For Water Subcommittee Meeting October 30, 2025
TO: Water Subcommittee Members
APPROVAL: Tanya Williams, City Manager
FROM: Toyasha Sebbag, Assistant to the City Manager
Title
Staff request Water Subcommittee review and provide feedback on the Agreement between the City of Rialto and the County of San Bernardino for an additional three-year term (January 1, 2026 - September 30, 2028) to allow continued use of 1,600 acre-feet of Standby Water Lease within the Rialto/Colton Groundwater Basin.
(ACTION)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Water Subcommittee review and provide feedback on the Agreement between the City of Rialto and the County of San Bernardino for an additional three-year term (January 1, 2026 - September 30, 2028) to allow continued use of 1,600 acre-feet of Standby Water Lease within the Rialto/Colton Groundwater Basin.
BACKGROUND
The City of Rialto (Rialto) and County of San Bernardino (County) first entered into Agreement No. 00-289 on May 20, 2000, authorizing the County to use up to 1,600 acre-feet per year of Rialto's groundwater rights leased to the Fontana Union Water Company (FUWC) for compliance with Regional Water Quality Control Board Order No. 99-86 (Cleanup and Abatement Order No. 98-96).
In February 2019, the Standby Water Lease between Rialto and FUWC was extended for another 20 years. Both parties agreed to pursue a Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based rate adjustment of up to 5 percent annually, applied to the County's payment obligations.
The original agreement with the County expired in May 2020, after which the County obtained a two-year extension (through December 31, 2022) approved by the City Council on September 14, 2021. A subsequent Amendment No. 1 extended the agreement through December 31, 2025, allowing continued County use of up to 1,600 acre-feet of standby water and corresponding reimbursements to Rialto.
The adjustments are based upon the accumulative CPI from the beginning of the agreements and ...
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