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Los Banos adopts 2025 Urban Water Management Plan, flags chromium-6 and meter replacements
Summary
After a presentation by Provost & Pritchard, the City Council adopted the city's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan update, noting progress on per-capita water-use reductions and the need to replace roughly 1,000 water meters; the plan also calls for studying surface-water options and treatment for chromium-6 in groundwater.
The Los Banos City Council voted June 17 to adopt the city's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan update, a statutorily required planning document that also supports eligibility for state water grants and drought assistance.
Owen Kubit, project manager for consulting engineering firm Provost & Pritchard, told the council the plan documents historical and projected water demand, supply reliability, conservation programs and per-capita water-use goals under California's Water Conservation Act of 2009. Kubit said the city established a baseline of about 210 gallons per person per day for 2001–2010, met the 2020 20% reduction goal, and achieved an additional 11% reduction in the most recent five years.
Kubit said roughly 1,000 meters are providing inaccurate readings and need replacement, with about 250 left to swap out. He also flagged chromium-6 in local groundwater as an emerging compliance and treatment issue that may require adding treatment at wells or pursuing surface-water options. "We would like to investigate the feasibility of acquiring and using surface water to provide an additional supply on top of groundwater," Kubit said.
Resident Kathy Ballard asked how the plan's 1.5% annual population growth projection was calculated and whether surface water would be cheaper or taste better than well water. Kubit said the population factor reflected roughly the last 10 years of trends and that cost and taste depend on source and rights or contracts; he said surface water remains an option worth studying.
Public Works Director William Vai and council members praised the community's conservation efforts. Councilmember [name withheld per transcript mapping] noted the city's per-capita drop to about 146 gallons per person per day and said total water use has fallen despite population growth.
The council adopted Resolution No. 7111 to approve and accept the update.
What happens next: staff will incorporate the plan into project-level assessments and pursue feasibility studies for new supply options, meter replacement budgeting, and any required treatment work for affected wells.
