Santa Monica took its first steps toward achieving water neutrality with the passage of an ordinance in May 2017 that became effective in July 2017.
The ordinance development process involved substantial community outreach and engagement, with nearly a dozen meetings with stakeholders including residents, developers, staff from neighboring jurisdictions, and NGOs.
“The City was committed to establishing a water conservation program that serves the community and provides the certainty developers need when planning new projects,” noted Thomas Fleming, Sustainability Analyst, Water Conservation for the City of Santa Monica. “Creating an offset program ensures the flexibility the business community needs while providing a funding stream for important water conservation efforts such as retrofitting existing buildings with more efficient fixtures.”
The ordinance was modified in early 2019 to broaden the measure’s applicability as well as to incentivize affordable housing development.
