Notice of Availability Draft Environmental Impact Report
Notice is hereby given that a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the 2023 Strategic Water Resources Plan Update is available for public review. PWD is the Lead Agency, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
The 45-day public review period for the Draft EIR is from September 27, 2024, through November 11, 2024.
Notice of Availability Draft EIR
Strategic Water Resources Plan Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (Sept 2024)
The Draft Environmental Impact Report programmatically assesses the potential environmental impacts of the Strategic Water Resources Plan Update.
Strategic Water Resources Plan Draft Program EIR – Sept 2024
Appendix A – Notice of Preparation
Appendix C – Biological Resources
Strategic Water Resources Plan
Palmdale Water District (PWD) has developed an update to its Strategic Water Resources Plan (SWRP) to provide a long-term water supply strategy that meets the needs of a growing population under changing future conditions and determines the appropriate funding sources. PWD currently serves over 126,000 customers using a combination of groundwater from the Antelope Valley Groundwater Basin, surface water from Littlerock Reservoir, imported water from the State Water Project, and recycled water from the Palmdale Water Reclamation Facility. The study focused on three fundamental timeframes: today, near-term (2025 to 2035), and long-term (2035 to 2050). Demand in the PWD service area is projected to increase by 18,700 acre-feet per year (AFY) to 25,200 AFY (an increase of 6,500 AFY) by 2050.
By 2035, available potable and non-potable supplies will average at least 38,000 AFY. These will be reduced to about 30,000 AFY from 2035 through 2050, partly due to the expiration of transfer agreements with Butte County and Littlerock Creek Irrigation District in 2035. In addition, while approximately 7,300 AFY of recycled water is available for use, PWD currently only has non-potable demands for 100 AFY of recycled water. There are several water resources options available to address these projected water supply shortages, including imported water, groundwater, recycled water, local surface water, banking, and conservation. PWD evaluated these options with respect to a variety of factors, including supply reliability under droughts and emergency outages, cost efficiency, water quality, sustainability, funding potential, implementable, and institutional independence. The preferred alternative focuses on maximizing local water supplies while storing water in the Antelope Valley for use during periods of supply shortage. The projects include both existing and new facilities to meet the supply targets identified below.
State Water Resources Plan – June 2023
Water Supply Targets for the Preferred Alternative
Preferred Alternative Facility Locations
