UWM Plan - Municipal Water District of Orange County

Section 2
Water Demand
Demographic Research (CDR) using the California State Department of Finance
population data. Based on this information, the MWDOC service area had a population
of 1.01 million in 1970, 2.24 million by 2005, and 2.3 million in 2010. This represents an
average growth of approximately 2.3% per year. During the 1970s, the population growth
averaged 3.3% per year; while during the 1990s growth averaged 1.7% per year. Many
older cities, especially those in north and central Orange County, anticipate reaching
build-out in the near-term and, therefore, their population growth will remain relatively
flat over the next 25 years. This, when combined with a relatively young and growing
south Orange County population, will result in nearly 2.65 million living in the MWDOC
service area by 2035, representing an average growth of 0.66% annually. This slower rate
of growth is attributed to the build-out of the MWDOC service area. Table 2-2 shows the
current and projected population for the MWDOC service area.
Table 2-2: Current and Projected MWDOC Service Area Population
2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035
Service Area Population [1] 2,300,021 2,370,931 2,441,838 2,512,752 2,583,659 2,654,569
[1] Center for Demographic Research, California State University, Fullerton 2010
As shown in Table 2-3, the number of households in the MWDOC service area is
expected to increase by 9% in the next 25 years from 804,285 in 2010 to 873,605 in
2035. The number of persons per household is also projected to increase from 2.90 in
2010 to 3.03 in 2035. Urban employment in the MWDOC service is expected to rise by
15% in the next 25 years.
Table 2-3: MWDOC Service Area Demographics
Demographics 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035
Occupied Housing Units 804,285 842,174 854,636 864,725 869,961 873,605
Single Family 536,435 560,356 567,525 573,263 575,950 577,546
Multi-Family 267,850 281,818 287,111 291,462 294,011 296,060
Persons Per Household 2.90 2.99 3.01 3.02 3.04 3.03
Urban Employment 1,289,152 1,358,247 1,409,430 1,438,507 1,462,847 1,482,076
Note: Growth projections are based on Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 2008
Regional Transportation Plan and San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Series 12 Forecast.
2.3. Direct and Indirect Water Use
There are two types of water use in Orange County. “Direct use” is the consumption of
water directly piped from treatment facilities or wells to homes, commercial, institutional,
and industrial buildings, landscape, and agriculture. “Indirect use” is the use of water to
replenish groundwater basins and to serve as a barrier against seawater intrusion. Water
Municipal Water District of Orange County
2010 Regional Urban Water Management Plan
Final
2-5