DATE: March 14, 2016
TO: Council Sustainability Committee
FROM: Director of Utilities and Environmental Services
SUBJECT
Title
Update on City-Wide Water Conservation and Revised Emergency Regulations for Statewide Urban Water Conservation
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RECOMMENDATION
That the Committee reviews and comments on this report.
Body
SUMMARY
This report provides information on the City’s water conservation efforts for 2015, as well as an overview of the City’s compliance with the State’s Emergency Regulations for Statewide Urban Water Conservation, initially adopted in July 2014, and recently extended through October 2016.
BACKGROUND
The past four years have seen exceptionally dry conditions throughout the State, prompting Governor Brown to call for a twenty percent reduction in state-wide water use in January 2014. At that time, the City’s wholesale water supplier, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), asked its customers to reduce consumption by ten percent. The State Water Resources Control Board (also known as the State Water Board) determined that insufficient progress had been achieved throughout the State towards the twenty percent reduction goals, and in response, adopted Emergency Regulations for Statewide Urban Water Conservation (Emergency Regulations) on July 15, 2014, prohibiting wasteful outdoor water use, and requiring all urban water suppliers, including Hayward, to implement their Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP). On September 23, 2014, the Council approved an amendment to the City’s WSCP, which incorporated the State’s mandatory prohibitions into the Stage I actions, and declared a Stage I water shortage.
On March 17, 2015, the State Water Board approved an extension of the Emergency Regulations and also included additional requirements for urban water suppliers, including more specific irrigation, food service, and hospitality restrictions, as well as increased reporting requirements. Shortly thereafter, on April 1, 2015, Governor Brown issued an Executive Order that required, for the first time in the State’s history, mandatory conservation of potable urban water use. The State Water Board’s actions prompted the City to further amend the WSCP on April 7, 2015 to include new prohibitions to ensure compliance with the regulations. At that time, the implications of the Governor’s Executive Order were yet to be defined. On May 5, 2015, the State Water Board again revised the Emergency Regulations in accordance with the Governor's directive, the provisions of which went into effect on May 15, 2015.
The Governor’s April 1 Executive Order (B-29-15) directed the State Water Board to impose restrictions to achieve a statewide twenty-five percent reduction in potable urban water usage beginning in June 2015, as compared to the amount used in 2013. Urban water suppliers across the state were assigned a conservation standard between eight percent and thirty-six percent, based on their residential gallons per capita. Given its very low residential per capita consumption, the City was placed in the lowest assigned tier, requiring an eight percent reduction.
Beginning June 1, 2015, total monthly water production (or, in Hayward’s case, total monthly water purchased from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission) was compared to the same time in 2013. The State Water Board tracked water use on a cumulative basis from June 2015 through February 2016. To assess compliance, conservation savings were added together from one month to the next and compared to the total amount of water used during the same months in 2013.
DISCUSSION
Water Conservation Efforts in 2015
On November 13, 2015, the Governor issued Executive Order (B-36-15) directing the State Water Board to extend the existing urban water use restrictions through October 31, 2016 should drought conditions persist through January 2016. With California still experiencing severe drought despite recent rains, on February 2, 2016 the State Water Resources Control Board adopted revised Emergency Regulations to ensure that urban water conservation continues in 2016. The Office of Administrative Law approved and adopted the revised regulations February 11, 2015. The February 2016 Emergency Regulation essentially extends the existing May 2015 Emergency Regulation through October 2016 and maintains many of the same requirements. However, it also provides urban water suppliers more flexibility in meeting their conservation requirements through adjustments and credits that allow a supplier to modify its conservation standard up to eight percentage points.
The City’s total water consumption decreased eight percent in 2015, as compared to 2014 (See Attachment I). This is in addition to an eleven percent decrease achieved in 2014, as compared to 2013. Water purchases have been steadily decreasing over the past few years for various reasons, including the economic downturn, housing crisis, increasing water costs, and, more importantly, public awareness of the drought, and water conservation programs and education (See Attachment II).
One of the most telling measures of water use efficiency is the average gallons of residential water used per capita per day. In 2015, Hayward’s residential use was fifty-one gallons per capita per day. Hayward customers have been excellent stewards of water usage and continue to do their part during the current drought. This is in part demonstrated by the continued popularity of the City’s water conservation programs. The number of applications received in 2015 for the lawn conversion rebate program, for example, more than tripled from the number received in 2014. Recognizing the importance of “practicing what we preach,” in October, City staff replaced the existing ornamental lawn at the Utilities Center on Soto Road with a mix of California natives and drought tolerant plants as an example of how a water-efficient garden can replace a water-thirsty lawn.
Water Consumption through the First Emergency Regulation Reporting Period
As mentioned previously, the State Water Board tracked water usage for each urban water supplier across the state on a cumulative basis from June 2015 through February 2016. Conservation savings were added together from one month to the next and compared to the total amount of water used during the same months in 2013. Hayward far exceeded its mandated conservation level of eight percent by purchasing twenty-two percent less water as compared to the same time period in 2013 (See Attachment III). During the first reporting period, Hayward’s residential use was forty-eight gallons per capita per day.
The Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), whose membership consists of wholesale purchasers of SFPUC water and of which Hayward is a member, has also exceeded its overall conservation standard of fifteen percent and reduced water consumption by twenty-seven percent through January 2016 (See Attachment IV).
Extended Water Conservation Regulations
As mentioned above, with California still experiencing severe drought, the State Water Board adopted revised Emergency Regulation to ensure that urban water conservation continues in 2016. The regulation extends restrictions on urban water use through October 2016 while providing urban water suppliers more flexibility in meeting their conservation requirements. It also directs Water Board staff to report back to the State on additional flexibility once more complete water supply information is known in April.
Under the revised regulation, a twenty percent statewide water conservation savings is expected compared to 2013 water use. The revised regulation allows for consideration of certain factors that influence water use in different parts of the state, including hotter-than-average climate, population growth, and significant investments in new local, drought resilient water sources, such as desalination and recycled water.
These credits and adjustments described below, will allow an urban water supplier to modify its conservation standard by up to eight percentage points. However, no suppliers may drop below an eight percent conservation standard. As Hayward was placed in the lowest assigned tier, requiring an eight percent conservation standard, the City is not eligible for the new credits or adjustments.
Climate Adjustment
The climate adjustment accounts for the climatic differences experienced throughout the state. The adjustment may reduce the conservation standard of those suppliers located in the warmer regions of the State by up to four percentage points. The adjustment is calculated as the percent deviation of the supplier’s average service area evapotranspiration (ETo) for the months of July through September from the statewide average for the same months. The State Water Board has calculated the statewide average ETo as 6.34 inches. The climate adjustment ranges from a two to four percentage point decrease in an urban water supplier’s conservation standard based on an established deviation range.
Growth Adjustment
The growth adjustment accounts for water efficient growth experienced in a supplier’s service area since 2013. The adjustment is calculated as the product of the supplier’s conservation standard and the supplier’s percent change in potable water production due to growth since 2013, rounded to the nearest percentage point.
New, Local, Drought-Resilient Supply Credit
Any supplier that obtains at least one percentage of its total potable water production from a qualifying new, local, drought-resilient water supply is eligible for a reduction to its conservation standard. The adjustment is calculated as an one percentage point reduction to an urban water supplier’s conservation standard, up to an eight percentage point maximum reduction, for each percent of the urban water supplier’s total potable water production that comes from a qualifying new, local, drought-resilient water supply. The supplier must demonstrate that the use of that supply does not reduce the water available to another legal user of water or the environment. One example is indirect potable reuse of wastewater in coastal regions where the water would not have otherwise been discharged into a body of water that others use as a source of supply.
The City has a long standing commitment to water conservation and has had an active conservation program for many years. In addition to existing programs and activities, the Emergency Regulations have also resulted in the need for enhanced conservation efforts to ensure compliance with the eight percent reduction requirement. These efforts include communicating the current drought restrictions using a variety of communication tools such billboard messages, social media, direct mail, email newsletters, and updated website information to inform and encourage customers to take the drought seriously and cut back where possible in order to delay more draconian mandatory reductions if the drought continues.
It is noteworthy that Hayward is one of the eight BAWSCA agencies that have already achieved their total water savings target through October 2016. In other words, as long as Hayward’s water consumption continues to be at or lower than the consumption in 2013, Hayward will achieve the mandated conservation level of eight percent.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Although not yet significant, the costs of implementing actions to meet the State Water Board’s directive and achieve water use reductions will be included as future water rates are set.
FISCAL IMPACT
Water conservation program management staffing is provided by the Utilities & Environmental Services Department and is funded entirely in the Water Operating Fund. There are no General Fund impacts. Staff is generally using readily available and low cost methods for outreach. Some staff time is needed to continue to follow up on reports of excessive use.
PUBLIC CONTACT
A strategic communications plan was developed in cooperation with the City’s Communications & Media Relations Officer to raise awareness of the drought conditions, acknowledge the water savings that Hayward customers have achieved so far, and promote water conservation and best practices. A “Drought Watch” website has been developed to provide updated and relevant information about drought conditions locally and throughout the State and can be accessed at <http://www.hayward-ca.gov/droughtwatch/>. Additional communication will be delivered as necessary to maintain awareness of the drought and achieve water use reduction targets.
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to monitor the water supply situation and conservation data and provide periodic updates. Additional outreach and enforcement will also be implemented as needed.
Prepared by: Alicia Sargiotto, Senior Utility Service Representative
Staff contact
Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Utilities and Environmental Services
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Approved by:
Fran David, City Manager
Attachments:
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Attachment I |
Water Consumption (2013-2014-2015) |
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Attachment II |
Water Consumption (8-year comparison) |
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Attachment III |
Water Consumption (June 2015-Feb 2016) |
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Attachment IV |
BAWSCA-Wide Conservation (Jan 2016) |