California requires UWMPs from water utilities to cover a planning horizon of how many years?

• A. 3 year
• B. 5 year
• C. 7 year
• D. 10 year

Answer: (B)

The planning horizon is the forward-looking window used to evaluate how well a water system can meet demand with available supplies and planned improvements. For California UWMPs, utilities are required to analyze and plan for a five-year horizon. This timeframe provides a practical balance: it’s long enough to justify near-term investments, efficiency programs, and drought response measures, while still being short enough to keep projections reliable amid changing population, climate, and policy conditions. It also aligns with the state’s update cadence for these plans, ensuring they stay current and actionable. Shorter horizons, like three years, can miss meaningful upcoming needs, while longer horizons such as seven or ten years can introduce greater uncertainty and may not fit the regulatory update cycle.