Every five years, SJW prepares an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) for the State of California. This is required by the Urban Water Management Planning Act passed in 1983. As a regulated private utility, we also file our UWMP with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as part of our General Rate Case (GRC) application every three years.

The UWMP integrates many elements, including:

• Service area land use changes and population growth
• Historical and projected water demands
• Availability of water supplies
• Supply reliability under normal, single dry, and multiple dry year scenarios
• Water shortage contingency planning
• Demand management or water conservation programs

The WSCP is included in the UWMP report, but is also a standalone plan which includes:

• Water shortage stages
• Shortage response actions
• Communication protocols

Our wholesale water supplier, Valley Water, also prepares UWMPs and WSCPs which are available on their website. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) summarizes and provides highlights from all UWMPs across the state to the legislature. You can find additional information about UWMP regulations and the DWR’s legislative reports on their website.

2020 UWMP and WSCP
SJW’s 2020 UWMP and WSCP is available here. You can view a recording of the public hearing on SJW’s Webinars page.

2025 UWMP and WSCP
SJW is in the process of preparing the 2025 UWMP. A public hearing and webinar will take place on June 4, 2026. SJW invites public input and comment on their UWMP. These comments can be provided at the hearing or in writing to UWMP@sjwater.com through June 11, 2026.

A draft of the 2025 UWMP will be made available here before the public hearing.