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Hemet council adopts 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and drought contingency measures
Summary
The Hemet City Council unanimously adopted the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and a water-shortage contingency plan on June 9, outlining reliance on local groundwater, imported supplies, compliance with SBX7-7 targets, and a six-stage shortage response up to >50% reductions.
The Hemet City Council on June 9 unanimously adopted the city's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and an associated water-shortage contingency plan designed to guide supplies and demand reductions through 2050.
Travis Holio, the city's water and wastewater superintendent, told council the plan relies primarily on groundwater from the San Jacinto/Saneno basin supplemented by wheeled or imported water through Eastern Municipal Water District. The plan documents water-use and supply characterizations, drought-risk assessments and compliance with SBX7-7 water-use targets, noting Hemet's five-year per-capita consumption has remained under the plan target.
Holio said the plan incorporates the Department of Water Resources' six standard shortage levels — voluntary 10% down to mandatory reductions exceeding 50% — and lays out possible customer demand measures tied to each level. He also described treatment investments (e.g., GAC systems for TCP removal) and the city's plan to rehabilitate local wells (wells 15 and 16) that will reduce reliance on purchased water when brought online.
Council members asked technical questions: one asked whether figures in the plan were gallons-per-day-per-capita (staff confirmed they were), and another asked when well rehabilitation would reduce purchases from EMWD (staff said contractor selection and rehab documents were under review). Following the staff presentation and a public hearing with no registered speakers, the council adopted the resolution implementing the 2025 plan and the water-shortage contingency plan, citing California Water Code sections 106109 through 10656 and 10608.
Why it matters: The plan establishes the city's long-range water-supply strategy, required five-year updates and the procedures to scale conservation measures during droughts. Installing treatment for chemical contaminants and bringing local wells back online could reduce purchases from Eastern Municipal Water District and increase local supply reliability.
Next steps: Staff will complete planned well rehabs, file required notices, and follow the plan's annual assessment schedule beginning July 1.
