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Oxnard council adopts 2025 Urban Water Management Plan, highlights recycled water and groundwater strategy
Summary
The City Council adopted the City of Oxnard's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and Water Shortage Contingency Plan after a staff presentation showing per-capita usage was well below state targets and outlining plans to expand the Advanced Water Purification Facility for groundwater recharge and indirect potable reuse.
The Oxnard City Council on June 16 adopted the city's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and associated Water Shortage Contingency Plan, after staff said available supplies and conservation programs will meet projected demands provided planned projects proceed.
Chris Payton, the city's water division manager, told the council the plan's role is to evaluate water use, supplies and reliability while preparing for droughts and supply interruptions. "The urban water management plan is a state required planning document that is updated every five years," Payton said. "The water shortage contingency plan provides the city's framework for responding to droughts and supply interruptions."
Consultant Spencer Waterman summarized demand and supply projections and said Oxnard met the state's prior per-capita target: "The city is well below that at 97 gallons per capita per day (GPCD) in 2025," he said. Staff also described the city's supply portfolio: local groundwater, deliveries coordinated with United Water Conservation District, imported water from Kayagas, and recycled water from the Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF). The plan projects increasing use of indirect potable reuse (IPR) and groundwater recharge as part of a mid-term strategy.
Public comment during the hearing was brief and supportive. Debbie Mitchell of the Channel Islands Waterfront Homeowners Association thanked the public works director for the clear explanation, calling the presentation "very good news." Council members asked technical questions about artesian well conditions, groundwater adjudication and worst-case reductions in groundwater allocation; staff said they coordinated with Fox Canyon and modeled a middle-ground scenario (roughly a 28% planning reduction in groundwater allocation) while planning for AWPF expansions.
Director of Public Works Michael Wolf framed the UWMP as a planning—not implementation—document and stressed the city's work to diversify supplies: "Our future water availability exceeds our projected demands," he said, while noting the city will continue conservation programs and the potential to use AWPF for recharge and IPR.
The council closed the public hearing and voted to adopt the plan and contingency measures. The motion to receive the presentation, hold the hearing and adopt the resolution passed unanimously.
