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Salinas council advances 'One Water' roadmap to coordinate regional water planning
Summary
Council heard a One Water roadmap outlining 15 near‑, mid‑ and long‑term projects to improve Salinas' water reliability, including hiring water professionals, forming a leadership group and exploring reuse and storage; council asked for broader public engagement and clarity on stakeholder representation.
The Salinas City Council received a staff presentation June 30 on a One Water roadmap aimed at strengthening local water reliability and regional collaboration.
Consultant Lydia Holmes described the roadmap as a planning framework built from stakeholder interviews, document review and workshops. The plan groups 15 recommended projects into immediate (year 1), near (years 2–5), midterm and long‑term actions. Immediate steps include hiring a city water professional, establishing a One Water leadership group of regional partners, pursuing grants and conducting a financial capability analysis. Later steps would study industrial wastewater reuse, create a graywater policy, and consider larger conveyance and storage projects.
"The goal is to identify how the city of Salinas can best collaborate with other partners in the region to invest time, energy and money into more sustainable water solutions," Holmes said.
Council members asked how stakeholders and leadership group members would be chosen, how public participation would be incorporated, and whether agricultural and hospitality interests would be represented. Staff said the initial leadership group will include major water agencies (Cal Water, Alco, Monterey One Water and others) that participated in stakeholder interviews, and that public engagement plans and committee formats will be developed as projects mature.
Several council members and residents urged earlier study of water storage and clarity about meeting transparency; staff said timing and formats for public involvement will be recommended as part of follow‑up work and that the 45‑day horizon for other items does not limit this multi‑year effort.
The council expressed support for the roadmap and directed staff to return with updates and recommendations on stakeholder composition, public engagement, and prioritization—particularly around storage and funding strategy.
