UWM Plan - Municipal Water District of Orange County

Section 1
Introduction
• Long-range planning documents for water use efficiency;
• Source data for development of a regional water plan;
• Source document for cities and counties, as they prepare their General Plans;
• Key component of an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan; and
• Condition to qualify for receipt of certain State grant funds.
For MWDOC, the activities associated with the update of its Plan and the benefits the
Plan ultimately affords its local retailers extend far beyond the implied or stated supplyreliability
goals. The regional approach allows MWDOC to do the following:
• Provide a comprehensive assessment of water resource needs in its service area;
• Provide guidance to coordinate implementation of water conservation programs in
a cost-effective manner;
• Provide assistance to maximize the beneficial use of recycled water and local
groundwater supplies, providing the region with new sources of local water to
reduce the need for imported supplies from the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California (described in the next section); and
• Offer opportunities for public participation through publicly noticed meetings,
and provide information that will allow the public to gain further understanding of
the region’s comprehensive water planning.
The sections in this Plan correspond to the outline of the Act, specifically Article 2,
Contents of Plans, Sections 10631, 10632, and 10633. The sequence used for the required
information, however, differs slightly in order to present information in a manner
reflecting the unique characteristics of MWDOC’s water utility. The UWMP Checklist
has been completed, which identifies the location of Act requirements in this Plan and is
included as Appendix D.
1.2. Municipal Water District of Orange County
Formation and Purpose
Orange County was settled around areas of surface water. San Juan Creek supplied the
mission at San Juan Capistrano. Santa Ana River supplied the early cities of Anaheim
and Santa Ana. The Santa Ana River also provided water to a large aquifer underlying the
northern half of the county, enabling settlers to move away from the river's edge and still
obtain water by drilling wells.
By the early 1900s, Orange County residents understood that their water supply was
limited, the rivers and creeks did not flow all year long, and the aquifer would eventually
be degraded or even dry up if the water was not replenished on a regular basis.
Municipal Water District of Orange County
2010 Regional Urban Water Management Plan
Final
1-3