Millbrae council adopts 2025 urban water management plan, flags dry-year risks

The Millbrae City Council voted to adopt the city's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and the accompanying Water Shortage Contingency Plan, a staff-led long-range document required by state law and due for submittal by July 1.

Senior environmental programs manager Andrea Papa John told the council the plan projects city demand to 2050 at about 674 million gallons per year and reports Millbrae's per-capita potable water use is about 80 gallons per person per day. "Water usage is growing and there's sufficient supply available during normal years through 2050," she said, while cautioning that the greater uncertainty is dry-year reliability tied to the state's Bay-Delta Plan amendment.

The plan explains that Millbrae receives 100% of its potable supply through the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission regional water system (SFPUC RWS) and that, under one scenario outlined by SFPUC, implementation of the Bay-Delta Plan could reduce deliveries in drought conditions. Papa John said, "If the SFPUC deliveries were reduced because of the Bay-Delta Plan, significant shortfalls could occur in dry years," and staff therefore included specific shortage stages and response measures in the contingency plan.

Council members pressed staff on what the plan means in practice. Papa John and city staff said the Urban Water Management Plan is primarily an analytical and planning document; the Water Shortage Contingency Plan provides six shortage stages and corresponding actions (from public information campaigns to tighter irrigation restrictions) that the city could declare if drought triggers occur. "There is no immediate implementation of any stage unless there is a drought emergency or a mandatory state directive," a staff member said during the discussion.

The council closed the public hearing on the plan and adopted the staff resolution as recommended. The motion to adopt passed by the roll-call tally reported as 4 yes, 0 no. Staff will submit the plan to the state Department of Water Resources and post the final draft on the city website within 30 days of submittal.

What happens next: staff said they will continue participation in regional planning (BOSA/SFPUC discussions), pursue opportunities for recycled water and local conservation programs, and return to council with specific drought-stage recommendations if and when supply conditions deteriorate.