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Menlo Park adopts 2025 Urban Water Management Plan, council hears worst-case 43% dry‑year risk
Summary
The council unanimously adopted the city's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and drought-contingency appendix and authorized staff to file the plan with the state. Consultants told council a worst-case Bay Delta implementation scenario could cause deficits up to 43% in dry years, prompting continued regional coordination.
The Menlo Park City Council adopted the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and a drought-contingency appendix and authorized staff to submit the plan to the California Department of Water Resources.
City engineer Scott SH and consultant IKA Tinawang summarized the plan's analysis of supply, demand projections and contingency steps. The city relies primarily on potable water purchased from the San Francisco system and on recycled nonpotable water from West Bay for certain uses.
Tinawang explained the plan uses two scenarios supplied by San Francisco: one reflecting full implementation of the Bay Delta plan (the consultant described this as a worst-case scenario for supply available to wholesale agencies) and another reflecting no implementation. "Under the plan-implementation scenario, some agencies could face very large shortfalls in dry years — up to 43 percent in our modeling," the consultant said, noting that allocations and negotiations among wholesale agencies would be necessary in major shortfalls.
Council members asked how the state review process works and how often the plan will be revisited; staff said the plan is updated every five years and must be filed by July 1 for state compliance and eligibility for certain state funding.
No public testimony was received on the item. The council moved and unanimously adopted the resolution to adopt the plan and authorized staff to file it with the Department of Water Resources and related state notices.
