WATER DEMAND COMMITTEE
ITEM:	ACTION ITEMS
A.	REVIEW ASSISTED LIVING WATER USE SURVEY AND PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF ON COMMERCIAL WATER USE FACTOR FOR ASSISTED LIVING
Meeting Date:		May 11, 2004	Budgeted: N/A
Staff Contact:		Stephanie Pintar	Program/Line Item No.: N/A
		Shawn Novack	Cost Estimate: N/A
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation:
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: On July 24, 2003, the Water Demand Committee received an oral presentation on the 2002-2003 review of the commercial water use factor for assisted living facilities. The committee requested additional information by facility on pools and/or water therapy, landscaping uses, and special uses such as cafeterias. The committee agreed that using the daily census versus number of beds was a more accurate accounting for water use.

At this time, staff has gathered the additional information requested by the former Water Demand Committee, has incorporated this information into the Residential Care Survey, and has concluded that the District’s current water use factor of 0.085 AF/bed for assisted living appears to be appropriate. Exhibit A-1 contains the draft Residential Care Facility Survey. The Water Demand Committee should review the draft water use survey and provide comments and direction to staff.

The Abstract section of the Residential Care Survey provides detailed information about the purpose of the project and its background. There are currently three assisted living facilities that are moving through the approval process with their jurisdictions. Validation of the District’s assisted living factor is critical to both the planning process and the permit process.

RECOMMENDATION: If the Water Demand Committee concurs with staff’s recommendation that the current assisted living factor has been validated, staff should be directed to do one of the following actions:

1. Add the factor for Assisted Living to Table 2: Commercial Water Use Factors by action of the Board of Directors; or

2. Forward the draft survey to an independent consultant for review of both the findings and the conclusion. If this option is selected, staff will need to identify a source of funding. There is presently no money budgeted for independent review of water factors, and the amount of money needed to conduct such a review is unknown. Once an independent review has been completed, the final report and recommendation will be returned to the committee for further direction.

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