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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/18/2010, SS3 - COUNCIL STUDY SESSION REGARDING RAINWATER HARVESTING Council Mus8- 8- �o acEnba Report `m"°m� �s3 CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO FROM: John Mandeville, Community Development Director Prepared By: Tim Girvin, Chief Building Official SUBJECT: Council Study Session Regarding Rainwater Harvesting RECOMMENDATION Following the Study Session on Rainwater Harvesting 1) Direct staff to develop a Rainwater Harvesting Ordinance. 2) Direct staff to collaborate with SLO Green Build and the San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health Department to develop guidelines for the installation and maintenance of rainwater harvesting systems. DISCUSSION After receiving several inquiries during the month of November 2009, Council indicated that they would like to gain a better understanding of the City's regulations and other codes and guidelines that may promote rainwater harvesting. Council's goal is to enable citizens within the City of San Luis Obispo to be able to safely install and use rainwater harvesting systems. Previous City Manager, Ken Hampian indicated that staff would conduct a study session to discuss these issues in more detail during the Spring of 2010. Since November, staff has reviewed various regulations and guidelines to gain a better understanding of potential-effects of altering the codes to allow rainwater harvesting within the City of San Luis Obispo. These included reference material provided by Mike Hicks, owner of Southern Exposure Construction, Federal EPA guidelines and American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) Installation Standards. Additionally, staff has had preliminary discussions with County Environmental Health Department staff and members of SLO Green Build to discuss the issue. There are several sections below that help answer possible questions about codes and rainwater harvesting practices which should provide adequate insight for Council to provide direction for follow-up actions. Water Conservation Section 10.2.2 of the General Plan indicates that the City of San Luis Obispo will be guided by the Ahwahnee Water Principles in planning for water operations, programs and services. Paragraph G states the following: "Community design should maximize the use of recycled water for appropriate applications including outdoor irrigation, toilet flushing and commercial and industrial processes. Purple pipe should be installed in all new construction and remodeled buildings in anticipation of the future availability of recycled water." T:\Rainwater Harvesting\Rainwater CAR.doc S 3 I Rainwater Harvesting Study Session Page 2 Although rainwater harvesting does not result in obtaining "Recycled" water per se, it does utilize an alternate source of water to achieve similar results, to reduce the impacts to the potable water supply. For this reason the General Plan is supportive of use of alternate water sources. Health & Safety/ Potable vs. Non-potable The City of San Luis Obispo acts as the water purveyor within our community. As such, the City is responsible for guaranteeing that the water delivered to customers meets State and Federal standards. To this end, the City must protect its water distribution system from threats of cross- contamination that may occur when alternate sources of water are available at a site. There are codes and standards available to direct the City regarding maintaining safe drinking water or "potable water" from becoming contaminated by alternate sources of water that are used for non- potable purposes. The EPA has published a Municipal Handbook, Rainwater Harvestine Policies Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastucture.. This handbook provides good direction related to establishing a Municipal Rainwater Harvesting Program. Typical non-potable uses are described within the publication which include irrigation, vehicle and equipment washing and toilet flushing. Most of these activities occur outside the building and pose less of a threat of cross contamination. However, providing an alternate source of water for activities such as toilet flushing, which occurs inside the structure, comes with higher risk of cross-contamination. The guidelines and standards that were researched require systems that, propose indoor use be designed by a licensed professional. On this matter, City staff will need to collaborate with the local health officials to determine the best process to follow for the use of rainwater harvesting systems within the City of San Luis Obispo. Stormwater Regulations and the Water Quality Act Much work has occurred related to the development and approval of the City of San Luis Obispo's Stormwater Management Plan (SMP). The SMP, which was approved by the Regional Water Quality Control Board less than a year ago, is a five year plan. This plan includes numerous Best Management Practices, or BMP's that are to be instituted within specific timelines. Year two requirements include the need to introduce Low Impact Development standards and aggressive hydromodification requirements for new development. Hydromodification is the process of calculating the volume of water that may be produced by covering a site with non-porous materials like structures or parking lots then providing enhancements within the development to limit stormwater from exiting the site. Many of these strategies include the use of rain gardens, bioswales or other rainwater harvesting techniques to limit the impacts to creek environments. More changes are anticipated as the City strives to fulfill its obligations to the State, be in conformance with the Federal Water Quality Act and ultimately enhance the safety and effectiveness of its water basin. The City of San Luis Obispo, like many other communities, will be looking for strategic ways to solve stormwater management issues. The use of rainwater harvesting combined with rain gardens will help the City solve many of those issues. By laying a good foundation now that we can build upon as stricter water quality requirements come our way is just good planning. sS 3 -0a, Rainwater Harvesting Study Session Page 3 Green Building Standards & Codes The City of San Luis Obispo is preparing to go green. The State of California has developed and approved a new Green Building Standards Code which is slated for local adoption in January 2011. These "Green" codes are now Part I I of the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, otherwise known as the California Building Standards Code. The purpose of this code is to improve public health, safety and general welfare by enhancing the design and construction of buildings through the use of building concepts having a positive environmental impact and encouraging sustainable construction practices. Much other development of standards and regulations is occurring related to building green. The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) have published the Green Plumbing & Mechanical Code Supplement. IAPMO is a consortium of professionals that develop and publish the Uniform Plumbing Code and the Uniform Mechanical Code, both of which are adopted by the State of California and are used as base documents for the California construction codes. IAPMO and ARCSA have collaborated to create the IAPMO Green Code; a publication that provides an entire chapter related to safe design of alternate water sources. Although the 2008 California Green Code Section 604.5 Rainwater or Stormwater Collection Systems, promotes the voluntary use of rainwater harvesting systems, it lacks the technical information required to design rainwater harvesting systems. Through the City's code adoption process it would be possible to enhance the California Green Code to incorporate reference to prescriptive guidelines such as the IAPMO Green Code supplement or other reference documents which would allow for safe installation and maintenance of rainwater harvesting systems within the City of San Luis Obispo. Types of Systems Rainwater harvesting can be categorized into three types of systems that become increasingly more complex. First, the use of rain-barrels; these are becoming popular with the general public and are the simplest of the systems. This is the large barrel or 55 gallon drum that is strategically placed to gather the roof drainage. Several can be combined to allow for greater storage capacity and they are typically equipped with a faucet near the bottom of the barrel so watering cans can be filled or a hose could be attached to irrigate landscaping with ease. Other designs include use of drip irrigation directly fed from this harvested water supply that can be isolated with valves to help coordinate the proper application of irrigation water. These types of systems are simple to install, have limited maintenance requirements and can be installed without a permit. Second, the use of a cistern; these are larger capacity storage systems, typically buried underground and equipped with a pump. This system would be utilized for outdoor irrigation and other incidental outdoor uses such as car washing, washing walkways or other site cleanup activities. Depending on the owner preference these systems could store hundreds or even thousands of gallons which could provide for long term landscape watering. 'Systems of this size may have more maintenance activities associated with them and water quality could be of a concern due to prolonged storage time. These systems could be designed by a contractor with proficient knowledge in rainwater harvesting systems, requires annual maintenance activities that are more vigorous and would require issuance of a permit. S S 3 -3 Rainwater Harvesting Study Session Page 4 Lastly, the use of a cistern associated with limited indoor use; the design principles remain the same, however the use of alternate water sources indoors does pose a health risk and extra protection measures are required to protect consumers from cross contamination issues. Cross contamination regulations are primarily enforced by the SLO County Environmental Health Department and strict adherence is mandated. Non-nal cross connection prevention remedies are the use of an air-gap combined with installation of a back-flow protection device that is subject to an annual testing and maintenance schedule that is administered by the county. Due to the health issues associated with these systems and based on recommendations in EPA guidelines we would require these systems be designed by a licensed design professional.such as an Architect or a Mechanical Engineer. These systems obviously would also need health department approval and the issuance of a City permit. Pitfalls & Benefits There are but a few pitfalls related to the use of rainwater harvesting systems. Primarily, there are still standards to meet; it will not be as simple as setting a barrel under a drain spout then utilizing the water. All guidelines indicate that appropriate planning and proper installation and maintenance of these systems is key to realize the greatest benefit without suffering negative impacts of the use of this alternate source of water, especially when the proposed use is for indoor activities. Secondarily, it takes commitment from the individuals involved in the safe operation of rainwater harvesting systems. Without the commitment from the community members to operate and maintain these systems once installed, the City may have code enforcement issues to deal with. Lack of maintenance or poor management of harvested rainwater could lead to deterioration of neighborhood conditions due to threat of insect infestations, microbial health hazards, improper drainage or contamination of the City's waterways. The main benefit for the City of San Luis Obispo is that approval of rainwater harvesting regulations will help provide community members with safe guidelines for the use of harvested water that would otherwise come from the City's potable water supplies. Creative use of the City's resources will be essential for continued quality of life within the community and reducing impacts to the City's water supplies will help the City of San Luis Obispo move the in a"green" direction. NEXT STEPS The Chief Building Official will collaborate with the necessary groups in order to determine the appropriate protocols and/or standards to be used for our Rainwater Harvesting Program. Furthermore, the Chief Building Official will be responsible to incorporate necessary changes into the City's local construction codes which will be presented to Council for approval during the fall of 2010 for a January 1, 2011 implementation date, which coincides with the statewide code adoption timeline. ss3 _y Rainwater Harvesting Study Session Page 5 Stakeholder meetings will include members of SLO Green Build, and USGBC C4, as well as other interested parties such as the Siena Club, Eco SLO, the Surfrider Foundation and local construction and design professionals. CONCURRENCES Jon Williams, Backflow Prevention Coordinator for SLO County Environmental Health Department has been consulted and agrees to help coordinate the City's efforts. Andy Pease of the SLO Green Build organization has reviewed and provided feedback and the Utilities Department concurs with this report. FISCAL IMPACT Because the development and approval of these regulations coincides with the triennial adoption of the City's construction codes which includes adoption of the Green Building Standard Codes, there will be minimal fiscal impact associated with the adoption of the rainwater harvesting regulations. ALTERNATIVES Council may allow the Chief Building Official to approve rainwater harvesting systems on a case-by-case basis as an "Alternate Materials or Method" of code compliance which is allowed within the current regulations. � L � From: Donna Godfrey[SMTP:DHGODFREY@CHARTER.NET] Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 8:21:59 AM To: Council, SloCity Subject: Downtown Association Auto forwarded by a Rule Please don't let them get away with shoving the Farmers Association aside. The Downtown people seem to think they should call the shots on everything-that is the Council's job, not theirs. Cancel or amend their contract if necessary,they are not indispensible. Thank you. DG, San Luis Obispo Com '