TEM:

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS

 

31.

WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM REPORT

 

Meeting Date:

 April 21, 2008

Budgeted: 

N/A

 

From:

 Darby Fuerst,

Program/

N/A

 

 General Manager

Line Item No.:

 

 

 

Prepared By:

 

Michael Boles

Cost Estimate:

N/A

General Counsel Approval:  N/A

 

Committee Recommendation:  N/A

 

CEQA Compliance:  Exempt

 

 

 

I.       MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION RETROFIT PROGRAM

 

The District continued to carry out District Regulation XIV, which requires the retrofit of water fixtures to ultra-low flow (ULF) 1.6 gallons-per-flush toilets and 2.5 gallons-per-minute showerheads when properties transfer ownership.  Property owners are required to certify the property has the ULF fixtures by submitting a Water Conservation Certification form (WCC). 

 

A.    Certification

The District received 70 WCC forms between March 1, 2008 and March 31, 2008.  Data on property ownership, transfer date, and status of conservation requirements from those forms were entered into the conservation database.

 

B.     Verification

In the month of March, 109 inspections were performed in response to requests from property owners.  The District completed 66 inspections of properties changing ownership and 61 (92%) were in compliance.  None of the properties that passed inspection required more than one visit to verify compliance with all conservation requirements.  The District also verified the replacement of 65 toilets resulting from water permit conditions of approval.

 

C.     Changes of Ownership

Information is obtained weekly from the RealQuest.Com on properties transferring ownership within the District.  The information is entered into the database and compared against the properties that have submitted WCCs. Properties not in compliance with District law are then identified.  Information on 113 property transfers that occurred in the month of March was entered into the database.  

 

D.    Savings Estimate

Water savings from retrofits (triggered by changes in ownership) verified in March are estimated at 0.818 acre-feet.   Year-to-date total estimated savings is 7.833 acre-feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

E.     Water Waste Response

There were five water waste complaints reported by the public, and staff made several verbal contacts in the field after observing water wasting actions.  A letter was sent as a follow up to the water waste.

 

 

II.                WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT

 

A.    Permit Processing

District staff processed and issued 96 water permits in the month of March.  Six permits were issued to other entitlements (Macomber, Pebble Beach Company, Griffin Estates, Quail Meadows, etc.).  The remainder of the permits issued did not involve a debit to a jurisdiction’s allocation or were debited from a public water allocation.  District Rule 23 requires a water permit application for all properties that propose to expand water demand on a site, including new construction and remodels.

 

District Rule 24-3-A allows the addition of a second bathroom to an existing single family dwelling on a single-family residential site. Of the 96 water permits issued in March, 12 were issued under this provision.

 

B.     Permit Compliance

District staff completed 33 water permit final inspections in March. Fifteen of the final inspections failed due to unpermitted fixtures or for not having low-flow fixtures in place as required by the permit. Of the 18 properties that were in compliance, 16 passed on the first visit. In addition, 10 properties required pre-inspections in response to Water Permit Applications received by the District.

 

C.     Deed Restrictions

District staff prepares documents that are recorded on the property title to enforce District Rules and Regulations, enforce permit conditions and allow public access to water records.  In March 2001, the District Board of Directors adopted a policy regarding the processing of these documents.  Specifically, an extensive quality control process was put into place and the District is now responsible for thoroughly reviewing and recording these documents.  In the month of March, the District prepared 52 documents.  Of the 96 permits that were issued in March, 40 (42%) required deed restrictions.  District staff provided deed restriction Notary services for 60 water permit applicants.        

 

III.             REBATE PROGRAM

 

In January 1997, the District enacted a program that offered refunds of up to $100 for every older residential toilet replaced with an ultra-low flow model.  The program was expanded in 1998 to provide rebates for voluntary non-residential toilet retrofits.  It was expanded again in 2003 to provide rebates for ultra-low consumption appliances and cisterns.  In September 2007, the refund amount for water savings appliances was increased from $100 to $150 for High Efficiency Toilets, point of source on demand hot water, and 28 gallon washing machines; $125 for ultra water saving dishwashers and $200 for 18 gallon washing machines and instant access hot water systems. Water saved through this program is set aside to reduce community water use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Participation in the rebate program is detailed in the following chart:

 

 

 

 

REBATE PROGRAM SUMMARY

March-2008

2008 YTD Total

Total-to-Date (January 1997 - Present)

I

Application Summary

 

 

 

 

 

A.

Applications Received

104

283

6530

 

B.

Applications Approved

80

208

5164

 

C.

Single Family Applications

103

276

5950

 

D.

Multi-Family Applications

0

5

425

 

E.

Non-Residential Applications

1

2

128

II

Types of Fixtures Rebated

Total Per Item

 

 

 

A.

Single Family Toilet

14

1,395.68

41

4760

 

B.

SFD-HET

13

1,950.00

33

200

 

C.

Multi-Family Toilet

0

0.00

4

1880

 

D.

Non-Residential - Toilet

0

0.00

1

701

 

E.

Non-Residential - HET

1

150.00

1

26

 

F.

SFD ULF Dishwasher

9

1,125.00

51

438

 

G.

Non-Residential ULF Washing Machine

0

0.00

0

586

 

G.

SFD ULF 18-gallon Washing Machine

44

8,800.00

44

630

 

H.

SFD ULF 28-gallon Washing Machine

2

300.00

2

2

 

I.

Smart Controllers

0

0.00

0

2

 

J.

Zero Water Using Urinals

0

0.00

0

72

 

K.

Instant Access Hot Water Systems

5

1,000.00

7

23

 

L.

Cisterns

0

0.00

0

7

III

Total Dollars Rebated

 

$14,720.68

$40,188.69

$925,892.72

IV

Estimated Water Savings in Acre-Feet Annually*

1.459

 

3.956

195.207

* Retrofit savings are estimated at 0.023 AF/toilet, 0.003 AF/dishwasher, 0.015 AF washer; 0.03 AF.HET

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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