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Los Banos adopts 2025 Urban Water Management Plan; city flags chromium-6 and meter replacements
Summary
The City Council accepted the city's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and adopted Resolution 7111. The plan notes per-capita water use has dropped, documents a ~1,000-meter replacement program (about 250 meters remaining), and flags chromium-6 in groundwater that may require well treatment or surface-water alternatives.
The Los Banos City Council on June 17 adopted the city's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan, a five-year planning document required by state law and used to qualify for water-related grants and drought assistance. The council approved Resolution 7111 after a public hearing and brief public comment.
Consultant Owen Kubitt, project manager for the update, told the council the plan tracks population projections, historical and projected demand, water supplies and reliability, conservation programs and per-capita goals. Kubitt said the city established a 2001—10 baseline of about 210 gallons per person per day and a 2020/2025 target of 165 gallons per person per day. "You just barely met that goal in 2020 and in 2025 you did even much better," Kubitt said, noting an 11% reduction over the past five years.
The plan documents current conservation programs, including public education, residential water surveys, leak audits and a large meter-replacement program. Kubitt said about 1,000 meters were providing inaccurate readings and roughly 250 remain to be replaced, a line-item the plan recommends continuing to improve demand accounting.
The update also highlights chromium-6 in the groundwater supply. Kubitt said the city will likely need to add treatment on wells in the coming years and is investigating the feasibility of acquiring and treating surface water as an alternative to extensive groundwater treatment.
Resident Kathy Ballard asked whether the plan's 1.5% population-growth assumption would change how much the city allows to be built; staff said the rate was an average based on Department of Finance projections and the plan's projections inform planning but do not themselves change development entitlements. Councilmembers thanked staff and the public for conservation efforts; one council member noted total city water use had fallen by roughly 1,200 acre-feet per year compared with 2020 despite population growth.
The council adopted Resolution 7111 by voice vote and the plan will become the city's reference document for water-supply assessments and grant eligibility. The plan makes no binding operational commitments but sets priorities for future work, including well treatment options and further study of surface-water access.
The council closed the public hearing after hearing the consultant and public questions; no substantive amendments were made at the meeting.
