ITEM:

INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORTS

 

23.

WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM REPORT  

 

Meeting Date:
April 18, 2011

Budgeted: 

N/A

 

From:

Darby Fuerst,

Program/

N/A

 

General Manager

Line Item No.:

 

Prepared By:

Michael Boles

Cost Estimate:

N/A

 

General Counsel Review:  N/A

Committee Recommendation:  N/A

CEQA Compliance:  N/A

 

I.       MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION RETROFIT PROGRAM

District Regulation XIV requires the retrofit of water fixtures upon Change of Ownership to Ultra-Low Flush Toilets (ULF) (1.6 gallons-per-flush), 2.0 gallons-per-minute (gpm) Showerheads, and 2.2 gpm faucet aerators. Rain Sensors are also required for all automatic Irrigation Systems.  Property owners must certify the Site meets the District’s water efficiency standards by submitting a Water Conservation Certification Form (WCC).  A Site inspection to verify compliance is conducted when five years have passed since a previous inspection. 

 

A.    Changes of Ownership

Information is obtained weekly from 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 Regulation XIV are identified.  Details on 120 property transfers that occurred in March 2011 were entered into the database.  

 

B.     Certification

The District received 50 WCCs between March 1 and March 31, 2011.  Data on ownership, transfer date, and status of water efficiency standards were entered into the database.

 

C.     Verification

In March, 94 inspections were performed to verify compliance with Rule 144 (Retrofit upon Change of Ownership or Use).  Of the 94 inspections performed, 68 (72%) were in compliance.  Three of the properties that passed inspection involved more than one visit to verify compliance with all water efficiency standards.

 

District inspectors are noting that a large percentage of toilets are being replaced with High Efficiency Toilets (HET).  These retrofits are occurring as a result of remodels and new construction, and as the toilet of choice for Rule 144 compliance.  State law mandates the sale and installation of HET by January 1, 2014, with a phase-in period that began in 2010.


  1. Savings Estimate

Water savings from retrofits triggered by Rule 144 that were verified in March 2011 are estimated at 0.207 acre-feet annually (AFA).  Water savings in March from voluntary retrofits that exceeded requirements (Ultra-Low Flush Toilets to HET), 58 toilets, is estimated at 0.580 AFA.  Year-to-date estimated savings occurring as a result of retrofits is 3.812 AFA.

 

  1. Water Waste Response

There were four Water Waste complaints reported by the public, and staff made several verbal contacts in the field after observing Water Waste.  Follow up letters were sent as needed to correct the Water Waste.

 

II.    WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT

 

A.    Permit Processing

District staff processed and issued 48 Water Permits in March 2011.  One Water Permit was issued using Water Entitlements (Macomber, Pebble Beach Company, Griffin Estates, Quail Meadows, Water West, etc).  The remainder of the Water Permits issued involved neither a debit to a Jurisdiction’s Allocation, nor a debit to a Public Water Credit Account.  District Rule 23 requires a Water Permit application for all properties that propose to Expand or modify water use on a Site, including New Construction and Remodels.

 

All Water Permit Applicants have received a disclaimer informing them of the Cease and Desist Order against California American Water and the possibility that MPWMD will be reporting Water Permits details to California American Water.  Disclaimers will continue to be provided to all permit recipients with property supplied by a California American Water Distribution system.

 

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 48 Water Permits issued in March, eight were issued under this provision.

 

B.     Permit Compliance

District staff completed 89 Water Permit final inspections in March 2011. Thirty of the final inspections failed due to unpermitted fixtures. Of the 52 properties that were in compliance, 45 passed on the first visit. In addition, 5 pre-inspections were conducted in response to Water Permit applications received by the District.

 

C.     Deed Restrictions

District staff prepares deed restrictions that are recorded on the property title to provide notice of District Rules and Regulations, enforce Water Permit conditions, and provide notice of public access to water records.  In March 2001, the District Board of Directors adopted a policy regarding the processing of deed restrictions.  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 31 deed restrictions.  Of the 48 Water Permits issued in March, 16 (33%) required deed restrictions.  District staff provided deed restriction Notary services for 57 Water Permit Applicants.       

III. JOINT MPWMD/CAW REBATE PROGRAM

Early in January 2011, funding for the Rebate Program that was authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 2009 ran out.  The Rebate Program was temporarily halted while California American Water applied for an additional $250,000 for Rebates from the CPUC.  On February 8, 2011, the CPUC approved the additional funding and MPWMD reinstated the Rebate Program and is accepting and processing applications while funding is available.

 

On March 21, 2011, the Board suspended the receipt of Lawn Removal Rebate Applications.  The Board directed staff to process all Lawn Removal Rebate Applications on file as of March 21, 2011, that have been verified by the District to have a qualified lawn area to be removed, and shall complete the application by April 30, 2011, or be subject to Rule 141 as amended.

 

Participation in the Rebate Program is detailed in the following charts. Table 1 indicates the program summary for California American Water Company; Table 2 indicates the program summary for Seaside Municipal and Non-California American Water users.

 

In March, the District performed two pre-inspections and 7 final inspections for Lawn Rebates to document removal of Lawn and replacement with low water using plants or permeable surfaces or installation of Synthetic Turf. In the month of March, the District prepared six deed restrictions associated with the approval of Lawn removal.

Table 1 – Rebate Program Summary-California American Water Customers

 

 

 

 

Table 2 –Rebate Program Summary-Non-California American Water Customers

 

 

 

 

 

 

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