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Ceres adopts 2025 Urban Water Management Plan; staff flags water loss target gap and infrastructure needs
Summary
Council adopted the City of Ceres 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan, a required five-year planning document. Staff noted a real water-loss audit above the 2028 target and outlined projects to improve leak detection and supply reliability.
The Ceres City Council unanimously adopted its 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and accompanying Water Shortage Contingency Plan on June 22, saying the documents will guide water supply, conservation and drought resilience through 2030.
Public Works Superintendent Joshua Casillas introduced the UWMP and consultant Patrick Scott of Blackwater Consulting Engineers summarized the plan's core elements: forecasts of demand to buildout, existing supplies (groundwater and recently contracted surface water via the Stanislaus Regional Water Authority), conservation programs, and a six-level water shortage response framework. The UWMP also incorporates recent state guidance and reporting requirements.
Scott highlighted mandatory state requirements that informed the update, including the five-year UWMP cycle (referencing AB 797), per-capita water use goals tied to past legislation (Senate Bill X7-7), and a new 2028 real water-loss standard under Senate Bill 555. The consultant reported Ceres' baseline real loss standard is 15.3 gallons per service connection per day, with a 2028 target of 12.7 GPSCD; the most recent audit showed the city at 39.8 GPSCD. Scott said the city is actively pursuing leak detection work and water-main replacement projects to close the gap.
The presentation noted that the city currently serves roughly 54,500 residents with about 12,000 connections and delivered about 6,700 acre-feet in 2025; existing treatment capacity (15 MGD) covers near-term demands, but more infrastructure will be needed toward buildout. The Water Shortage Contingency Plan establishes staged demand-reduction actions and gives staff a ready framework of restrictions and outreach actions should shortages occur.
Councilmembers asked about opportunities to adjust summer watering days if conservation targets remain met; staff said limited, targeted changes could be modeled and brought back to the council. With unanimous support, the council adopted the UWMP and directed staff to submit the plan to state agencies and post it for public review in accordance with statutory timelines.
Next steps: staff will submit the adopted UWMP to the Department of Water Resources and neighboring agencies within 30 days and continue project planning for leak detection and distribution improvements.
