Santa Rosa reports water loss below state standard; city credits active leak detection

Teresa Godinho, sustainability representative for the City of Santa Rosa water department, told the Board of Public Utilities on Oct. 14 that Santa Rosa’s annual water-loss audit shows the city is meeting and is below its assigned state performance standard.

"Currently, we're about 14 gallons per service connection per day," Godinho said, describing the city’s actual gallons-per-connection-per-day figure and noting the state had assigned Santa Rosa a performance standard of 17.1 gallons per service connection per day. "We know that our leak detection program is working."

Godinho said the water-loss audit separates "apparent losses," such as metering or billing errors, from "real losses," which are physical leaks and breaks in the distribution system. She described the audit process as several months of compiling billing and supply data, validating it internally and submitting the compiled American Water Works Association workbook to a third-party validator before the Department of Water Resources receives it.

The presentation said the city’s unvalidated 2024 audit shows Santa Rosa reduced water loss by about 100,000,000 gallons compared with 2023, a change staff characterized as roughly $400,000 in avoided revenue loss when compared with 2023 figures. Godinho said the 2024 audit had been completed and was scheduled for validation in November.

Board members asked for clarification on several details. Board member Wright asked for the overall percentage of water loss; Godinho said she did not have the exact percent at hand but that it was "definitely less than 1%." Board member Mullen asked whether the state returns a formal performance notice; Godinho said the state provides acknowledgement of receipt of the audit but does not send a congratulatory determination of meeting the performance standard. Mullen also asked whether firefighting and flushing are counted; Godinho said nonrevenue uses such as firefighting and system flushing are included in the nonrevenue-water calculations for the audit.

Godinho outlined upcoming reporting milestones mentioned in the presentation: updated questionnaires in 2026 and July 2027, the city’s participation in the state performance standard process due in 2028, and a leak registry due in July 2029. She told the board that real losses remain the largest cost driver and that continued focus on leak detection and service-line replacement helps control costs and supports customer confidence.

Director Burke introduced the item and thanked staff for the work on the audit. Chair Galvin opened the item for board questions and public comment; no members of the public spoke on the item.

The board discussion endorsed the staff presentation and urged staff to publicize the positive results in city communications, a suggestion Godinho acknowledged as helpful.