LA PALMA : City Adopts Plan for Water Management

The city’s underground wells continue to provide about two-thirds of the water needed for La Palma residents, precluding the need for additional water imports, according to a staff report to the City Council.

The rest of the city’s water is imported through a wholesaler, the Metropolitan Water District.

The report, presented by Public Works Director Ismile H. Noorbaksh, is part of a proposed new city water management plan. After hearing Noorbaksh’s report, the City Council on Dec. 19 unanimously adopted the new plan for regulating water supplies.

Some cities in Orange County have little underground water they can tap. But Noorbaksh said city wells are still producing abundant water, obviating the need for more imported supplies.

“With regard to potential imported water supplies, the city of La Palma is not expected to rely any more heavily on deliveries from MWD than it currently does,” Noorbaksh’s report said.

The new water management plan adopted by the City Council continues previously adopted rules for droughts. Those rules include four stages of water cutbacks by consumers.

Stage 1 calls for a voluntary water use reduction by consumers of as much as 20%. The final phase, Stage 4, is mandatory water use reduction of up to 50%.

State law calls for cities to periodically update their water management plans. Noorbaksh said the plan approved by the City Council on Dec. 19 fulfills the state requirement.