Water Conservation Plan

City of Meridian 2025 Water Conservation Plan - Executive Summary

Understanding the water supply picture in the Treasure Valley is complex. There is a significant difference in the supply and use of surface water (streams, lakes, reservoirs, etc.) and ground water (water within underground aquifers). Understanding where these two types of water come from and how they are used is critical when discussing water conservation strategies.  

Meridian Idaho, is a community situated in a high desert location that historically receives about 12 inches of precipitation per year. The native landscape is sparse, mostly treeless, and the summers are generally hot and dry. The construction of water storage dams and irrigation canals have captured and transported surface water from the Boise River watershed to be delivered throughout the area, including virtually all land in the past, present, and future city limits of Meridian. This surface water supply has enabled the development of vast agriculture, industry, and housing in the Treasure Valley. In Meridian, surface water is primarily utilized to supply most of the irrigation needs.

The City relies exclusively on groundwater for its municipal drinking water source. This groundwater is thought to be replenished from the combined effects of unlined canals, long-term flood irrigation practices, and predominantly natural recharge. The City has monitored water levels in the aquifer system over the last several decades and has not found any statistically significant decline that would indicate water is being used faster than recharge is occurring. As of 2025, the City operates and maintains 25 wells that pump approximately 4.2 billion gallons of groundwater annually.

This plan serves to document current water demand and future water supply and demand projections. The plan captures what conservation measures have been implemented to date and highlights future actions that may be implemented, considering more significant or prolonged ground or surface water shortages.

Water conservation has many tangible benefits, including:

• Decreasing the reliance on finding new sources of water supply
• Delaying or reducing future capital investments for water and wastewater

In summary, the City of Meridian has not experienced groundwater supply shortages, and future groundwater supplies appear to be assured for many years. Alternatively, surface water, used for irrigation purposes, can be categorized as a finite resource depending on the year.