Chair Galvin convened the Board of Public Utilities for a scheduled briefing on regional water and recycled-water supplies.

Lisa Cuellar, the city’s water use efficiency coordinator, told the board that recent storm events have materially improved regional supply. "The regional water supply is looking really good," she said, and gave current storage figures: "current supply levels in Lake Pillsbury are about 54,000 acre feet," Lake Mendocino is about "81,000 acre feet, that's a 103% of allowable storage for this time of year," and Lake Sonoma is "a little more than 258,000 acre feet," or roughly 102% of allowable storage for the season.

Cuellar said a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission variance that allowed reduced diversions to the Upper Russian River expired on Dec. 23; she also described a Sonoma Water temporary urgency change order (effective Dec. 24 through June 21) that bases in‑stream flow requirements on Lake Mendocino storage rather than cumulative inflow to Lake Pillsbury. "This will better reflect actual watershed conditions in the Russian River," she said, and staff said that current storage conditions in Lake Mendocino will inform in‑stream flow requirements.

Cuellar also noted outreach and regulatory planning tied to AB 1572, which restricts irrigation of nonfunctional turf on many commercial, institutional and homeowners-association properties. She asked board members to note the Russian River Watershed Association biannual event scheduled Feb. 11 at the Findlay Center in Santa Rosa, where she will speak about the rule and the utilities’ customer rebate programs, including commercial "cash for grass" and irrigation-efficiency programs.

Andrew Romero, reclamation superintendent, presented the recycled-water update. Romero said recycled-water storage is substantially above normal for this time of year and that staff were managing storage by pumping to an off‑taker. "We are currently ... in storage, which is about 170,000,000 gallons above average for this time of year," Romero said, and added that "we are pumping 18,000,000 gallons a day to Calpine to manage our storage levels" and remain prepared for discharge if needed.

No public commenters addressed the update, and board members had no substantive questions during the session. The briefing provides the board context on reservoir levels, Sonoma Water operations, and how local rebate programs may help customers comply with AB 1572.