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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011 07 11 Informational 102 Water Conservation COMMISSION AGENDA CONSENT X INFORMATIONAL ITEM 102 PUBLIC HEARING REGULAR KSKL MGR /DEPT th July 11, 2011 Meeting Authorization REQUEST: The Utility Department is providing the City Commission with information on the efforts of the water conservation program. SYNOPSIS: The intent is to provide the Commission with information pertaining to past and current efforts of the Utility Department’s water conservation program and to outline the future goals of the program. CONSIDERATIONS: The Utility Department created the Water Conservation Coordinator (WCC) position in February 2010 to increase efforts related to water conservation and expand our customer service capabilities. The efforts to date have been focused on six main areas; 1) water audits, 2) water saving devices, 3) low consumption accounts, 4) leak reports, 5) education and 6) permit compliance. A brief discussion of each item follows.  Water Audits : Utility Billing provides the WCC a monthly report showing all residents using in excess of 40,000 gallons of water per month. The resident is contacted by the WCC via a door hanger, letter, phone call, or email and a water audit is offered. A message offering a free water audit is also printed on the monthly water bills and offered to customers who contact the utility billing department. The water audit process examines the function of the water meter and the irrigation timer to ensure both are working properly. The irrigation system is examined and suggestions are made for improving efficiency. The age of the indoor plumbing fixtures and appliances are determined and a cost savings from retrofitting indoor fixtures/appliances is determined. A catch can test can be used to determine how much water residents are applying to their lawn to help them calibrate their irrigation run time to ensure that the proper amount of water is applied. A monthly water budget can be developed to help the resident lower their monthly utility bill. In 2010, 600 residents were offered a water audit. Of the 600 customers contacted, 91 of them requested an audit, 53 of them responded to say they were watering new sod, and 35 customers responded to say they had a leak or an irrigation timer malfunction resulting in City Commission – Regular Meeting Informational 102 July 11, 2011 Page 2 of 5 excessive water use. This is a response rate of 30%. Of those contacted, 15% requested an audit. In addition, 50 customers contacted the City concerning their utility bill and subsequently scheduled a water audit. A total of 141 audits were conducted in 2010. Of the 91 residents who had high water use, 22% of them were able to reduce their monthly water use by an average of 38%, which amounts to an average of 18,000 gallons of water saved per month for each residence. Since January 2011, 61 water audits have been conducted. A tracking system is maintained to obtain long term data on the effectiveness of the water audits in reducing water use.  Water Saving Devices : The average shower head uses 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm). The City offers free water saving shower heads that use only 1.25 gpm, as well as 1.0 gpm faucet aerators, and water saving toilet flappers. Flyers are left at the bill pay counter in City Hall advertising these free water saving devices. They are also offered as part of a water audit. In 2010, 250 faucet aerators, 90 toilet flappers, and 700 shower heads were distributed. The shower heads will save 16,200 gallons of water annually per residence (based on a family of 4). This is a total of 11,340,000 gallons of water saved annually for 700 shower head installations. Since January 2011, 424 shower heads have been distributed. A tracking system is maintained to obtain long term data on the effectiveness of the devices in conserving water. Residents provide their email address upon registering for a water saving device and a follow-up email is sent to determine if the device has been installed and if the resident is happy with the performance.  Low Consumption Report : A monthly report is generated showing all utility accounts registering less than 100 gallons of water per month. Meters registering little to no use are tested and replaced if defective. Monitoring low water use accounts and replacing the defective meters conserves water and reduces lost revenue.  Leak Report : A monthly report is generated through utility billing showing all utility accounts with a monthly increase in water use of 50% or greater. A check of the meter is performed and the resident is contacted to schedule a water audit to attempt to determine the cause of the increased water use.  Education : Educational materials pertaining to water conservation are provided in City Hall, on the City website, disseminated with water saving devices, and provided at City events such as Arbor Day and Water Conservation Day. Educational programs are held in local elementary and middle schools and for local scout troops.  Permit compliance: In January 2010, the City received its 20 year Consumptive Use Permit (CUP) from the St. Johns River Water Management District. Conditions of this permit 2011 07 11 Informational 102 Water Conservation Update City Commission – Regular Meeting Informational 102 July 11, 2011 Page 3 of 5 performed by the WCC include; tracking water conservation efforts, preparing related annual reports, conducting unaccounted for water reports, coordinating monitor well installation, and coordinating monitor well sampling results. Proposed efforts for the water conservation program :  Lake Jesup Reclaimed Facility : Our current source of drinking water is the Floridan aquifer. The aquifer is our most affordable source of drinking water, but it is not an infinite source of water for a growing population. Alternative water sources must be utilized after an unsustainable level of groundwater use occurs. We currently have 14,909 active utility connections within the City. Of those connections, 12,772 are potable meters, 456 are potable irrigation meters, and 1,681 are reclaimed meters. Greater than 60% of the total monthly water use in a home with an irrigation system goes toward outdoor uses, so a large percentage of our potable water is being used to irrigate lawns. The Lake Jesup Reclaimed Facility will utilize water from Lake Jesup to supplement our current reclaimed water supply. Additional infrastructure will be installed in phases with the ultimate goal of providing reclaimed water to all residents and businesses for the purpose of irrigation. Providing all residents with reclaimed water will greatly reduce the amount of groundwater withdrawals and ensure that we have an affordable source of drinking for a longer time period.  Landscaping and Irrigation Ordinance : Article VII, Section 19-251 of the City Ordinance regulates the schedule of irrigation within the City. However, it does not provide any rules or regulations on the design and installation of landscaping and irrigation. Many municipalities, such as Volusia County and City of Oviedo, have detailed landscaping and irrigation ordinances that, among other things, limit the amount of high volume irrigation for new development to 35-50% of the total landscaped area. An ordinance is needed to provide clear guidance on implementing Florida Friendly landscaping principles, which include choosing sustainable plant material for our climate, proper site preparation, use of drip or micro irrigation where applicable, etc.  Incentive Program : Incentive programs are an effective way to promote water conservation without mandates. Toilet rebates : Toilet rebate programs are a popular and effective method for o promoting toilet retrofits. A database could be developed using Seminole County property appraiser and letters mailed to residents with homes built prior to 1994. If the resident has a toilet manufactured prior to 1994, they would be eligible to receive a $50 rebate for upgrading to a newer, more water efficient toilet. The toilet is the highest water use inside the home. Toilets manufactured prior to 1994 can use between 3-5 gallons per flush (gpf), while newer toilets use 1.6 gpf or less. An annual 2011 07 11 Informational 102 Water Conservation Update City Commission – Regular Meeting Informational 102 July 11, 2011 Page 4 of 5 budget could be set aside to fund this program. The funding for this program could be provided through fines assessed for watering violations and supplemented through the water conservation budget. Landscaping rebates : Many residents’ irrigation systems are inefficient and provide o inadequate coverage, which promotes water waste and continual lawn maintenance issues. Many residents re-sod portions of their lawn each year, which leads to a month long watering-in process, thereby using significant amounts of water. Ideally, the irrigation system needs to be redesigned to be more efficient. A dollar amount per square foot of landscaping/irrigation redesign could be provided to incentivize residents to upgrade their irrigation systems and utilize Florida Friendly landscaping. This could also be funded through fines assessed for watering violations. Ideally only one incentive program would be utilized at a time to meet budgetary constraints. Alternatively, if it is not within the budget to provide monetary incentives for toilet and landscaping/irrigation retrofits, a detailed analysis could be provided showing the payback period and long term annual cost savings, so residents are aware of the cost comparison of re- sodding each year as opposed to upgrading their irrigation system, for example.  Informative Billing : It is anticipated that in fiscal year 2012, the utility bills will provide a bar graph that tracks the customer’s monthly water use for the year. This will allow the resident to compare their water use from month to month and year to year.  City Landscaping : Next to the irrigation of the Tuskawilla Golf Course, irrigation of City medians, parks, and rights-of-ways accounts for the highest water use within the City. Development of a long term plan to gradually replace high maintenance areas with drought tolerant landscape material will conserve water and reduce the cost for mowing, fertilization, and pest management associated with the maintenance of St. Augustine grass. While grass is well suited and even necessary in some areas, there are many areas where other plants would be more sustainable and incur less management. Florida Friendly landscaping, such as that seen in portions of the median of Winter Springs Boulevard near Seneca Boulevard, require no mowing, less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than large expanses of grass, such as along Tuskawilla Boulevard. Many of the irrigation timers in our medians are battery operated and it has proved difficult to maintain a rain sensor in conjunction with a battery operated timer. Ideally, rain sensors need to be used for all irrigation sites and inefficient irrigation designs need updated. The gradual redesign of landscaping within public areas will result in reduced water use and reduced maintenance costs. 2011 07 11 Informational 102 Water Conservation Update City Commission – Regular Meeting Informational 102 July 11, 2011 Page 5 of 5 FISCAL IMPACT: Since February 2010, $4,911.50 has been spent from the water conservation budget to purchase water savings devices. $10,000 is budgeted in FY 2012. The cost to redesign landscaping and irrigation within City properties has yet to be determined. COMMUNICATION EFFORTS: This Agenda Item Has Been Electronically Forwarded To The Mayor And City Commission, City Manager, City Attorney/Staff, And All eAlert/eCitizen Recipients; And Is Available On The City’s Website, LaserFiche, And The City’s Server. Additionally, Portions Of This Agenda Item Are Typed Verbatim On The Respective Meeting Agenda Which Has Also Been Electronically Forwarded To The Individuals Noted Above; And Which Is Also Available On The City’s Website, LaserFiche, And The City’s Server; Has Been Sent To City Staff, Media/Press Representatives Who Have Requested Agendas/Agenda Item Information, Homeowner’s Associations/Representatives On File With The City, And All Individuals Who Have Requested Such Information; And Has Been Posted Outside City Hall; Posted Inside City Hall With Additional Copies Available For The General Public; And Posted At Five (5) Different Locations Around The City. This Agenda Item Is Also Available To Any New Individual Requestors. City Staff Is Always Willing To Discuss This Or Any Agenda Item With Any Interested Individuals. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the City Commission accept this information. ATTACHMENTS: None 2011 07 11 Informational 102 Water Conservation Update