Urban Water Shortage Contingency Plan - Overview

The State of California requires each urban water purveyor serving more than 3,000 connections or 3,000 acre-feet of water annually to have an Urban Water Shortage Contingency Plan (Shortage Plan) which details how a community would react to a reduction in water supply of up to 50%. Santa Rosa's current Shortage Plan was first adopted in 1992 and is periodically updated, at a minimum every five years. The City's Shortage Plan provides guidance on demand reduction strategies for the Santa Rosa water system. The 2010 Shortage Plan is the most current update and was adopted by the City Council on June 14, 2011. Click on the links below for additional information on the following components of the City's Shortage Plan:

• Reduction Stages
• Consumer Consumption Limts
• Drought/Water Shortage Rates 

Reduction Stages

The Shortage Plan outlines five rationing stages with corresponding community-wide water demand reduction goals as follows:

Customer Consumption Limits

If Stages 2, 3 or 4 of the City’s Shortage Plan need to be adopted, customer consumption limits will be implemented. To achieve the reduction goals of Stages 2, 3, or 4, priorities for water use have been established, from highest to lowest, as follows: health and safety; commercial, industrial and government; existing landscaping; and new demand.  Based on these priorities, different consumption limits have been established for each customer account type.

• Residential Customers - Consumption limits are based on per person water use plus a small amount for irrigation.  Basing residential consumption limits on a per person basis is the fairest way to allocate water; it ensures that previous water conservation has been taken into consideration, and it does not penalize those that are already implementing water conservation activities. 
• Commercial, industrial and government customers - Consumption limits are based on prior year demand.
• Dedicated irrigation accounts - Consumption limits are based on plant type and evapotranspiration data. 

Consumption limits for each customer category are outlined in Section 6.3 of the Shortage Plan.

Number of Residents per Household
To update the number of residents or find out the number of residents listed for your account, you can click here to submit your information electronically or you can call the Utility Billing department at (707) 543-3150.  In addition, information on the number of residents in your household is listed on your utility bill every month. 

Drought/Water Shortage Rates

The Shortage Plan includes a proposed water shortage rate structure based on modifications to the current potable water rate structure. The water shortage rate structure is designed to encourage customers to reduce water use per consumption limits and to reward customers for using water per the consumption limits.  The water shortage rate structure includes a Water Shortage Charge added to all water sold when mandatory rationing is in effect and an Excess Use Charge applied during Stage 3 and Stage 4 water shortages on all water used above consumption limits.

Water Shortage Charge  

In addition to the Water Shortage Charge, an excess use charge (EUC) for all water used above the consumption limits specified in the current, adopted Shortage Plan will be implemented for all potable water accounts as follows: 

Excess Use Charge  

If a water shortage emergency is declared, water shortage rates will only go into effect when a Stage 2, Stage 3, or Stage 4 water shortage is adopted by the City Council.  A Stage 1 water shortage does not change current water rates.  The water shortage rate structure only affects the water use portion of the water bill when Stages 2, 3 or 4 of the City‘s Shortage Plan are implemented.  The water shortage rate structure does not impact or change the current fixed monthly charges for water or recycled water, recycled water user charges, wastewater user charges, or the wastewater fixed monthly charges.