Water Conservation: Sober Up San Diego, The Water Party Is Over*

Recommendations 7

• 08-05

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  </b> Put the water rates for multiple-family residences, and for commercial, industrial, and agricultural users into tiered block structures to make charges proportionate to use. Response: The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but could be implemented if appropriate and allowable in the future. In December 2006, a Cost of Service Study was conducted by Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. to review the process by which the City allocated the cost of service to the users of the water system. In adherence to the Cost of Service Study, the City developed the current rate structure based on the base-extra capacity method endorsed by the American Water Works Association, a nationally recognized industry group. This method allocates costs and classifies customers by using several factors including average daily usage and peaking factors (periods of maximum usage). As a result of that study the City Council and Mayor approved increasing the number of customer classes (adding classes with separate rates for Other Domestic, Commercial/Industrial, and Agricultural/Construction classes) and approved four annual rate increases beginning with fiscal year 2008 and ending with fiscal year 2011. The City will be doing another cost of service study at the end of the currently approved rate period (fiscal year 2011) and at that time, the Cost of Study will be directed to look into the feasibility of either creating additional customer classes which might allow equitable tiered structures or investigating the use of other mechanisms (such as water budgets) which might result in additional conservation. <b>Discussion 2: Water Restrictions</b>
• 08-06

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  </b> Consider more carefully their growth policy as it relates to San Diego's long-term water prospects and begin more rigorously enforcing the requirement that any large project proposal be able to ensure a 20-year supply of water. Response: This recommendation has been implemented. Since January 2002, California state law has required 20-year Water Supply Assessments for approval of large scale development projects. Water demands needs are based upon the community plans approved by the City Council as measured with SANDAG Regional Growth Forecasts. These growth forecasts are then used to derive overall future water demands for San Diego and incorporated as part of both the City's Urban Water Management Plan and the County Water Authority's supply planning documents. The Water Department complies fully with SB610/221, the State of California Urban Water Management Planning Act (UWMPA), and already offers significant safeguards for long-term demand on regional water supplies. Compliance with SB 610/221 is carried out through the City's Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP). The City's 2005 UWMP was adopted by the San Diego City Council on September 11, 2006, and was filed with the Department of Water Resources (DWR). It stands as the City's foundational water planning document and is fully consistent with the California UWMPA. Under SB 610/221, the Development Services Department (DSD) ensures that major projects are sited and designed to minimize impacts to water resources. Pursuant to SB 610, prior to approval of any discretionary permit for a future project, DSD requests the Water Department prepare a water supply assessment (WSA) to be included in the environmental documentation of certain large proposed projects.
• 08-07

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  Publish the current water restriction stages and conditions in order to induce greater participation in conservation efforts. Response: The recommendation has been implemented. The current water usage restrictions are published under San Diego Municipal Code 67.3806. Copies are available via the internet on the City of San Diego's website and from the City upon request. Upon activating the provisions of the Municipal Code, the City is required to publish the restrictions. This information was also published in the most recent Urban Water Management Plan of 2005. The restrictions will also be posted in a prominent location on the Water Department's website.
• 08-08

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  Base the cost of new water meters on the current and projected water conditions. Response: The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but could be implemented if appropriate and allowable in the future. Some jurisdictions in other States have been successful in implementing similar "new supply fees, however, Proposition 218 in the State of California may preclude the implementation of this type of future supply related fee. During Fiscal Year 2009, we will investigate the feasibility of implementing this type of fee. Judge So April 29, 2008 Currently, the cost of new water meters or new connections to the water system are currently addressed as capacity (developer) fees. These are one-time fees used to recover some or all of the costs of providing the system additional capacity when a new user connects to the water system. The use of such funds is in fact restricted by law (both the San Diego Municipal Code and State Code Section 66001) to only paying for expansion of the water system. Examples of these costs include those related to increasing capacity in treatment plants, pumping stations, storage reservoirs, and water mains. Capacity fees do not incorporate the current or projected water conditions (supply) because that is not an issue of system capacity. Inclusion of current or projected water supply issues to the capacity fees could be considered if large capital improvement projects were planned to add additional storage capability to the water system. If such projects occur, their costs would automatically be included in capacity charges.
• 08-09

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  Formalize concrete triggers for water alerts to make them automatic and less arbitrary. <b>Response:</b> This action has not been implemented, but may be implemented in the future. The City's current restrictions and triggers for water alerts are being reviewed and updated as part of a regional effort led by the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA), working with all its member water agencies including the City of San Diego. CWA's "Model" Drought Ordinance is designed to achieve greater county-wide consistency in drought response actions, including triggers, while also allowing individual agencies to modify the "model" ordinance based upon particular demographics and constituencies. Water agencies are not obligated to adopt the CWA model drought ordinance, but are encouraged to review it for consideration. The City is currently reviewing the model ordinance for possible incorporation into its existing drought response plan set out in Municipal Code.
• 08-10

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  Make some or all of the voluntary usage restrictions in Stage 1 water watch permanently mandatory in San Diego. <b>Response:</b> This action has not been implemented, but may be implemented in the future. The City is currently reviewing the current drought response plan set out in the Municipal Code for possible modification. This review is being performed as part of region-wide effort coordinated by the County Water Authority to achieve a greater county-wide consistency in drought response planning. <b>Discussion 3: Water Conservation Education</b> <b>
• 08-11

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  </b> Periodically distribute to all residents information on water conservation and pursue other methods such as media coverage to get the public's awareness of the need for a maximum effort at conservation. Response: The recommendation has been implemented. Mayor Sanders is leading an extensive public education campaign to promote greater water conservation. The Mayor's efforts, including weekly press conferences, public presentations and news releases are in addition to the Judge So April 29, 2008 aggressive and well publicized water conservation program he requires from the Water Department. The program includes regular water bill inserts, messages on the combined water/sewer bills sent to all customers, free water conservation audits, web-based water use calculators and an extensive list of other initiatives. The Water Department has also included water conservation information in its annual Consumer Confidence Report that is published annually and mailed to each dwelling unit. <b>Discussion 4: Water Reuse</b>