A state Court of Appeal has ruled in favor of the City of Rohnert Park in a lawsuit that claimed the city failed to prove it had enough water for future demands. 

The decision upholds the validity of the city’s Water Supply Assessment (WSA), which had been challenged by the O.W.L. Foundation, a Penngrove environmental group. “This proves that the city did indeed conduct a proper and legally valid Water Supply Assessment,” said Rohnert Park Interim City Manager Dan Schwarz. “The WSA says the city has adequate and sufficient water supplies to implement its General Plan.  That has been upheld.” 

The court ruled that the city is allowed “substantial discretion in determining how to measure groundwater sufficiency.  While that discretion is not boundless, we are satisfied the City acted well within its discretion in adopting the WSA.” 

The ruling removes a legal barrier that had been holding up construction of the 1,600-unit University District project on the city’s east side.