2025 Urban Water Management Plan

Section 1 SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA REFORM ACT OF 2009 Zone 7 Water Agency Reduce Reliance on the Delta 1 DRAFT | April 2026 The purpose of this document is to demonstrate compliance with the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009 is described below, followed by an analysis of Zone 7 Water Agency’s (Zone 7) reduced reliance in accordance with State protocols and expected outcomes for reduced reliance on the Delta. 1 SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA REFORM ACT OF 2009 Under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009, state and local public agencies proposing a “covered action” in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) must submit a written certification of consistency to the Delta Stewardship Council as to whether the covered action is consistent with applicable Delta Plan policies. Covered actions include a multi-year water transfer, conveyance facility, or new diversion that involves transferring water through, exporting water from, or using water in the Delta. Anyone may appeal a certification of consistency, and if the Delta Stewardship Council grants the appeal, the covered action may not be implemented until the agency proposing the covered action submits a revised certification of consistency, and either no appeal is filed, or the Delta Stewardship Council denies the subsequent appeal. An urban water supplier that anticipates participating in or receiving water from a proposed covered action is required to provide information in their 2015 and subsequent Urban Water Management Plans (UWMPs) that can then be used in the covered action process to demonstrate consistency with Delta Plan Policy WR P1, Reduce Reliance on the Delta Through Improved Regional Water Self-Reliance (WR P1). WR P1 details what is needed for a covered action to demonstrate consistency with reduced reliance on the Delta and improved regional self-reliance. WR P1 subsection (a) states that: (a) Water shall not be exported from, transferred through, or used in the Delta if all of the following apply: (1) One or more water suppliers that would receive water as a result of the export, transfer, or use have failed to adequately contribute to reduced reliance on the Delta and improved regional self- reliance consistent with all of the requirements listed in paragraph (1) of subsection (c); (2) That failure has significantly caused the need for the export, transfer, or use; and (3) The export, transfer, or use would have a significant adverse environmental impact in the Delta. WR P1 subsection (c)(1) further defines what adequately contributing to reduced reliance on the Delta means in terms of (a)(1) above. (c)(1) Water suppliers that have done all the following are contributing to reduced reliance on the Delta and improved regional self-reliance and are therefore consistent with this policy: (A) Completed a current Urban or Agricultural Water Management Plan (Plan) which has been reviewed by the California Department of Water Resources for compliance with the applicable requirements of Water Code Division 6, Parts 2.55, 2.6, and 2.8; (B) Identified, evaluated, and commenced implementation, consistent with the implementation schedule set forth in the Plan, of all programs and projects included in the Plan that are locally cost effective and technically feasible which reduce reliance on the Delta; and (C) Included in the Plan, commencing in 2015, the expected outcome for measurable reduction in Delta reliance and improvement in regional self-reliance. The expected outcome for measurable reduction in Delta reliance and improvement in regional self-reliance shall be reported in the Plan as the reduction in the amount of water used, or in the percentage of water used, from the Delta watershed. For the purposes of reporting, water efficiency is considered a new source of water supply, consistent with Water Code section 1011(a).