The Challenge

Today, California’s reporting framework is fragmented, duplicative, and resource-intensive. Local agencies spend significant time meeting overlapping requirements, leaving less capacity for analysis and use. State agencies often lack timely, consistent data to inform critical decisions.

The Mission

The Coalition’s mission is to streamline California’s water data to improve efficiency, increase data confidence, and deliver data that matter.

By aligning what agencies collect with what the State truly needs, we create a system that is, clearer and more equitable. This dual-purpose initiative strengthens local agencies, informs state decision-making, and advances the Governor’s Climate Plan, ensuring water data works for everyone.

Our Approach & Vision

By connecting people, policy, and technology, this effort works to reimagine how California’s water data is shared and used. Through coordinated engagement with state agencies, local suppliers, consultants, and partners, we are moving from recommendations* to action:

  • Engaging with all users: Coordinating with state agencies, local suppliers, and partners to build trust, transparency, and long-term collaboration.
  • Developing aligned metrics: Understanding data fields collected across all reports and identify avenues for consolidation;
  • Aligning reporting definitions & terminology: Creating one unified data dictionary across all water-related reports;
  • Supporting data literacy & tools: Providing technical assistance, training, and resources to improve internal data management;
  • Developing a shared data portal: Piloting streamlined reporting recommendations in partnership with state and local agencies

*Building from the California Water Data Consortium’s 2022 California Urban Water Data Reporting report.

 

How We Get There: A Phased Approach

PHASE 1: BUILDING THE CASE
Establish the foundation for statewide data streamlining by aligning partners, documenting the case for change, and securing broad support across all levels of staff and agencies.

PHASE 2: PILOT RECOMMENDATIONS
Demonstrate what streamlined reporting looks like in practice by testing unified data submissions, validating definitions and timing, and providing hands-on support to agencies to refine and scale effective solutions.

PHASE 3: FORMAL TOOLS
Transform pilot results into lasting solutions by finalizing the recommendations and developing standardized tools and training.

PHASE 4: POLICY CHANGE
Advance policy and legislative updates to embed data streamlining into statewide practice.

 

Get Involved

Help shape what a streamlined water data and reporting future looks like. Sign on in support of our initiative today. 

Are you a State Agency? Are you a Reporting Agency or Consultant?
  • Highlight the efforts your agency has done to streamline reporting in the past.
  • Volunteer to participate in technical work, recommendations, pilot projects and testing efforts.
  • Share data needs, challenges, and limitations on reporting requirements.
  • Provide feedback on current reporting pain points and what you’d like to see improved.
  • Participate in working groups to engage on definitions, timing, and pilot design.
  • Sign on to our support letter to demonstrate your agency’s commitment to streamlining.
  • Bring the initiative to your legislative affairs teams, senior managers, and data analysts to build internal alignment.
  • Share this initiative with leadership, analysts, and partners to build awareness and engagement.
  • Join upcoming coordination and visioning workshops.
  • Support financially or in-kind to help advance statewide data coordination.