Urban Water Management Plans
Urban Water Management Plans are prepared by urban water suppliers every 5 years to support long-term resource planning and water supply sustainability.
Urban Water Management Plans (UWMPs) are prepared by urban water suppliers every five years. These plans support the suppliers’ long-term resource planning to ensure that adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and future water needs. The information collected from UWMPs is useful for local, regional, and statewide water planning.
The requirements for UWMPs are found in two sections of California Water Code, §10610-10656 and §10608. Every urban water supplier that either provides over 3,000 acre-feet of water annually, or serves more than 3,000 urban connections is required to submit an UWMP.
Within UWMPs, urban water suppliers must include the following:
- An assessment of the reliability of water sources over a 20-year planning time frame
- A description of demand management measures
- A water shortage contingency plan
- A discussion of the use and planned use of recycled water
DWR assists suppliers in developing their UWMPs by providing a UWMP Guidebook, video workshops and the support of program staff. Once the UWMP is submitted, DWR reviews the plans to ensure they have addressed the requirements of the Water Code. At the end of each reporting cycle, DWR submits a report to the Legislature summarizing the status of the plans for each five-year cycle.
2025 Urban Water Management Plans
UWMPs for the 2025 cycle must be adopted and submitted by July 1, 2026. UWMPs must be submitted into DWR within 30 days of adoption via the WUEdata Portal. Access to this portal is restricted to water suppliers, their authorized representatives, and DWR.
UPDATE: The Final 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) Guidebook is now available and includes updates to improve clarity and provide additional guidance.
Guidance Documents and Resources
- 2025 UWMP Guidebook
- 2025 Appendices
- 2025 UWMP Submittal Tables are available on the WUEdata Resources tab under "2025 Submittal Tables."
Trainings
DWR hosted a set of nine special topic training webinars. The webinars are recorded and posted to the DWR YouTube page for public access. During the webinars, we review planning tools, examples, and address participant questions. For additional questions or assistance please contact UWMPhelp@water.ca.gov.
Resources
DWR offers various resources to aid in the completion and enhancement of a UWMP. These can be found on the Resources tab of WUEdata. Some of these include the following:
- The Optional Planning Tool
- The Reduced Delta Reliance Table Concept
- The Method 4 Population Calculator
- The Excel version of the Appendix F UWMP Checklist
- The SB X7-7 Verification Form
- The SB X7-7 Compliance Form
- The Regional Alliance SB X7-7 Forms
- The Energy Use Tables
Information submitted and available from past UWMP cycles.
Legislative Reports
As required by California Water Code, DWR must submit a report to the legislature describing the status of submitted UWMPs, statewide progress toward meeting the targeted 20% reduction in water use by 2020, and exemplary elements of submitted plans. These reports summarize the status of the planning cycle UWMP submittals received at the time of the preparation of the Legislative Report and they document key highlights in the UWMPs as determined by DWR.
- 2020 UWMP Legislative Report
- 2015 UWMP Legislative Report
- 2010 UWMP Legislative Report
- 2005 UWMP Legislative Report
- 2000 UWMP Legislative Report
UWMP Data
All 2020 and 2015 UWMPs submitted to DWR are available on the WUEdata Portal.
Select data for UWMPs submitted prior to 2015 (2010 and before) can be downloaded from the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) Open Data Portal. Search for the term "Urban Water Management Plan" or "UWMP" to locate any additional information of interest.
For additional records, documents, and legislative reports, please submit requests for documents through the Public Records Request Portal.