HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-27-16 PC Item 2 - 2015 Urban Water Management PlanMeeting Date: April 27, 2016
Item Number: 2
PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA REPORT
SUBJECT: 2015 Urban Water Management Plan
PROJECT ADDRESS: Citywide BY: Jennifer Metz, Utilities Project Manager
Phone Number: 781-7239
e-mail: jmetz@slocity.org
FROM: Aaron Floyd, Deputy Director, Water
RECOMMENDATION: Receive a presentation on the 2015 Urban Water Management Plan and
provide feedback to Utilities Department staff on updates to the City’s Water Shortage Contingency
Plan.
SUMMARY
The City’s guiding water policy document for water planning purposes is the Water and Wastewater
Management Element of the General Plan. Key goals, policies, and programs related to the update of
the Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan are included below.
Goals
Water Resource Availability
A 3.1.1 - Manage the City’s water resources to meet the current and future water demand
requirements associated with development envisioned by the General Plan.
Water Supply Accounting and Demand Projection
A 5.1.1 - Identify and meet the City’s multi- source water supply needs.
A 5.1.2 - Accurately forecast future water demand for planning purposes.
Policies
A 2.2.1 Multi-Source Water Supply. The City shall utilize multiple water resources to meet
its water supply needs.
A 6.2.2 Short-term Water Shortages. Mandatory water conservation measures as described in
the City’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan will be implemented when the City's water supplies
are projected to last three years or less.
Programs
Water Supply Accounting and Demand Projection
A 5.3.3 - Prepare and update the Urban Water Management Plan every five years as required
by the State.
Water Conservation
A 6.3.3 - Implement the Water Shortage Contingency Plan as required.
2015 Urban Water Management Plan
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1.0 COMMISSION’S PURVIEW
The Planning Commission provides input on long range planning efforts, such as specific plans,
community plans and all elements of the General Plan. The Planning Commission is also in engaged in
current planning efforts where their role is to review the project for consistency with the General Plan,
Zoning Regulations, and applicable City standards.
2.0 BACKGROUND
The State of California Urban Water Management Planning Act (Act) requires every urban water
supplier providing water for municipal purposes to more than 3,000 customers, or supplying more than
3,000 acre-feet of water annually, to prepare and adopt an Urban Water Management Plan every five
years. The specific purposes of the Urban Water Management Plan are:
1. Document and assess current and future water use trends in the community
2. Describe the sources of water supply and the water system
3. Assess water supply reliability
4. Document the water demand management measures in place to balance supply and demand
5. Act as a source document on the background and history of the water supply system
6. Demonstrate compliance with state law regarding water planning and water conservation
Urban Water Management Plans are foundational documents and
sources of information for Water Supply Assessments and written
verifications of water supply.
The City Council adopted the City’s first Urban Water
Management Plan in November 1994. Subsequent updates have
been submitted to the state in 2000, 2005, and 2010. For this
update, the state legislature extended the filing deadline for the
2015 Plan to July 1, 2016. By adopting a compliant Plan, the City
will remain eligible for State Water Resources Control Board and
Department of Water Resources grants, low interest loans, and
other assistance for both water and wastewater projects.
The City provides water via approximately 15,000 metered
services. The City’s 2015 update will address changes to the
Water Code since 2010 including narratives describing water
demand management, a plan to quantify water loss, electronic
submittal of the plan, use of standardized tables, and other
requirements.
Other than required updates, the City is proposing changes to the City’s existing Water Shortage
Contingency Plan (WSCP). Water shortage contingency planning allows for the City to prepare for and
respond to water shortages such as a drought that occurs over a period of time, or a catastrophic supply
interruption such as a break in a transmission pipeline. As required by the Act, the City’s WSCP is
required to include the following:
Urban Water Management
Plan Required Sections
Introduction and overview
Plan preparation
System description
Water use,
Baselines and targets
System supplies
Water supply reliability
Water shortage
contingency planning
Demand management
measures
Adoption, submittal, and
implementation
2015 Urban Water Management Plan
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Stages of action
Prohibitions
Enforcement (including penalties and charges)
Consumption reduction methods (actions taken by the water agency)
Determining water shortage reductions
Revenue and expenditure impacts
Draft Ordinance
Catastrophic supply interruption
The City’s existing WSCP provided a methodology to reduce water use during declared water
shortages focusing on mandatory measures that would go into effect in the event the City’s water
supplies are projected to last three years or less. The WSCP established actions necessary to achieve
the reduction in water demand including describing how the City would respond if faced with
shortages in water supply as high as 50 percent, as required by state law.
3.0 PROJECT INFORMATION
In the proposed 2015 WSCP, the City is proposing three stages of action ahead of the current
three-year trigger with a “Monitoring” stage in place when the City’s water supplies can yield over five
years of available supply (See Table 2). The proposed “Watch” and “Warning” stages are triggered
when available supplies are reduced to less than five years and less than four years, respectively. Under
this proposal, more time for planning would be realized along with a longer phasing period for reactive
responses.
The 2015 WSCP proposes an updated Water Allotment Methodology based on the following
principles on how to allocate available water in times of water shortage.
1. During water shortages, all customers will be asked to save their share to meet necessary
reduction goals.
2. The WSCP proposes to reduce non-essential uses first and gives the highest priority to
essential health and safety uses.
3. The WSCP recognizes that customers that have already implemented water conservation
measures have less potential for reduction.
4. The WSCP attempts to provide users the flexibility to determine their own reduction
strategies within a water budget.
5. The WSCP commits to communication.
The proposed per capita allotments from the 2010 WSCP have been reduced to reflect the efficiency of
plumbing fixtures as shown in the table below. The minimum allotment has been maintained at 50
gallons per person per day to meet minimum health and safety requirements.
2015 Urban Water Management Plan
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Table 1: Residential Water Allotment Methodology
Existing Stages
(2010)
Per Capita
Allotment
(in gallons per
person per day)
Proposed Stages
(2015)
Per Capita
Allotment
(in gallons per
person per day)
1 72 Severe 64
2 60 Extreme 56
3 50 Critical 48
The goal of the WSCP is to prolong the City’s water supply to withstand a drought or water supply
interruption during whatever magnitude of shortfall the City may experience.
2015 Urban Water Management Plan
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Table 2: Proposed Stages for the 2015 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
STAGE WATER
AVAILABILITY CITY ACTIONS
PER
CAPITA
GOAL
(in Gallons Per
Capita Per Day)
Monitor
5+ years of
available water
supply
City maintains conservation messaging at
levels that ensure compliance with maximum
117 gallons per capita per day (gpcd).
117
Watch
< 5 years of
available water
supply
City increases conservation messaging. City
examines available alternative water sources
(groundwater, Nacimiento full allocation, etc.)
and takes action based on current
circumstances to meet demand. City may
implement mandatory conservation measures
to meet per capita reduction target.
105
Warning
< 4 years of
available water
supply
City implements mandatory conservation
measures including outdoor irrigation
restrictions (examples: 3 or 2 days a week
watering and only serving water upon request
at restaurants).
95
Severe
< 3 years of
available water
supply
City implements Water Allotment Program
and Water Offset Program for new
connections. Additional outdoor irrigation
restrictions may be added (such as no spray
irrigation).
90
Extreme
< 2 years of
available water
supply
City continues to implement a Water
Allotment Program with reduced levels.
Water Offset Program for new connections
may be increased. Outdoor irrigation may be
prohibited for all uses. Cessation of all new
connections may be considered.
85
Critical
< 1 year of
available water
supply
City continues to implement a Water
Allotment Program at further reduced levels
(minimum for public health and safety).
Outdoor irrigation prohibited for all uses.
Water Offset Program to cease and no new
connections permitted.
80
2015 Urban Water Management Plan
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4.0 NEXT STEPS
The Urban Water Management Plan is scheduled to be heard by the City Council on June 14, 2016.
5.0 RESOURCE DOCUMENTS
1. LINK to 2010 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN:
http://www.slocity.org/home/showdocument?id=6369
2. CURRENT DROUGHT INFORMATION:
http://www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/utilities-department/conservation/current-
drought-information