Russell Ackerman, senior management analyst for the City of Glendora, told the Water Commission that state urban water use rules adopted last year set new targets that would require a significant reduction in the city’s overall water use.

Ackerman said the city’s projected reduction target is about 28 percent by Jan. 1, 2027, and could be as large as roughly 43 percent by 2040 under current assumptions. “We’re anticipating a large reduction requirement,” he said.

The targets derive from legislation Ackerman cited during the meeting: SB 606 and AB 1668, which established the urban water use objective framework, and the water‑loss reporting standard created by SB 555. Ackerman told commissioners that adjustments, variances, and bonus incentives (for example for potable reuse) are possible but must be submitted to and approved by the State Water Resources Control Board.

Why it matters: the regulations set city‑level benchmarks (reported as gallons per capita per day for an urban retail supplier) and impose separate water‑loss requirements that can be enforced beginning in 2028. Ackerman warned, “We could be fined starting, 2027. We could be fined as a water supplier, for not meeting the targets.” He also described an alternative compliance pathway that requires an annual baseline reduction (about 2 percent per year) as a way to avoid an abrupt single‑year obligation.

Staff outlined programs intended to reduce outdoor water use—the largest driver of Glendora’s projected reductions—and to address system water loss. Education and outreach highlights for the third quarter included workshops (a fire‑safe landscaping class, Earth Day and turf conversion events), a leak‑detection outreach week (March 17–20) during which the city “gave away over a hundred bags” of leak‑detection items, and the twelfth annual water‑awareness poster contest that drew more than 45 student entries. Ackerman said the city renewed partnerships with the EPA WaterSense program and with WaterWise Consulting and relaunched a Community Water Hero program for commercial customers.

Rebates and incentives: Ackerman described residential and commercial opportunities. The Metropolitan Water District program can offer up to $4 per square foot for turf removal; in addition, there are matching rebates for high‑efficiency appliances. The city continues its own rebate program for items not covered by MWD incentives (Ackerman cited pool covers and dishwashers as examples). For residents, WaterWise will perform free indoor/outdoor water‑use surveys and may provide free irrigation clocks, minor repairs, and a new irrigation retrofit service (installation of water‑efficient nozzles and selective drip conversions) subject to labor/material limits.

Water production and loss: Ackerman showed a production increase of about 24.79 percent comparing the current year to last, which he attributed to factors such as reservoir topping after fire response, hydrant flushing and a lack of rainfall. He said the city’s submitted data estimate system water loss at about 18 percent for fiscal year 2023–24. Because the state uses an economic model fed by annual water‑loss audits to set reduction requirements, Ackerman said Glendora may hire third‑party specialists or seek MAP funding to analyze parameter adjustments and compliance planning.

Commissioners’ questions and staff responses: Commissioners asked whether targets are measured on a service‑area GPCD basis (Ackerman: “It’s for our entire service area”), why Glendora’s reduction target is higher than neighboring cities (Ackerman and other staff said factors include local irrigable area, historic development pattern, lot sizes and prior local conservation efforts elsewhere), and what penalties or alternative pathways exist (Ackerman described potential fines and the alternative compliance pathway tied to steady annual reductions). Commissioners also asked for more granular projections about program uptake and the estimated savings needed to meet the targets; staff said some figures will be refined when the city’s FY 2024–25 numbers are finalized and when adjustments are approved by the state board.

The commission voted unanimously to receive and file the water conservation program update.

The report is part of the city’s ongoing compliance work on the urban water use objective and related performance measures for commercial, industrial and institutional properties.