HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-02-2015 PH3 AaronLomeli, Monique
From: Marx, Jan
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2015 6:14 AM
To: jim aaron
Cc: Mejia, Anthony
Subject: RE: City Council meeting tomorrow regarding water conservation policies
Thanks for your message. I'm including our city clerk in this response so that it is posted on our website as agenda
correspondence.
Best.
Jan
Jan Marx
Mayor
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Office of the City Council
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JUN 02 2015
COUNCIL MEETING: brat 02 15
ITEM NO-
From: jim aaron Dimaaronconsulting @gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2015 8:43 PM
To: Marx, Jan; Ashbaugh, John; Carpenter, Dan; Christianson, Carlyn; Rivoire, Dan
Subject: City Council meeting tomorrow regarding water conservation policies
Dear Mayor and Council members
I am responding to the city's current drought information and policies put forward last week at the Ludwig
Center and the Water Forum presented by staff.
Specifically the out dated rain harvest information that was provided and also the very policies the city is
projecting in terms of rain harvesting. It was quite obvious to me that the staff does not see rain water harvest
as a viable solution.
As some one who has worked for the past two years in the water conservation business for one of two certified
green plumbers in the county I have witnessed first hand what can be achieved in water conservation in
Cambria.
I would like to see the city waive the permit fee's for the Storm Rewards program and by the way the $1000
rebate from Storm Rewards was not even mentioned in the city's presentation. There was $175,000 available to
SLO residents to install rain harvest barrels through the Storm Rewards program I have no idea how much has
been released but I would suggest the city help not hinder the program.
The second item I would like to address is the idea of making the city's purple water available to residents and
not just large construction companies.
This was a successful strategy in Cambria where the CCSD made non potable water available to residents.
This is a key component in the Rain Harvesting movement because it gives consumers the ability to store the
non potable water in the dry season and makes the rain harvest investment worthwhile for the homeowner.
In the case of some of the larger estate properties in Cambria we were able to harvest 10,000 +/- gallons of rain
and bring in non potable deliveries to cover 100% of their landscaping needs with no CCSD Potable well water.
This policy would help the landscapers keep their jobs and give residents time to adjust to better drought
resistant landscaping while providing residents a way to save what they have with the recycled water that you
have available.
I would point out the current plan does not provide any incentive for conservation in any urgent way.
I'predict you will have to install strict penalties to reach your mandates, what I'm suggesting is another path that
would serve the city in a friendlier manner.
Rather than penalize residents offer them a chance to purchase a cistern and fill it with non potable water.
Combined with the Storm Rewards program you already have a pretty good incentive for people to invest in
equipment that will conserve water for years to come and be proactive about conservation.
I'm including a link to one of our vendors Bushman USA. I invite you to check out the pictograph on their
website as it will give you more insight to the potential of Rain harvest than I can articulate quickly here.
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Thank you for your time and I welcome any of you who are interested to contact me anytime regarding what
can be done to help local residents become proactive with sustainable solutions for water conservation.
Sincerely
Jim Aaron
San Luis Obispo CA 93401