ITEM:

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS

 

25.

WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM REPORT

 

Meeting Date:
 September 17, 2007

Budgeted: 

N/A

 

From:

 David A. Berger,

Program/

N/A

 

 General Manager

Line Item No.:

 

 

 

Prepared By:

 

Gabriela Ayala

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 93 WCC forms between August 1, 2007 and August 31, 2007.  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 August, 157 inspections were performed in response to requests from agents and property owners.  The District completed 78 inspections of properties changing ownership and 69 (89%) were in compliance. Two 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 29 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 92 property transfers that occurred in the month of August was entered into the database.  

 

D.     Savings Estimate

Water savings from retrofits (triggered by changes in ownership) verified in August are estimated at 2.231 acre-feet.  This number represents verification of approximately 58% of the properties transferring ownership in the District during August (e.g. 97 toilets were replaced).  Year-to-date total estimated savings is 24.886 acre-feet.

 

E.      Water Waste Response

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

 

 

II.                WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT

 

A.     Permit Processing

District staff processed and issued 118 water permits in the month of August. Of the 118 permits issued, one involved a debit of 0.379 acre-feet to Paralta & Pre-Paralta allocations.  Nine 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, allows the addition of a second bathroom to an existing single family dwelling on a single-family residential site. Of the 118 water permits issued in August, 11 were issued under this provision.

 

B.     Permit Compliance

District staff completed 65 water permit final inspections in August. Sixteen 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 49 properties that were in compliance, 33 passed on the first visit. In addition, 14 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 August, the District prepared 41 documents.  Of the 118 permits that were issued in August, 33 (28%) required deed restrictions.  District staff provided deed restriction Notary services for 33 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.  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

August -2007

2007 YTD Total

Total-to-Date (January 1997 - Present)

I

Application Summary

 

 

 

 

A.

Applications Received

63

543

5975

 

B.

Applications Approved

55

434

4755

 

C.

Single Family Applications

59

517

5411

 

D.

Multi-Family Applications

3

19

414

 

E.

Commercial Applications

1

7

123

II

Types of Fixtures Rebated

 

 

 

 

A.

Single Family Toilet

11

92

4686

 

B.

SFD-Dual Flush

6

83

134

 

C.

Multi-Family Toilet

5

26

1873

 

D.

Non-Residential - Toilet

1

4

698

 

E.

Non-Residential - Dual Flush Toilet

0

5

25

 

F.

SFD ULF Dishwasher

14

92

347

 

G.

Non-Residential ULF Washing Machine

0

32

586

 

H.

SFD ULF Washing Machine

31

234

489

 

I.

Instant Access Hot Water Systems

2

10

13

 

J.

Cisterns

1

3

7

III

Total Dollars Rebated

$7,600.00

$56,760.84

$834,650.15

IV

Estimated Water Savings in Acre-Feet Annually*

1.078

9.712

188.847

·                Retrofit savings are estimated at 0.023 AF/toilet, 0.030 AF/dual flush toilet, 0.003 AF/dishwasher, 0.015 AF washer

·                Documentation for retrofit savings on Dishwashers and Washing Machines began 12/2003

 

 

 

 

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