1. Urban Water Institute’s Annual Water Conference August 26, 2015
How San Diego Prepared for this Drought…
…and the Next One, and the Next One
Urban Water Institute’s Annual Water Conference
August 26, 2015
Mark Weston, Board Chair
San Diego County Water Authority

2. Lake Oroville
July 2011
100% Capacity
May 2015
50% Capacity

3. San Diego County Water Authority
Wholesale water agency created by State Legislature in 1944
24 member agencies
36-member board of directors
Serves 3.2 million people and region’s $218 billion economy
Imports ~80% of water used in San Diego County
Builds, owns, operates and maintains regional water infrastructure
Largest member agency of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
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6 cities, 14 water/utility districts, 3 irrigation districts, 1 military base 3

4. Sources of San Diego County’s Water Supply (2010-2014 five-year average)
San Diego Green Scene - January 10, 2013
19% State Water Project (MWD supplies)
California Aqueduct
Colorado River Aqueduct
64% Colorado River
(Long-term Transfers and MWD supplies)
17% Local Supplies

5. Droughts are Common in California
Sacramento River Unimpaired Runoff through 2015
Welcome to California, where multi-year droughts are a way of life. We’re in the fourth-consecutive year of drought in 2015, and we don’t know when this drought will end. What we do know, however, is that even if the heavens open up in 2016, the next multi-year drought is right around the corner. You can – and we do – plan on it.
[Classification for Water Year 2014 – Critical (red) maf]
2014
Source: DWR
Sacramento River Runoff is the sum of Sacramento River flow at Bend Bridge, Feather River inflow to Lake Oroville, Yuba River flow at Smartville, and American River inflow to Folsom

6. Climate Matters: San Diego Receives Little Rainfall
Average Annual Precipitation in the Southwest
1946
Sacramento: 21.17”
San Francisco: 20.78”
Los Angeles: 14.93”
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Climate and rainfall matter. San Diego County’s natural water assets are poor. We get only inches of rain, on average. That is far less than other large cities in California. Sacramento gets more than twice our rainfall, on average. The point here is that climate and rainfall are significant factors in water use. We’ll talk more about that later.
San Diego: 10.34”

7. San Diego County Water Supply 1991
Local Supplies
26,000 AF 5%
Metropolitan Water District
552,000 AF
95%
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While the Water Authority was organized in 1946, our modern story really began in 1991 – the fifth year of what would be a six-year drought in California. At that time, we were 95-percent-dependent upon a single supplier of water: the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. We had, in essence, nearly all of our eggs in one basket.
Total = 578,000 AF

8. 1991-92: San Diego’s Drought Crisis
San Diego Civic Leaders
“Never Again!”
“No More Water Shortages!”
What happened? The bottom of the basket fell out. By March 1991, MWD had cut our water supplies by 31 percent, and even adopted 50-percent cutbacks. We only dodged the 50-percent cuts because of the Miracle March rains. But, nonetheless, we remained in that 31-percent cutback for 13 months. This water supply crisis was San Diego’s wakeup call. Over the past 18 months, other communities throughout California are experiencing their version of our “1991” water supply crises.

9. TAF=Thousand Acre-Feet
Increasing San Diego Region's Water Supply Reliability through Supply Diversification
1991
28 TAF %
2015
550 TAF 95%
2020
80 TAF 13%
83 TAF 14%
27 TAF 4%
80 TAF 10%
103 TAF 13%
44 TAF 6%
Total = 578 TAF
100 TAF 16%
56 TAF 7%
18 TAF 3%
190 TAF 24%
5 TAF 1%
27 TAF 4%
304 TAF 49%
231 TAF 30%
48 TAF 6%
Total = 617 TAF
Total = 779 TAF
Metropolitan Water District
Recycled Water
Imperial Irrigation District Transfer
Seawater Desalination
All American & Coachella Canal Lining
Groundwater
Conservation (existing and additional)
Local Surface Water
TAF=Thousand Acre-Feet

10. Reliability Through Diversification: Conservation
Rebates, tools & services
Plant fairs and landscape classes
Offset 103,000 AF of demand by 2020
13% of supply by 2020
Programs Available at WaterSmartSD.org

11. IID and Canal Lining Deliveries 2003-2021
Reliability Through Diversification: Imperial Irrigation District Transfer
Nation’s largest ag-to-urban water conservation and transfer agreement
Ramps up to 200,000 AF/year by 2021
45-to 75-year term
24% of supply by 2020
IID and Canal Lining Deliveries

12. Reliability Through Diversification: All-American & Coachella Canal Linings
80,000 AF/year for 110 years
All-American: 23 miles
Coachella: 35 miles
10% of supply by 2020
These projects are now complete. In all, the Water Authority lined 23 miles of the All-American Canal and another 35 miles of the Coachella Canal.
Overall, these projects conserve and provide to the San Diego region 80,000 acre-feet of water per year for 110 years.
*Updated Aug. 19, 2014 by CLB/LW (numbers match litigation #s = PLEASE do not change the #s.)
*Reviewed 5/20/15 by amj, no changes made

13. Reliability Through Diversification: Groundwater
20,000 AF/year today, growing to 27,000 AF/year by 2020
Brackish groundwater must be desalinated
Seven local agencies have groundwater projects
4% of supply by 2020
San Diego County Basins

14. Reliability Through Diversification: Local Surface Water
25 reservoirs
Combined water storage capacity: approximately 745,000 AF
6% of supply by 2020
Olivenhain and Lake Hodges

15. Reliability Through Diversification: Recycled Water
28,800 AF/year today, growing to approximately 40,000 AF/year by 2020
Drought-proof
17 agencies in San Diego purvey recycled water
Primarily used for landscape irrigation
6% of supply by 2020
The City of San Diego produces the most recycled water of the 17 local agencies (21 recycled water treatment facilities). The oldest project in the county is the Santee Lakes, which opened to the public in The industry standard purple color for all above-ground fixtures and notification signs is widely recognized by the public as a location where recycled water is used.
Long-range planning efforts by regional water wholesalers include recycled water as part of it’s water supply portfolio for the region.
- Local water agencies are planning to increase recycled water development and increase it’s use by
approx. 44,000 acre-feet/year by the year 2020.
By 2020 recycled water is expected to make up 6% of San Diego County’s water supply.

16. Reliability Through Diversification: Seawater Desalination
Carlsbad Seawater Desalination Project
Expected on-line in Fall 2015
$1 billion investment
56,000 AF/year of drought-proof supplies
7% of supply by 2020

17. Water Authority Strategy Consistent with California Water Action Plan
Make conservation a way of life
Increase regional self-reliance and integrated water management
Manage and prepare for dry periods
Expand water storage capacity

18. Future Sources: Potable Reuse
Several agencies considering projects
San Diego: up to 83 MGD by 2035
Padre Dam: up to 3,000 AF per year
City of San Diego’s Pure Water Facility
Padre Dam’s Advanced Water Purification Demonstration Facility

19. Future Sources: Additional Seawater Desalination
Camp Pendleton
Potential project
Feasibility studies under way
Participation from U.S. Marine Corps
Size: million gallons per day

20. Historic Investments in Infrastructure

21. Increasing Conservation and Local Water Supplies (in Acre-Feet)
56,000
44,000
48,000
27,000

22. San Diego County Per Capita Water Use
The 2020 Goal is the result of California Senate Bill X7-7 of 2009, which requires a statewide reduction of 20% urban water use by 2020.
The almost exclusive focus of the State of California in this fourth year of drought has been demand reduction – conservation. But, San Diego has been a leader in urban and agricultural water conservation for decades. We’ve reduced our per-capita water use by 31 percent since 1990, including 24 percent since just This conservation has been sustained even in the face of the worst drought in generations and 18 consecutive months of hotter-than-normal temperatures in San Diego County. In fact, we’re already below the State of California’s 20-percent-by-2020 goal mandated by the state in SBX7-7 of 2009.
Early estimates for FY 2015 show per capita water use in the low 140’s.

23. Water Authority Can Meet 99% of Projected Demands in FY 2016, Even with 15% MWD Shortage Allocation
Estimated FY 2016 Potable M&I Demand ~ 523 TAF *
MWD Initial Allocation
M&I
274 TAF
Water Authority CDP 39 TAF
We’ve invested billions of dollars over the past 25 years so that we could do exactly this: meet the water demands of a $206 billion economy and protect the quality of life of 3.2 million people, even in the fourth year of a crippling drought. Even with a supply cut of 15 percent from MWD, we can meet 99 percent of our region’s demands for water this year. That’s reliability.
Long-Term Colorado River Transfers
180 TAF
Local Supplies 25 TAF
Based on actual FY 2014, escalated at 1/2% per year.
MWD supply allocation in effect 7/1/15 through June 30, 2016. 23

24. Fiscal Year Potable Water Use in Water Authority Service Area
3/27/2014
Fiscal Year Potable Water Use in Water Authority Service Area
June 2015 is 25% lower than June 2014
FY 2015 is 10.5% lower than FY 2014

25. April 1, 2015 Manual Snow Survey
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Responding to Drought Conditions and State Board Water Use Reduction Mandate

26. Water Authority Drought Response Orderly and Coordinated Approach to Managing Droughts
2006 Water Shortage and Drought Response Plan
Regional actions taken to lessen severity of shortage conditions in San Diego region
Activated February 2014
Includes allocation methodology
Outreach campaign
In 2006, knowing the state and region experience periods of drought with occasional wet years, the Water Authority created an orderly and coordinated approach to managing droughts, called the Water Shortage and Drought Response Plan. (explain)

27. Water Authority’s Comprehensive Conservation Outreach Campaign: “When in Drought’
Online & Outdoor TV
Web Site
Civic Events
We’ve responded to this drought with one of the most comprehensive public outreach and advertising campaigns anywhere in the state. The entire San Diego region now has a 2 day per week watering restriction.
Social Media
Partnerships
Radio/
Pandora
Landscaper Training
Large Events: SD County Fair
#droughtbucketlist

28. Current Activities Influencing Drought Response Actions in 2015/2016
Supply allocation from Metropolitan Water District
MWD ordered Level 3, 15% cutback
July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016 allocation period
Agencies pay surcharge if they exceed
Demand reductions required statewide
Governor's April 1 Executive Order: 25% water savings mandate
State Water Board emergency conservation regulations
Establishes individual reduction targets for each member agency
However, this drought is different, with supply allocations from MWD and historic demand reductions from the state. (explain)

29. State Water Board Emergency Regulations Member Agency Conservation Standards*
3/27/2014
~20% Region
* Based on R-GPCD data current as of 6/11/15

30. 2015 Potable Urban Water Use San Diego County Water Authority Service Area
Water agencies made news a couple weeks ago with the reporting out on May 2015 water use numbers. The news was good – people conserved. But, as this page shows, temperature and rainfall also played starring roles in that success.
Updated 8/13/15 AJ. (Numbers from Stu Williams)
30% below 2013
26% below 2013
32% below 2013

31. Water Authority Storing Conserved Water in 2015
Water conserved by residents and businesses since early May is being stored in the newly expanded San Vicente Reservoir
35,000 AF of carryover supplies stored to date
Potential to reach 50,000 AF by end of 2015
Reservoir already holds 36,000 AF of emergency storage (out of ultimate 52,000 AF)
San Vicente Dam Raise Project
337’ high, 1,420’ long at top, 20’ wide at crest, 251 feet wide at the base.
Tallest Dam-Raise in U.S. History
Tallest of its Type in the World
Approved: 1998
Carryover Storage component added in 2003
Complete: 2014
Cost: $416 million
Benefit: 152,000 AF of new storage:
52,000 AF emergency
100,000 AF carryover
So, as we saw earlier, our public is responding to our calls to conserve. So, what are we doing with the conserved water? Fortunately, we completed the largest dam-raise project in U.S. history last summer, and we have plenty of new capacity to store water. [Highlight facts on slide.]

32. San Diego County: 1990 vs. 2015 Jobs (millions)
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This chart gives you a better sense of how our investments in water supplies and infrastructure have helped our region.
Between 1990 and 2015, San Diego County’s population (shown in orange) grew by more than 30 percent. Our job base (shown in yellow) grew by 34 percent. And, our economy (shown in purple) grew by about 91% over that span.
But the region’s total potable water use (shown in blue) is about 12% below where it was nearly 25 years ago.
Thanks to the collective efforts of our region’s water agencies, residents and businesses, we’ve been very effective at meeting the growing water needs of the region through improved efficiency.
Updated 08/07/2015 AJ.
(Please note that 1990 dollars converted to 2015 dollars using CIP inflation convertor provide by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found here:
Data sources:
-Water use, Population, & GPDC use (potable water only, excludes recycled) from Water Resources Department (other population source says 3.2M estimate for 2013:
-GDP from Bureau of Economic Analysis (only updated twice per year)
-Jobs from (
-Jobs from 1990 California Employment Development Department
-Cost of Water per AF from Water Authority’s budget and annual report
- GDP and Population
Jobs (millions)
Potable water use (thousand acre-feet)
Population (millions)
Gross Domestic Product (billions)
Potable gallons per capita daily use
Cost of water per acre-foot (full service treated water rate)
2015 numbers estimated as of 8/7/2015
* 2015 dollars

33. Stay in Touch with the Water Authority
Video & Slide Sharing
Mobile App
Social Media
facebook.com/
SanDiegoCountyWaterAuthority
youtube.com/SDCWAvideo
@sdcwa
@mwdfacts
Please feel free to find out more online or by connecting with us on social media.
sdcwa.org/rss
slideshare.net/waterauthority
sdcwa.org/mobile-news-app