WATER DEMAND COMMITTEE

 

2.

CONSIDER EXPENDITURES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT SITES

 

Meeting Date:

March 19, 2014

Budgeted: 

Partially

 

From:

David J. Stoldt,

Program/

Water Conservation

 

General Manager

Line Item No.:     

4-2-2-B

 

Prepared By:

Stephanie Pintar

Cost Estimate:

$77,000

 

General Counsel Review:  N/A

Committee Recommendation:  The Water Demand Committee considered this item on March 19, 2014, and recommended ______________.

CEQA Compliance:  N/A

 

SUMMARY:  A program to provide funding for water savings retrofits at public schools was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission in California American Water’s last General Rate Case. MPWMD has access to at least $200,000 through 2014 to assist schools with retrofits. In addition, funding for other programs approved in the conservation budget may be used to supplement this amount if warranted.  District staff and California American Water staff have been meeting with high water users to identify projects that offer significant and immediate water savings to help the community comply with the Cease and Desist Order (CDO) and to respond to local drought conditions.

 

Outdoor water savings are considered high priority to the State Water Resources Control Board staff. Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) has been undertaking irrigation system retrofits over the past several years and was recently approved by MPWMD for funding to purchase flow sensors and master valves for their systems. A request to purchase six more Smart Irrigation System Controllers has been submitted for consideration.

 

In addition to MPUSD’s efforts, Carmel Unified School District (CUSD) has requested assistance with funding the replacement of its high school football field with synthetic turf. The water savings associated with this replacement are over two acre-feet per year (AFA) (25 AFA over the life of the project), taking into consideration that there is some water needed for field maintenance. Staff is requesting support for a rebate of $70,000 ($2,734/AF or $1.61/sf) using the Rebate Program funds.

 

CUSD has at least one other potentially significant water saving opportunity at the Carmel Valley High School athletic fields. This project involves irrigation and is very preliminary and will be brought to the Water Demand Committee for consideration at a future meeting.

 

RECOMMENDATION:  Staff recommends the Water Demand Committee support these requests by recommending the Board approve expenditures of up to $120,000 to pay for irrigation equipment and turf removal.  

 

EXHIBITS

None

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