Fresno adopts 2025 water plan boasting massive supply surplus amid looming state conservation mandates

Fresno adopts 2025 water plan boasting massive supply surplus amid looming state conservation mandatesThe city's newly adopted Urban Water Management Plan projects access to over 300,000 acre-feet of water annually through 2050, but state regulations will compel the utility to tighten restrictions and introduce automated waste fines.

Fresno's projected water supply of 302,000 to 308,000 acre-feet per year far exceeds its current demand of approximately 150,000 acre-feet.

Despite the surplus, the city is preparing a new conservation ordinance to comply with California's incoming water use regulations, which will include automated enforcement for high hourly usage.

The city is finalizing a Reuse Master Plan to targetedly expand its purple pipe recycled water network to cost-effective users.

Officials are renegotiating a 1974 exchange agreement with the Fresno Irrigation District, which currently yields the city 0.5 gallons of surface water for every 1 gallon of recycled water provided.

The Fresno City Council approved the city’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and Water Shortage Contingency Plan on June 25, 2026, outlining a robust water portfolio that currently provides double the city's annual demand. However, local officials noted that incoming state regulations will force the utility to implement stricter conservation measures regardless of the surplus. The plans, which are required by the California Department of Water Resources to qualify for state funding such as State Revolving Fund loans, map out the city’s water strategy through 2050. Director of Public Utilities Paul Amico reported that Fresno’s current potable demand is roughly 150,000 acre-feet per year (AFY). Driven by population growth—projected to surpass 600,000 by 2030—demand is expected to reach up to 200,000 AFY by 2050. Despite this growth, the city’s combined supplies of groundwater, surface water, and recycled water will yield between 302,000 and 308,000 AFY in normal years. Amico credited past investments, including the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility and the Recharge Fresno program, for providing the flexibility to maximize surface water during wet years while saving groundwater for dry periods. "We have flexibility," Amico told the council. "When we have very wet to normal conditions, we can balance the use of surface water supplies... and when it's very dry, we rely on groundwater. This makes us have a very reliable supply and resilient to drought conditions." However, the massive supply surplus will not translate to increased water allocations for existing ratepayers. Amico and water consultant Heather Freed explained that the state’s "Making Conservation a California Way of Life" regulation mandates comprehensive reductions across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. To meet these state-mandated targets, the Department of Public Utilities plans to bring a new conservation ordinance to the council in the coming months. The ordinance will introduce automated enforcement using the city’s metering system. Customers exceeding 400 gallons an hour will trigger a notification, leading to courtesy notices and eventual fines for repeat offenses. The ordinance will also ban the irrigation of nonfunctional turf. Currently, the city maintains a three-day watering schedule as a baseline shortage response, even without a declared drought. Councilmember Miguel Arias expressed concern over the automated enforcement, noting past instances where large households in older neighborhoods triggered hourly volume limits simply by cooking and showering simultaneously, despite remaining under monthly volume limits. Amico assured the council that human review and education would precede any fines. The council also scrutinized the city's recycled water strategy and existing exchange agreements. Fresno's tertiary treatment facility produces 2.5 million gallons per day, but currently utilizes only a fraction of that capacity. Amico confirmed the city is finalizing a Reuse Master Plan that will identify cost-effective near-term users to expand the "purple pipe" system, rather than connecting all city parks, which would be cost-prohibitive. Additionally, the city is actively renegotiating a 1974 water exchange agreement with the Fresno Irrigation District. Under the current perpetual contract, the city receives 0.5 gallons of surface water for every 1 gallon of recycled water it discharges into the district's canals. Amico noted that recent negotiations have secured the city's ability to direct delivered surface water to specific treatment or recharge facilities, though Arias argued the exchange rate remains unfavorable to urban ratepayers. The council ultimately approved the UWMP and Water Shortage Contingency Plan in a 4-1 vote, securing the city's compliance with state water planning mandates.