Subject: Response to Grand Jury Report: "paper Water" - Does Orange County Have a Reliable Future?

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Each Orange County retail and wholesale water agency should affirm its responsibility to develop new, additional, innovative public outreach programs, beyond water conservation and rationing programs, to expose the larger issues surrounding water supply constraints facing Orange County. The objective should be to connect the public with the problem. The outreach effort should entail a water emergency exercise that simulates a complete, sudden break in imported water deliveries. The exercise should be aimed directly at the public and enlist wide-spread public participation on a recurring basis beginning by June 30, 2010. This recommendation may be satisfied by a multi-agency exercise but the inability to coordinate such an event should not preclude the individual agency's responsibility. (Findings F2 a & b). Response: The recommendation has already been implemented. "A complete sudden break in the imported supplies" was a component of the statewide Golden Guardian exercise in 2008 in which 20 of Orange County's water and wastewater utilities participated. This type of exercise or variations of it are repeated periodically. Representatives of many departments of the City of Seal Beach participated in the Golden Guardian exercise, including appropriate personnel of the City's water utility, the City Engineer, and the Director of Public Works. In addition, Seal Beach has established a substantial public education program component to its "Local Implementation Plan" to comply with reporting requirements of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (WQCB). Each year the city is required to submit a "Program Effectiveness Assessment (PEA) Report to the WQCB. That document includes a section on "Public Education" which provides a summary of the various public education activities taken by the city during the subject program year. Provided as Enclosure 1 is a copy of the Public Education section of the PEA for information. The City also publishes a quarterly brochure to update the community on certain issues of concern and provide a the full schedule of recreation classes available within the community. The Fall 2009 issue of Shoreline, which is mailed to every residential and business address within the City, except for Leisure World where the brochure is delivered for internal distribution, has a full page display on the back cover regarding "Save Our Water." Approximately 8,400 brochures were mailed this last quarter. A copy of the public display notice is provided as Enclosure 2. This action by the City has received recognition by Save Our Water. Save Our Water is a statewide public education program designed to educate Californians on the state's water challenges and encourage them to reduce the amount of water they use everyday. It is a joint effort by the Association of California Water Agencies and the California Department of Water Resources in response to severe water challenges facing the state. The program offers consumer-oriented information and tools for understanding of the long-term issues facing the state's water system and practical tips for reducing water use indoors and outdoors. The Save Our Water Program Partners website also has the following message regarding the brochure on their website: http://www.saveourh2o.orq/index.cfm/about-the-pro~ram/pro~ram-partners/ "The City of Seal Beach is helping spread the Save Our Water message by using part of the Save Our Water poster as the back cover on their brochure for the Parks and Recreation department. Look for it in the Fall 2009 br0chure.f' A copy of the Save Our Water Program Partners website information is provided as Enclosure 3.

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Each MWDOC member agency should reaffirm to LAFCO that it will assign the resources necessary to expediently resolve regional governance issues. While the subject study is being facilitated by LAFCO, the options are with the agencies to decide what is best for all. Once conclusions are reached, the parties need to agree quickly and, hopefully, unanimously to adopt a course of action. (Findings F3 a, b & c). Response: Will be implemented. MWDOC had dedicated quite a bit of time and resources to development of information, not only in the LAFCO process, but in numerous discussions with its client agencies.

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Each Orange County retail and wholesale water agency should affirm its commitment to a fair-share financial responsibility in completing the emergency water supply network for the entire County. The entire County should be prepared together for any conditions of drought, natural or human-caused disaster, or any other catastrophic disruption. WEROC should commence meetings of all parties, to facilitate consensus on an equitable funding/financing agreement. (Finding F4 a & b). Response: This recommendation is already being implemented. The Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County (WEROC) has been established to conduct emergency planning and preparedness at the regional level and response to disaster type events that impact the water and wastewater agencies within the County. WEROC participates with Regional and statewide forums as well. Each retailer also has plans and activities they conduct to be in a state of emergency preparedness. Seal Beach has an adopted "Water Master Plan" that provides an overview of current and planned facilities to maintain current water delivery services. Included within the document is discussion regarding "emergency connections" with the cities of Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Westminster, and Southern California Water Company. In order to address a potential water supply service disruption in the area of the City north of the 1-405 Freeway, the City is currently installing a new groundwater well along Lampson Avenue with a capacity of 3,500 gpm. If you have any questions regarding the City of Seal Beach's responses to the above matters please contact either our Director of Public Works or our Director of Development Services. Our Director of Public Works, Vince Mastrosimone, can be contacted at either (562) 431 -2527, ext 13 1 8 or vmastrosomone 8ci.seaI-beach.ca.us. Our Director of Development Services, Mr. Lee Whittenberg, may be contacted at either (562) 431 -2527, ext 1313 or lwhittenberq @ci.seal-beach.ca.us. Sincerely, o on han s, a City of Seal Beach Enclosures: (3) Enclosure 1: Section C-6, Public Education of Program Effectiveness Assessment, 2007-2008 Enclosure 2: Shoreline - City of Seal Beach Classes and Activities, Fall 2009 Enclosure 3: Save Our Water Program Partners website information, accessed August 19, 2009 at http://www.saveouth20.orq/index.cfm/about-the- prouram/proqram-partners/ CC: David Carmany City Manager Vince Mastrosimone, Director of Public Works Lee Whittenberg, Director of Development Services Planning Commission James R. Perez, Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701 ENCLOSURE 1 SEC'TION C-6, PUBLIC EDUCAI'ION OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS ASSESSMENT, 2007-2008 SECTION C-6 PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS ASSESSMENT C-6.0 Public Education 1 C-6.1 Introduction Public education is an essential part of the City's municipal stomwater program. Developing programs to inform and involve the public can be an effective method for controlling urban runoff and stomwater pollution. Emphasizing the relevant impacts of urban runoff and stormwater pollution to each particular target audience increases the likelihood that the messages will be noticed and that the audience will support and participate in the program implementation. The City recognizes that when a community has a clear idea of where the pollution comes from, how it directly affects them and what they can do to prevent those effects, the community will be more willing to support and participate in the pollution prevention program. The City also recognizes that the Third Term Permits set a high expectation for the performance of the public education component of the stormwater program. C-6.2 .Countywide Public Education Program The City has, and continues to support, a strong countywide public education program as described in the 2003 DAMP (see 2003 DAMP, Section 6). This program provides the common message and theme for the overall program, coordinates that message with neighboring counties to ensure that media overflow messages are compatible &d provides combined media buying power that could not be achieved by this City and the other Permittees individually. C-6.3 City Public Education Focus The City uses several different outreach strategies to encourage public information arid participation in active behavior changes. Brochures provided by the. County are on display and available at City Hall, the Police Department, and as downloads on the City's website. Additionally, the city provides different types of training opportunities to all city employees including conducting multimedia training sessions, and sending educational emails with training materials as attachments. BMP fact sheets are made available to contractors and developers at the Planning and Building counters, posters indicating appropriate Construction/Post-Construction BMPts are also maintained for public viewing at this location. The City also distributes its Grading and Stomwater Pollution Prevention Implementation Manual to all plan review applicants. BNIP fact sheets are also distributed at construction sites during inspections. Industrial/Cornrnercial businesses are targeted through the use of information distributed during the business license application and renewal process. BMP flyers and posters are also distributed during inspections. Residents are targeted through PSA's (dynamic and static ads) run on the local cable channel, these are rotated quarterly. Articles and Ads are published in the City's quarterly recreation guides, the City website features the video "The Ocean begins at your front door" and includes English and Spanish "Help Prevent Ocean Pollution: Household Tips", English and Spanish "Help Prevent Ocean Pollution: A Guide to Food Service Facilities", English and Spanish BMP Poster for FoodRestaurant Industry BMP Poster for Auto Repair Industry BMP Poster for Gas Station Operations "Keep Gutters Clean for Those Downstream" Bookmarks Sewage Spill Reference Guide - Your Responsibility as a Private Property Owner Police Department: "The Ocean Begins at Your Front Door" Brochure "Do You Know Where The Water in Your Storm Drain Goes?" Brochure "Poo'l Maintenance and the Water Quality Act" Brochure Waste Oil Collection Centers - North, Central and South Orange County "Keeping Pest Control Products Out of Creeks, Rivers and the Ocean" Brochure "Water Quality Guidelines for Carpet Cleaning" Brochure Employee Training and Outreach: The City provided education and training for its direct employees, specifically: Training & Outreach Activity Provide and review Stormwater Education Packet at hiring; Conducted training sessions ; Yearly Stromwater Training to all employees; Using specially developed power points presentations Attended seminars or worltshops Send educational emails Outreach to Construction Site Contractors/Developers The City, through its permitting process, targeted a number of constituencies, including builders, developers, contractors, and property owners. Training & Outreach Activity Distributed BMP fact sheets and/or Construction Runoff Guidance Manual with permits; Distributed BMP fact sheets and/or Construction Runoff Guidance Manual at ~o~struction sites; Distributed Construction Runoff Guidance Manual with Capital Improvement Projects; Distributed BMP information to developers during inspections Orange County Stormwater Programs C-6-3 November 14,2008 DAMP Appendix C-6 SECTION C-6, Public Education Outreach to Quasi-Governmental AgenciesIDistricts ,- The following approaches were made to quasi-governmental agenciesldistricts: AgencyIDistrict Outreach Initiatives Supports the Save Our Beaches Cam~ai~s~no nsoredb v the Chamber of Commerce. C-6.4 Public Participation City Staff participated in the annual Seal Beach Christmas Parade in December of 2007. The City distributed over 350 children's baggies filled with handouts, coloring boolts, and water quality rubber ducky ltey chains that provided stormwater education to the children. The City provided a Public Worlts Video which is posted on the City website that promotes stormwater quality. Also, the City of Seal Beach, as part of a Used Oil Grant partnership with the cities of Cypress, Los Alamitos, and La Palma, had representatives of the Used Oil program at the Car Show event that took place in Seal Beach. Items distributed at the event included over 150 oil containers for recycling used oil, pens, magnets, coloring books, oil rags, etc. Public participation allows the public to be directly involved with the stormwater program. The City has encouraged public participation at the local level by: Public Participation Participating in Outreach Events - Participation in outreach events allows for a two-way communication with the public. It is an excellent opportunity to not only disseminate stormwater public education information and materials but also allows the .public to respond with question, comments andlor concerns. - Encouraging Behavior Change Through the public education program, residents have been asked to make adjustments to their activities to reduce the impact to the storm drains and water quality. ' Aslting for Feedback -The City has provided opportunities for residents to ask questions and give comments about the stormwater program. City newsletters and the website have included contact information for people to communicate with municipal staff. C-6.5 Program Effectiveness Assessment It is estimated that approximately 600,000 impressions were made on the public in this reporting period. The City sent out direct mailers to residents informing them of the relationship between water quality and the transmission of West Nile Virus, as well as a second mailer on water conservation and water quality. The most significant improvement however, was made through the purchase of large magnets that are displayed on City Vehicles. These vehicles are not only Orange County Stormwater Programs C-6-5 November 14,2008 DAMP Appendix C-6 ENCLOSURE 2 - SHORELINE CITY OF SEAL BEACH CLASSES AND ACTIVITIES, FALL 2009 City of Seal Beach PRSRT STD CITY HALL U. S. Postage 21 1 Eighth Street PAID Long Beach, CA Seal Beach, CA 90740 PERMIT #70001 POSTAL CUSTOMER Seal Beach, CA 90740 ENCLOSURE 3 SAVE OUR WATER PROGRAM PARTNERS WEBSITE INFORMATION, ACCESSED AUGUST 19, 2009 AT http:llwww.saveouth20.or~lni dex.cfm/abou t-the-proqramlproc~ram-partners1 - Program Partners - Save Our H20 Home Page >> About the Proqram >> Program Partners Program Partners Sponsors The Association of California Water Agencies and the California Department of Water Resources h~ave partnered to develop and cany out the Save Our Water program. ACWA ACWA is a statewide organization whose 450 public water agency members are responsible fc more than 90% of the water delivered in California. California Department of Water Resources The California Department of Water Resources is a state agency responsible for marlaging tl water resources of California, in cooperation with other agencies, to benefit the state's residents and to protect, restore and enhance the environment. To learn more about IIWR visit www.water.ca.gov; . . . Additional organizations are joining the effort and helping to spread the word about California's water supply challenges and the need to Save Our Water. Program Partners Sonoina County Water Agency has joined our efforts to spread the Save Our Water message. SCWA will run the campaign's advertisements in its service area, including Sonoma and Marin counties. The advertisements include radio ads, bus panels!. mall I banners and weekly storage updates in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.