WUCA Resource Library Search Search the website instead Please report broken links via our contact form WUCA Annual Reports Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2024 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2023 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2022 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2020 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2019 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2018 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2017 WUCA Guidance Documents How Do North American Water Agencies Define Water Supply Level of Service, 2025 CMIP6 Frequently Asked Questions: A resource for water managers, 2024 Improving the Vegetation Representation in Hydrologic Models Alters Hydroclimate Projections, A Summary of Impacts in Several Western U.S Basins, 2024 A Summary of Impacts in Several Western U.S Basins Beyond Barriers to Implementation, A Water Sector Perspective on Sea Level Rise Adaptation, 2022 Scaling and Application of Climate Projections to Stormwater and Wastewater Resilience Planning, 2022 An Enhanced Climate-Related Risks and Opportunities Framework and Guidebook for Water Utilities Preparing for a Changing Climate, Project 5056, 2021 Mapping Climate Exposure and Climate Information Needs to Water Utility Business Functions (project 4729), Executive Summary, 2020 Mapping Climate Exposure and Climate Information Needs to Water Utility Business Functions (project 4729), Research Report, 2020 Water Utility Business Risk and Opportunity Framework A Guidebook for Water Utility Business Function Leaders in a Changing Climate, Project 4729, 2020 Insurance, Bond Ratings and Climate Risk - A Primer for Water Utilities (2019) Co-Producing Actionable Science for Water Utilities, 2016 Research Documents Planning for Sea Level Rise: An AGU Talk in the Form of a Co-Production Experiment Exploring Recent Science,2017 Presentations Presentation materials from all WUCA Resilience Trainings, 2018- present Water system resilience in an uncertain climate future, Presentation at AWWA Sustainable Water Management Conference, Portland, Oregon, 2018 Climate Change Resiliency Planning For Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater, Presentation at AWWA Sustainable Water Management Conference, Portland, Oregon, 2018 Successful Coproduction and Collaboration, Presentation at AWWA Sustainable Water Management Conference, Denver, Colorado, 2018 WUCA Leading Practices Water Utility Climate Alliance Leading Practices Report 2021 Water Utility Climate Alliance Leading Practices Worksheet 2021 Water Utility Climate Alliance Leading Practices Overview 2021 Heat Impacts Case Studies Heat Impacts Case Study, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Nevada Heat Impacts Case Study, Portland Water Bureau, Oregon Heat Impacts Case Study, Oklahoma City Utilities Department, Oklahoma Heat Impacts Case Study, Miami, Florida Equitable Climate Solutions Case Studies Equitable Climate Solutions Case Study, Leveraging Data for Equitable Climate Outcomes Equitable Climate Solutions Case Study, Equity and Affordability in Water Conservation Equitable Climate Solutions Case Study, Equitable Community Engagement for Climate Action Climate Risk Disclosure for Equitable Climate Action, 2025 Climate Investments that Support Underserved Communities, 2025 Engineering Case Studies Engineering Case Study, Tarrant Regional Water District, Pump Station Cooling Solutions, Extreme Heat Adaptation, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Engineering Case Study, Seattle Public Utilities & King County, Ship Canal Water Quality Project, Seattle, Washington Engineering Case Study, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Low Lake Level Pumping Station, Drought Adaptation, Las Vegas, Nevada Engineering Case Study, City and County of San Francisco, Sea Level Rise Capital Planning and Guidance, California Engineering Case Study, Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department, Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades for Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge, Florida Engineering Case Study, Copenhagen Cloudburst Management Plan for Extreme Rainfall, Denmark Engineering Case Study, Colorado Dept of Natural Resources Dam Safety Design for Extreme Rainfall, Colorado Engineering Case Study, New York City Dept of Environmental Protection Climate Resilience Standard Operating Procedure for Sea Level Rise and Extreme Weather Events, New York Greenhouse Gas Case Studies Greenhouse Gas Case Study: The Water Energy Nexus (WEN) protocol, California Department of Water Resources, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Sustainable Water Treatment Plant, Denver Water, Colorado Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Pumping efficiencies, MWRA, Massachusetts Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Biogas to Local Natural Gas, NYC DEP, New York Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Inline Micro-Hydro, Portland Water Bureau, Oregon Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Energy Recovery System for the Carlsbad Seawater Desalination Plant, Poseidon Water, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Pumping Optimization, City of Lakewood, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Solar Panels, San Diego County Water Authority, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Wind power, solar, and battery storage, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Carbon Free Water, Sonoma Water, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Floating Solar, Lake County Special District, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Reducing Fleet Emissions, East Bay Municipal Utility District, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Smart Building Cooling, Waternet Amsterdam, Netherlands

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As a Climate Change Nonprofit organization, WUCA is committed to ensuring that our website is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. We strive to make our site user-friendly and inclusive for all visitors, in line with the relevant accessibility guidelines and standards. If you encounter any accessibility issues or require assistance while using our website, please do not hesitate to contact our accessibility coordinator for prompt support. ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT This statement reflects our ongoing efforts to prioritize accessibility and was last updated on [enter relevant date]. At The Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA), we are dedicated to making our website, [enter site name and address], fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. Prioritizing Web Accessibility Web accessibility is fundamental to us. We are committed to ensuring that all visitors, including those with disabilities, can navigate and interact with our website with ease and enjoyment. This involves leveraging technology and adhering to the latest accessibility guidelines to create an inclusive online experience. Our Accessibility Commitment In line with the WCAG [2.0 / 2.1 / 2.2 - select relevant option] guidelines, we have implemented accessibility adjustments to achieve a level of [A / AA / AAA - select relevant option]. Our website is designed to be compatible with assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard navigation. Our efforts include: Engaging the Accessibility Wizard to identify and address potential accessibility barriers Setting the language and content order of the site's pages Establishing clear heading structures across all pages Providing descriptive alternative text for images Ensuring sufficient color contrast for improved visibility Minimizing the use of motion to support individuals with sensitivities Ensuring accessibility of all multimedia and downloadable content Acknowledgment of Partial Compliance Please note that certain pages on our site may rely on third-party content, impacting their accessibility. These pages, including [list the URLs], are recognized as partially compliant with the standard due to this dependency. Commitment to Physical Accessibility At WUCA, we are not only dedicated to digital accessibility but also to physical accessibility in our offices and branches. This includes a range of accessibility arrangements to ensure that our physical spaces are fully inclusive and supportive of individuals with disabilities. Support and Feedback Your feedback is valuable to us. If you encounter any accessibility challenges while using our website or if you have any suggestions for improvement, please reach out to our accessibility coordinator: [Name of the accessibility coordinator] [Telephone number of the accessibility coordinator] [Email address of the accessibility coordinator] [Add any other relevant contact details if available]

Focus Areas Click a focus area below to expand Understanding Climate Modeling and Uncertainty Proceedings of the Water Utility Climate Alliance Piloting Utility Modeling Applications (PUMA) Workshop (2010) CMIP6 FAQ for Water Managers (2025) The Influence of Downscaling on Climate Projections (2024) Improving the Vegetation Representation in Hydrologic Models Alters Hydroclimate Projections (2023) Scaling and Application of Climate Projections to Stormwater and Wastewater Resilience Planning (2022) Co-Producing Actionable Science for Water Utilities (2016) Understanding Climate Risks Planning for Adaptation and Resilience Implementing Climate Projects Training Water Utilities for Climate Readiness Developing Additional Resources and Presentations

Privacy Policy A legal disclaimer The explanations and information provided on this page are only general and high-level explanations and information on how to write your own document of a Privacy Policy. You should not rely on this article as legal advice or as recommendations regarding what you should actually do, because we cannot know in advance what are the specific privacy policies you wish to establish between your business and your customers and visitors. We recommend that you seek legal advice to help you understand and to assist you in the creation of your own Privacy Policy. Privacy Policy - the basics Having said that, a privacy policy is a statement that discloses some or all of the ways a website collects, uses, discloses, processes, and manages the data of its visitors and customers. It usually also includes a statement regarding the website’s commitment to protecting its visitors’ or customers’ privacy, and an explanation about the different mechanisms the website is implementing in order to protect privacy. Different jurisdictions have different legal obligations of what must be included in a Privacy Policy. You are responsible to make sure you are following the relevant legislation to your activities and location. What to include in the Privacy Policy Generally speaking, a Privacy Policy often addresses these types of issues: the types of information the website is collecting and the manner in which it collects the data; an explanation about why is the website collecting these types of information; what are the website’s practices on sharing the information with third parties; ways in which your visitors and customers can exercise their rights according to the relevant privacy legislation; the specific practices regarding minors’ data collection; and much, much more. To learn more about this, check out our article “Creating a Privacy Policy ”.

Equitable Climate Solutions Case Studies More intense storms, rising sea levels, and more frequent droughts can strain water supplies, damage infrastructure, threaten public health, and challenge the delivery of clean water, sanitation, and stormwater management. While climate and water resource challenges affect many communities, those already overburdened with economic, environmental, and health challenges are especially vulnerable. Those most affected often include Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color, lower-income people, children, and the elderly, among others. Imbuing the climate action work of water utilities with an ethos of water equity can accelerate progress toward a resilient future for all. According to the US Water Alliance, water equity occurs when all communities have access to safe, clean, and affordable drinking water and wastewater services; are resilient in the face of floods, drought, and other climate risks; have a role in decision-making processes for water management in their communities; and share in the economic, social, and environmental benefits of water systems. The water sector is at the forefront of the climate crisis, and water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities have a critical role as anchor community institutions to center equity and climate resilience in all aspects of their water management. In recognition of the responsibility to help their communities thrive, utilities should recognize the links between water challenges, opportunities to advance equity, and the need for urgent yet thoughtful adaptation, resilience, and mitigation investments. To advance the work of the water sector on this topic and in support of WUCA's Strategic Plan, WUCA partnered with the US Water Alliance to develop a series of case studies that highlight leading practices for equitable climate action within the water sector and provide examples of how utilities are working with communities to address climate impacts and climate planning in equitable ways. The topics for each case study were co-developed by the WUCA Equity Committee and the US Water Alliance based on existing work and topics of interest from WUCA members. The selected topics span a wide range of key actions to achieve equity in climate resilience—some practices that are relatively well-known and understood, and others that are new avenues for action.Each case study provides key background information, select utility profiles, and a list of additional resources to support implementation. Utility profiles include detailed narratives of how leading utilities center equity in their climate adaptation efforts. The narratives were co-developed with each utility and feature key insights identified by the utility. Contact information is provided for each narrative to facilitate follow-up and enable interested readers to learn more about implementing similar projects. Leveraging Data for Equitable Climate Outcomes Community-informed data is an essential tool to promote accountability, social resilience, and equitable climate action in the water sector. Profiles of utility best practices include insights from Portland Water Bureau and Philadelphia Water Department. Equitable Community Engagement for Climate Action Equitable community engagement in the pursuit of empowered and authentic utility-community relationships underpins all equitable climate action work. Profiles of utility best practices include insights from Raleigh Stormwater, Seattle Public Utilities, and Austin Water Equity and Affordability in Water Conservation Affordability-focused household water conservation programs have the potential to promote community-wide water accessibility while supporting utility fiscal health and the long-term durability of water sources. Profiles of utility best practices include insights from Houston Public Works, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and San Diego County Water Authority. Climate Risk Disclosure for Equitable Climate Action Climate related challenges, including extreme weather, flooding, droughts, wildfires, and heatwaves, can undermine utilities' financial health, operational stability, and capacity to serve all in their communities equitably. These challenges necessitate efforts to assess, manage, and effectively communicate climate risks. Climate Investments that Support Underserved Communities Case studies highlight utilities that implement data-driven, community-informed strategies to bridge historical investment gaps and support those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Heat Impact Case Studies The case study executive summaries below outline vulnerabilities that may be experienced due to future increases in extreme heat events as a result of projected changes in climate. The methodology focuses on examining the effects of extreme temperatures on personnel and facilities in the future. These case studies identified a suite of strategies to adapt to extreme heat that can be employed by WUCA utilities and others in the water sector. Denver Water Miami Dade Water and Sewer Oklahoma City Utilities Department Portland Water Bureau Southern Nevada Water Authority

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Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Case Studies WUCA recognizes the importance of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation as a key climate adaptation strategy and an issue of climate leadership in the water sector. Ultimately, the more GHG emissions are mitigated, the less water utilities will need to adapt. Therefore, a key objective in WUCA's 2022-2026 Strategic Plan is for the alliance to continue developing practical examples and case studies of climate adaptation and climate mitigation. Water utilities have a unique role to play in mitigating GHGs, both due to the high energy usage of the water industry as well as the leading example that the water industry sets for other industries and business communities. These GHG mitigation case studies are examples of progressive GHG mitigation projects at water utilities and include lessons learned during implementation. The selection of case studies is designed to represent a wide swath of project types—it is not an exhaustive list but hopefully a strong starting point for utilities to learn from each other. The focus was on water supply utilities, but many of the projects can be equally applied at wastewater and stormwater utilities. The case studies were developed in partnership with the utilities profiled, and contacts are provided in each case study to facilitate follow-up and enable interested readers to learn more about implementing similar projects Floating Solar Location: Lake County, California Utility: Lake County Special District Inline Micro-Hydro Location: Portland, Oregon Utility: Portland Water Bureau Wind Power, Solar and Battery Storage Location: Southern California Utility: Inland Empire Utilities Agency Carbon Free Water Location: Sonoma, California Utility: Sonoma Water Reducing Fleet Emissions Location: Oakland, California Utility: East Bay Municipal Utility District Pumping Optimization Location: Lakewood, California Utility: City of Lakewood Sustainable Water Treatment Plant Location: Denver, Colorado Utility: Denver Water Smart Building Cooling Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Utility: Waternet Solar Panels Location: San Diego, California Utility: San Diego County Water Authority Biogas to Local Natural Gas Location: New York, New York Utility: New York City Department of Environmental Protection Energy Recover for Carlsbad Seawater Desalination Plant Location: Carlsbad, CA Utility: Poseidon Water The Water Energy Nexus Protocol Location: Sacramento, California Utility: California Department of Water Resources Pumping Efficiencies Location: Boston, Massachusetts Utility: Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

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June 2024 Resilience Training, Seattle WA Welcome and Agenda Review Decisions for the Decades: Understanding Deep Uncertainty Decision-Making in the Face of Uncertainty: Seattle Public Utilities Case Study Regional Climate Impacts in the Pacific Northwest A Practical Look at Using Climate Science, Locally Portland Water Bureau Case Study Reflections on Day 1 and Review of Day 2 Agenda Stories from EPA’s CRWU: Providing Technical Assistance for Scenario-Based Planning to Water Utilities Adapting to Climate Change Scenario Design: Accelerated Introduction to Scenario Planning Adaptation Decision-Making Lessons Learned: City of Santa Cruz, California Case Study October 2023 Resilience Training (virtual) Welcome and Agenda Review Practical Considerations for Climate Adaptation One Water Management in the Delaware River Basin Climate Modeling and Projections for Water Sector Professionals Addressing Climate Change Impacts at the Basin Scale Key Takeaways, Reflections and Next Day Preview Welcome: Reflections on Day 1, Preview Day 2 Water Utility Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planning: Some Guiding Principles Methods for Decision-Making Under Deep Uncertainty Case Study: Adaptation Decision-Making at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Case Study: Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways (DAPPs) in South Florida Key Takeaways, Reflections and Next Day Preview July 2022 Resilience Training (virtual) Pre-training webinar Day 1 Day 2 Day3 Decisions for the Decade: A "Serious Game" for Water Planners Practical Considerations for Climate Analysis and Adaptation: Know Before You Go Climate Science for Water Professionals: What Insight Do We Get from the Climate Models? A Practical Look at Downscaling, Bias Correction, and Translating Climate Science into Hydrology in the Colorado River Basin Downscaling Approaches and Hydrologies Developed for the Colorado River Simulation System Decision Making in the Face of Uncertainty: SNWA Case Study Water Utility Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planning: Some Guiding Principles Methods for Decision Making Under Conditions of Deep Uncertainty Adaptation Decision Making at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Confronting Common Challenges and Addressing Institutional Barriers to Change December 2019 Resilience Training, Austin TX From Conservation to Climate Change: Planning for an Uncertain Future Practical Considerations for Climate Analysis and Adaptation: Know Before You Go... Climate Science for Water Professionals: What Do We Know About How the South Central's Climate Will Change? Modeling 101 Climate Science for Water Professionals: What Insight Do We Get from Climate Models? A Practical Look at Downscaling, Bias Correction, and Translating Climate Science into Hydrology Integrating Climate Data Into Forecasting Hydrologic Inflow Water Utility Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planning: Some Guiding Principles EPA's CREAT: Decision Support Example Houston Strong: Building Resilience to Climate Change Scenario Design: An Accelerated Introduction to Scenario Planning Methods for Decision Making Under Conditions of Deep Uncertainty (DMDU) Adaptation Decision-Making at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Using Communication Best Practices to Engage Audiences & Address Institutional Barrier May 2019 Resilience Training, Tampa Bay, FL Decisions for the Decade: Understanding Deep Uncertainty Decision-Making in the Face of Uncertainty: Tampa Bay Water Practical Considerations for Climate Analysis and Adaptation Climate Science and Modeling for Water Sector Professionals Climate Science and Modeling for Water Sector Professionals: Florida A Practical Look at Downscaling, Bias Correction, and Translating Climate Science into Hydrology Case Study: Evaluation of Future Climate and Water Use Scenarios for Water Supply Planning in the Tampa Bay Region Guiding Principles for Adaptation and Resilience Planning EPA's CREAT: Decision Support Example Case Study: Broward County – Water Resources Resilience Case Study: Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (PRMRWSA) Scenario Design Methods for Decision-Making Under Deep Uncertainty Adaptation Decision-Making at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Using Communication Best Practices to Engage Audiences and Address Institution Barriers December 2018 Resilience Training, Portland, OR Decision-Making in the Face of Uncertainty: The evolution of supply planning and climate adaptation at the Portland Water Bureau Practical Considerations for Climate Analysis and Adaptation: Know before you go... Climate Science for Water Professionals: What Do We Know About How the Climate of the Northwest Will Change? A Practical Look at Downscaling, Bias Correction, and Translating Climate Science into Hydrology Conveyance System Stress Testing Pilot Study Water Utility Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planning: Some Guiding Principles EPA's CREAT: Decision Support Example Seattle Public Utilities Case Study Methods for Decision Making Under Conditions of Deep Uncertainty (DMDU) Robust Decision Making in Metropolitan's IRP Using Communication Best Practices to Engage Audiences & Address Institutional Barriers