HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1991 0403 CC REG ITEM 11CPAUL W. LAWRASON JR.
Mayor
BERNARDO M. PEREZ
Mayor Pro Tern
SCOTT MONTGOMERY
Councilmember
JOHN E. WOZNIAK
Councilmember
LILLIAN KELLERMAN
City Clerk
MOORPARK
MOORPARK. CALIFORNIA
aN Meeflnp
,7
M E M O R A N D U M
- _ , i
ITEM j I • C •
STEVEN KUENY
City Manager
CHERYL J.KANE
City Attorney
PATRICK RICHARDS, A.I.C.P.
Director of
Community Development
JOHN F. KNIPE
City Engineer
JOHN V. GILLESPIE
Chief of Police
RICHARD T. HARE
City Treasurer
TO: The Honorable City Council -
FROM: Kenneth C. Gilbert, Director of Public Works zc
DATE: March 28, 1991 (Council Meeting 4 -3 -91)
SUBJECT: Consider Water Conservation Measures I
Recently, the City Council discussed a report on the status of
water conservation efforts being considered County -wide. One
point of discussion was the type and degree of efforts being
considered by Ventura County Waterworks District No. in
addressing this issue. At the request of the City Council, a
letter from the Mayor was sent to County Supervisor Vickey
Howard urging that adequate steps be taken.
DISCUSSION
In addition, Reddi Pakala, Manager of the District, was asked if
he would be able to give the City Council more information on
the recent water rate increases, steps being taken by the
District in response to the reduced water supply and other
matters related to the drought. Mr. Pakala has accepted our
invitation and plans to be present to give a brief presentation
and answer any questions.
RECOMMENDATION
Direct Staff as deemed appropriate.
799 Moorpark Avenue Moorpark, California 93021
(805) 529 -6864
MOORPARK
•
PAUL W. LAWRASON JR. o,P=<<, STEVEN KUENY
Mayor City Manager
BERNARDO M. PEREZ /f • 9 CHERYLJ. KANE
Mayor Pro Tem City Attorney
SCOTT MONTGOMERY �hHi" PATRICK RICHARDS, A.I.C.P.
Councilmember 9 4, Director of
JOHN E. WOZNIAK oq Community Development
Councilmember 'may, JOHN F. KNIPE
LILLIAN KELLERMAN City Engineer
City Clerk JOHN V. GILLESPIE
Chief of Police
MEMORANDUM RICHARD T. HARE
City Treasurer
TO: The Honorable City Council
FROM: Kenneth C. Gilbert, Director of Public Works
DATE: April 2, 1991 (Council Meeting 4-3-91)
SUBJECT: Supplement Report Regarding
Consider Water Conservation Measures
OVERVIEW
This is a Supplementary Report pertaining to Agenda Item #11 C.
BACKGROUND
Mr. Reddi Pakala, Manager of Waterworks District No. 1 , will be
present to discuss the water shortage and the various response
measures being considered. The purpose of this report to convey
to the City Council information on two related matters:
a. Recent efforts of the DROUGHT EMERGENCY ACTION FORUM; and,
b. A recently received document entitled "Urban Drought
Guidebook. "
DISCUSSION
A. Drought Emergency Action Forum
As you may recall , this group has been meeting weekly over
the past few months for the purpose of developing a County-
wide Drought Emergency Action Plan. Rather than specify or
direct that certain actions be taken, the group has, instead,
formulated a resource document to be used by the various
affected agencies in developing their individual responses to
the problem. At the meeting held this last Monday, the group
approved this draft Drought Action Resource Summary and
forwarded it to the County Board of Supervisors for adoption.
With but minor changes, this document is the same as the
draft distributed to the City Council on March 20 .
Accompanying this document will be the two draft letters
attached as Exhibit "A-1 , "
799 Moorpark Avenue Moorpark, California 93021 (805) 529-6864
Water Conservation Measures
April 2 , 1991
Page 2
That portion of the Drought Action Resource Summary which
most relates to the City of Moorpark is attached as Exhibit
"A-2. " The Forum is urging Cities to consider implement as
many of the water saving measures listed in this chart as
possible.
B. Urban Drought Guidebook
The City recently received a copy of the subject document.
A copy of the transmittal letter, Table of Contents and
Introduction are attached as Exhibit "B" . If you would like
to review the document please contact me.
RECOMMENDATION
Direct Staff as deemed appropriate.
ATTACHMENT 2
DRAFT LETTER TO CITIES/PURVEYORS
The much needed March rains, while most welcome, have not alleviated
the Statewide water shortage. Although the recent weather patterns
have raised this year's rainfall to a "normal" level (for the first
time since 1985) , the fact remains rainfall over the previous five
years in Ventura County has been the lowest since records began
being kept in the previous century. The drought emergency
continues. Most water basins are at or near record lows. Limits on
imported water deliveries remain.
Recognizing the severity of the current water crisis and its
implications for the local economy, local elected officials and
technical experts have been meeting regularly since early February
to assure all appropriate measures are taken in Ventura County.
This group, which has come to be called the Drought Action Forum,
has evolved a common approach, to encourage efforts of local water
purveyors, cities, the County, the environmental, agricultural, and
business communities, and citizens in general in dealing with the
drought. Since Pete Wilson, the Governor of California, has called
for each water purveyor to develop its own drought action plan, the
Forum also hopes to simplify reporting to the State and assist
individual agencies in making their plans a reality.
The Forum has developed a Drought Action Resource Summary for the
consideration and use of all local water purveyors. This summary is
attached for your action. The document identifies the various
options local agencies might consider to reduce water use and
identifies what actions have already been taken by various agencies
to reduce water use. Agencies considering a specific water saving
action are encouraged to contact agencies who have already taken
such an action, for assistance.
The major water wholesalers are supportive of vigorous water saving
actions by their purveyor customer agencies. You are encouraged to
work closely with your own wholesaler, when appropriate, in carrying
out your own drought actions.
On behalf of the members of the Forum, the Board of Supervisors
invites your agency to consider:
1. Adopting a Resolution of Drought Emergency, similar to the one
already developed by the Board (attached) .
2 . Approve the Drought Action Resource Summary as a technical
resource document for your agency's use.
3 . If you have not already done so, develop and adopt a Drought
Emergency Plan for your jurisdiction.
1),
-2-
(Insert individual paragraph provided by Calleguas,
Casitas, and/or United, to personalize this letter for
each purveyor depending on who is their wholesale
provider. )
During the drought emergency, the Board of Supervisors, with the
assistance of Casitas, United, and Calleguas, will report regularly
to the State on our own local progress.
The water wholesalers, water purveyors, cities, the Fox Canyon
Ground Management Agency, and the Board of Supervisors welcome and
encourage your actions to reduce water use. For more information,
contact at
Sincerely,
A-(
cI
ATTACHMENT 3
DRAFT LETTER TO STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Recognizing the severity of the current water crisis and its
implications for the local economy, local elected officials and
technical experts in Ventura County have been meeting regularly
since early February to assure all appropriate measures are taken in
Ventura County. This group, which has come to be called the Drought
Action Forum, has evolved a common approach, to encourage efforts of
local water purveyors, cities, the County, the environmental,
agricultural, and business communities, and citizens in general in
dealing with the drought. The establishment of this working group
actually preceded Governor Pete Wilson's call for each water
purveyor to develop its own drought action plan. The Forum has
worked to simplify reporting to the State and assist individual
agencies in making their plans a reality.
The Forum has developed a Drought Action Resource Summary for the
use of all local water purveyors in developing their own plan to the
drought emergency. The document identifies the various options
local agencies might consider to reduce water use and identifies
what actions have already been taken by various agencies to reduce
water use. Agencies considering a specific water saving action have
been encouraged to contact agencies who have already taken such an
action, for assistance and to work closely with their wholesale
supplier to assure a fully coordinated response to the drought.
On behalf of the cities, the water wholesale agencies, and the water
purveyors of Ventura County, the Board of Supervisors is pleased to
formally transmit for your consideration a copy of the Ventura
County Drought Action Resource Summary. This document describes
current efforts by the ten cities and all major municipal,
industrial, and agricultural purveyors to lower water use in Ventura
County. More importantly, it is a major basis for further actions,
both to deal with the drought emergency itself as well as to
encourage long-term water conservation and the enhancement of water
supplies.
At the recommendation of the Forum, our Board has approved a
broadbase Task Force, with representatives of cities, water
purveyors, and the environmental, business, and farming communities
to act as a "clearinghouse" for Ventura County during the remainder
of the drought. With the support of our county's major wholesalers
(Casitas MWD, Calleguas MWD, and United WCD) and the Fox Canyon
Groundwater Management Agency, the task force will meet regularly to
assess progress in dealing with the drought, for report back through
the Board of Supervisors to the State.
Identification of resources to effectively pursue needed water
solving measures and to develop new supplies has also been singled
out as a high priority. State support in this regard is appreciated
and anticipated.
The et. •-erit:, < -.:he dr_.r:.ght crisis underlines the importance of
T.ork co:-,.,:_rat..vely :> deal with a common problem. We in Ventura
forw.•ad t:, •;orking together, both locally and with the
State , tu .,zcces:lrally deal with the current emergency and to work
`:owa:.r' long term ..oluti_:::,_..
Sincer-=.;.y.
Board :Jr. Supervisors
CC: Forum Participants
Sincerely,
•
Board of Supervisors
AGN-DRT-FORUM
A-1
Table A. Ventura County General Purpose Governments'
• Mardi 4,1991 Local Actions to Conserve Water Page 1 of 2
Require new developmentRequire ULF ULF plumbing Subsidize ULF Limn new Conservation
General Purpose to offset wstw use plumbing refrofita at erne of plumbng discrstlonary&
measures iniated in
Governments* (i.e.subsidize retrofit) fixtures in new salecram program ministerial govammwttdofflaIl
construction modifications development
Camarillo Under study Yes No Under study No Yes
'
Fillmore Under study Yes No No No Yes
Moorpark No Yes No No No Yes, landscape
irrigation water eek
management
measures.
Ojai Yes,for discretionary Yes No No New dev. limited by Program to retrofit
projects with existing Growth Manage- public facilities
service commitment ment Plan& Casitas being developed
moratorium on newt
expanded water
service. Well drilling
is a discretionary
• action.
Oxnard Studying subsidy of Yes Under study Under study No Yes
retrofit, but not through
development fees.
Port Hueneme Yes Yes No No but have zero Yes
net gain
Santa Paula Considering Yes Considering Considering No Yes,in progress
I
Simi Valley No Yes No No Development Yes
allocation program •
Thousand Oak*, Under study Yes No Yes No Yes,toilet pilot •
program in progress
at city facilities:
Public Information
Program on water
conservation. Kits&
literature distrubuted.
Ventura Under study;required Yes Not yet conaid- Under study Adopted and in
as demo project one 98 ered place •
unit condo project and C.
one office building. 2 >
County of Venture No Yes Considering Considering No Yes
'Cities which purvey water and can take actions as water purveyors are also included on Table 8 vir.�sz, x9, ,z
A- 1 •
Table A. Ventura County General Purpose Governments* •
March 4, 1991 Local Actions to Conserve Water Raga 2 of 2
New&existing us Mandate non-potableirements
Omni Purpose udlizs only reclaimed or water for large land- mandate watertMeiant Other
Governments' non-potable water soaped area landscapes
Camarillo If available Not yet Education program
Fillmore No, but 100% non- No Reviewing landscape Public Information Program •
directed use. All requirements for
treated wastewater water-efficient land-
goes to Santa Clara soaps for all new
River for recharge. development
Moorpark No No No. Condition of
approval requires low-
water demand plants.
Ojai Will consider if Not yet All new day. must Co-sponsoring state legislation (SB 534)
possible. utilize drought- to create groundwater management
tolerant landscaping authority to preserve 8 maximize
beneficial use of local groundwater
resources.
Oxnard Under study No Under study • Public information
• Move to monthly meter reading(from
every other month)
• Rationing
• Restrictions on water waste
• • Restrictions on landscape watering
Port Hueneme No No No
Santa Paula No,but 100%non- No Yes
directed use.All
treated wastewater
goes to Santa Clara
River for recharge.
Slml Valley No No Guidelines for water- • Water conservation education program
saving IandscaRes for • Water conservation rate structure
new constructer I en • Water waste prohibition ordinance
Thousand Oaks Study underway Study underway New tract homes Water conservation plan approved by
for potential users for potential users subject to water city council int/91
efficiom landscapes.
•
Ventura Moped&In place. N/A Under study Mandate water conservation plan
Two golf courses&
one park use re-
claimed water.Study
underway for potential
uses.
County of Ventura Yes,for golf courses& Considering Yes Revising Landscape Guidelines
case-by-case per
CEQA for other uses.
STATE`OF CALIFORNIA—THE RESOURCES AGENCY PETE WILSON, Governor
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
1416 NINTH STREET, P.O. BOX 942836
SACRAMENTO,CA 94236-0001 Y= '
(916) 445-9248
March 26, 1991
TO: Urban Water Agencies
Local Governments
Wet March conditions will help alleviate some of the worst
hardships that water agencies are facing in this fifth drought
year, but few communities will enjoy a full water supply this
season. Some agencies may still face shortages of 50 percent or
more. In 1988 the Department of Water Resources published the
Urban Drought Guidebook to help local agencies plan for droughts
and cope with water shortages of up to 35 percent of normal
deliveries. The Department has now updated the guidebook to
include advice on coping with shortages of 50 percent or more.
If your agency has already prepared a drought plan, you may
want to review it with this new information in mind. If you have
not yet completed your drought plan, the guidebook will help you
to develop and implement one. Enclosed is a new updated edition
of the Urban Drought Guidebook for your use.
The Department of Water Resources has staff available to
help you with drought programs. The State Drought Center can be
reached at (916) 327-8500 or (800) 272-8869 . The Department ' s
Water Conservation Office can be reached at (916) 322-4587 . We
will soon be scheduling seminars for local agencies on rationing
and other drought programs. We will notify you of these seminars
as soon as they have been arranged.
Sincerely,
a
David N. Kennedy, Chairman
Governor ' s Drought Action Team
Enclosure
ECEIVEE
2 rent
C,(.L)
California Department of Water Resources The Resources Agency-
. .
' ■N
.e
t. .
New Updated Edition
March 1991
Urban Drought Guidebook
B (II)
Contents
Foreword
iii
Organization, Department of Water Resources iv
Organization, California Water Commission v
List of Tables
List of Figures viii
viii
Introduction
1
Definition of a Drought I
Drought Contingency Planning 3
California Water Code 3
Planning Process Steps 3
Public Involvement 4
Public Information Needs 7
Public Information Issues 8
Additional Sources of Information 10
Step 1: Forecast Supply Situation in Relation to Demand 12
Data Collection 12
Supply Data 12
Demand Data 12
Data Analysis 13
Supply Data Analysis 13
Pioduction Data Analysis 14
Water Use Data Analysis 14
Water Quality Data Analysis 15
Comparing Available Supply and Demand 16
Actions by Water Wholesalers 16
Actions by Retail Water Agencies 16
Estimate Available Supply 17
Consider Carryover Storage 17
Forecast Drought Year Demand 17
Define Deficit Conditions 17
Step 2: Assess Drought Mitigation Options 20
Supply Augmentation Methods 20
Demand Reduction 23
Techniques 23
Rationing 24
Pricing
30
Enforcement 32
()II)
1asat
Contents (continued)
Evaluating Drought Mitigation Measures 35
Step 3: Establish Triggering Levels 36
Trigger Mechanisms 36
Deficit Reduction Objectives 38
Step 4: Develop Drought Demand Reduction Program 42
Model Phased Demand Reduction Program 42
Select Appropriate Drought Phase 43
Evaluate Water Saved By Phased Reductions 44
Select Phase 49
Lag Time Problem 49
Step 5: Adopt the Drought Plan 52
Prepare a Revenue Program 52
Develop an Administration Program 55
Develop Interagency Agreements and Ordinances 57
Potomac River Agreement 57
California Exchange Agreement 57
Longview,Washington Agreement 58
Review and Finalize Plan 58
Step 6: Monitoring Results and Adjusting Drought Status 60
Appendices
Appendix A. References A-1
Appendix B. Water Code of the State of California B-1
Appendix C. Bibliography C-1
Appendix D. State and Federal Sources of Information D-1
Appendix E. Supplemental Information on Supply Augmentation Measures E-1
Appendix F. Supplemental Information on Demand Reduction Measures F-1
Appendix G. Assistance Program Related to the California Drought G-1
Appendix H. Example Ordinances H-1
Appendix I. Drought Plan Checklist I-1
Appendix J. A Homeowner's Guide to Safe Use of Gray Water During a J-1
Drought
Appendix K. Water Conservation Programs for Agencies with Unmetered K-1
Residential Accounts
elf B l J)
FLU a,ra.--A� 1...1;e.isitmVs rZilli rAtaL ,rIttrl atit' l.!'�"'�3i rt-.rgrgnlib,
List of Tables
Number Pie
1 Outline of California Water Code, Chapter 3 5
2 Supply Augmentation Methods 21
3 Demand Reduction Techniques 25
4 Programs Adopted by Retail Water Suppliers During
California Drought 26
5 Example of Drought/Emergency Conservation Plan Penalities 34
6 City of Manchester, Connecticut Drought Contigency
Plan Phasing Criteria 36
7 Seattle Water Department, Washington Drought
Contingency Plan Phasing Criteria 39-40
8 Model Drought Demand Management Plan 45-47
9 Variation in Phased Reduction Savings 48
10 Example Excess-Use Charges 53
11 North Mann County Water District Minimum Service
Charge Modification During an Emergency Period 54
List of Figures
Number Ent
1 Drought Contingency Planning Flowchart 6
2 Drought Demand Versus 5-Year Average Demand 18
3 Projected Supply Deficit Conditions 18
4 Reservoir Levels 41
5 Projected Supply/Demand and Phased Reductions 51
6 Example Drought Management Team Organization 56
7 Available Supply/Actual Demand and Required Phase 61
Introduction
This guidebook contains suggestions for the kinds of drought
management measures which could go into locally prepared urban
drought plans. Written in 1988, it was updated in 1991 to help
water agencies cope with potentially severe drought conditions.
The main text of the handbook has two areas of emphasis: First,
it uses examples of well-conceived and executed plans to illustrate
recommendations whenever possible. Second, it stresses that
successful programs are commonly the result of a cooperative
effort between the water agency and customers. Activities which
foster this spirit of cooperation are highlighted.
The supplemental information found in the appendices is provided
as a resource for preparing individual plans. The index should
serve as an aid to locating specific topics within the text or
appendices.
Definition of a Drought
The focus of this guidebook is to provide an orderly process to
anticipate and mitigate drought conditions. A drought occurs
when supply is reduced to a level which cannot support existing
demands. These water shortages maybe caused by natural forces
or system component failure. Such conditions could last 2 to 3
months or extend over several years.
Even though the emphasis is on water shortages of finite duration,
some of the drought mitigation measures presented in the manual
are also appropriate for use as part of a long-term water conser-
vation strategy. Cost-effective long-term water conservation plans
are valuable to a community in that a given amount of supply can
support more users or be available for reserves. However, care
must be taken when instituting a drought management plan
concurrently with a long-term water conservation plan. Because
purveyors achieving a high degree of efficient water management
will have less ability to make large voluntary reductions in water
demand, it is recommended that those agencies maintain a multi-
year drought buffer in water storage.
v
Page 1
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13
page
Drought Contingency Planning
The essential role that a reliable water supply plays in supporting
our society highlights the need for advance preparation for a
drought. Such contingency planning allows selection of an ap-
propriate response consistent with the severity of the drought.
While the actions taken should be adequate to deal with the
circumstances and no more severe than is warranted, it is essential
that purveyors institute significant demand reduction programs
as soon as is prudent. Purveyors which delay instituting drought
actions may exhaust reserve supplies early in the drought and
could thus cause more economic harm to their communities than
was necessary. The remaining chapters of this guidebook describe
in detail a planning process designed to guide water agency
actions during predrought and drought stages. Essential elements
of the planning activity are summarized below.
California Water Code
For California water agencies, the requirements of Chapter 3 of
the Water Code of the State of California need to be incorporated
into any plans for responding to a drought. The key elements of
this legislation are summarized in Table 1.The complete text of the
relevant Code sections is contained in Appendix B. This chapter of
the Code provides the authority for water agencies to declare a
water shortage emergency. Once having done so, the local agency
is provided with broad powers to implement and enforce regula-
tions and restrictions for managing the drought. Water needed for
domestic purposes is given priority and discrimination within a
class of customers is not allowed.
Planning Process Steps
Figure 1 illustrates the steps in drought planning. It is im-
portant to note that these steps are part of a dynamic process
which is constantly evolving as new information becomes available.
This process is initiated in Step 1 where supply and demand data
are collected. This activity is needed as a basis for planning and
estimating how much water of acceptable quality will be available
under various drought conditions, including multi-year short
C
Page 3
ages. Physical constraints, such as pumping capacity and opera- j
tional limitations, are considered as well as basic supply and
demand information. The best lime to initiate this process is �I
before a drought takes place.
Steps 2 and 3 involve assessing drought mitigation options and
setting drought stage triggering levels. These can be parallel
efforts which support the final selection of drought plan elements
in Step 4. Step 2 examines not only the quantity of water available
from various supply augmentation and demand reduction options,
but any problems or constraints resulting from the use of such
sources. Identification of"trigger"mechanisms to react to drought
severity are covered in Step 3.
Step 4 represents the synthesis of information from previous
steps. Groups of water-saving measures are associated with
progressive levels of supply shortage. A key element of this step
is involvement of the public in order to create a program that the
community understands, contributes to and supports.
The "nuts and bolts" of plan implementation are considered in
Step 5. Procedural issues, staffing needs, and budget and funding
considerations must be resolved. The effort to prepare a formal
plan document is part of this process.
The planning process does not end at the conclusion of Step 5. A
community remains truly prepared only if efforts to incorporate
new information into the plan are made on a periodic basis. Step
6 represents the continuous monitoring of program results and
use of this information to adjust demand reductions.
Public Involvement
Public involvement is clearly required for smooth implementation
of all phases of a demand reduction program. Community par-
ticipation at the program development stage is also important.
The choices made in this step will, to a large extent, determine how
the effectiveness and equity of the utility's drought management
program will be perceived. Also, extensive public involvement will
benefit the decision-making as well as the implementation process.
2)
Page 4
Table 1 Outline of California Water Code, Chapter 3
Section Summary of Key Points
reference
350 - Governing body of water supply distributor has authority to declare
water shortage emergency condition.
- Defines water shortage emergency condition as when there would be
"insufficient water for human, consumption, sanitation, and fire
protection."
351 - A public hearing is required prior to a water shortage emergency
condition declaration.
352 - Advertisement of the public hearing must follow certain notification
and distribution procedures.
353 - Governing body of water supply distributor shall adopt regulations and
restrictions to 'conserve the water supply for the greatest public
benefit.'
- Priority uses are domestic, sanitation, and fire protection.
354 - Option given to governing body of water supply distributor to
establish additional water allocation, distribution, and delivery
priorities.
- Method of allocation cannot discriminate "between customers using
water for the same purpose or purposes.'
355 - Regulations and restrictions are in effect until the emergency is over
and the water supply has been replenished or augmented.
356 - Regulations and restrictions allowed tc prohibit new or additional
service connections.
- Enforcement of regulations and restrictions may include discontinuing
service to customers willfully violating them.
357 - Regulations and restrictions shall prevail over allocation provisions
of laws pertaining to water rights of :ndividual customers.
- Water distributors subject to regulation by the State Public Utilities
Commission (PUC) need prior approval by the PUC before adopting
regulations and restrictions of this type.
358 - Review of an emergency declaration or adopted regulations and
restrictions adopted by a court is not prohibited.
359 - Requirements for applying for Federal drought relief program.
b
Page 5
4
1
STEP I - FORECAST SUPPLY
SITUATION IN RELATION TO
DEMAND
-WATER SUPPLIES DETERMINED
TO BE LESS THAN NORMAL
- PROJECT DRY YEAR DEMAND
- PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
I 1
STEP 2-ASSESS DROUGHT
MITIGATION OPTIONS
- EVALUATE POTENTIAL FOR
SUPPLY AUGMENTATION
- EVALUATE DEMAND REDUCTION
MEASURES
- PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
STEP 3 -ESTABLISH TRIGGERING
• LEVELS
- IDENTIFY TRIGGER MECHANISMS
- SET DEFICIT REDUCTION
OSJECTIVES
- PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
I
STEP 4 - DEVELOP DEMAND
REDUCTION PROGRAM
- CREATE PHASED DEMAND
REDUCTION PROGRAM •
- SELECT APPROPRIATE
DROUGHT PHASE
- PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
t
I
STEP S -ADOPT THE DROUGHT
PLAN
- PREPARE A REVENUE PROGRAM
- DEVELOP AN ADMINI ION
PROGRAM j
- DEVELOP INTERAGENCY •
AGREEMENTS AND OROBIANCES
- PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT I
i
I
STEP B - MONITORING RESULTS
AND ADJUSTING DROUGHT STATUS
- TRACK RESULTS
- ADJUST PROGRAM OR PHASE
AS HEEDED
- PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT •
Figure 1 Drought Contingency Planning Flow Chart
Page 6 F
Public Information Needs
Public involvement needs can be incorporated into an existing water
conservation public information program. A vigorous public educa-
tion program during a drought emergency is crucial for achieving
substantial water use reductions. The utility assumes a central role
in publicizing the extent of the drought problem as well as in advising
consumers on how to conserve. Even principally voluntary programs
have achieved significant reductions in water use in situations where
the public was well-informed and understood the need to conserve.
A public education program must be aimed at five basic groups:
1. Local decision-makers must understand why certain ac-
tions are needed, why special arrangements for communication
and coordination will be called for, and the possible need for both
emergency funds and emergency powers.
2. Governmental bodies must be encouraged to provide lead-
ership by taking timely actions to reduce demand and provide
examples to the public at large. Government cooperation to go
beyond the efforts being asked of the general public should be
offered quickly and at the initiative of the agencies themselves.
The water utility should use the media to communicate that it
expects this type of cooperation and commitment from govern-
ment institutions in its service area. Experience has shown that
government institutions can respond although some may need
specific technical guidance.
3. Industries, schools, businesses, and other groups which
are asked to comply with specific use restrictions need detailed
information. Also, these groups should be called upon to suggest
alternatives to the proposed rationing program that can possibly
achieve an equivalent level of demand reduction with potentially
less economic harm. Very innovative ideas have been generated by
the private sector in past droughts. As a minimum, this approach
will help ensure willing participation by demonstrating a genuine
interest in their perspective.
4. News media need frequent briefings to ensure timely and
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accurate communication of information. The water agency manage-
ment should be especially watchful for human interest stories which
could help convey the"shoulder to the wheel"attitude desired among
their customers. Informing the media of specific instances of an
individual or group making sacrifices for the common good is a way
the utility can show appreciation for conservation efforts.
5. The general public must remain informed about the water supply
situation, what actions are being proposed and/or being taken, how
those actions will mitigate supply shortages, and how well they are
doing meeting program goals.
When appealing to customers for water use reductions, the utility
must act credibly and consistently. It is important that utilities
demonstrate to the public that they are doing everything possible to
minimize the shortage. Supply options must be pursued vigorously;
if new supplies are too costly or not achievable in a short time
frame, these facts must be stated. Even publicity about changes in
utility operation and maintenance practices which conserve water
is helpful. Also, accurate information concerning supply status
(reservoir and ground water levels), water use reductions, and other
pertinent information should be provided to all company personnel,
especially those briefing the media or involved with public education.
In dealing with media representatives,if the utility does not have a well •
coordinated internal information sharing program, it is advisable to
have one person speak for the utility - preferably the rationing
manager. Response to media inquiries must be immediate to maintain
communication links and to avoid media representatives seeking
alternative information sources that are probably less informed. Good
communication fosters opportunities for a water agency to tell its
story and ensures that knowledgeable people will be called upon to
speak on the issues.
Public Information Issues
Before developing drought-related public information strategies,there
are several important issues to keep in mind about program focus
and content. First, it must be emphasized that the water supply
situation is unpredictable and may change from month to month. No
one can be certain when the situation will improve. Even if precipi-
tation increases, the effect on the water supply may not be immediate.
The utility needs to proceed cautiously by starting demand reduction
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programs early and avoiding relaxing any measures too soon.
Also, customers need to realize that the drought impact is not
uniform across a state or region and that the problem will be more
severe in some areas and less severe in others.
The burden of coping with the drought may be carried by some
user classes more than others. Some groups with high potential
for reduction may be asked to reduce water use more than others,
but discrimination within a class of customers should be avoided.
r Landscape irrigation may have to be curtailed. Conversely, it may
be decided to minimize water reductions to commercial/industrial
customers in order to preserve as many jobs as possible. The
reasoning behind these or any mandatory curtailment of supplies
must be carefully communicated by the utility.
The public must be made aware of the impact of the drought on
water system costs as early as possible. Reduced water sales will
obviously reduce revenue. Most water utilities have fixed costs on
the order of 75 to 80 percent of their total budget and this needs
to be communicated to the public. There may be significant
additional costs incurred for purchasing water, conservation
programs, emergency pumps, pipes, and other equipment, in-
creased water quality testing, and other drought related activi-
ties. These costs ultimately will be borne by the system users.
Finally, the utility must avoid being placed in an adversarial
position. The focus should be on the emergency at hand without
blame implied towards the purveyor's management or any cus-
tomer class.
It is important to tailor the public education program to the type
of community served. For large decentralized areas, methods that
allow the utility to reach many customers relatively inexpensively
such as bill inserts and media advertisements are appropriate.
Smaller, close-knit communities with central business districts
may also be well served by a central information center. Specific
information concerning design and distribution of public infor-
mation materials is contained in the DWR water conservation
Guidebook Number 3, Designing a Public Information Program
for Water Conservation.
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•
Public education programs provide long-term benefits by increas-
ing the customers' understanding of their water use and of the
utility's operations. Such an understanding will be useful in
generating public support for future efforts regarding rate in-
creases or new efficiency and supply projects.
When undertaking any public education effort, it is crucial that
the information be accurate and consistent and that requested
use reductions be commensurate with the seriousness of the
situation. In other words, the customer must understand what
the trigger conditions are, what the consequences of the different
stages of drought are, and how the emergency measures will help
relieve or minimize the problem.
An ad hoc committee representing all segments of the community
may be useful in marshalling community support for rationing
programs. However, since the situation may be evolving rapidly
and committee meetings may not occur too frequently, the
committee's limited influence may result in more frustration than
purveyor support. Care should be taken to recognize and evaluate
the possible contributions of a task force. 1'
Additional Sources of Information F;
The experience of other communities can be a helpful resource in
preparing a drought contingency plan. Appendix C is a bibliog-
raphy of published literature on drought management and water
conservation. Appendix D lists State and federal agencies that
can assist with water resource and water conservation informa-
tion.
Another valuable resource is the Department of Water Resources.
This Department is committed to assisting California water
agencies in efficiently utilizing the state's water resources under
normal circumstances as well as drought conditions. Help is
available in DWR's "how to" series.of guidebooks which give step-
by-step ways to develop specific water conservation programs. In
addition to this guidebook, other guidebooks currently avail-
able
are:
II
Page 10 11'5
How to Do an In-school Education Program (No. 2)
Designing a Public Information Program for Water
Conservation (No. 3)
Water Audit and Leak Detection (No. 5)
Agricultural Drought Guidebook (No. 6)
Landscape Water Conservation (No. 8)
Conservation Oriented Water Rates (No. 9)
DWR also has a "Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance".
During droughts which affect a large portion of the State DWR
operates a Drought Center. This service is provided to collect and
disseminate information on water supply conditions and con-
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