Drought Planning for Small Water Suppliers and Rural Communities (SB 552)

SB 552 requires small water suppliers - defined as those with fewer than 3,000 connections and serve fewer than 3,000 acre feet - to have an abridged water shortage contingency plan, annually report their water supply conditions and use by month, and upgrade their infrastructure to drought resilient standards, if needed. DWR and the State Water Board worked together to develop templates for the abridged water shortage contingency plan by December 2022. One template was created for small water suppliers and a second template is specific for schools that are a water system.

Templates for the abridged Water Shortage Contingency Plans have been released and are available here:

Water Shortage Contingency Plan Templates

Small Water Supplier 1,000 to 2,999 connections

• Small Water Supplier Template (Word)
• Small Water Supplier Best Practices Template Example (Word)

Nontransient Noncommunity (NTNC) Schools

• Schools Water Supplier Template (Word)
• Schools Best Practices Template Example (Word)

Water Shortage Contingency Plans are required to be completed by July 1, 2023, posted on the water supplier’s website, and available to the State Water Board and public upon request. The Plans must be updated every 5 years.

For more information, please refer the State Water Board’s site: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/clearinghouse_drought_conservation_reporting.html

Small water suppliers (or small water suppliers integrated into larger water suppliers) that voluntarily choose to instead comply with specified existing law relating to urban water management plans would be exempt from these provisions. See the Primer of SB 552 for a full summary of SB 552 requirements.

Events

• Webinar 1: Water Shortage Contingency Plan Template Development for Small Water Suppliers, April 20, 2022.
• Agenda
• Webinar recording: https://youtu.be/kuD4LxZ7GIc
• Survey form for those that want to provide feedback on the template's development: The survey is now closed. The templates are open for public comment until October 31^st. See details below.

• Webinar 2: Water Shortage Contingency Plan Template Input Workshop for Small Water Systems, September 30, 2022.
• The California Department of Water Resources (DWR), in collaboration with the State Water Board, is hosting a workshop to solicit participants input on the Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) draft template for small water suppliers as part of a comprehensive effort to assist small water suppliers in meeting these new SB 552 requirements.
• Agenda
• Draft Template WSCP for 1000-2999 Connections
• DWR and the State Water Board accepted public comments on the draft templates for water shortage contingency plans of small water suppliers and schools from September 30 through October 31, 2022.
• Webinar recording: https://youtu.be/kk6DijiTfGs

• Webinar 3: Water Shortage Contingency Plan Template Input Workshop for Schools with a Water System, September 30, 2022.
• The California Department of Water Resources (DWR), in collaboration with the State Water Board, is hosting a workshop to solicit participants input on the Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) draft template for schools with a water system as part of a comprehensive effort to assist small water suppliers in meeting these new SB 552 requirements.
• Agenda
• Draft Template WSCP for Schools
• DWR and the State Water Board accepted public comments on the draft templates for water shortage contingency plans of small water suppliers and schools from September 30 through October 31, 2022.
• Webinar recording:  https://youtu.be/HL2t658xivU

Please see the SharePoint site for slides from the webinars and additional materials.

Each county, per SB 552, is required to have a standing drought task force to facilitate drought and water shortage preparedness for state small water systems (serving 5 to 14 connections), domestic wells, and other privately supplied homes within the county’s jurisdiction. Each county must also develop a plan demonstrating the potential drought and water shortage risk and proposed interim and long-term solutions for state small water systems and domestic wells within the county. Both of these requirements may be implemented as part of other existing committees and/or planning processes.

Assistance

Guidance: The County Drought Resilience Planning Guidebook (2023) is available for download here.

Data and Updated Tool: Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer Tool is now available, designed to assist counties as they conduct the newly required drought risk assessments for domestic wells and state small water systems (SB 552). Access the Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer Tool. 

Planning Assistance: DWR offers two options for counties to apply for a grant or receive direct technical assistance to help counties develop their plans and with logistical support for their drought task force. For information about these options, which counties are enrolled, and the statues of county SB 552 planning, see the DWR’s County Drought Resilience Planning Assistance Program page.

Events

• Webinar on DWR’s Water Shortage Vulnerability Scoring and Tool Demo on Domestic Wells and State Smalls
  
  • Date: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM, February 22, 2023
  • Register here: https://csus.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pce2rrDsqE9xLptUIz0vQOvDABvFTyyQl
  • Webinar recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKK_a3lc6Ck
  • Agenda: To be posted here soon.

• Webinar on DWR’s County Drought Resilience Planning Assistance
  
  • Date: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM, March 16, 2023
  • Webinar recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMq_dBO6e2E
  • Agenda: Posted here.

See Frequently Asked Questions

Vulnerability Tool and Data

To help small suppliers and counties access information about drought and water shortage vulnerabilities and risks, DWR will maintain and update the Water Shortage Vulnerability Tool as new data is available, in coordination with the State Water Board and other state agencies. The assessment and tool were developed as part of the Countywide Drought Advisory Group and will regularly be updated and maintained.

Drought Interagency Task Force

DWR is coordinating with other state agencies to establish a standing Drought Resilience Interagency and Partners (DRIP) Collaborative for California, as mandated in SB 552. The purpose and scope of this task force is to facilitate proactive state planning and coordination, both for predrought planning and post-drought emergency response; develop strategies to enhance collaboration between various fields; and do so in a way that considers all types of water users. Initiated by Senate Bill 552, the DRIP Collaborative will foster partnerships between local governments, experts, community representatives and state agencies to address drought planning, emergency response, and ongoing management.

The press release announcing the launch for the DRIP Collaborative is here. For more information about call for membership interest and details about the task force establishment and meetings are located here: water.ca.gov/drip