UWM Plan - Municipal Water District of Orange County

Section 2
Water Demand
600,000
2.5
500,000
2
acre-feet per year
400,000
300,000
200,000
1.5
1
millions
100,000
0.5
0
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Fiscal Year Ending
0
Total Demand
Service Area Population
Figure 2-1: Historical Demand and Population in MWDOC’s Service Area
Due to MWDOC’s active role and leadership in promoting water use efficiency in the
region, Orange County is projecting a 17% increase in water demand in the next 25 years
accompanying a projected 15% population growth. This projection takes into account
economic recovery in the service area that is projected to occur through 2035. This also
includes meeting the 20x2020 per capita water use compliance targets for the region.
However, it is important to note that the region wide demand projection differs from the
20x2020 compliance target due to how some recycled water supplies are handled in the
20x2020 target calculations, consistent with allowable methodologies. These differences
are further discussed in Section 2.5.
The passage of SBx7-7 – the Water Conservation Act of 2009 - will increase efforts in
Orange County to reduce the use of potable supplies in the future. This 2009 law
requires all of California’s retail urban water suppliers serving more than 3,000 AFY or
3,000 service connections to achieve a 20% reduction in per capita consumption (from a
historical baseline) by 2020. While MWDOC, as a wholesaler, is not directly required to
comply with the SBx7-7 water use targets, MWDOC is required to provide an assessment
of its present and proposed future measures, programs, and policies to help its retail water
users achieve the water use reductions. Due to the region’s past and ongoing water use
efficiency and recycled water efforts in the past decade, MWDOC member agencies are
already on their way to meeting the required 20x2020 reduction.
Municipal Water District of Orange County
2010 Regional Urban Water Management Plan
Final
2-2