HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/20/2006, BUS 9 - 2006 WATER RESOURCES STATUS REPORT councitDYe 6-20-06
j acenaa Repout 'Number Bt4� 01
CITY OF SAN LUIS O B I S P O
FROM: John Moss, Utilities Direct
Prepared By: Gary W. He rson,Water Division Manager
Ron Munds, Utilities Conservation Coordinatool"—
SUBJECT: 2006 WATER RESOURCES STATUS REPORT
CAO RECOMN ENDATION
Receive and file report.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of the annual Water Resources Status Report (WRSR) is to provide an overview of
various aspects of the City's water resources. The attached report discusses five major topics: 1.)
Existing Water Supply Status, 2.) Multi-Source Water Supply Projects, 3.) Water Conservation
Program, 4.) Water Supply Strategies to Meet Future Needs, and 5.) Projected Water Supply
Situation. The following is a summary of the information contained in the attached 2006 Water
Resources Status Report.
Report Summary
With the abundant rainfall this past year, the City's water resources are in very good shape with
supplies projected to last until June 2013 (assuming return to drought conditions). The City is
continuing to make progress on new water resources with additional supplies added this year from
the Water Reuse Project(130 acre feet) and the expanded conservation programs (120 acre feet). In
addition, significant progress has been made on the design of the Nacimiento Pipeline Project.
While the current water supply situation is favorable, the City will continue our efforts relative to
implementation and expansion of the water conservation programs. The 2006 Water Resources
Status Report provides a brief synopsis of our water supply status, but this year focuses on our
water conservation program efforts and the tremendous success that the program has achieved.
Existing Water Supply Status
The City's two water supply reservoirs (Salinas and Whale Rock) were both at maximum storage
capacity as of May 1, 2006. The City's total water use for 2005 was 6,098 acre feet (af)
compared to 6,239 of in 2004. The City's per capita water demand appears to have stabilized
over the past several years. This past year's use was 122 gallons per,capita per day (gpcd), a
decrease from last year's use of 126 gpcd.
Council Agenda Report-2006 Water Resources Status Report Page 2
Water Available for Development
The policies in the Water Management Element of the General Plan determine the water available
for new development. Table 1 below identifies the water available for development. The figures in
Table 1 include the additional water resources which will be added from the Water Reuse Project
(130 af) and the expanded water conservation program (120 af) in 2006. These two new water
supplies are the first new water sources added to the City's available supplies since Whale Rock
Dam was completed in 1961. Staff will proceed to the Planning Commission and the City Council
with revisions to the Water Management Element of the General Plan in the fall of 2006 to reflect
these new sources in the City's adopted safe annual yield.
Table 1: Water Available for Development
Year Population Present Water Safe Annual Water Available
Demand Yield r for Allocation
@ 145 gped
2006 44,439 7,218 a.f. 7,730 a.f.2 512 a.f.
I From Water Management Element,Table 1: includes reductions due to siltation to date
2 Includes additional water from Water Reuse and Expanded Conservation Programs
Multi-Source Water Supply Projects
One of the major goals of the Council is the pursuit of additional long term water supplies to meet
the current and future water demands of the community. The City is currently pursuing the Water
Reuse Project, the Nacimiento Pipeline Project and increased water conservation strategies to meet
the community's long term water needs.. The initial phases of the Water Reuse Project were
completed this year and initial water deliveries will begin in August of 2006. Initial use of recycled
water will offset approximately 130 acre feet per year of potable water currently used for irrigation.
The project has a potential to provide approximately 1,000 acre feet per year for non-potable
purposes.
The Nacimiento Pipeline Project is being administered by the County of San Luis Obispo and has
been under review for over 10 years. On June 29, 2004, the Council approved amendments to the
General Plan Water and Wastewater Element, the Final Environmental Impact Report for the
Nacimiento Project, and execution of the agreement with the County for participation in the Project
for 3,380 afy of Nacimiento water. The current project schedule anticipates completing design and
obtaining necessary permits by early 2007 and construction beginning in July of 2007. Current
project schedules estimate project completion and initial water deliveries by 2010.
As part of the 2003-2005 Financial Plan, Council approved funding necessary to expand the
water conservation program to include an irrigation efficiency component, and a broadened
commercial conservation program. The landscape irrigation efficiency component of the
expanded program was implemented in September 2003 and focused on high water use by
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Council Agenda Report—2006 Water Resources Status Report Page 3
residential customers. During 2005, 1,814 "High Use Letters" were sent to customers using
more than 50 units of water during a two month period. Based on the contacts with customers
and adjustments made by them, the evaluation of water savings from these efforts is
conservatively estimated at 100 acre feet per year. This is in addition to the commercial program
discussed below.
The commercial portion of the program focused on restaurant dishwashing hardware,and was
implemented in conjunction with the statewide California Urban Water Conservation Council
(CUWCC) program. The pre-rinse spray valves were replaced in approximately 100 restaurants,
hospitals, and grocery stores in the City this past year. It is conservatively estimated that annual
savings will be about 20 acre feet per year at a City cost of less than $10 per acre foot.
The City has considered other water supply projects in the past; seawater desalination, additional
groundwater , and the Salinas Reservoir Expansion Project. Since these projects have a lower
priority than the projects currently being pursued, no work on these projects has been done over
the past year and no project specific work is anticipated in the next several years.
Additional work related to Salinas Dam will be required over the next several years relative to
ownership transfer of the facilities from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to a local
agency. Transferring ownership of the dam to a local agency will protect the City's interests in
this important water resource into the future. Work this next year will focus on an evaluation of
the structural adequacy of the dam. If ownership of the dam is transferred to a local agency, the
dam will fall under the jurisdiction of the State Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD). The
analysis will verify whether the existing dam will meet DSOD standards.
Projected Water Supply Situation
The City utilizes a computer program to project how long the City's available water supplies would
last based on a number of assumptions. The model uses historical drought weather patterns,
projected water demands, etc., to forecast the City's water supply position and to make certain water
policy recommendations. The model predicts current water supplies would last until June of 2013
if the City was to enter into a drought period with conditions comparable to those experienced in
the 1986-91 drought(see Figure 5 of the WRSR).
FISCAL IMPACT
There is.no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action. Any fiscal impacts associated
with the pursuit of additional water supply projects or additional conservation measures have been
or will be addressed through the City's Financial Plan processes.
ATTACHMENT
1. 2006 Water Resources Status Report
%-3
City of San Luis Obispo
2006 Water Resources
Status Report
June 2006
Prepared by: Gary Henderson,Water Division Manager
Ron Munds, Utilities Conservation Coordinator
9-y
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. EXISTING WATER SUPPLIES.........................................................................................1
CurrentStatus..................................................................................................................................................... I
WaterConsumption............................................................................................................................................. 2
Water Available for Development....................................................................................................................... 3
II. MULTI-SOURCE WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS...........................................................4
WaterReuse Project............................................................................................................................................ 5
Nacimiento Pipeline Project............................................................................................................................... 5
Additional Water Conservation Strategies.......................................................................................................... 6
Salinas Reservoir Dam Transfer......................................................................................................................... 6
III. WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM..........................................................................7
TechnicalAssistance........................................................................................................................................... 9
Public Information &Education......................................................................................................................... 9
FutureWater Conservation Programs.............................................................................................................. 11
IV. WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY TO MEET FUTURE NEEDS.....................................12
V. PROJECTED WATER SUPPLY SITUATION.................................................................13
ReservoirStorage Curve................................................................................................................................... 13
VI. SUMMARY..........................................................................................................................13
I
City of San Luis.Obispo
2006 Water Resources Status Report
The annual Water Resources Status Report for the City of San Luis Obispo is prepared by the
Utilities Department to provide the City Council and interested members of the community with
an update of the status of existing water resources as well as water supply projects being pursued
to meet the community's future needs. The report covers five main areas: 1.) Existing Water
Supply Status, 2.) Multi-Source Water Supply Projects, 3.) Water Conservation Program, 4.)
Water Supply Strategy to Meet Future Needs, and 5.) Projected Water Supply Situation. The
report provides an opportunity to evaluate the existing water supply situation for the City,
identify the amount of water currently available to serve new development, and discuss issues
relative to existing policies and water projects being pursued.
I. EXISTING WATER SUPPLIES
The City of San Luis Obispo currently utilizes three sources of water supply to meet the
community's water demand: Santa Margarita Lake (also referred to as Salinas Reservoir), Whale
Rock Reservoir, and groundwater. The adopted safe annual yield from these three sources for
2006 is 7,480 acre feet (af) which takes into account annual estimated reductions due to siltation
at the reservoirs. In addition to these existing water.supplies, the City will add an additional 130
of of water from the Water Reuse Project and 120 of from the expanded water conservation
program this year. This will increase the City's safe annual yield to 7,730 of for 2006 as
discussed in more detail in the following sections. The actual total city-wide water use for 2005
was 6,098 of which was about 2.3% lower than last year's use of 6,239 af.
Current Status
This past year's rainfall was above average for the City of San Luis Obispo and Salinas and
Whale Rock Reservoirs (Table 1). This year's rain season began with very minimal rainfall in
October. November, and December. A Table 1: Area Rainfall
significant rainfall event occurred
around New Year's which resulted in Location 2005/061 Average
above average January precipitation. City of SIA—Reservoir#1 28.58" - 22.47"
February was quite dry but March Whale Rock Reservoir 21.85" 19.35"
experienced numerous rainfall events Salinas Reservoir 28.06" 21.00"
that have continued into April. There I Rainfall through May 22,2006
was also a unusual late spring Storm 2. Average for Cal Poly rain gage(no longer reliable)
that set new rainfall records in many
areas for the month of May. With the significant New Year's rainfall event, Salinas Dam began
spilling on January 2°d. The lake level rose over 8 feet in less than 48 hours from this one storm
event. With rains continuing into April, Whale Rock Reservoir began spilling on Monday, April
2006 Water Resources Statics Report
Page 2
17, 2006. As of May 1, 2006, both reservoirs were still spilling. With the winter runoff, Salinas
and Whale Rock Reservoirs are both at 100% capacity.
For the calendar year of 2005, the water demand for the City of San Luis Obispo was provided
from the three available sources as shown in Table 2. The total water demand for all City uses in
2005 was 6,098 of which was approximately 2.3% less than the total water use for 2004. The
total amount of City water use shown in Table 2 does not include domestic water delivered to
Cal Poly University which is accounted for from their available water supply from Whale Rock
Reservoir. As of May 1,
Table 2: Water Supply Sources 2006, the City's available
Salinas Whale Rock Groundwater Total water storage in Salinas
- Reservoir (above minimum
1,178 of 4,772 of 148* of 6,098 of Pool) was 21,843 acre feet.
The City's share of the
* 175 of total,including Corp Yard and Golf Course wells Whale Rock storage (above
minimum pool) was 21,282
acre feet. The combined water storage available to meet city water needs was 43,125 acre feet
(i.e. 100%of maximum storage in each reservoir).
Based on the available
water storage in both Table 3: Population Estimates,Water Use & Rainfall
reservoirs, estimated year Po Population Acre Feet Per Ca-ita Rainfall
groundwater production 1995_ 41,295 5,574 121 gpcd 44.33"
and assuming the return 199.6 41,404 5,791 125 cd 24.06"
of drought conditions as
experienced during the 1997 41,807 6,220 133 cd 31.36"
late 1980s, the City has 1998 42,201 5,853. 124 cd 43.54"
approximately 7 years of 1999 42,446 6,172 130 gpcd 16.34"
water supply, according 2000 44,174 6,121 124 gpcd 24.97"
to the computer storage 2001 44,218 5,886 119 gpcd 24.53"
model as shown in 2002 44,333 6,032 121 pcd 22.91"
Figure 5 (figures are at 2003 44,225 5,968 120 gpcd 16.08"
end of report). TheL2004 44,163 6,239 126 cd 40.04"
model assumes that 2005 44,619 6,098 122 gpcd 28.58"
additional conservation 1. Rainfall amounts for July through June from Cal Poly weather station
measures, Consistent 2. Rainfall amount from County rain gage at City's Reservoir#1
with our water shortage contingency plan, are implemented when supplies are estimated to last
only three years. The various stages of.conservation are indicated in Figure 5 and are discussed
in more detail in the Water Shortage Contingency Plan. The Plan is an Appendix to the Urban
Water Management Plan that was updated and adopted in December of 2005.
Water Consumption
As noted previously, the total City water.use for 2005 was approximately 2.3% less than the use
for 2004. Table 3 shows the population estimates from 1995 through 2005 as well as the total
City water use and corresponding per capita use rate.. Based on policies contained in the Water
9, 7
2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 2
17, 2006. As of May 1, 2006, both reservoirs were still spilling. With the winter runoff, Salinas
and Whale Rock Reservoirs are both at 100% capacity.
For the calendar year of 2005, the water demand for the City of San Luis Obispo was provided
from the three available sources as shown in Table 2. The total water demand for all City uses in
2005 was 6,098 of which was approximately 2.3% less than the total water use for 2004. The
total amount of City water use shown in Table 2 does not include domestic water delivered to
Cal Poly University which is accounted for from their available water supply from Whale Rock
Reservoir. As of May 1,
Table 2: Water Supply Sources 2006, the City's available
Salinas Whale Rock Groundwater Total Fater storage in Salinas
Reservoir (above minimum
1,178 of 4,772 of 148* of 61098 of pool) was 21,843 acre feet.
The City's share of the
* 175 of total,including Corp Yazd and Golf Course wells Whale Rock storage (above
minimum pool) was 21,282
acre feet. The combined water storage available to meet city water needs was 43,125 acre feet
(i.e. 100% of maximum storage in each reservoir).
Based on the available
water storage in both Table 3: Population Estimates, Water Use & Rainfall
reservoirs, estimated Year Population Acre Feet Per Ca ita Rainfall
groundwater production 1995 41,295 5,574 121 gpcd 44.33"
and assuming the return 1996 41,404 5,791 125 gpcd 24.06"
of drought conditions as 1997 41,807 6,220 133 d 31.36"
experienced during the
late 1980s, the.City has 1998 42,201 5,853 124 gpcd 43.54"
approximately 7 years of 1999 42,446 6,172 130 gEd 16.34"
water supply, according 2000. 44,174 6,121 124 gpcd 24.97"
to the computer storage 2001 44,218 5,886 119 gpcd 24.53"
model as shown in 2002 44,333 6,032 121 gpcd 22.91"
Figure 5 (figures are at 2003 44,225 5,968 120 gpcd 16.08"
end of report). The 2004 1 44,163 . 6,239 126 gpcd 40.04"
model assumes that 2005 44,619 6,098 122 cd 20.85"
additional conservation 1. Rainfall amounts for July through June from Cal Poly weather station
measures, consistent I Rainfall amount from County rain gage at City's Reservoir#1
with our water shortage contingency plan, are implemented when supplies are estimated to last
only three years. The various stages of conservation are indicated in Figure 5 and are discussed
in more detail in the Water Shortage Contingency Plan. The Plan-is anAppendix to the Urban
Water Management Plan that was updated and adopted in December of 2005.
Water Consumption
As noted previously, the total City water use for 2005 was approximately 2.3% less than the use
for 2004. Table 3 shows the population estimates from 1995 through 2005 as well as the total
City water use and corresponding per capita use rate. Based on policies contained in the Water
2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 3
Management Element of the General Plan, the City has adopted a per capita planning use rate of
145 gallons per person per day (gpcd) for projecting future water supply needs and determining
the availability of water for new development. The 145 figure is not the amount that the average
person uses but takes into account all water uses including residential, commercial, industrial,
landscape, etc. Chart 1 shows the water use between different customer classes for 2005
(landscape use is only specific dedicated landscape meters). The city wide water use is
monitored to insure that actual use remains below the adopted planning figure so that the City
does not exceed our available water resources.
While per capita use increased
Chart 1: Water Use by Category following the end of the drought up
Landscape to 1997, the use appears to have
Irrigation Single stabilized since that time. This last
9% Family year's per capita water use was
commercial Residential approximately 122 gpcd, a decrease
° 43/°
° from last year's use of 126 gpcd.
NUti-family There are a number of other factors
Residential that can impact the per capita use rate
20% including: population figure
estimates from the State which can
fluctuate, timing of winter rains, and hardware retrofits.
Water Available.for Development
The policies in the Water Management Element of the General Plan determine the water available
for new development. Section 8.1.2.A. states "The City will determine the water available for
allocation to new development by either; the adopted safe annual yield of the City's water
supplies minus present demand as identified in Policy 3.1.4, or the projected demand at build-out
as identified in Policy 3.1.3 minus present demand as identified in Policy 3.1.4; whichever is
less. Available allocations will be assigned to development in a way that supports balanced
growth, consistent with the General Plan." Policy 3.1.4 and related policies define present water
use as the current population times the adopted per capita water use rate (145 gallons per capita per
day). Based on these policies, Table 4 indicates the water available to allocate to new development
in 2006. These figures include the additional water resources which from the Water Reuse Project
(130 af) and the expanded water conservation program (120 af). Staff will return to the Planning
Commission and the City Council with revisions to the Water Management Element of the General
Plan to reflect this new sources in the City's adopted safe annual yield. The population figures are
provided by the California Department of Finance. The estimates provided recently by the State
adjusted the population estimate for 2005 from 44,519 to 44,619. This year's estimate of 44,439
represents an approximate 0.4% population decrease.
�� ATTR rh1M 1="VT 1
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2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 4
Table 4: Water Available for Development
Year Population Present Water Safe Anna_ 1 Water Available
Demand Yield i for Allocation
@ 145 gpcd
2006 44,4439 7,218 a.f. 7,730 a.f. 512 a.f.
1. From Water Management Element,Table 1: includes reductions due to siltation to daze. Includes the increase in safe annual yield
from the Water Reuse Project(130 afy)and the expanded conservation programs(120 afy).
Per Water Management Element Policy 8.1.3, one-half of the water available for allocation will be
reserved to serve intensification and infill development within city limits existing as of July 1994.
Therefore, 256 acre feet is available to serve new annexation areas outside the July 1994 city limits
and 256 acre feet is reserved for infill and intensification projects. Table 5 below shows the water
that has been allocated to residential versus non-residential development since 1995. Table 5
includes all projects within the city,both infill and annexation areas.
Table 5: Water for Development(acre feet)
Year Residential Non-Residential Total
1995 16.89 12.02 28.91
1996 24.54 5.83 30.37
1997 39.96 16.94 56.90
1998 41.40 8.32 49.72
1999 16.26 17.42 33.68
2000 25.08 1.73 26.81
2001 29.10 20.52 49.62
2002 25.02 1.08 26.10
2003 57.87 14.59 72.46
2004 76.65 14.28 90.93
2005 21.96 34.67 56.63
Total 374.73 147.40 522.13
II. MULTI-SOURCE WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS
Water Management Element Policy 7.1 identifies the strategy of developing multiple sources of
water supply as a basis for strengthening the security of the resources to meet the City's water
demand. The policy states that "The City shall continue to develop and use water resource projects
to maintain multi-source water supplies, and in this manner, reduce reliance on any one source of
water supply, to provide for peak operating demands in the event one of the City's major water
supply sources is unavailable, and to increase its supply options in future droughts or other water
supply emergencies." Much like financial planning strategies, a diversified "portfolio" of water
supplies will protect against future uncertainties of any one water source.
2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 5
The City is currently pursuing the following supplemental water supply projects: Water Reuse
Project, the Nacimiento Pipeline Project, and increased water conservation strategies. Additional
groundwater resources, potential desalination facility, and the Salinas Reservoir Expansion
Project are additional options that are not currently being pursued. The following is a brief status
report on the projects currently being considered to meet the City's future water needs.
Water Reuse Proiect
Beginning in summer of 2006, recycled water will provide irrigation to several parks, sports fields,
and other landscaped areas. Initially, approximately 130 acre-feet per year of recycled water will
offset potable water that has been used for irrigation. The Water Reclamation Facility produces
enough recycled water so that approximately 1,000 acre-feet per year could be delivered for
irrigation in the future. The additional water will be used to irrigate new developments within the
City as well as appropriate existing irrigation sites.
Recycled water will provide a reliable long-term source of water for the City. Since drought
conditions have very little impact on this source of supply, a dependable water supply can be
delivered to the parks, playgrounds and similar landscape areas served by the project even during
drought periods.
Water recycling became economical in 1994 after the City completed a$25 million upgrade of the
Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) to comply with requirements for discharge to San Luis Obispo
Creek. The tertiary treatment required for discharge to the creek, produces recycled water that can
be used to irrigate parks,playgrounds, agricultural crops, and landscaping. The recycled water may
also be used in industrial processes,for construction, and many other non-potable uses.
The offsite pipelines for the recycled water distribution system were completed in August of 2004.
The improvements at the Water Reclamation Facility were completed in May of 2006. Water
deliveries to the first user sites should begin in August of 2006.
In addition to the construction of the first phase of the water reuse system, a Water Reuse Master
Plan was completed and approved by the City Council on September 19, 2004. The Master Plan
identifies the logical expansion of the water reuse distribution system to more fully utilize the
available recycled water.
Nacimiento Pipeline Proiect
On June 29, 2004, the Council approved amendments to the General Plan Water and Wastewater
Element, the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Nacimiento Project, and execution of the
agreement with the County for 3,380 afy of water from the Project. The project is currently in the
design phase and various consultants have been hired to provide specific services such as surveying,
geotechnical,right-of-way acquisition,preparation of plans and specifications, etc.
The current project schedule anticipates completing design and obtaining necessary permits by early
2007 and construction beginning in July of 2007. Current project schedules estimate project
completion and initial water deliveries by 2010.
2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 6
Additional Water Conservation Strategies
As part of the 2003-2005 Financial Plan, Council approved funding necessary to expand the
water conservation program to include a more aggressive water conservation program which
would have an irrigation efficiency component and a broadened commercial conservation
program. Table 6 summarizes the estimated water savings that the expanded programs have
achieved on an ongoing basis as of this year. These water savings are above the savings that
have been achieved prior to 2003 through toilet retrofitting, public educations, and other past
water conservation programs. As indicated in the table, the irrigation efficiency component of
the program has produced the largest water savings and therefore is the primary focus of the
expanded program. The program is discussed in more detail in the Water Conservation section
of this report.
The goal for the first year of the Table 6: Savings from E anded Conservation
landscape portion of the program - Pro Goal for V Year
Program Actual
was a savings of about 90 acre Saving(ao Savin (af)
feet of water. Conservation staff
Landsca /Irri ation 90 100
has developed a monitoring Non-residential 20 to 25 20
program that conservatively Total 110 to 115 120
estimates the water savings to be -
100 acre feet per year as of 2006.
The non-residential water savings have been achieved through the replacement of pre-rinse spray
valves in restaurants, hospitals, and grocery stores city-wide with water conserving hardware.
Like the toilet retrofit program, this is a "hard-wired" water conservation measure that will
provide reliable, ongoing water savings estimated at 20 acre feet per year.
The water savings achieved through the expanded water conservation program can now be
considered as a new supply. Past conservation measures are not included in the new supply
amount since they were the basis for the adoption of the 145 gpcd planning figure. To add the
additional water supply to the City's adopted safe annual yield, staff will return to the Planning
Commission and the City Council with revisions to the Water Management Element to include
these additional water resources later this year.
Salinas Reservoir Dam Transfer
One area which will require additional work by staff this year relative to the Salinas Reservoir
but not related to the expansion project, involves the ownership of the dam. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (Corps) owns the dam and related facilities, pipelines and pump stations and
the property surrounding the reservoir. The Corps has been interested in transferring ownership
of the dam and surrounding property to a local agency since the early 1970's. The facilities
serve no federal purpose and as such the Corps wants to transfer the facilities to a local agency.
This issue has come up a number of times over the years and has never been successfully
resolved. The Corps, City and County staff have met several times during the past two years to
develop a strategy for completing the necessary studies and reports to allow the property transfer
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2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 7
to occur. The following studies or actions would likely be required to allow the transfer of the
property to occur:
■ Cultural Resources Evaluation
■ Hazardous Materials Evaluation
• NEPA/CEQA documentation
■ Special Legislation to allow transfer
Once the dam is transferred to a local agency, the State Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD)
would be the regulatory agency with oversight of the dam structure and operations. The State's
dam safety criteria would apply and are different from the federal requirements. Additional
seismic studies and other evaluations will be required by DSOD prior to their certification of the
dam.
On January 17, 2006, the City Council approved a contract with URS Consultants to prepare the
seismic evaluation and related studies for the Salinas Dam. The contract amount for these
studies is approximately $230,000. Staff and our consultants will be meeting with DSOD and
Corps staff several times over the next year as various study phases are completed. The studies
should be completed by the end of the year and DSOD will then prepare an independent analysis
to confirm their concurrence with the results. Following DSOD's review and verification of the
analysis, staff will return to Council to present the study findings and recommended strategy for
moving forward with the ownership transfer of the dant,property, and related facilities.
III. WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM
The Water Conservation Program is an integral part of the City's overall water management
strategy and is now being considered as a new source of supply, contributing to our safe annual
yield based on the water saved. The amount added to the City's safe annual yield will be the
additional conservation measures implemented since 2003 and do not include toilet retrofitting
and other conservation programs implemented earlier which were the basis for reducing the per
capita planning figure to 145 gpcd. Since the mid 1980's, the City has implemented water
efficiency programs and policies that have enabled the City to decrease overall demand while the
population continues to grow. The importance of the program for the last 16 years should not be
understated. During this period, the City was able to sustain its economic development and
support its growth objectives without adding a new water supply.
In 1991, the City became one of the charter members of the California Urban Water
Conservation Council and has implemented the organization's fourteen "Best Management
Practices" (BMP's) regarding urban water conservation. The Memorandum of Understanding
acts as a road map for the City's long-term water conservation program and signifies a
commitment to the implementation of the BMP's. The fourteen BMP's are listed below:
1. Water Use Survey Programs for Single-Family Residential and Multi-Family Residential
Customers
2. Residential Plumbing Retrofit
3. System Water Audits,Leak Detection and Repair
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2006 Water Resources Status Report
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4. Metering with Commodity Rates for All 'New Connections and Retrofit of Existing
Connections
5. Large Landscape Conservation Programs-and Incentives
6. High-Efficiency Washing Machine Rebate Programs
7. Public Education Programs
8. School Education Programs
9. Conservation Programs for Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Accounts
10. Wholesale Agency Assistance Programs
11. Conservation Pricing
12. Conservation Coordinator
13. Water Waste Prohibition
14. Residential Ultra Low Flush Toilet Replacement Programs
Based on the BMP's,the City's Water Conservation Program is divided into three primary
components:
1, Water hardware retrofitting
2. Technical assistance
3. Public education and information
The following is a summary of these water conservation program components:
Water Hardware Retrofitting Summary
With the adoption of the UWMP in 1994, toilet retrofitting had been identified as a significant
water demand management strategy and integral part of the City's overall water management
plan. As of December 2005;approximately 32,500 toilets out of an estimated 39,000 toilets have
been retrofitted either through the
Retrofit Rebate, Retrofit Upon Sale Table 7: Summary of Toilet Retrofitting
and/or the Water Offset Programs. Year Rebate Offset Total E_stimated
This equates to approximately 83% Savin
of all toilets within the City of San es
1990-2001 _ 9,081 21,651 30,732 1,389 afy
Luis Obispo. This represents an 2002 54 860 914 44 afy
annual estimated water savings of
over 1,400 acre feet. 2003 93 274 367 17 of
2004 38 297 335 20 afy
Table 7 summarizes the toilet retrofit 2005 53 117 170 10 afy
activity and the program totals since Totals Since 9,319 239199 32,518 1,480 afy
1990. A vast majority of the toilets I 1990
replaced through the years have been _-
through the Water Offset Program (Retrofit to Build). The mandatory Water Offset Program
was terminated in January 2002. As can be seen in Table 9, toilet replacement has dramatically
decreased since that time.
As part of the 2001-03 Financial Plan, a High Efficiency Washing Machine Rebate Program was
implemented. A $150 dollar rebate was offered for qualifying machines. The budgeted amount
�7
2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 9
was for 100 machines for each fiscal year. Funding
Table S•.Washing Machine Rebates for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 fiscal years was fully
utilized by January 2003. The Council continued
- Year Rebate Estimated funding the program as part of the 2003-05 and 2005-
Savings 07 Financial Plans but participation in the program
2001 45 .75 afy has been up and down as indicated in Table 8. Staff
2002 131 2.2 afy continues to market the program to the local
2003 31 .52 afy appliance dealers and is hopeful that participation
2004 60 1 afy Will increase with the stepped up efforts. It is
estimated that about 6 acre feet of water will be saved
2005 87 1.5 afy . annually by these water efficient machines with
Total 354 5.97 afy considerable energy savings as a side benefit.
Technical Assistance
The Utilities Conservation Office (UCO) offers technical assistance to water customers via free
indoor and outdoor water audits. The audits include indoor and outdoor leak detection services,
irrigation system evaluation, landscape plant material information and other information on how
to use water efficiently. The requests for audits are typically received from people experiencing
high water bills, residents participating in the low income Table 9: 2005 Water Audits
assistance program; or customers requesting a utility bill
adjustment through the Utility Billing . Adjustment Description Number
Committee. Toilet Leak 262
Excessive Irrigation 318
The Water Audit Program has been very active the last Irrigation Leak 200
several years due mainly to the staff follow-ups to high meter
readings and the mailing of letters to customers using more Service Line Leak 40
than 50 units of water (bimonthly) in the summer and 40 Leak @ Meter 61
units in the winter. For the calendar year 2005, UCO staff
directly contacted 1,298 customers to discuss water use issues. The most common problems
customers have are listed in Table 9. The water audit program often reveal problems which are
then corrected by the property owner, which results in lower water use and reduced water bills.
A total of 3,112 contacts were made by the UCO, either by letter, telephone or direct contact
during 2005.
Public Information & Education
In our ongoing effort to educate the public on efficient resource utilization, the Utilities
Conservation Office provides informational brochures on a variety of water conservation and
recycling topics upon request. Additionally, staff has produced a quarterly newsletter which
focuses on current information regarding water, wastewater, storm water and solid waste issues.
Additional information has been distributed through paid media advertising and public service
announcements (Sammy the Steelhead and family) and participation at Farmer's Market, home
2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 10
shows, etc. The current emphasis in the water conservation program's information and
education campaign is efficient irrigation practices..
In addition to the above programs, in 1999 the Utilities Department implemented a water education
program within San Luis Obispo Coastal Unified School District. The program targets third and
fourth grades, to compliment the study of water within the school district's existing curriculum.
Teachers have been enthusiastic about the new program, particularly with the field trip to the
Water Reclamation Facility.
During the 2005-2006 school year, 10 class presentations and 10 field trips were given for schools
within the city: The class presentations were 45 minutes and covered the subjects of: Water Cycle,
Water Treatment, Water Use, Water Conservation_, and Water Reclamation. The classroom
presentation is a prerequisite for the field trip.
The Department's hope is that the conservation education programs are lively, fun and
interesting, so that the teachers will continue to want to use the presentations, water education
toolkits and tours as a way of enhancing their current water education curriculum. The benefits
are immediate and long-term. Instilling water awareness in children leads to increased parental
water awareness. It also positively affects future generations: these students are tomorrow's
adults and they will have the information to make informed and appropriate decisions about
water. A new water quality module is under development and will add another option for
teachers to select when looking for water education activities. It is anticipated that this module
will be completed in time for the upcoming 2006-07 school year.
New Water Conservation Program Update
As part of the 2003-2005 Financial Plan, the Council approved the expansion of the Water
Conservation Program to include a more aggressive efficient landscape irrigation program and an
expanded commercial sector program. The landscape irrigation efficiency component of the
expanded program was implemented in September 2003. The program strategies are to directly
contact high residential water users through High Use Letters (HUL) and offer assistance,
creating water budgets for individually metered landscape accounts and analyzing commercial
mixed water use accounts which include landscape irrigation.
High Use Letters (HUL)
During 2005, 1,814 HUL were sent to single family residential customers. The program targets
residential customers that use more than 50 units of water during a two month billing cycle
between April and November. From the November through March, letters are sent to customers
using more than 40 units during a billing period. Conservation staff developed a monitoring
system in an effort to quantify the water savings resulting from this effort. Based on the data
analyzed from 2003 through 2005, the HUL program is conservatively saving an average of 100
acre feet of water per year.
Water Budgets
A. Irrigation Accounts: There about 450 irrigation only accounts in the City. Of these,
approximately 80 water budgets have been developed. A water budget is created by
measuring the area of a landscape by plant type, i.e. turf, shrubs, trees, and calculating the
2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 11
amount of water it would need if efficiently irrigated. This is done by using the City's GIS
system as a measurement tool and software developed by Cal Poly to calculate the landscape
water needs. During 2005, 59 water budgets were created and sent to water customers. Out
of the 59 budgets distributed, 6 customers requested assistance from the UCO. It is likely
that other customers made adjustments .or fixed problems in their irrigation systems
following the notification. The goal is to inform customers that they could reduce their water
use and associated bills, if their irrigation systems were operated more efficiently. This will
be an ongoing effort by staff and results will be reported back to the Council in the 2007
Water Supply Status Report.
B. Mixed Use Commercial: These customers are defined as commercial properties with a single
water meter which measures both indoor and outdoor water use. There approximately 200
accounts that meet this definition in the City. To date,40 water budgets have been developed
for these customers. This is a relatively new activity for the UCO, so progress and results
will be reported in 2007.
Commercial Sector Program
The commercial sector program focused on restaurant dishwashing hardware. The City,
partnering with the California Urban Water Conservation Council (CUWCC), completed the
installation of 100 water/energy efficient pre-rinse spray valves in restaurants, hospitals and
grocery stores city-wide. Each valve will save about 50,000 gallons of water and 335 therms of
natural gas per year. A majority of the program costs were funded through a California Public
Utilities Commission grant which was administered by the CUWCC. The City cost was $50.00
per valve. This included the valve, the canvassing and contact with the potential recipients and
installation of the valve. The City's cost per acre foot of water saved, based on the life of the
valve, is less than $10.00 per acre foot, with an estimated annual savings of about 20 acre feet
per year.
Future Water Conservation Programs
Because of the City's affiliation with the California Urban Water Conservation Council
(CUWCC), valuable information regarding water conservation program development and
implementation is available. Most of the nation looks to California, and more specifically to the
CUWCC and the BMP's when developing water efficiency programs. Given this fact, the City's
water conservation program uses the CUWCC information to determine if the implementation of
a new program will provide dependable water savings in a cost effective manner. Many new
studies are currently under way and the information obtained from these-studies may lead to new
programs in the future.
The water saved through the Water Conservation Program, historically, has been the least cost
option when looking at new sources of supply. The City has implemented numerous programs
over the years which have resulted in a dramatic decrease in per capita water use. When
evaluating the potential yield from a new conservation measure, it is very important to factor in
the reliability.of the program to achieve the estimated savings. That is why, in the past, toilet
and showerhead replacement had been the cornerstones of the Water Conservation Program.
p, r T-r �,� ..,�-
2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 12
As previously stated, numerous studies statewide are currently underway which are evaluating
new water conservation technology. Advancements in irrigation technology equipment appears
to be the next major source of water savings. Because of the time needed to evaluate the data
and results of the studies, definitive information is still not available.
The strategy at this point is to continue to focus on proper irrigation scheduling and upgrading
poorly designed systems, then as more information is available relative to the effectiveness of
new technology, it could be considered as a new program. Staff will continue to monitor new
and up and coming water conservation technologies and make recommendations to the Council
at the appropriate time.
N. WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY TO MEET FUTURE NEEDS
The City of San Luis Obispo is Table 10: Primary Supply Requirements(acre feet)
currently pursuing multiple water
supply projects to meet the projected Safe Annual Yield Required at Build-out 9,096
community needs based on the policies Current Safe Annual Yield (2006) 7,730
contained in the General Plan and Additional Safe Annual Yield Required 1,366
related Elements. Based on the General
Plan build-out population of 56,000 and Siltation (2007 to 2025) 190
the per capita water use rate of 145 Total Water Supply Requirement uirement 1,556_ _
gpcd, the projected demand at full
build-out is 9,096 acre feet per year (afy). Table 10 shows the primary water supply
requirements based on the adopted policies to meet General Plan build-out. The Water
Management Element policies identify that any water available above that needed to serve build-
out will be for secondary water needs (future siltation, loss of a supply source, etc.) and will not
be made available to serve new development above adopted General Plan build-out.
During the Council discussion of the 2004 Water Resources Status Report, the Council
prioritized the potential water supply projects into three "tiers", as shown in Table 11. The
rationale for the prioritization takes into account many factors such as project implementation
obstacles and impacts, reliability, City control, costs, water rate implications, community
Table 11: Priority for Water Supply Projects acceptance and likelihood of success.
Tier_ _ Project - The Water Reuse Project was completed in
Water Reuse May of 2006 and recycled water deliveries
1 Nacimiento Pi eline should begin in the summer of 2006.
Additional Water Conservation Approximately 130 acre feet will initially
2 Additional Groundwater Resources be used to offset potable demand
Desalination Additional yield will be developed from the
3 Salinas_Reservoir Expansion reuse project as development occurs in the
south portion of the City. In addition, the
Water Reuse Master Plan has identified opportunities to systematically expand the use of
recycled water.
2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 13
As the Nacimiento Project moves forward, significant staff resources and involvement has been
required. The primary areas of focus for staff will be: commission meetings, design review,
financing, and environmental mitigation design. The City will continue to dedicate the staff
resources necessary to move this project through the design phase.
The third area of focus will be to continue to improve our conservation efforts. Efficient use of
our resources stretches the availability of our,water supplies and has proven to be very cost
effective. As part of the 2003-05 Financial Plan, the Council endorsed an expanded water
conservation program to achieve long-term water reductions. Efforts to date indicate an
additional 120 of of water savings have been achieved through the expanded water conservation
programs. In addition, as new technology or ideas surface in the future, the City needs to
continue to evaluate the potential for conservation strategies to reduce our demand for water.
Based on the above analysis: if the Tier 1 projects are successful, the City will be able to meet
the City's primary and secondary water needs as identified in the General Plan and related
Elements through a combination of Water Reuse, Nacimiento, and additional water conservation.
V. PROJECTED WATER SUPPLY SITUATION
Reservoir Storage Curve
The Reservoir Storage Curve is integral to the City's annual water plan analysis. It is a computer
model used to estimate the City's future reservoir storage based on historical drought weather
patterns, water use projections, reservoir data and available groundwater supplies. The model is
used to forecast the City's water supply position and to make certain water policy recommendations.
The model also assumes implementation of Stage I conservation when supplies are projected to last
only three years. Stage II and III conservation measures are implemented when water supplies are
estimated to last only 2 years and 1 year, respectively (as shown on Figure 5). The curve has been
updated to reflect the City's current storage and the policies contained in the Water Management
Element of the General Plan.
The model predicts current water supplies would last until June 2013 (Figure 5), under a set of
assumptions that represent the average weather conditions during the worst four years of the
drought period from 1986-91.
VI. SUMMARY
With the near or above average rainfall this year, both of the City's reservoirs (Salinas and Whale
Rock) filled to maximum capacity. Even with these available supplies, the City needs to continue
pursuit of additional supplemental water supplies to meet the goals of the General Plan. Based on
the cost projections for developing new water supplies, it is evident that water conservation will
continue to be a crucial element of the City's water resources planning in the future. With the multi-
source water policy, a number of supply projects under development, strong water conservation
program and other related policies which were adopted as part of the W.M.E.,the City is pursuing a
direction which will create a reliable supply of water to meet the current and future needs of the
community.
2006 Water Resources Status Report
Page 14
Attachments: 1. Definitions
2. Figures 1-5
Defuntlons
Safe Annual Yield:
The maximum quantity of water which can be delivered from the water
source each year during a critical dry period(i.e. historical drought period).
Acre Foot:
1 acre foot = 325,851 gallons
Enough water to cover a football field with 1 foot of water
Enough water to serve approximately 3.5 average single family homes (in San Luis
Obispo)per year
Gallons per Capita per Day (gpcd):
Calculation= Total Acre Feet x 325.851
City Population x 365
Present Water Demand(acre feet per year):
Calculation = 145 gpcd x Current City Powlation x 365
325,851
Salinas Reservoir:
Maximum Storage Capacity=23,842.9 acre feet
Minimum Pool =storage amount when water extractions must cease = 2,000 acre feet
Surface Area=730 acres
Drainage Area= 112 square miles=71,700 acres
Whale Rock Reservoir:
Maximum Storage Capacity=40662 acre feet
Minimum Pool = storage amount when water extractions must cease 2,000 acre feet
Surface Area= 594 acres
Drainage Area=20.3 square miles = 13,000 acres
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' memomnbum
ICity of San Luis-Obigpo
RECEIVED
DATE: June 19, 2006
JUN 19 2006
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Co '1 SLO CITY CLERK
VIA: Ken Hampian, CAO
FROM: John Moss, Utilities Director
Gary Henderson, Water Division Manager
Ron Munds, Utilities Conservation Coordinator
SUBJECT: Business Item 9-2006 Water Resources Status Report
It has been called to our attention that two "page 2s" were contained in the 2006 Water Resources
Status Report(Attachment 1,pages 9-7 and 9-8). Please note that page 9-7 contains the correct
information. Page 9-8 should be disregarded.
We apologize for any confusion the duplicate page may have caused..
Ija COUNCIL
� I�'CDD LL),i_
;�
RED FILE CAO I$ACAO FIN Di;-
MEETING AGENDA ATTORNEY FIRE cHlc
m y� CLERI(/ORIG C�-RW DW
DA � OU ITEM # ��.`1 ❑ DEPT HEADS F9 POLICE C�;= I
[j-REC DIR
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2��ut�E 1n HR DIR
GA301-03 AGENDAS\Red File Correspondence\Red File 062006 Water Resources Status Report.DOC