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Water district outlines proposed allocation of Pure Water Monterey expansion; county allocation would be limited initially
Summary
Monterey Peninsula Water Management District staff proposed an initial allocation of newly available recycled water from the Pure Water Monterey expansion; the county would receive roughly 84 acre‑feet under the draft allocation table, while speakers urged caution over supply assumptions and cited SGMA and Agricultural Order 4.0 risks.
Representatives of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) on Dec. 4 presented a draft plan to allocate new recycled water expected from the Pure Water Monterey expansion and answered questions from county supervisors about supply reliability and long‑term risk.
MPWMD staff explained the district’s allocation practice: as new supplies come online the district deposits credits to each jurisdiction’s allocation “account” and jurisdictions draw down those credits when they issue water release forms tied to building permits. The Pure Water Monterey expansion is expected to deliver roughly 2,250 acre‑feet of additional recycled water annually by late 2025, though MPWMD staff and some outside entities have offered alternative, lower estimates for drought years.
The district proposed holding a 1,000 acre‑foot safety buffer to account for operational and drought uncertainties, which yielded a net pool of roughly 1,559 acre‑feet available for initial allocation. Under the draft table provided to local governments, Monterey County’s initial allocation would be about 84.3 acre‑feet.
MPWMD staff emphasized the allocation is the first step in a multi‑stage process and does not lift or replace state orders such as existing cease‑and‑desist orders or other regulatory controls; the moratorium on new meters remains in place until the State Water Resources Control Board lifts the county’s cease‑and‑desist order. The district intends to request the state water board to lift the orders once there is sufficient, demonstrated operational performance.
Board members and multiple speakers during public comment urged caution. County supervisors asked whether the Agricultural Order and other regulatory changes (e.g., Order 4.0 regarding irrigation discharges) could reduce source water available to the Pure Water project. Stakeholders including growers, the Farm Bureau, the Monterey County Association of Realtors, and California American Water stressed the importance of diversified supply, including desalination, and urged a conservative approach to counting recycled water as new supply. California American Water told the board it supports Pure Water Monterey and is constructing a desalination facility aimed to be operational by 2028.
MPWMD officials said they would proceed with public outreach and adopt a formal ordinance to set allocations; the draft ordinances were scheduled to be introduced Dec. 16 at the water district and later finalized. County supervisors asked MPWMD to continue engagement given the county’s housing and planning goals and to coordinate on risk assumptions and timing for any regulatory relief that would permit conversions of supply into new meters.
No formal board action was taken by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 4; the item was an informational briefing to inform county decision‑makers as the water district proceeds with its allocation ordinance and further outreach.
