), except 2001 from Hight (CDFG 1/16/02) ** Spawning females = total * 0.8 * 0.5, with 0.8 to adjust for 80% adults (not jacks), and 0.5 for 50% female adults. [from R. Sitts] March 21, 2003

What CALFED could mean to Orange County’s future Hope for some long-term regional relief Improved water quality More certainty = Better local resource management and planning Expansion of local projects CALFED won’t necessarily result in more water Limited imported supplies means local agency projects will become increasingly critical March 21, 2003

Chapter Four The Local Story March 21, 2003

Where does this leave us? Current total demand on Metropolitan is 2.0 MAF per year Expected to marginally increase over next 10 years Supply reliability to So. Cal. projected to be fairly stable over next 10 years (if no surprises) March 21, 2003

Local reliability issues emerge South County - 500,000 residents - depend on two major pipelines and single treatment plant for 90% of their water service One of two main MWD pipelines feeding South County damaged in December 1999 OCWD proposes lowering pumping percentage to deal with overdraft of groundwater basin Reliability of the water supply and delivery network is a top priority for all March 21, 2003

Orange County’s Population Growth North and South Population (millions) 1990: 1.89 2000: 2.18 2010: 2.30 2020: 2.36 Fullerton Anaheim Tustin SOUTH Santa Ana Population (millions) 1990: 0.51 2000: 0.68 2010: 0.79 2020: 0.87 20-Year Growth: 0.18 (8%) Rancho Santa Margarita Irvine Huntington Beach TOTAL 20-Year Growth 0.37 million (13%) Newport Beach 20-Year Growth: 0.19 (28%) Laguna Niguel San Clemente March 21, 2003

Orange County’s Water Consumption North and South Water Use (acre-feet) 2002: 549,000 2025: 634,000 Additional Demand: 85,000 (15%) Fullerton Anaheim Tustin Santa Ana Rancho Santa Margarita Irvine Huntington Beach SOUTH Water Use (acre-feet) 2002: 134,000 2025: 180,000 Additional Demand: 46,000 (34%) Newport Beach TOTAL O.C. Additional Demand 131,000 (19%) Laguna Niguel San Clemente March 21, 2003

Where will additional supplies come from? Santa Ana River/Groundwater Basin Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) Metropolitan Import / Water Transfers Water Use Efficiency Water Recycling Colored water treatment (MCWD, IRWD) Other local supplies Ocean desalination March 21, 2003

Orange County Reliability Study Started looking at system & supply reliability Focus on South Orange County How to meet demands with major facility/system outages Evaluate alternative supply options, including ocean desalination Second Phase to be completed July 2003 Highlights projects/programs for system and supply reliability Ocean Desalination Central Pool Augmentation Regional Storage Water Use Efficiency Expanded interconnections March 21, 2003

Where are we headed? Water Reclamation: Dual plumbing systems (IRWD) Expanding usage from agricultural to urban Irrigation of medians, open space, etc. Brackish water desalination Upstream Santa Ana River Watershed Irvine Ranch Water District City of Tustin San Juan Basin South Coast Water District March 21, 2003

What have we been doing? Water Use Efficiency: $6-7 million spent on WUE programs annually Collaborative partnerships between: MWDOC, OCWD, OCSD, MWD & Local retail agencies U.S. Bureau of Reclamation & EPA County of Orange State of California March 21, 2003

What have we been doing? Water Use Efficiency: 300,000 ULFT toilets have been installed (10,000 AF/year savings) 270,000 showerheads have been installed (1,500 AF/year savings) 3,250 clothes washers have been installed (43 AF/year savings) Computer controlled irrigation system retrofits (8,500 AF/year savings) Weather Based Controllers (Estimated 37-57 GPD savings) 5,000 controllers will be installed beginning in summer 2003 Funding through Proposition 13, Metropolitan and local agencies Overall WUE savings = 10-15% *Savings based on lifespan of fixtures/controllers March 21, 2003

What have we been doing? Water Use Efficiency: Industrial Water Use MWD overseeing rebate/retrofit programs ($500,000/year) Studies needed to determine how to recapture industrial processed water for reuse (cooling towers, recycling systems in die plants, etc.) Landscape Performance Certification Program Develop landscape irrigation budgets for more than 12,000 landscape meters Technical workshops offered Annual water savings of 12,000–24,000 AF ($5.4–$10.8 million) March 21, 2003

Ocean Desalination in Orange County Pre-development work for Ocean Desalination Plant in Dana Point Submitted to Metropolitan on June 28, 2002 Poseidon Ocean Desalination Plant in Huntington Beach - 50 MGD EIR is being completed by HB MWDOC is assisting two of its agencies, Santa Margarita WD and Southern California WC with implementation of necessary agreements to access water March 21, 2003

Coming full circle Struggle to maintain current imported supply means we must make the most of what we have Local options: Water Recycling Water Transfers Conjunctive Use Water Conservation Desalination Local delivery network must be reliable March 21, 2003

Questions? Stan Sprague (714) 963-3058 March 21, 2003