Municipal Services Committee Dives Into City’s Long-Term Water Plans

The Pasadena City Council’s Municipal Services Committee on Tuesday will take a closer look at the city’s 2020 Water System and Resource Plan (WSRP), a 25-year strategic and comprehensive planning guide that’s meant to succeed the 2002 Water System Master Plan and the 2011 Water Integrated Resources Plan. 

The WSRP is expected to reach the City Council for review on Oct. 4. 

Developed by the Pasadena Water and Power Department (PWP) in collaboration with a 13-member community stakeholder group, the 2020 WSRP provides Pasadena with a framework to be able to evaluate future water supply programs and infrastructure investment to ensure a reliable, safe and sustainable water supply for the city through 2045. 

An agenda report by PWP for the City Council shows the utility has considered six separate portfolios and has identified one of them as preferred, based on input from the stakeholder group and from community outreach activities conducted since 2019. 

The preferred portfolio, identified as Portfolio F in the PWP report, recommends implementing a number of projects that would cost the city about $430 million through 2045 to achieve the plan’s objectives. The projected amount includes up to $250 million for addressing repairs and replacements and for additional projects to increase groundwater capacity and sustainability, improve water systems, and address uncertainties in supply, regulation and demand, the report said.  

PWP said between October 2018 and October 2020, they have had six meetings with the stakeholder group, two public meetings in November 2019, and three meetings with the city’s Environmental Advisory Commission. The utility also made a presentation at Pasadena City College and engaged local high school students in the portfolio designs. 

A draft of the WSRP was posted on PWP’s website in September 2020 and a final report was posted last December for the community to see and comment on. 

As to funding considerations, PWP said some of the projects recommended under Portfolio F are already in the PWP’s approved Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget, and new projects will be defined and included in future CIP budget recommendations.

Projects under the WSRP that are approved by the City Council may be funded by a combination of revenue bonds, federal and state grants and loans, pay-go funding from current customers, and capital reserves. A portion of the funding will also come from the Capital Improvement Charge (CIC) that PWP customers pay as part of their regular water bill, the report said. 

The Municipal Services Committee’s meeting on Tuesday will be via video conference and begins at 4 p.m. 

Members of the community may access the meeting through http://pasadena.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=9 and on www.pasadenamedia.org. 

Public comments may be submitted through www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/public-comment.