August 19, 2025
UCLA to help inform California’s residential water use policy implementation
Multi-university team to evaluate impacts on water supply, wastewater, recycled water, and affordability
Credit: rawpixel.com
Faced with drought, rising water costs, and climate change, a new multi-university research project is helping the California Department of Water Resources and State Water Resources Control Board better understand the benefits and potential impacts of the 2030 indoor residential water efficiency requirements (SB 1157) — and inform the policy’s long-term implementation.
Led by the California Institute for Water Resources with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, the project brings together scholars from UCLA (Luskin Center for Innovation and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering), UC Merced, Sacramento State University, and UC Riverside. The team will complete the following tasks:
- Forecast water demand and efficiency trends,
- Evaluate links between urban water supply and wastewater systems,
- Identify potential impacts to recycled water production, and
- Assess impacts on affordability for systems across the state.
California’s push toward long-term water resilience requires rigorous, forward-looking analysis. We’re exploring how water savings can be achieved without burdening communities—and that’s where data-driven research becomes essential.
This is no small task: urban retail water suppliers serve more than 36 million Californians. The shift toward greater efficiency could ripple through everything from future water demand, system-level tradeoffs, infrastructure investments, and customer bills.
“This policy has far-reaching implications, and we’re excited to contribute our expertise to equip decision-makers to implement it wisely and equitably. By partnering with agencies across the state, we’re helping communities thrive under changing water conditions,” said Grace Harrison, researcher and project manager at the Center.
Throughout the process, researchers will also draw on the expertise of Technical Advisory Panels and Working Groups composed of leaders in government, industry, and nonprofit organizations.
This project is funded by the California Department of Water Resources.
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EXPERTS
- Gregory Pierce, Senior Director
- Grace Harrison, Project Manager
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