HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/06/1990, 8 - RECONSIDERATION OF THE WATER OFFSET (RETROFIT) PROGRAM. �Illy�i����il(IIIII� VIi IIClty of t2 MEETING DATE:
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COUNCIL San-LUIS Ou,SPO ITEM NUMBER
Q
AGENDA REPORT Q
0
FROM: Arnold Jonas, Community Development Director
PREPARED BY: Glen Matteson, Associate Planner
SUBJECT: Reconsideration of the water offset (retrofit) program.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Consider this report and give staff direction on any preferred
changes from current procedures, with any needed ordinance
changes to return at a future meeting.
DISCUSSION
Existing regulations
The city's Water Allocation Regulations limit development
according to relationships between water supplies and water use.
According to the regulations, a project otherwise needing a water
allocation to be built may make itself exempt by making changes
in existing development that will save twice the needed water
allocation (Section 17.89.030.B[5]) . Program information
material and proposal forms, recently revised based on experience
over the last year, are attached.
Results
This provision has been in effect since summer 1988, but has been
used extensively only in the last year. By the end of April, 21
projects had retrofitted 491 dwellings and motel units, with an
expected net water savings of about 14 acre-feet. (Most of these
projects were individual houses, but add-on apartments, small
commercial buildings, and tenant changes have all participated in
the program. ) Over 1,000 additional dwellings and motel units
were proposed to be retrofitted, with nearly all of these
accounted for by 21-lot and 13-lot subdivisions on Royal Way and
a 52-house tract in the Edna-Islay area. The net savings from
completing these additional retrofits will be about 34 acre-feet
annual water use. The most popular and cost-effective retrofit
target has been one-bathroom dwellings and motel rooms, replacing
five-gallon toilets with 1.5-gallon toilets. Nearly all the
retrofits have been in apartments and motels, but we have also
had proposals for houses, offices, stores, churches, schools, and
a carwash.
Separately from the Water Allocation Regulations, the council has
asked staff to explore a program that would rebate to water
customers part of the cost of retrofitting toilets. This
information ,is forthcoming from the Utilities Department.
city of San tins OBISpo
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Situation
The council reconsidered the offset program in November 1989, and
decided to make no changes. Options discussed at that time
included eliminating it and increasing the ratio between the
required offset and a project's water use. On May 1, 1990, the
council again asked that the program be reconsidered.
Evaluation
Now that target water use levels under rationing have been
reduced and further rate increases are likely, water customers
have more incentive to make their properties available for
retrofitting under the offset program. However, staff thinks
that few owners would voluntarily absorb the full cost of
retrofitting only to reduce their water bills. Costs have ranged
from about $200 to $1,100 dollars per retrofitted dwelling. The
city would not have experienced the recent level of retrofitting
activity without the incentive of building approval in exchange
for net water savings.
There are about 19,500 dwellings and motel units in the city.
About 400 were built with low-flow toilets (1.5 gallon) and
another 1,500 have been, or are about to be, retrofitted. That
leaves about 17,600 potential retrofits. Probably not all of
these could or would be retrofitted. Assuming one-half of them
(8,800) are retrofitted by developers, the equivalent of about
600 new houses could be built, with a net water savings of about
220 acre-feet. The 600 houses would be three year's growth at
the one-percent maximum annual rate called for by the general
plan. The remaining 8,800 dwellings/motel units could be the
target of the city's rebate program. If one-half of these units
were retrofitted, the net savings would be another roughly 220
acre-feet. The results after about three years:
1990 1990 1993 1993
water demand at dwellings water demand at dwellings
normal level /rooms normal level /rooms
8,060 acre-feet 198500 7,620 acre-feet 20,100
The number of dwellings/motel rooms would increase about three
percent, and the normal level of water use (assuming no
rationing) would decline by about 5.5 percent.
. Staff has developed what are intended to be conservative, yet
realistic, estimates of water savings from specific retrofit
features (attached material) . The numbers are based on Morro
Bays six-year-old program and data developed for the federal
Department of Housing and Urban Development, the state Department
of Water Resources, and the City of Santa Barbara. Now that
there are several hundred retrofitted units and water. meter
�d � iIIIIIIIpn ��N�il city of San Luis OBISpo
lawftmaims COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
readings from two winters, staff can begin to evaluate actual
local experience. If necessary, staff can adjust the numbers
based on that experience without returning to the council for
ordinance amendments. Because the results are so important to
builders and to water customers, staff has tried to operate the
water allocation and offset programs with high levels of service
and accountability.
ATTACHMENT
Water Use Offsets information package., with forms
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
April 1990
WATER USE OFFSETS
(Retrofit Program)
Purpose
This program is intended to allow development which will not increase city water use
and to encourage water savings which otherwise would not occur.
San Luis Obispo's Water Allocation Regulations allow you to build a project even
when no water allocations are available, if you make changes in existing development
that will permanently reduce water use equal to twice the water allocation you would
need. For example, if you wanted to build*a single-family residence on a standard
size lot, you would need an allocation of 0.37 acre-feet (AF) annual water use. To
build the residence without a city water allocation, you would have to install
permanent water-saving features that would reduce water use in existing development
by 2 X 037 = 0.74 AF. Replacing or modifying plumbing fixtures so they will use
less water is called, "retrofitting."
The city may also give rebates to water customers who perform certain retrofits, but
retrofits receiving rebates are not eligible for offset credits toward new construction.
Procedures
A retrofit proposal must be for a particular type of project and a specific site. Once
the offset credit is earned for a specific site, it cannot be transferred to another site.
However, changing the ownership of.the site or the details of the project will not
affect the offset credit that has been earned.
You may propose retrofitting at any time. There is no time limit for completing the
retrofits. However, the city can not issue the building permit for your project until
you complete the required amount of retrofitting, and the city has inspected and
accepted the work.
You must describe the specific water-saving features when you make a retrofit
proposal, as shown on the following forms: The city charges fees for retrofit
proposals. You also must have the property owner's written permission to replace the
items. City staff will then check to see that the existing features are as you describe
them.
O
You may propose any feature which will permanently reduce water use. The city will
determine the amount of water savings. The city has prepared the following
schedules of water-use offsets for common retrofit situations (tables 2 and 3).
When retrofitting a dwelling, a motel unit, or an office suite, you must retrofit each
toilet and shower, and each sink other than a laundry sink, which does not already
meet minimum city standards for water efficiency.
The offset credit for a unit will not be reduced from that shown in the
schedules if the shower heads or sink faucets are already low-flow. You will
not .be required to replace the whole sink if the only way to make it low-flow
is to do so. Flow restrictors and aerators are generally sufficient for sink
faucets. Shower heads must be replaced (flow restrictors alone are not
acceptable.) Toilets must be replaced (tank plus bowl; bricks, bottles, and
bending the float arm are not acceptable.) [The city is testing a flush handle-
and-valve mechanism that may be approved for toilet retrofitting, which would
allow some credit without replacing the whole fixture]. You must also check
for and repair any leaks in the water system on the customer's side of the
water meter.
In most cases, fixtures can be replaced without ;.hanging pipes. If it becomes
necessary to change pipes to properly complete a retrofit, you can choose to do
so, or to eliminate the unit from the retrofit inventory and secure another unit
to retrofit. If pipe changes are required, a separate plumbing permit may be
required. Plumbing permits are not routinely required for retrofitting fixtures.
The city may determine that a unit cannot be given retrofit credit upon inspection, or
that the amount of credit you listed on the proposal form cannot be given because
the existing or new fixtures are not as you described them. It is a good idea to list a
few more retrofit locations in your proposal than you think you will need, 'in case
problems arise. If it turns out that you do not need them, you need not complete
their retrofitting.
The .city is not party to any financial or liability arrangements between the owner or
occupant of the property being retrofitted and the person doing the retrofitting.
The city advises against, .and may reject, using toilets with less than 3.5 gallons
per flush where the sewer lateral slopes less than two percent, or where pipe
roughness or alignment may result in blockages. (In these cases, the toilet
bowl usually clears, but solid waste may accumulate between the toilet and the
sewer main.) The city's Building Division and the Engineering Division may be
able to help you determine the slope of a sewer lateral, but on many older
buildings the alignment cannot be determined unless you dig it up.
The city does not give offset credit for changes to irrigation systems or planting,
because landscape water use is so dependent on the habits and preferences of the
people maintaining the landscaping, and the planting can easily be changed.
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You must find the places to be retrofitted. To help you, the city maintains a list of
people who are willing to be contacted concerning having their property retrofitted.
(While sufficient units remain available for retrofitting, property owned by city
employees is not eligible.)
You must arrange inspections of each retrofit location before and after the work is
done. The units to be inspected must be available for entry by the inspector at the
scheduled time. To arrange inspections, contact the Water Conservation Office (549-
7213) between 8:00 and 5:00 weekdays.
Calculations
All quantities are expressed in acre-feet annual water use, usually rounded to the
nearest one-hundredth (0.01) acre-foot (AF).
The first step is determining the required water allocation for your project. The city
has prepared a schedule of "Water Use Factors," based on metered water use of
samples of various kinds of development, generally over the period 1981 through 1985.
- These factors are intended to reflect average water use over the life of a.
project, not what any particular development would use in a particular year.
There is no direct relationship between the 'water allocation" required to build
a project, and the "target water use level" under the city's mandatory water
conservation (rationing) program, which addresses the short-term water situation
for water customers.
The water use factors give the quantity of acre-feet for each dwelling, or for
each 1,000 square feet of gross building area for nonresidential projects. For a
few types of development, water use correlates more closely with site area, so
the factors relate to acreage. Staff will help you select the most appropriate
factor. If a factor has not been determined for your particular type of
development, staff will prepare an estimate based on metered water use of
similar types of development in the city (or elsewhere, if no such use exists
within the city). The normal factors can be reduced if you demonstrate that
your project will use substantially less potable city water (for example, you will
use private well water or reclaimed water for al landscape irrigation or
industrial processes).
Once the required allocation is known, you double it to find the required offset.
Then, list the facilities you propose to retrofit. Table 1 can be used to get a rough
idea of the number of units you will need to retrofit. As you list the places you
propose to retrofit, indicate the offset credit for each, depending on the number of
bathrooms and the gallonage of the toilets "before" and "after," as shown in Table 2.
If some of the dwellings or motel rooms do not have full bathrooms, or if you will
have different "before" or "after" toilet capacities within a dwelling, you must add up
the offset values of individual fixtures, from Table 3. Note: the larger 'before" toilet }
gallonage is considered the first toilet if a dwelling has two toilets of different
capacities. Consult staff if you are proposing to retrofit something other than a
dwelling or motel rooms.
Most toilets are not labelled with the amount of water needed to flush them.
Most toilets installed before 1978 use at least five gallons, while those installed
from 1979 through 1989 use about 3.5 gallons, the state standard. (However, it
is not necessarily true that the older the toilet, the higher the gallonage.).
Nearly all those installed in new buildings after January 1989 must meet the
city standard of 1.5 gallons per flush maximum. To check, turn off the water
to the toilet; flush it; using a container of known capacity (a half-gallon milk
jug is convenient) refill the tank and the bowl.
Once you have listed all the proposed retrofit locations, add their offset values to
make sure the total equals or exceeds the required offset for your project.
These procedures and standards may change, as the city evaluates the results of
completed retrofits. However, applicants will not be required to do additional retrofitting
based on changed standards once a complete offset proposal is accepted by the city and
fees have been paid
Community Development Department.
990 Palm Street (PO Box 8100)
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403.8100
80S S49-7171
4 p ry
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Table 1
ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF UNITS TO RETROFIT
TO ALLOW CONSTRUCTION
Note: assumes changing from 5-gallon to 3 5 gallon toilets
Proposed construction Number of one Number of
bathroom units (a) two-bathroom units (a)
New house, standard lot 17 13
New house, large lot
(>.25 acre)(b) 35 27
New residential condominium 12 9
New apartment in complex 10 8
New apartment added to house 7 5
New mobile home in park 8 6
Occupant in group housing 5 .4
Nonmedical office 4 3
(per 1,000 square feet)
Downtown store 2 1
(per 1,000 square feet)
Service commercial 4 3
(per 1,000 square feet)
One motel unit 7 6
Full-service restaurant 78 59
(per 1,000 square feet)
Notes:
(a) These are approximate amounts to help builders estimate offset requirements.
Actual required offsets will be determined when a building-permit application is
submitted and a specific combination of units to be retrofitted is proposed, in
accordance with the city's Water Use Factors (separate publication), Unit Offset
Values (Table 2), and Fixture Offset Values (Table 3).
(b) Based on such a dwelling needing 0.75 AF allocation (1.50 AF offset); may be
reduced to 0.56 AF allocation (1.12 AF offset) with easement limiting irrigated
planting area to 3,000 square feet or less.
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Table 2
UNIT OFFSET VALUES
One-bathroom units Toilet gallonage changing Offset
from to value
5+ 1.6 - 3.5 0.04
5+ 0 - 15 0.06
35 - 4.9 0 - 15 0.05
Two-bathroom units Toilet gallonage changing Offset
from to value
5+ 1.6 - 35 0.06
5+ 0 - 1.5 0.08
3.5 - 4.9 0 - 15 0.06
Three-bathroom units Toilet gallonage changing Offset
from to value
5+ 1.6 35 0.07
5+ 0 - 1.5 0.10
35 - 4.9 0 - 15 0.08
This table applies only to units with whole bathrooms, where the 'before" and "after"
capacities of all toilets are the same. If these conditions do not apply, see :Table 3
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GTable 3
FIXTURE OFFSET VALUES
In a house, condo, apartment, mobile Offset
home. or motellhotel unit, r place with Value
First toilet using S gallons or more New toilet, 1.6 to
per flush 3.5 gal./ flush 0.0175
Each additional S-plus gallon toilet 0.0075
First toilet using S gallons or more New toilet, 1.5 gallons
per flush or less flush 0.0350
Each additional S-plus gallon toilet 0.0150
First toilet using 3.5 to 4.9 gallons New toilet, iS gallons
per flush or less flush 0.0234
Each additional 3.5 - 4.9 gal. toilet 0.0100
First old showerhead New showerhead, 3.0 gal.
per minute or less 0.0175
Each additional old showerhead 0.0050
First bathroom, old sink faucet New faucet, 2.75 gallons
per minute or less 0.0050
Each add'l. old bathroom sink faucet 0.0012
Old kitchen sink faucet New kitchen sink faucet,
2.75 gal./min. or less 0.0025
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
WATER OFFSETS PROPOSAL
Address of the project you want to build: p0 v0 AY, S+Y4=
If you have applied for a building permit, the application number. D 19 9 9
Your name and telephone number, or if different, the name and number of the
person city staff should contact for information on this proposal:
Jos. AgU4 .s + + a
Calculation of required offset amount:
Type of development: Y C f)q t•� a �v uS� W 11� + a 2 voo ! 0+41 cc
Qr d +Wo UpaY'rYMCV7+.s
Number of dwellings X Water Use Factor = Required X 2 Required
or Ig,s sq. ft. Allocation Offset
cvEd �9 Cin= ..-�� Y,vusc : (o, ,7
2.ocC c . t X O. v$ 2 0.)&
p. y-
I propose to retrofit houses apartments, or motel roo
If you ose y P PP ms, completea page like page
2 for each site where the retrofitting will be done. If you propose some other type of
retrofitting, use a page like page 3
Total of all offsets (from following pages): O .
Fee for city processing, inspections, and record keeping:
$50.00 for this proposal, plus $10.00 for each dwelling, motel room, or
commercial restroom to be retrofitted:.
Date received by the city:
Comments:
All information shown in this proposal is subject to verification by the city. City staff
can help you fill out these forms, but incomplete proposals will not be accepted
i Address of the project you want to build VOot=0 bey S+V.0-Vt 2
Address of the site to be retrofitted q 941 M ptg) 'R p w
Where multifamilydwell' vh 1� ION C. 2 Q � 02y u• 26' 5
mgs or motel rooms o no a consistent gallonage of toilets, or
where you will not be retrofitting all unit.% attach to this page an 8-0 z 11 inch typed
or printed list of all the unit.; by unit or suite designation, showing the status of each.
Number of one- Toilet gallonage changing X offset offset
bathroom units from to factor credit
5+ 1.6 - 35 0.04
5+ 0 - is 0.06
S 35 - 4.9 0 15 0.05 0. +0
Number of two- Toilet gallonage changing X offset = offset
bathroom units from to factor credit
5+ 1.6 - 35 0.06
S+ 0 - 15 0.08
3.5 - 4.9 0 - 15 0.06
Number of three- Toilet gallonage changing X offset = offset
bathroom units from ' to factor credit
5+ 1.6 - 3.5 0.07
5+ 0 - 1.5 0.10
35 - 4.9 0 - 15 0.08
Units with other than full bathrooms (such as one with toilet, sink, and shower, and
another with toilet and sink only); show calculation using the individual fixture values
of Table 3 of the "Water Offsets Program"
Sh,�wct' *1 D•c l *5
0. oc 50
1v1E3 $ 2,, 3. 5 4cp h 5 0. 0 1 o O
St hlc * 2 P. 0 0 1 2
) LN26-v+ 6NY*C v, oozy
O. b �-12
Total offsets this site: p, y.}
Property owner's signature: 957. 40PN� � Date: 90
I give permission to the applicant to retrofit the units listed above.
! Inspections: "Before" Date By "After" Date By
Make additional copies of this sheet and attach, as needed
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
WATER OFFSETS PROPOSAL
Address of the project you want to build:
I
If you have applied for a building permit, the application number.
Your name and telephone number, or if different, the name and number of the
person city staff should contact for information on this proposal:
Calculation of required offset amount:
Type of development:
Number of dwellings X Water Use Factor = Required X 2 = Required
or 1000's sq. ft. Allocation Offset
If you propose to retrofit houses, apartments, or motel rooms, complete a page like page
2 for each site where the retrofitting will be doneIf You
propose some other
type of
retrofitting use a page like page 3
Total of all offsets (from following pages):
Fee for city processing, inspections, and record keeping:
$50.00 for this proposal, plus $10.00 for each dwelling, motel room, or
commercial restroom to be retrofitted:
Date received by the city:
Comments:
All informationshown in this proposal is subject to verification by the city. City staff
can help you fill out these forms, but incomplete proposals will not be accepted .
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Address of the project you want to build: 2
Address of the site to be retrofitted:
Where multifamily dwellings or motel rooms do not have consistent gallonage of toilets, or
where you will not be retrofitting all units, attach to this page an 8-0 x 11 inch typed
or printed list of all the units, by unit or suite designation, showing the status of each.
Number of one- Toilet gallonage changing X offset = offset
bathroom units from to factor credit
5+ 1.6 - 3.5 0.04
5+ 0 - iS 0.06
35 - 4.9 0 - 15 0.05
Number of two- Toilet gallonage changing X offset = offset
bathroom units from to, factor credit
5+ 1.6 - 3.5 0.06
5+ 0 - 1.5 0.08
3.5 - 4.9 0 - 15 0.06
Number of three- Toilet gallonage changing X offset = offset
bathroom units from to factor credit
5+ 1.6 - 35 0.07
5+ 0 - 1.5 0.10
35 - 4.9 0 - 15 0.08
Units with other than full bathrooms (such as one with toilet, sink, and shower, and
another with toilet and sink only); show calculation using the individual fixture values
of Table 3 of the "Water Offsets Program":
Total offsets this site:
Property owner's signature: Date:
I give permission to the applicant to retrofit the units listed above.
Inspections: "Before" Date By "After" Date By
Make additional copies of this sheet and attach, as needed
Address of project you want to build.• g i
Retrofit locations - other than dwellings or motel rooms.
Address of the site to be retrofitted.
Describe the retrofit:
Calculate the expected savings, considering the reduction in water use of the
specific features you are changing, the proportion of total water use in those
features, and the total water use of the site.
Total offsets this site:
Property owner's signature: Date:
I give permission to the applicant to retrofit the units listed above.
Inspections: "Before" Date By "Aber" Date By .
Make additional copies of this sheet and attach, as needed
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& Starr
Crawford Multari
June 6, 1990
Mayor Dunin and City CouncilG�ci J
City Hall
990 RDaimStreet
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
Dear Mayor Dunin and Council Members,
Among the items on your agenda tonight is a discussion of the "retrofit"
program. I appreciate the political pressure you endure when community
members ask how any building can go on when we are in such a severe
drought and when we are required to drastically restrict water use.
However, I would ask you to continue to allow the retrofit option, because it
actually helps reduce overall water use by requiring two gallons to be saved for
each gallon needed by the new development. Although the image created by
new buildings going up during the drought is disconcerting to the uninformed,
as a matter of fact, the retrofit alternative does provide a significant incentive for
people to install new low-water use fixtures in our existing built environment.
In sum, it seems logical that a program that actually encourages less water use
and a more efficient utilization of our resource within our existing homes and
businesses should be continued even if the "image" resulting therefrom may be
misinterpreted by some. Better public education may be the preferred
approach than simply discontinuing the program.
Thank you for your consideration and for your conscientious efforts in a difficult
subject area.
Sincerely,
/"/.�LC.0 �..�iZ 6C/✓� rs_P ''..., t'._:! ._i
Michael Multari JUN 0 '1990
CI i V CLERK
SAN LUIS OBISPO.CA