ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT
19.	WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM REPORT
Meeting Date:			March 15, 2021	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.
Prepared By:			Kyle Smith	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378.

I. MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION RETROFIT PROGRAM

District Regulation XIV requires the retrofit of water fixtures upon Change of Ownership or Use with High Efficiency Toilets (HET) (1.28 gallons-per-flush), 2.0 gallons-per-minute (gpm) Showerheads, 1.2 gpm Washbasin faucets, 1.8 gpm Kitchen, Utility, and Bar Sink faucets, and Rain Sensors on 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), and a Site inspection is occasionally conducted to verify compliance.

A. Changes of Ownership

Information is obtained monthly from Realquest.com on properties transferring ownership within the District. The information is compared against the properties that have submitted WCCs. Details on 119 property transfers that occurred between February 1, 2021, and February 28, 2021, were added to the database.

B. Certification

The District received 38 WCCs between February 1, 2021, and February 28, 2021. Data on ownership, transfer date, and status of water efficiency standard compliance were entered into the database.

C. Verification

From February 1, 2021, to February 28, 2021, 42 properties were verified compliant with Rule 144 (Retrofit Upon Change of Ownership or Use). Of the 42 verifications, 21 properties verified compliance by submitting certification forms and/or receipts. District staff completed 21 Site inspections. Of the 21 properties verified, 9 (42%) passed.

Note that most Site inspections were suspended March 13, 2020, due to concerns about the novel coronavirus. Staff has continued to certify properties electronically through owner certification or other methods. Site inspections may be done in limited cases when the property is vacant and staff has access without others present. Safety protocols (e.g. masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, etc.) are in place for those instances.

D. CII Compliance with Water Efficiency Standards

Effective January 1, 2014, all Non-Residential properties were required to meet Rule 143, Water Efficiency Standards for Existing Non-Residential Uses. To verify compliance with these requirements, property owners and businesses are sent notification of the requirements and a date that inspectors will be on Site to check the property. In January, District inspectors performed 2 verification inspections.

MPWMD is forwarding its CII inspection findings to California American Water (Cal-Am) for their verification with the Rate Best Management Practices (Rate BMPs) that are used to determine the appropriate Non-Residential rate division. Compliance with MPWMD’s Rule 143 achieves Rate BMPs for indoor water uses. Properties with landscaping must also comply with Cal-Am’s outdoor Rate BMPs to avoid Division 4 (Non-Rate BMP Compliant) rates. In addition to sharing information about indoor Rate BMP compliance, MPWMD notifies Cal-Am of properties with landscaping. Cal-Am then conducts an outdoor audit to verify compliance with the Rate BMPs. During February 2021, MPWMD referred two properties to Cal-Am for verification of outdoor Rate BMPs.

E. Water Waste Enforcement

The District has a Water Waste Hotline 831-658-5653 or an online form to report Water Waster occurrences at www.mpwmd.net or www.montereywaterinfo.org. There were no Water Waste responses during the past month. There were no repeated incidents that resulted in a fine.

II. WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT

A. Permit Processing

Since March 18, 2020, the District has been processing only electronic applications for Water Permits. Information can be found at https://www.mpwmd.net/regulations/water-permits.

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. District staff processed and issued 47 Water Permits from February 1, 2021 to February 28, 2021. Three Water Permits were issued using Water Entitlements (Pebble Beach Company, Malpaso Water, etc.). No Water Permits involved a debit to a Public Water Credit Account. In addition to those Water Permits issued in February, nine Meter Permits and one Hydrant Meter Permit were issued. All Water Permits have a disclaimer informing applicants of the Cease and Desist Order against California American Water and that MPWMD reports Water Permit details to California American Water.

District Rule 24-3-A allows the addition of a second Bathroom in an existing Dwelling Unit. Of the 47 Water Permits issued from February 1, 2021, to February 28, 2021, four were issued under this provision.

B. Permit Compliance

District staff completed eight conditional Water Permit finals during February 2021. Staff completed 28 site inspections of vacant properties. Twenty-two properties passed and four failed due to unpermitted fixtures.

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 April 2001, the District Board of Directors adopted a policy regarding the processing of deed restrictions. As of March 18, 2020, MPWMD offices are closed to the public. While still processing and issuing Water Permits, staff is no longer available for notary services. Applicants can obtain notary services at local UPS stores and other locations. Staff receives notarized deed restrictions via email and records the documents electronically with the County.

D. Rebates

Rebates continue to be processed during the Shelter-in-Place. The full list of available rebates can be found in Rule 141: https://www.mpwmd.net/rules/Rule141-TableXIV-1.pdf.

III FIX A LEAK WEEK

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense® program promotes its annual Fix a Leak Week in March as part of its efforts to encourage Americans to use water efficiently. The District, as a WaterSense Partner, supports the EPA’s program and encourages the immediate repair of every leak. Our local water waste restrictions and the high cost of water on the Monterey Peninsula make it sensible for everyone to pay attention to their water use, including keeping a watchful eye for wasteful drips and leaks and for unusually high water bills that could indicate an unobvious leak.

During the week of March 15-21, 2021, the District urges everyone to take the Ten Minute WaterSense Challenge to detect and chase down leaks. If a leak is found, fix it immediately. Little drips can easily add up to lots of dollars. Similarly, if the public notices water leaks in the streets or dripping fire hydrants or water meters, report leaks by emailing conserve@mpwmd.net or call the Water Waste Hotline at 831-658-5653 or call California American Water at 888-673-6301. The District website also has a Water Waste red button on its homepage.

The EPA has a number of educational and fun activities related to Fix-A-Leak Week on its website at https://www.epa.gov/watersense/fix-leak-week.

U:\staff\Boardpacket\2021\20210315\Informational Items\19\Item-19.docx