FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 2, 2021

CONTACT:
MayorPress@sandiego.gov

SAN DIEGO – As part of his efforts to create a more sustainable future for all of us, Mayor Todd Gloria today publicly released a new analysis of San Diego’s future water needs that indicates that the City will develop more than 50% of its water locally by 2045, in large part due to the Pure Water recycling program. This will be a dramatic increase in local water supply, which currently requires the City to purchase 85% to 90% of its water from imported sources.

As detailed in the City’s draft 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, the change is due to a reduction in water demand by residents and businesses and significant investments in programs like Pure Water.

While the City’s population has grown an average of about 1% annually since 2010, total water demand has decreased during this same period. Water demand in the city has gone from a peak of more than 81.5 billion gallons in 2007 to about 57 billion gallons in 2020. The decrease in water demand is largely due to San Diegans using less water and being more efficient with the water they do use.

“The decrease in our water demand is remarkable. It’s a testament to the resolve of San Diegans to make a positive change for the present as well as our future,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “The new Urban Water Management Plan provides us with a roadmap for a more sustainable city in the years to come. I encourage San Diegans to weigh in on this critically important plan.”

Most of the locally sourced water will come from the City’s Pure Water program, which will use proven water-purification technology to clean recycled water to produce safe, high-quality drinking water. Construction of the project is expected to begin this spring.

All water agencies in California are required to update their water management plans every five years. The City’s new plan includes an updated water reliability analysis that shows the value of efforts to diversify San Diego’s water supply sources under scenarios considering drought, climate change and seismic events.

Members of the public can review the draft Urban Water Management Plan and provide any comments between March 1 and April 5, 2021. The report is available for review online at the Public Utilities Department water supply page.  Comments or questions on the plan can be submitted to Khuram Shah, project manager, at khshah@sandiego.gov.

Additionally, the plan will be discussed at public meetings, including the Independent Rates Oversight Committee on March 15, 2021, and the City Council’s Environment Committee. The plan will also be presented for adoption by the City Council later this year. Public input is encouraged and welcomed at all the meetings.

To view meeting agendas and submit a public comment form at City Council meetings, visit the Office of the City Clerk’s webpage.

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