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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991-08-06; Municipal Water District; 124; Drought Response Plan for 1991 Update- CMWD - AGENDA BILL B# la4 TITLE: TG. 8-b-?/ EPT. Admi n. Update on progress of Drought Response Plan for 1991 Q 7 CITY MGF3.c IECOMMENDED ACTION: Receiving update on the progress of the Drought Response Plan for 1991. ITEM EXPLANATION As we progress through the first half of the 1991 year, Staff would like to give the Board of Directors an update on its efforts in implementing the Drought Response Plan for 1991. Following the Plan's adoption in January, Staff has undertaken an extremely aggressive public education and conservation campaign that could be classified as the most progressive in the County. The purpose of this agenda item is to update the region's drought conditions, and summarize the District's efforts to date. From a regional perspective, the drought conditions have remained somewhat constant since the "March Miracle". There will be virtually the same amount of water in storage as there was last year, and representatives from the San Diego County Water Authority do not envision the need to change the current 20% cutbacks in water deliveries for the immediate future. However, the newly created activity of water marketing will become even more active than last year. The Governor purchased water from agricultural users throughout central California to provide urban areas with an increased supply. Several pieces of legislation will have a positive effect on these transactions in the future. The major change is in the interpretation of water rights for agricultural users. In the past, the Qse it or lose it" theory prevailed. Many agricultural users were not in favor of selling their water due to the fear of losing their future rights. Legislation introduced this year will change this, and agricultural users will be much more likely to maintain fallow land and sell the water they would have used. The Governor's Water Bank is sure to grow in the coming months due to this fundamental change. At the local level, District staff has taken many actions to assist its customers in reducing their water usage. Most significantly was the development of the Drought Response Plan for 1991 (attached). The Plan is broken down into four major components. The first component is public information. A listing of the public information efforts to date is as follows: - Agenda Bill #Jzy , Page 2 1. Coordination With Neighboring Agencies District staff realizes the importance of a coordinated effort between the various agencies that provide water to Carlsbad. Representatives from Vallecitos (San Marcos) and Olivenhain water districts have been involved in the showerhead installation, ultra-low-flush toilet rebate, Water Issues Study Group, and the Water Conservation Fair. Staff members from these and other north county agencies meet on a monthly basis. 2. Monthly Consumption Reports Issues of the District's Waterline newsletter have been distributed on a monthly basis which has alleviated the need for additional advertisements. However, the ads will be appearing for the July summary in the local press. 3. Public Service Announcements Daniels Cablevision and KKOS radio have assisted the District with the placement of PSAs. 4. Billing Format A new water billing format has been designed and distributed with the June/July billing cycle. 5. Conservation Hotline The hotline was initially envisioned as a toll-free 800 number. However, due to the fact that virtually all calls will be local, all of the features have been included in the District's voice mail system. 6. Mass Mailings Over 100,000 informational pieces have been mailed to District customers. The mailings have included three ttWaterlinett editions and a promotional mass mailing to non-residential customers. 7. Community Relations Programs District staff members have addressed over 40 groups regarding the water situation. In addition, two new programs have been added. First, a monthly Water Issue Study Group has been formed to discuss pertinent water issues. The next meeting is scheduled for August 8th. Second, a Water Conservation Fair was held on July 20th where vendors of water conserving products were in attendance to display the latest devices. Agenda Bill #/aq , Page 3 The Drought conservation conservation follows: Response Plan also included a number of water programs to be offered by the District. The programs and the amount of public participation are as 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Water Audits To date, almost 200 residential water audits have been performed. Showerhead Retrofit The District has provided customers with over 7,000 ultra-low- flow showerheads through direct installation and distribution programs. Large Turf Irrigation Audits Most City parks and many local homeowners associations have participated in this program. This program was created in conjunction with the San Diego County Water Authority. However, District staff now has the expertise and equipment to begin administering this program itself. Toilet Rebate Program The District has issued over 900 ultra-low-flush toilet rebates of $100 each. Xeriscape Promotion District staff and the Parks and Recreation Department have begun meeting to initiate the design of Xeriscape (drought tolerant) landscaping at City facilities. Leak Detection and Repair The San Diego County Water Authority is scheduled to begin this program during fiscal year 1991-92. Carlsbad M.W.D. will be one of the first agencies to participate once the program begins. The third component of the Drought Response Plan is the development of a Water Ethic for Carlsbad. In early 1991, a document was developed and approved that specifies the manner in which water is used during the drought as well as under normal supply conditions. The fourth and final component of the Plan was the creation of an inclining block water rate system. The District adopted an inclining block system in early 1991. The system increases the per unit cost of water in proportion to the percentage that customers Agenda Bill #!aq , Page 4 exceed their monthly allocation. Currently, a four block system is in place that culminates with a block that charges two and a half times the current retail rate for those customers that exceed their monthly allocation by more than 20%. In summary, the District has responded to the drought at a level that is unsurpassed throughout the County. This fact becomes evident by the number of other agencies that are contacting the District for assistance with development of programs in their areas of the County. In addition, Channel 8 aired a five-part series on the drought and selected Carlsbad as one of two agencies to cover on its segments regarding water conservation. Probably the best measure of the effectiveness of the District's activities would be our level of conservation. Since February lst, The District has conserved 35% or some 617 million gallons when compared to the adjusted 1989-90 base year usage. Now that the summer months are here, the availability of the programs previously discussed will be essential to continue the success we currently enjoy. Staff will give a detailed report on the information contained in this agenda bill and answer any questions at the Board of Directors meeting. EXHIBITS: 1991 Drought Response Plan January 1991 -x , A CARLSBAD WATER ETHIC Recognizing that Carlsbad, California is in a coastal desert area of Southern California and; Recognizing that the City of Carlsbad’s water supply is imported from areas of Northern California and the Colorado River through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and through the San Diego County Water Au- thority and; Recognizing that water is a precious, natural resource and; Recognizing that the City of Carlsbad needs to promote the most reasonable use of our water through conservation and efficient practices and to discourage and prohibit any and all unreasonable uses of water; Now therefore be it resolved that the City of Carlsbad hereby adopts The Carlsbad Water Ethic which promotes fully the most reasonable, wise and effi- cient use of its water for all residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and governmental purposes. Promotion of the most reasonable uses include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Watering and irrigating areas in a manner that does not allow water to leave the user’s property by drainage onto adjacent properties or a public or private roadway or street due to excessive irrigation and/or neglect. 2. Irrigation of areas during the calm morning hours instead of the hottest part of the day when water loss due to excessive evaporation and wind is at its highest. 3. Repairing of any and all water system leaks rather than ignoring the leaks and allowing continual water losses. 4. Using a broom to clean driveways, sidewalks, parking areas, tennis courts, patios or other paved areas rather than use water through a garden hose or other device. (Exceptions would be to alleviate immediate safety or sanitation hazards.) , 5. Using reclaimed/recycled water wherever and whenever available in- stead of using potable water supplies. 1991 DROUGHT RESPONSE PROGRAM As the 1991 calendar year begins and San Diego County faces a likely fifth year of drought, the Carlsbad Municipal Water District (District) is working to minimize the effects of the drought on its customers. On January 8, 1991, the Metropolitan Water District’s (MWD) Board of Directors voted to implement Phase III of its Incremental Interruption and Conservation Plan (IICP). This phase is calling for an overall fifteen percent reduction in water consumption from its member agencies. If this target is not met, agencies will be penalized with a 140 percent surcharge for every acre foot used over the base year of 1989-90 less a growth and con- servation factor. MWD is expected to de- clare a Phase IV (22% reduction) in March and a Phase V (29%) in April. In order to assist the customers of Carlsbad in their efforts to reach their reduction of water usage during the appropriate phase, the District has developed a comprehensive and well-rounded drought response plan that includes a variety of water-saving programs and emphasizes a widespread public informa- tion and education campaign. An aggressive, action-oriented strategy is needed to assure positive response and cooperation from District customers. It is necessary to target programs to every sector in the District’s customer base. Resi- dential water use represents 39 percent of total consumption in the District’s service area. Thus, industrial, commercial, irrigation and agricultural customers will also receive attention and assistance in order to reduce their water demands. This drought response plan contains four primary elements. The first, public informa- tion, will be a strong, sweeping effort inform- ing customers of the various programs avail- able through the District in order to accom- plish the necessary reduction in their water use. Monthly monitoring of customers’ efforts will appear on subsequent water bills and be published in local newspapers to report the District’s conservation status. A major component of this public education effort, and the second element of this plan, is the development of a “water ethic” for Carlsbad. This document will include various water habits that will not be allowed within Carlsbad under any condition. Some ex- amples of non-allowable uses consist of excessive irrigation of landscaping, watering during the hot portions of the day and other blatant wastes of water. The third component of this plan involves active, hands-on participation by the District in the areas of residential audits, large turf ir- rigation audits, and plumbing retrofits, as well as several other programs to be defined later in this document. The fourth and final ingredient to be added to this recipe for conservation success is the implementation of a rate structure designed to encourage water reduction. The intent of this new rate structure is not to increase revenues or force customers to cut water usage, but rather to illustrate the need for a new water ethic in Carlsbad in which resi- dents learn to value the importance of water as an increasingly precious resource. Implem- entation of the four components for the Carlsbad’s 1991 Drought Response Plan follow. PUBLIC INFORMATION & EDUCATION PROGRAMS Coordination with Neighboring Water Ag encies Carlsbad is served by three separate water agencies: Carlsbad Municipal Water District, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, and Vallecitos Water District. An objective of the drought response plan is to create a pro- gram that avoids possible confusion from the public’s perspective. Therefore, a concerted effort will be made to unify programs of the three agencies wherever possible. Monthly Conservation Reports In order to inform District customers on the progress of their conservation efforts as a community, monthly consumption reports will be developed and published in local newspapers and on water bills. Public Service Announcements Local television, radio and newspapers will be used for dissemination of pertinent water information. Billing Format. Information on future water bills will be expanded to incorporate a variety of con- sumption-related data. This will include a comparison of previous year’s water usage during the same billing period, an itemization of charges, and an increased message area. Conservation Hotline A toll-free, 800 number will be installed to provide customers with specific information regarding personal consumption targets, available conservation programs, and addi- tional water-saving tips. MassMailing A newsIetter will be distributed to all custom- ers informing them of the wide variety of District conservation programs, as well as detailed information on new rate structures. Special mailings will be sent to specific target groups informing them of unique programs to assist with their conservation efforts. An example would be notification of the availa- bility of large turf audits to homeowners associations and schools. Community Relations Programs A speakers bureau will be available to ad- dress community groups, such as homeown- ers associations, garden clubs, schools and scout troops on conservation methods. CONSERVATION PROGRAMS Typically, water conservation programs are targeted primarily to residential users. A sig- nificant component of the 1991 drought response plan is the creation of programs that apply to commercial, industrial, irriga- tion and agricultural customers as well as residential. Additionally, staff is researching various alternatives that will reduce demands placed on the water system by new develop- ment. Options include requiring reclaimed water to be used durng construction activi- ties, and having developers assist with the funding of water conservation programs throughout the District’s service area. These options will be discussed in greater detail at the January 29, meeting. Water Audits In addition to the traditional residential water audit, the District will provide staff to assist all users in the development of proce- dures that will reduce water consumption. . Showerhead Retrofit Leak Detection and Repair The District currently has on hand a supply of low-flow showerheads that will be distributed to pre-1981 dwellings. Even greater savings can be realized by the expansion of this program to hotels, motels and other commer- cial users. Large Turf Irrigation Audits Water management audits for landscape areas of five or more acres are currently being offered by the District. This program will continue and be expanded to include a mass mailing to all homeowners associations, schools and landscape management compa- nies. Toilet Rebate Program The District is presently rewarding customers who retrofit their old plumbing fixtures with an ultra-low-flush toilet (ULFI) by giving them a rebate of $100. This program will continue through fiscal year 1990-91 and will be augmented during the next fiscal year by participating in a joint program with the San Diego County Water Authority. The pro- posal outlined by the Authority includes the installation of low-flow showerheads to each rebate customer. Xeriscape Promotion The Parks and Recreation Department recently completed a landscape manual in which xeriscape principles are mandated for all new development landscaping. Also, dur- ing the upcoming 1991-92 fiscal year, an analysis of all City facilities will be performed to establish the feasibility of converting present landscapes into xeriphytic gardens. A leak detection and repair program is planned for fiscal year 1991-92 in conjunction with the Authority. A more comprehensive effort can be accomplished through joint funding of this program. At least one-third of the City’s oldest water mains will be in- spected during the first year of this conserva- tion endeavor. RATEsTRucruRE The goal of this facet of the 1991 Drought Response Plan is three-fold: 1) water conser- vation through pricing, 2) the establishment of equitable water rates, and 3) the genera- tion of necessary revenues to fund potential penalties issued from the adoption of the IICP by MWD. Numerous rate alternatives are possible. The one that comes closest to meeting the previ- ously stated goals is a rate structure that, in essence, passes MWD’s IICP program down to the retail level. The proposed rate struc- ture will consist of two blocks. In comparison to the base year of 1989-90, a monthly target will be set equivalent to a fifteen percent reduction. A customer who meets this target will be charged at the first block rate of $1.01 per unit. Any usage above this amount will be charged at $2.02 per unit. This scenario will fund any penalties assessed to the Dis- trict if the fifteen percent reduction is not met by its customers.