WATER DEMAND COMMITTEE
3.	DISCUSS  DEVELOPMENT OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD REVISE REGULATION XIV, WATER CONSERVATION, AND MANDATE INSTALLATION OF ZERO WATER CONSUMPTION URINALS FOR ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELS
Meeting Date:		July 14, 2008		Budgeted:	N/A
From:		Darby Fuerst,		Program/	N/A
		General Manager		Line Item No.:
Prepared By:		Stephanie Pintar		Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Approval:			N/A
CEQA Compliance:			N/A

SUMMARY: At the April 21, 2008 Board meeting, Director Brower requested the Board consider modifying the District’s conservation requirements to require Zero Water Consumption Urinals in Non-Residential New Construction and Remodels and to consider other incentives for installing these water-saving fixtures. Staff also indicated that there is a need to revise Regulation XIV, Water Conservation. Similar to the revisions made to the permit process regulation in 2006, updates to the conservation regulation are needed to conform to adopted policies and administrative practices by adding new language and definitions, by deleting obsolete and redundant text, by simplifying text to make it understandable to the public, and by focusing the subject matter of the rules. The regulation is outdated and needs to be amended to account for industry-recognized Best Management Practices and currently available conservation technology.

The Board referred this item, to the Water Demand Committee for discussion and a recommendation on changes to the conservation program.

DISCUSSION: Staff has prepared two items to facilitate discussion about water conservation regulations and programs: The first (Exhibit 3-A) is a preliminary draft ordinance amending Regulation XIV, Water Conservation. A portion of the preliminary draft ordinance is based on an Ordinance No. 112, which was considered, but not passed, by the Board in November 2003. The remainder of the preliminary draft ordinance roughly identifies areas of the existing Regulation that should be deleted or moved to other areas of the Rules and Regulations. The Water Demand Committee may want to use this preliminary draft as a starting point for its discussion.

Exhibit 3-B is a list of conservation opportunities that have been identified by staff and the public over the past several years. This document includes a list of ideas for conservation programs and projects and a list of possible conservation policies.

Finally, Exhibit 3-C is a staff report from the March 8, 2005 Technical Advisory Committee meeting regarding baseline outdoor water use concepts. The committee members expressed support for concepts outlined on page 1 of the exhibit for inclusion in a baseline outdoor water conservation ordinance. The City of Sand City’s representative expressed concern about requiring “homeowner installed residential landscapes” to comply with proposed new rules. Staff clarified that the proposed rules would only apply to new construction and demolition remodels. At that time, the action included that the District might not require installation of irrigation controllers, and would develop incentives for property owners to include them in new landscapes. A baseline outdoor water use ordinance has not been drafted as yet.

RECOMMENDATION: The Water Demand Committee should begin a discussion on water conservation program amendments. The committee should also formulate a recommendation to the Board on development of an ordinance to address zero water consumption urinal requirements, including whether the new fixture requirements should be implemented as a stand-alone ordinance or implemented as part of a larger revision of the Conservation Regulation.

EXHIBIT

3-A Preliminary Draft Ordinance No. XXX, Amending Regulation XIV, Water Conservation

3-B Conservation Opportunities

3-C March 8, 2005 TAC staff report regarding baseline outdoor water use

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