RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Following a divided board vote, the Rancho Murieta Community Services District will hold a public hearing on whether to declare a water emergency: a move that would temporarily halt new water connections for future development.

The district had widely advertised that the board would hold the hearing Jan. 27 at Rancho Murieta Community Church on Cantova Way. However, the district canceled that meeting due to a conflict with the church and has rescheduled the hearing for 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at Rancho Murieta Country Club.

Which Developments Would be Affected?

If approved, the moratorium would apply only to the proposed Rancho North subdivision, which has been reduced from 925 to 561 lots.

A  water-emergency declaration would not apply to the Residences or Riverview subdivisions, Interim General Manager Amelia Wilder has confirmed.

In a Jan. 12 email shared by Residences developer Bob Keil, Wilder wrote: “The District includes the Residences and Riverview in the current population, and they are entitled to receive water services from the District, should water be available. You are not subject to the emergency declaration.”

Both subdivisions were entitled by Sacramento County nearly 20 years ago and hold will-serve letters from the district. The Residences include 198 lots and Riverview 140. However, the district has not committed to allowing water connections for the second phase of the Residences, as discussions continue about construction of a third water tank to supplement the Rio Oso Water Tank.

The board has not discussed how it would handle water-connection requests for the remaining lots at Riverview, which is served by the larger Van Vleck tank.

District Posts Water-Shortage Statement

At the December board meeting, Keil asked Board President John Merchant to explain his reasoning for declaring a water emergency. Since then, a statement titled “Emergency Water Shortage Meeting” has been posted on the district’s website.

The statement reads:

“The district underwent significant transitions in 2025, with water sustainability and community development becoming our primary areas of focus. As new construction continues, we must address critical questions regarding our capacity to serve existing residents while accommodating future growth.

“While we historically relied on studies indicating sufficient supply from the Cosumnes River and our reservoir system, the draft 2024 Integrated Water Master Plan has provided a necessary course correction: it clarifies that RMCSD lacks adequate water to sustain the community during drought conditions.

“… A moratorium would provide the window necessary to evaluate supply augmentation. Our team is currently investigating new wells, water banking, use of Clementia reservoir and the potential conversion of recycled water for potable use.”

(Editor’s note: The statement is quoted as posted on the district website.)

What the Planning Documents show

Several of the supply options cited in the district’s statement are addressed in the draft 2024 Integrated Water Master Plan or related planning documents, though their feasibility and timelines vary.

The IWMP evaluates water supply under a modeled historic drought comparable to 1977-78. Under those conditions, the analysis shows the district would have little remaining supply buffer for existing customers and that full buildout would result in significant water shortfalls without new supply sources, additional storage or severe demand curtailments. The study does not conclude that the district would lack sufficient water during typical drought years or under average hydrologic conditions.

The district has contracted with a Folsom-based consulting firm to identify potential sites for new groundwater wells, a process that is underway. It has also resumed efforts to seek state approval to convert Clementia from a recreational lake into a drinking-water reservoir: a process district officials have described as complex, lengthy and potentially requiring legislative or regulatory action.

Water banking is identified by state officials as a long-term drought-resilience strategy, but one that requires planning, permitting, infrastructure and water-accounting systems that are still being developed statewide, meaning implementation typically takes years.

While the IWMP models expanded use of reclaimed water, it limits that analysis to non-potable applications such as irrigation and demand reduction and does not evaluate recycled wastewater as a future drinking-water source, reflecting the regulatory, technical and timeline constraints associated with converting recycled water for potable use.

Board Vote and Opposition

At the December meeting, Merchant and Directors Linda Butler and Bill Gere voted to proceed with a public hearing on a water-emergency declaration. Director Tim Maybee voted no, and Director Randy Jenco voted present. Both Maybee and Jenco had previously opposed the action at past meetings.

Jenco has repeatedly warned that a development moratorium could lead to litigation. In written comments following the Sept. 17 vote, he said, “The only result of a moratorium will be a rush to lawsuit by landowners … The CSD ratepayers will end up paying the costs for defending the district and all damages incurred.”

Messaging Urges Alternative Approach

In a Jan. 15 post, Destination Rancho Murieta – an anonymous Substack publication that describes itself as a group of Rancho Murieta residents – urged residents to oppose a development moratorium and instead pursue permanent land conservation. The post argued that land acquisition would deliver lasting water benefits while warning that a moratorium could expose ratepayers to litigation costs and stagnate property values.

The publication has previously published posts aligned with positions taken by Rancho Murieta Properties, which owns the proposed Rancho North development. The post was also shared on Nextdoor.

The Substack post did not specify whether open space proposed for conservation would be part of the Rancho North subdivision. On Dec. 17, 2024, Rancho Murieta Properties removed plans to develop 136 residential lots around the back lakes from its development application with the county.

The River Valley Times has not been able to identify a spokesperson for Destination Rancho Murieta. The newspaper emailed Carol Anderson Ward, a principal investor in Rancho Murieta Properties, seeking clarification on whether a conservation proposal would proceed if the district declares a water emergency and a development moratorium. No response had been received as of deadline.

Destination Rancho Murieta posted again on Jan. 20. It argued that Rancho Murieta is not facing an immediate water shortage and urges the board to slow down and fully analyze legal risks, infrastructure funding, impacts on property values and district independence, and alternatives like land acquisition before declaring a water moratorium.