ITEM 6-K

Council Meeting:  September 8, 1992      Santa Monica, California

TO:       Mayor and City Council

FROM:     City Staff

SUBJECT:  Recommendation to Set Public Hearing  on  City's  Urban
          Water Management Plan for October 13, 1992

Introduction

This report recommends that the City Council set a public hearing
for  October  13,  1992,  to  receive  public input regarding the
City's Urban Water Management Plan.

Background

In  1983  the  State  of  California  adopted  the  Urban   Water
Management Planning Act which required every urban water supplier
serving more than 3,000 customers to prepare and adopt a one-time
five-year  Urban  Water  Management  Plan  (UWMP)  no  later than
December 31, 1985.  On December 10, 1985, the City Council held a
public  hearing, received comments from the public, and adopted a
plan covering the years 1980-1985.   The  plan  was  subsequently
submitted  to  the  state.   The UWMP Act was to remain in effect
until January 1, 1991.

Amending legislation adopted by the State of California  in  1990
required urban water suppliers to prepare and adopt an UWMP every
five years.

This report recommends that the City Council set a public hearing
for  October  13, 1992, to receive comment on the 1985-1990 Urban
Water Management Plan.  A notice will be published in the Outlook
and  the UWMP will be available for public review for thirty days
prior to the public hearing.

Discussion

The UWMP is intended to  provide  a  level  of  water  management
planning commensurate with the number of customers served and the
volume of water supplied.  The document is  intended  to  provide
guidance  in  providing water utility service.  The plan outlines
and reviews all aspects of the City's past,  current  and  future
water    management    practices    including   supply,   demand,
administration, relevant City policies and conservation efforts.

Guidelines for preparing the 1985-1990 UWMP were prepared by both
the  State  of  California  Department  of  Water  Resources  and
Metropolitan Water District.  The Department of  Water  Resources
also  provided  each  agency  with  a  copy  of a custom software
package  to  determine  the  cost  and  benefit  of  each   water
conservation  activity.   The  software  was  used  in the City's
report and the results are included as an appendix.

Included in the 1985-1990 plan is a  residential  and  commercial
population  growth  projection  which was used to forecast future
water demand.  The growth  projections  were  developed  by  City
staff  and  also  were  used  in  the City's Master Environmental
Assessment adopted by Council in February 1992.

During the preparation of the 1985-1990 UWMP,  the  City  entered
into  mandatory  water  conservation,  adopted  the Memorandum of
Understanding Regarding Urban Water Conservation  in  California,
and  began  other  important  water  operation  and  conservation
projects in 1991 which delayed the completion  of  the  1985-1990
plan.   The  activities  which  began in 1992 are included in the
plan as future activities and results will  be  included  in  the
1990-1995 Urban Water Management Plan.

The City will continue to improve the  quality  and  quantity  of
existing  water  supply  sources  and  manage  demand through the
various  aggressive  water  conservation   activities   to   meet
projected residential and commercial water use.

Attached to the staff report is the Executive Summary of the City
of  Santa  Monica's  1985-1990  Urban Water Management Plan which
summarizes the contents of the plan.  The Plan will be  presented
to City Council prior to the October 13, 1992 public hearing.

Budget/Financial Impact

There is no budget or financial impact associated with this staff
report.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the City Council set a public hearing  for
October 13, 1992, to receive public input regarding the 1985-1990
Urban Water Management Plan.

Attachment:  Executive Summary of the City of Santa Monica's
             1985-1990 Urban Water Management Plan

Prepared by:  Stan Scholl, Director of General Services
              Craig Perkins, Environmental Programs Manager
              Susan Munves, Conservation Coordinator
              John Mundy, Utilities Manager
              Jean Stanley Higbee, Senior Administrative Analyst