HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-20-2017 Item 05 Revised 2016 Water Resources Status Report Meeting Date: 6/20/2017
FROM: Carrie Mattingly, Utilities Director
Prepared By: Aaron Floyd, Utilities Deputy Director - Water
Jennifer Metz, Utilities Projects Manager
Mychal Boerman, Water Resources Program Manager
SUBJECT: REVISED 2016 WATER RESOURCES STATUS REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
Receive and file the Revised 2016 Water Resources Status Report.
DISCUSSION
This report replaces the 2016 Water Resources Status Report received by Council on December
13, 2016 due to a calculation error. General Plan policy A5.2.3 states the reliability reserve will
be calculated using 20 percent of current population. The prior report errantly used 20 percent
the City’s urban reserve capacity population for the calculation. With the correction, the
reliability reserve decreases from 1,499 to 1,209 acre-feet and secondary water supply increases
from 3,114 to 3,404 acre-feet. The total water resource availability is unchanged.
The 2016 Water Resources Status Report (Attachment A) provides an overview and update on
the City's water resources. These reports have been provided to the City Council and community
since 1985 and serve to both inform future policy decisions as well as provide historical
documentation of water conditions.
Similar to the 2015 Water Resources Status Report, the water year reporting period extends from
October 1 through September 30. The water year is designated by the calendar year in which it
ends. This report covers water year 2016.
2016 Water Year Summary
Total Water Use: 4,730.53 acre feet
Potable Water Use 4,528.61 acre feet
Recycled Water Use 201.92 acre feet
2016 Population 46,117 residents
Per Capita Demand Per Day (Potable Only) 87.67 gallons
Water Projection Model (as of September 30, 2016) >5 years of supply
Water Resource Availability:
Salinas & Whale Rock Reservoirs (Safe Annual
Yield) 6,940 acre feet
Nacimiento Reservoir (Dependable Yield) 5,482 acre feet
Recycled Water (from 2015) 187 acre feet
Siltation (from 2010 to 2060) (500) acre feet
Total Water Resource Availability: 12,109 acre feet
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Water Supply Accounting:
Primary Water Supply 1 7,496 acre feet
Reliability Reserve 2 1,209 acre feet
Secondary Water Supply 3 3,404 acre feet
Total Water Supply: 12,109 acre feet
NOTES:
1. Per General Plan policy A 5.2.2, primary water supply is the amount of water needed for
General Plan build-out using the water use rate established by policy A 5.2.1 (117 gallons
per capita per day).
2. Per General Plan policy A 5.2.3, reliability reserve that is 20-percent of the water use
rate established in Policy A 5.2.1 multiplied by the City’s current population (46,117 in
2015).
3. Per General Plan policy A 5.2.4, secondary water supply is the remaining City water supply
available after accounting for primary water supply and a reliability reserve.
Water availability for 2016 is 12,109 acre feet, an increase of 2,124 acre feet over 2015 due to
the full allocation of Nacimiento Reservoir and increased recycled water usage.
Water supply accounting reflects the General Plan, Water and Wastewater Management Element
Policies A 5.2.2 through A 5.2.4, adopted by the City Council in June 2016.
Drought Update
The statewide drought emergency continued during the 2016 Water Year, with the drought now
into its fifth year (2011 to 2016). State drought regulations that began in 2014, were expanded in
2015, and continued through the 2016 Water Year. On May 9, 2016, the Governor issued an
Executive Order that directed the State Water Resources Control Board to adjust and extend its
emergency water conservation regulations through the end of January 2017 in recognition of the
differing water supply conditions for many communities, and to develop proposed emergency
water restrictions for 2017 if the drought persists.
Following the Governor's Executive Order in April 2015, the State Water Board adopted
mandatory statewide reductions with the City's required reduction at 12 percent. The community
continues to do an outstanding job in reducing water consumption in response to the new
regulations. The City is on target to meet State requirements, as shown in the table below,
achieving an average 21 percent reduction in the 2016 Water Year over 2013 water usage.
2015 Water Year
Reduction
2016 Water Year
Reduction
Total Water Year Reduction
from 2013 Usage 16% 21%
Notes: The reduction represents the total water reduction achieved in the Water Year from water
usage in 2013. The City's mandatory 12 percent reduction went into effect in June 2015, so were not
in place during the full 2015 Water Year. Data does not include recycled water.
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, 2016.
Efforts made by the City in 2016 to encourage water conservation through active outreach have
included hosting a community water forum, offering rebates and free water saving fixtures, and
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numerous site visits to assist concerned residents.
The Governor's latest drought-related Executive Order (B-37-16) established a new water use
efficiency framework for California by aiming to "Make Conservation a California Way of
Life." The 2016 Executive Order bolsters the state's drought resilience and preparedness by
establishing longer-term water conservation measures that include:
Permanent monthly water use reporting,
New urban water use targets,
Reducing system water loss,
Eliminating clearly wasteful practices, and
Strengthening urban drought contingency plans.
These updated measures aim to not only reduce immediate water use but to establish a long-term
change in the way Californians think about water.
Recycled Water
Use of recycled water for irrigation and construction water totaled 201.92 acre feet for the 2016
Water Year, up from 168 acre feet in 2015. Approximately 17 acre feet of this usage was for
construction water. A total of 44 construction water permits were sold during the 2015 -16 fiscal
year, with 28 permits sold so far during the 2016-17 fiscal year.
Corporation Yard Well
As part of the overall water management strategy adopted by City Council in June 2015, the
City's Corporation Yard well, located on Prado Road, was brought under a permit syste m. This
change generated 40 permit users in 2015, with another 40 permits issued so far in 2016. The
City Council will be considering eliminating access to the Corporation Yard Well at its June 20,
2017 meeting.
Water Modeling
The City uses two models to assist in water management. The first is the Water Projection Model
which is used to assess the City's current water availability. This model was updated to include
climate data from the 2012-14-time period to more accurately reflect the impacts of the drought.
Based on this analysis, the model indicated the City has a greater than five-year supply of water.
The second model used is the Safe Annual Yield Model. This model defines the annual amount
of water available from Salinas and Whale Rock Reservoirs when operated in a coordinated
manner. The current combined Safe Annual Yield for Salinas and Whale Rock Reservoirs is
6,940 acre feet per year. Since it is unknown how long the drought will last, model updates used
hypothetical precipitation scenarios for the upcoming rain season. The results of these model
runs showed that a relatively normal rainfall year would not impact the Safe Annual Yield;
however, a continued drought will negatively impact the safe annual yield. This figure may need
to be lowered after the upcoming winter rainfall if the Central Coast receives a less than normal
amount of precipitation.
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Water Resource Project Outlook for 2017
The City is updating the 2004 Water Reuse Master Plan which is scheduled to be complete in
2017. This plan will serve to inform the City as to the amount of recycled water that can be
produced as well as the best utilization of this resource. The City is also reviewing the rate it
charges for recycled water, which has been set at 90 percent of the City's potable rate since the
program's inception.
Staff will return to Council in March 2017 with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
(SGMA). This new State law will initially require the formation of Groundwater Sustainability
Agencies (GSAs) by June 2017. These GSAs will then work to create a plan to manage the
groundwater resources of the San Luis Obispo basin.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Water Resource Status Report is not a "project" under the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA), because the action does not involve any commitment to a specific project which
may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment, as contemplated by
Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Section 15378.
CONCURRENCES
Community Development concurs with the environmental review findings.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no fiscal impacts associated with the recommended action.
Attachments:
a - Revised 2016 Water Resources Status Report
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
2016
Water Resources
Status Report
This Report Covers October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016
Whale Rock Reservoir. 2016
Photo credit: City of San Luis Obispo
REVISION 1: June 2017
The original report accepted by the City Council on December 13, 2016 included
calculation errors for the Reliability Reserve and Secondary Water Supply – this
revision corrects those errors.
PREPARED BY:
Jennifer Metz, Utilities Projects Manager
Aaron Floyd, Utilities Deputy Director-Water
Mychal Boerman, Water Resources Program Manager
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The City of San Luis Obispo 2016 Water Resources Status Report includes water production and water
consumption data for October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016 and was prepared in accordance with
the General Plan, Water and Wastewater Management Element, Policy A5.3.1. The reporting period
corresponds to the Water Year (October 1 through September 30), the 12-month period for which
precipitation totals are measured. The water year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends. This
report covers Water Year 2016. The Report is organized as follows:
I. Drought Update
II. Water Policy Update
III. Water Supply
IV. Water Demand
V. Water Resource Availability
VI. Water Supply Accounting
VII. Water Demand Management
I. DROUGHT UPDATE
The statewide drought emergency continued during the 2016 Water Year, with the drought now into its
fifth year during 2016. State drought regulations that began in 2014, were expanded in 2015, and
continued through the 2016 Water Year. On May 9, 2016, the Governor issued an Executive Order that
directed the State Water Resources Control Board to adjust and extend its emergency water conservation
regulations through the end of January 2017 in recognition of the differing water supply conditions for
many communities, and to develop proposed emergency water restrictions for 2017 if the drought
persists.
The Governor’s latest drought-related Executive Order (B-37-16) established a new water use efficiency
framework for California by aiming to “Make Conservation a California Way of Life.”
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The 2016 Executive Order bolsters the state’s drought resilience and preparedness by establishing longer-
term water conservation measures that include:
Permanent monthly water use reporting,
New urban water use targets,
Reducing system water loss,
Eliminating clearly wasteful practices, and
Strengthening urban drought contingency plans.
These updated measures aim to not only reduce immediate water use but to establish a long-term change
in the way Californians think about water.
LOCAL RESPONSE
The drought brought about unprecedented regulatory action from the State of California which required
a mandatory 12 percent reduction in City water use when compared with 2013 water use. To comply with
this mandate, the City Council adopted a drought response strategy in June 2015. This strategy is still in
place and includes the following:
Adoption of a resolution declaring a drought emergency;
Adoption of a resolution to defer new landscape installation or the use of modified landscape
plans during the drought emergency;
Adoption of an ordinance amending Chapter 13.07 of the City’s Municipal Code to include two-
day-a-week and time-of-day restrictions for outdoor watering;
Approval of an incentive program for high efficiency toilets and washing machines; and
Adoption of a resolution establishing a permit fee for the use of the Corporation Yard
groundwater well.
The community continues to do an outstanding job in reducing water consumption in response to the
regulations. The City is on target to meet State requirements, as shown in the table below, achieving an
average 21 percent reduction in the 2016 Water Year over 2013 water usage.
2015 Water Year
Reduction
2016 Water Year
Reduction
Total Water Year Reduction
from 2013 Usage 16% 21%
Note: The reduction represents the total water reduction achieved in the Water Year from water
usage in 2013. The City’s mandatory 12 percent reduction went into effect in June 2015, so were
not in place during the full 2015 Water Year. Data does not include recycled water.
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, 2016.
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The City’s enforcement strategy has relied on
active enforcement of water waste prohibitions,
with a focus on providing information and
resources to the public in order to encourage the
correction of existing violations and to encourage
voluntary compliance.
During Water Year 2016, City staff issued 528
formal and informal violation notifications. Of the
528 violations recorded, only 55 were repeat
violations with only 12 total properties being
contacted more than two times throughout the
course of the year. Violations throughout the year
were predominantly related to issues with
irrigation systems. 281 of the violations recorded
were related to water runoff from irrigation
systems while another 228 violations were due to
irrigating on a prohibited day or during prohibited
hours. The remaining 20 violations were related to
issues such as watering within 48-hours of
measurable rainfall, washing a vehicle without a
shutoff nozzle, and using a hose to wash down a
driveway or sidewalk.
Given the strong relationship between irrigation
and water waste violations, most violations occur
during peak irrigation season (from May through
October) and become nearly non-existent during
winter months. As shown in the Violations Heat
Map, there are several areas of town where
violations occur most frequently. Given advanced
reporting and tracking efforts, efforts are focused
on areas of town with high likelihood of violations.
When violations occur they are geocoded and
permanently recorded with information such as
type of violation, customer contact method, and
outcome of contact. This recording of data helps
track frequency of violation and if response to
violations needs to be escalated due to repeated
violations.
Prohibited
Day/Time
228
Water Runoff
281
Other
Violations
20
Violation
Types
280
Phone Calls
192
Door
Tags
54
In-
Person
2 Notice
of
Violations
Issued
Violation Response
Methods
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Water Waste Violations Heat Map
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, 2016.
The Water Waste Violations Heat Map shows locations in the City that experienced the
highest number of water waste violations during the 2016 Water Year. These violations
include watering within 48-hours of measurable rainfall, washing a vehicle without a
shutoff nozzle, and using a hose to wash down a driveway or sidewalk.
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II. WATER POLICY UPDATE
The City’s guiding water policy document for water resource planning is the General Plan Water and
Wastewater Management Element (WWME). The WWME was updated on June 16, 2016 along with the
2015 Urban Water Management Plan. As part of the 2016 update, the City changed the factor used in
water supply accounting and demand projections to use the per capita potable water use rate allowed
under Senate Bill X7-7 (Water Conservation Act of 2009) of 117 gallons per capita per day (gpcd).
The updated policy language reads as follows:
The City will utilize the per capita water use rate allowed by SB X7-7 for projecting future
potable water demand established as 117 gallons per capita per day.
Prior to this update, the City used a water use rate based on a 10-year running average of gpcd. Using 117
gpcd is a more conservative approach as a 10-year average can be influenced by drought years where the
City can experience a significant reduction in potable water demand.
In June of 2016, the City updated its Urban Water Management Plan. This update is required by the State
of California Urban Water Management Planning Act to occur every five years. The preparation of the
2015 Urban Water Management Plan (2015 Plan) was unique in that it took place during unprecedented
drought conditions statewide. As part of the 2015 Plan, changes were made to the City’s Water Shortage
Contingency Plan. Water shortage contingency planning allows for the City to be prepared for and respond
to water shortages such as a drought or a catastrophic supply interruption such as a break in a
transmission pipeline. To provide more time to respond to water shortages, a six-staged demand
management response was included in the plan with a “Monitoring” stage in place at all times.
The update to the Water Shortage Contingency Plan in the 2015 Urban Water Management Plan includes
implementation of mandatory water conservation measures when the City’s water supplies are projected
to last five years or less. This change from the prior plan’s three year or less plan allows for more time to
incrementally implement water shortage response strategies. The policy language is as follows:
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 five years or less.
III. WATER SUPPLY
Per WWME Policy A2.2.1, the City uses multiple water sources to
meet its water supply needs. The city has four primary water supply
sources including Whale Rock Reservoir, Salinas Reservoir,
Nacimiento Reservoir, and recycled water (for landscape irrigation
and construction water), with groundwater serving as a fifth
supplemental source. The supply per source for Water Year 2016
(October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016) is summarized below.
City of San Luis Obispo
Water Supply Sources
Nacimiento Reservoir
Whale Rock Reservoir
Recycled Water
Salinas Reservoir
Groundwater
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2016 City Water Supply by Source (Acre Feet)
Nacimiento
Reservoir
Whale Rock
Reservoir 2
Recycled
Water
Salinas
Reservoir Groundwater 3 Total City Water
Demand
3,834.5 685.92 201.92 8.19 0 4,730.53
81.06% 14.50% 4.27% 0.17% 0 % 100%
Notes:
1. All Values are rounded.
2. Water delivered to Cal Poly State University is excluded from the City’s water demand.
3. Groundwater was not used for potable purposes during the 2016 Water Year.
NACIMIENTO RESERVOIR
Water deliveries to the City of San Luis Obispo from Nacimiento Reservoir began in January
2011. San Luis Obispo County operates and maintains the delivery of water from Nacimiento
Reservoir to participating agencies (currently the cities of Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo,
Atascadero Mutual Water Company, Templeton Community Services District, County Service
Area 10A [Cayucos], Santa Margarita Ranch, and Bella Vista Mobile Home Park). The Nacimiento
Project Commission provides oversight to project operations, maintenance, and the project
budget. The Commission is made up of representatives from each of the four agencies’
governing boards and a County Representative who is a member of the County Board of
Supervisors which also sits as the Board of Directors for the Flood Control District.
In March 2016, the City Council approved the addition of 2,102 afy from Nacimiento Reservoir to
the City’s secondary water supply, referred to as the “full allocation” of Nacimiento. This addition
brought the City’s contractual right to Nacimiento Reservoir from 3,380 afy to 5,482 afy. The City
uses secondary water supplies to meet short-term water supply losses due to events such as
drought, pipeline maintenance, and repair of infrastructure. With uncertainty of future climatic
conditions, regulation and aging infrastructure, the additional supply of water from Nacimiento
Reservoir to the City’s portfolio reduces pressure on use of water supplies in Whale Rock and
Salinas reservoirs serving to extend these stored supplies during future critical water shortage
periods.
Nacimiento Reservoir, 2016.
Photo credit: City of San Luis Obispo.
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Since the full allocation was approved in March 2016 and the budget amendment to cover the
expense associated with the additional pumping costs was approved in June , the City has
significantly increased the volume of water it utilized from Nacimiento to serve the community’s
water demand. During the 2016 Water Year, over 81 percent of the City’s total water demand
was met by Nacimiento Reservoir. The City utilized twice as much water from Nacimiento
Reservoir during the 2016 Water Year than the prior year.
SALINAS & WHALE ROCK RESERVOIRS
Salinas and Whale Rock Reservoirs served as the City’s primary water supplies for over 50 years.
The City pays the County of San Luis Obispo Flood Control and Water Conservation District
(County) to provide oversight, operations, and maintenance of the Salinas Dam and related water
delivery facilities. The City provides the oversight, operations, and maintenance of the Whale
Rock Reservoir for the benefit of the Whale Rock Commission, a joint powers agency made up of
Cal Poly State University, California Men’s Colony, and the City.
During the 2016 Water Year, the City utilized a total of 694.11 acre feet from Salinas and Whale
Rock reservoirs.
RECYCLED WATER
For the 2016 Water Year, the City delivered 202 acre feet of recycled water, up from 168 acre
feet for the 2015 Water Year. The biggest increase in recycled water use during the 2016 Water
Year was construction water. Total construction water use in the 2016 Water Year was 20 acre
feet, up from 10 acre feet during the 2015 water year. The City has had a Construction Water
Permit Program since 2010.
5,285 5,541 5,892
4,988 4,731
2,181
1,502 1,247
1,891
3,835
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Utilization of Water Supply
from Nacimiento Reservoir
Total City Water Demand (in acre feet)Acre Feet utilized from Nacimiento Reservoir
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The design phase for the City’s Water Resource Recovery
Facility (WRRF) Project is underway in 2016 which is planned
to maximize recycled water production. The upgrade will
enable the City to consider potable reuse, part of a One
Water concept, in the future.
The City is currently updating to the 2004 Water Reuse
Master Plan which is scheduled to be complete in 2017. The
City is also reviewing the rate it charges for recycled water,
which has been set at 90 percent of the City’s potable rate
since the program’s inception.
GROUNDWATER
The City transitioned from utilizing groundwater for potable
purposes with the last withdrawal occurring in April 2015.
The City’s groundwater wells remain in an operable, stand-
by position should the use of groundwater be required .
Other existing well casings are being revitalized to provide
greater drought resiliency. The City is also working with a
hydrogeologist to site a future well field for a potential
groundwater program expansion and for sitin g of the
withdrawal of highly treated wastewater for an indirect
potable reuse system.
With the emergency drought declaration in 2015, the City established a permit fee and
procedures for use of the Corporation Yard groundwater well. The program was started in
recognition of the drought and the importance of the groundwater resources and the management of this
resource to community and others within the San Luis Groundwater Basin. During the 2016 water year,
that permit program entered its second year and has 40 participants.
Non-potable well water is also used at the Laguna Lake Golf Course for landscape irrigation.
WATER MODELING
The City performs water planning through the use of different models. The Water Projection
Model, or Wet Water Model, is used to inform the amount of water the City has available during
the water year. This model inputs include an annual one percent population increases, current
total water demand (in gallons per capita per day), current levels of Salinas and Whale Rock
Reservoir, contractual water received from Nacimiento Reservoir, and climate data associated
with each reservoir in terms of lack of precipitation and increase in evaporation for the worst
years of the drought (2012-14). These drought-year climate impacts are assumed for every year
moving forward, even in more “normal” years such as 2015 and 2016. With this model, the City
is able to analyze the effects of more severe climatic conditions, such as increased evaporation
and decreased precipitation, in our stored water reservoirs.
The upgrade of the Water Resource
Recovery Facility will enable the City to
consider potable reuse in the future, part
of a One Water concept.
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In March 2016, the model was updated to include the additional water supply from the full
allocation of Nacimiento Reservoir. While the last model run shows the City having more than
five years of available water, the uncertainty of when the drought will end and what impact
future climate change may have still remain.
IV. WATER DEMAND
During Water Year 2016, over 63
percent of total water use in the City
was to support single and multi-family
residential uses. Historical water use is
summarized below, as well as
corresponding population, per capita
use rate, and precipitation. The 2016 per
capita water use was 91.6 gallons per
capita per day (gpcd). Based on WWME
policies, the City uses 117 gpcd to
project water required to serve build-
out population.
Population, Water Use & Rainfall
Year Population Total Water Use
(acre feet)
Per Capita
(gpcd)
Rainfall1,2,3
(inches)
2007 44,433 6,493 130.5 12.7
2008 44,579 6,359 127.3 18.1
2009 44,829 6,134 122.2 18.9
2010 44,948 5,489 109.0 36.0
2011 45,418 5,285 103.9 18.9
2012 45,308 5,541 109.2 21.5
2013 45,541 5,892 115.5 3.8
2014 45,473 5,524 108.5 14.2
2015 45,802 4,990 97.3 11.8
2016 46,117 4 4,731 91.6 17.8
Notes:
1. Rai nfa ll amou nts for 2005 –2012 cal endar year source: Cal Poly CIMIS W eather Statio n.
2. Rai nfa ll amou nt fo r calendar year 2013-2015: SLO Reservoir.
3. Data for 2007 through 2014 presents calendar year rainfall data. 2015 and 2016 rainfall data covers the Water
Year (October through September).
4. http://www.dof.ca.gov/Forecasting/Demographics/Estimates/e -1/
41.17%
22.41%
24.98%
6.73%4.31%0.40%
Water Consumption by Land Use
Type
Single Family Multi Family
Non-Residential Irrigation (Potable)
Irrigation (Recycled)Construction Water (Recycled)
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With the City’s multi-source water supply, its reservoirs are in different watersheds, therefore
rainfall throughout San Luis Obispo County can benefit the City. Average rainfall at various sites
within San Luis Obispo is described below.
Location
Annual Average
Rainfall
(in inches)
2016 Water Year
Total Rainfall
(in inches)
Rock Butte 39 26.89
Hwy 46 and W 7 Mile Road in Cambria, CA 30 19.93
SLO Reservoir 25 17.80
Salinas Dam 23 13.46
Source: http://www.slocountywater.org/site/Water%20Resources/Data/maps/precipitation-real-time.htm
V. WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY
The following table summarizes the Water Resource Availability based on WWME Section 3.
Water availability for 2016 is 12,109 acre feet, an increase of 2,124 acre feet over 2015 due to
the full allocation of Nacimiento Reservoir and increased recycled water usage.
2016 Water Resource Availability
Water Resource Acre Feet Description 2016 Increase
Salinas & Whale Rock Reservoirs 6,940 Safe Annual Yield 1 -
Nacimiento Reservoir 5,482 Dependable Yield 2 2,102 acre feet
Recycled Water 187 2015 Annual Usage 3 22 acre feet
Siltation from 2010 to 2060 (500) WWME Policy A 4.2.2 4 -
12,109 2016 Annual Availability 2,124 acre feet
NOTES:
1. Safe Annual Yield determined from computer model, which accounts for siltation loss through 2010 (per WWME
Policy A 4.2.1).
2. Dependable Yield is the contractual amount of water the City has rights to from Nacimiento Reservoir.
3. The quantity of recycled water included is the actual prior year’s recycled water usage (calendar year 2015) per
WWME Policy A 7.2.2.
4. Reservoir siltation is a natural occurrence that reduces storage capacity over long periods, resulting in the
reduction of safe annual yield.
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, 2015. View of San Luis Obispo from Tassajara Peak.
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VI. WATER SUPPLY ACCOUNTING
Per WWME Section 5, the City accounts for water supplies necessary to meet three specific
community needs:
Primary water supply
Reliability reserve
Secondary water supply
The City’s primary water supply is defined as the
amount of water needed to serve the build-out
population identified in the General Plan, Land Use
Element (2014). Table 3 in the Land Use Element
identifies an urban reserve capacity of 57,200 people.
The quantity of water needed for the primary water
supply is calculated per WWME Policy A 5.2.2, using
117 gallons per capita per day (gpcd).
The reliability reserve provides a buffer for future
unforeseen or unpredictable long-term impacts to the
City’s water supply. The quantity of water for the
reliability reserve is established using 20 percent of
the existing City population (46,117, 2016 population)
at 117 gpcd, thus the reliability reserve will increase
over time as population increases. The reliability
reserve concept is included in the City’s Charter
(Section 909) which identifies that the water may not
be used to serve future development, and is defined
per WWME Policy A 5.2.3.
The secondary water supply is the amount of water remaining from the City’s available water
resources above those needed to meet the primary water supply and reliability reserve. The
secondary supply is identified to meet peak water demand periods or short -term loss of City
water supply sources, per WWME Policy A 5.2.4.
Water supply accounting is summarized in the table below .
2016 Water Supply Accounting (acre feet)
Total Primary Water Supply Reliability Reserve Secondary Water Supply
12,109 7,496 1,209 3,404
Primary Water Supply
= 117 gpcd x City Build-out Population
= 117 gpcd x 57,200 x 365 day/year x
Acre-Ft/325,853 gal
7,496 Acre-Ft/year
Reliability Reserve
= 117 gpcd x 2015 City Population x 20%
= 117 gpcd x 46,117 x 365 day/year x
Acre-Ft/325,853 gal x 20%
1,209 Acre-Ft/year
Secondary Water Supply
= Current Annual Availability – Primary
Water Supply – Reliability Reserve
= 12,109 Acre-Ft/year A – 7,496 Acre-
Ft/year – 1,209 Acre-Ft/year
3,404 Acre-Ft/year
A 2016 Annual Availability
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City of San Luis Obispo
2016 Water Resources Status Report
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VII. WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT
The City’s water conservation program is an integral part of its overall water management
strategy. In the late 1980’s, the City implemented effective water efficiency programs and
policies that allowed for continued community growth and economic development during water-
constrained periods. Through strong conservation efforts, the community has reduced its annual
average per capita water use from over 180 gallons in 1987 to 91.6 for the 2016 Water Year.
With the lack of local drought relief from El Nino, the City continued its message related to water
conservation while much of the media was declaring the drought “over” due to high quantities
of rainfall in the northern half of the state. Along with its continued face-to-face contact with
customers, the City continued to implement water conservation rebate programs, school
education programs, and increased public outreach related to the ongoing drought. The
outreach program currently consists of messaging on the City’s so cial media platforms and
website along with traditional printed media such as the quarterly Resource Newsletter.
In order to reach all local demographics, City staff diversified outreach efforts by attending local
events such as Farmers Market, the SLO Home Expo, the Disaster Preparedness Expo, and the
Community Water Forum. Adding to traditional media outlets, staff was interviewed on local
radio, advertised on broadcast media, and created a video explaining the history of the City’s
water resource and conservation programs.
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City of San Luis Obispo
2016 Water Resources Status Report
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REGIONAL WATER RESOURCE PLANNING
Beyond the involvement in the Nacimiento Water Project, the City continues to participate as a
member of the Water Resources Advisory Council and Regional Water Management Group,
which promotes collaborative, integrated management of water resources within San Luis
Obispo County and provides policy recommendations to the County Board of Supervisors. In
addition, the City participates in the regional water conservation group Partners in Water
Conservation.
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is a statewide policy that empowers local
agencies to adopt groundwater management plans that relate to the needs and resources of their
communities. In the future, the City sees groundwater continuing to play an important and useful
role in the balancing of its overall water supply portfolio. Associated with SGMA is the
requirement to form a Groundwater Sustainability Agency by mid-2017 and create a
Groundwater Sustainability Plan by 2022.
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