On May 5, 2021, the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS), the Sierra Club Sacramento Group and the League of Women Voters of Sacramento County submitted a joint letter to a number of local water agencies summarizing our comments on the current development of the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan. Below is the opening of our letter.
The development of the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) including the Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) lacks a full, open, and meaningful public participation process. State law provides a minimum 14-day public notice prior to the adoption hearing. but in view of the fact that the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly hydrological analysis by the federal government, shows 93% of California in either “severe,” “extreme” or exceptional” drought, this suggests a public voice is more important now than ever.
Communities throughout the region are concerned about the availability of water for drinking, the environment and affordability issues. Climate change magnifies these concerns. The assumptions and projections documented in the Urban Water Management Plans, and the specific conservation and efficiency programs planned are of great interest to the community.
