WATER DEMAND COMMITTEE
ITEM:		ACTION ITEMS
2.	REVIEW STATUS OF PROGRESS ON DEVELOPMENT OF WATER FACTORS FOR CALCULATING LONG-TERM WATER NEEDS
Meeting Date:			April 25, 2005
From:			David A. Berger,
			General Manager
Prepared by:			Stephanie Pintar

SUMMARY: The purpose of this report is to provide the Water Demand Committee with an update on the status of the long-term water needs estimates and to inform the committee of the water use factors that will be used to prepare the initial draft water needs estimate. The TAC met and discussed long-term water needs between November 2004 and April 2005. The discussion at the March 2005 and April 2005 meetings was centered around considering the appropriate water factors to estimate future demand based on the General Plan build-out numbers submitted by each jurisdiction. The TAC has reached consensus on the water factors for residential single-family housing, multi-family housing and second units and residential remodels. However, before a draft water needs estimate is presented to the Water Demand Committee (and ultimately to the Board), the TAC has asked for the opportunity to review the calculations at its June meeting.

DISCUSSION: The TAC will recommend that single-family residential water demand projections be based on an average 2 ½ bath home using the fixture unit methodology (approximately 0.28 acre-feet annually). In addition to the single-family calculation, the TAC agreed that an additional increment of water should be added to Monterey County’s future water needs projection to account for the fact that lots in the unincorporated areas are large and require more water for outdoor landscaping and other uses. District staff will recommend that an additional increment of water be added to the single-family factor to simplify the calculation process rather than applying an overall percentage increase. In developing the residential single-family factor recommendation, the TAC reviewed actual Cal-Am consumption information related to system-wide averages, as well as individual jurisdiction averages as possible factors. Ultimately, the TAC supports a factor that is consistent with the District’s fixture unit methodology.

The preliminary TAC recommendation for calculating water needs for multi-family dwelling units (i.e., more than one dwelling on a site, but not a second unit such as granny or caretaker units) is to use a factor of 0.216 AFA (which includes an increment of water for outdoor uses). The multi-family factor covers a range of housing options, including one, two, and three bathroom units. Second units should be calculated using a factor of 0.087 AF, consistent with a one-bathroom dwelling unit with no exterior use. For the purposes of performing this calculation, it will be assumed that the outdoor water use has been established by the main house at the time the second unit is constructed. Pacific Grove has 3,426 “second” units planned in its General Plan housing element that were identified in their long-term water needs submittal. Pacific Grove and other jurisdictions are presently reviewing their housing elements to determine if changes to their buildout projections are needed to account for second units in their jurisdiction.

Finally, the TAC concurred on the use of a factor of 0.047 AFA for residential remodels/additions. This number is consistent with the fixture unit value of adding a bathroom. The TAC agreed that the proposed factor would result in an average use estimate that would be consistent with actual proposed construction. This factor is also consistent with the one used by Land Systems Group (LSG) in its draft Vacant Legal Lot Study that was prepared in 2002: LSG used a factor of 0.047 AFA for residential remodels/additions.

The TAC will discuss the water factors for commercial needs and parkland at their next meeting. Staff will recommend using a factor for Group I commercial uses (low to moderate water uses) to estimate future commercial water needs, since the square-footage information provided by the jurisdictions is not as precise as for residential uses. It will also be recommended that open space (parkland) water needs be based on a factor for non-turf landscaping (1.1 AF/acre). Furthermore, staff will recommend an additional percentage be added to each jurisdiction’s water needs estimate to account for any underestimation of the water needs. This additional increment of water should address any concerns related to higher water use in the commercial sectors or to open space uses.

RECOMMENDATION: The Water Demand Committee should discuss whether the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) should be convened to review the information prior to consideration by the Board. There was no specific direction from the Board that the PAC be consulted. The TAC members were encouraged to review their General Plan build-out information with their governing bodies for review and approval prior to submitting the information to the District.

No action regarding the proposed water use factors should be taken at the April 25, 2005 Water Demand Committee meeting. This item will be brought to the committee for action at the June 14, 2005 meeting.

BACKGROUND: Action taken by the District’s Board of Directors on September 20, 2004 prompted the District to send the attached letter (Exhibit 2-A) to each jurisdiction on October 5, 2004. At the September 20, 2004 meeting, the Board agreed with the TAC recommendation to use General Plan build-out numbers to estimate long-term water needs.

The District has received correspondence related to this matter from all of the eight land-use jurisdictions Exhibit 2-B).

EXHIBITS

2-A October 5, 2004 letter from MPWMD to the jurisdictions

2-B Correspondence received from the jurisdictions relating to estimates of future water needs

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