Water is an extremely important commodity. The City of Upland has acquired water rights over the years to insure this resource would be available for the benefit of the community. 

The mission of the City’s Water Division is to provide safe, reliable and a cost effective supply of high quality drinking water that meets all regulatory requirements. The City has access to local and imported water supply resources. Locally, the City has adjudicated groundwater water rights in the Chino, Cucamonga and Six Basins. These adjudicated groundwater basins are actively managed and overseen by a designated Watermaster in accordance with their respective court decrees.

The City water interests are a result of either a direct water right or indirectly through its shareholder interest (entitlement) in two private mutual water companies. The City has a 93% shareholder interest in West End Consolidated Water Company (WECWco.). The water received from WECWCo. is local groundwater. The City has a 68% shareholder interest in San Antonio Water Company (SAW Co.). Both local groundwater and surface water from San Antonio Canyon is provided by SAW Co. San Antonio canyon surface water supply is subject to availability and is closely tied to rain and snowpack. This local surface is treated at the City’s San Antonio Water Treatment Plant. In addition to the local surface and groundwater supplies, the City invested and owns 22% interest in an 81 million gallon imported water treatment plant, Water Facilities Authority (WFA-JPA), Agua de Lejos located on Benson Avenue north of 17th Street. The WFA water treatment plant receives Northern California State Project imported water from Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) through Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) our MWD member agency. In 2013, IEUA completed regional pipeline facilities and began delivering recycled water. Recycled water is predominantly available in the southeastern sector of the City and is mostly used for large landscape irrigation areas, such as the Upland Hill Country Club Golf Course, City Parks, several school grounds and the Euclid Avenue median.

Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) is Upland’s MWD member agency representative.  Upland  receives imported water supplies from MWD through IEUA.  These imported water supplies are treated at the Water Facilities Authority (WFA) Agua de Lejos Water Treatment Plant locate north of 17^th Street and west of Benson Avenue.  The City receives approximately 20 to 30 percent of its water supply from this source.  Imported water is an essential source of supply needed to meet our customers summer peak water demands. 

For recent news from MWD, please click on the PDF below.

 Urban Water Management Plans (UWMP) are prepared every five years in order to support long-term resource planning and ensure that adequate water supplies are available to meet water demands. The report details a 20 year forecast of how the City will meet existing (and future) water demands.

The overall principle of Upland's Water Shortage Contingency Plan is to reliably meet water demands during water shortages caused by supply interruptions, reductions, or allocations, as well as respond to emergency conditions.