HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 4.D 3/3/2014 •
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DATE: March 3, 2014
TO: Honorable Mayorand:Members of the,City:Councitthrough City Manager '
FROM: Dan;St, John, F:ASCE — Director, Public Works.and'Utilities.
Leonard Olive—`Utility'Operations Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution Declaring a Water Shortage Emergencyand Implementing of Stage
One of the City ofPetaluma Water Shortage<Contingency Plan
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended thatthe CityCouncil:approve a resolution,declaring a water shortage
emergency and implementing Stage,l.ofthe City's WaterrShortage Contingency Plan which
requests a community=wide voluniaryreduction in water usagewithin the•area served by the City
of Petaluma water system.
BACKGROUND
Calendar year 2013 closed as.the,driest year in recorded history for'tnanyareas,ofCalifornia and
water storage in Lake Mendocino is at unprecedented low levels. On January 17, 2014 Gov.
Edmund.Q. Brown,Ir. declared a`drought state of emergency(Attachment;.2) and directed state
and local officials to take all necessary actions to conserve water. On February 3, 2014 the Water
Advisory Committee(WAC) composed of elected officials from-local municipalities who
purchase water from the Sonoma•County Water Agency, adopted-a•resolution (Attachment 3)
supporting Governor Brown's drought proclamation. Furtherinorethe WAC recommended that
all nine of the principalicoritractors follow suit and request their councils andgoverning boards
to pass similar resolutions.
Urban Water'Mana Management elan that outlines how water demand reductions diming) aaa teofits,
The City of Petaluma,has a adopted a Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSG
g a water
supply shortage wiltbe;aehieved. The WSCP is.designed'to achieve a'community wide reduction
in water use in response to a reduction+in water supply. The first,step in the process is to
implement Stage 1 ofthe'WSCP which:calls for a'community-wide voluntary 15% reduction in
water use:�Governor_Brown has ordered:a 20%,reduction`statewide and the WAC has approved a
resolution supporting the 20% reduction request; therefore, staff is requesting that Stage 1 be
increased from 15%to`a20%voluntary reduction to meet the Governors order.
Agenda Review:
City Attorney Finance Director City Manager ✓�/�
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DISCUSSION.
The City of Petaluma is prepared forthe water shortage emergency'by'.impl_ementingthe Urban
Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) contained in the Urban Water Management Plan. The
WSCP includes four stages of rationing:.Demand reduction'goals and water shortage emergency
regulations and water conservatiomregulations are located in.Chapter 15, Section 18 and Chapter
15 Section 17 of the Municipal,Code respectively. The Water Shortage Contingency Plan builds
progressively withieach stage with_,stage one requiring a 15% voluntary demand reduction for all
customer classes. Due to Governor Browri's order for.all Californians;to reduce consumption by
20%, staff is requesting that the'1b%voluntary reduction of Stage 1 of the WSCP be increased to
20%: Staffrecommendsthat Councildoesnot implement mandatory restrictions contained in
stages 2 through 4 at this time:;Stage 2 requiring 25% mandatory restrictions will be
recommended in`theearly springif no significant changes in the drought have occurred.
Though'Stage 1 does not contain mandated water use reductions„however, the City will work
with businesses and residents to strongly encourage prohibitionsto washing of sidewalks, patios,
and,other hard surfaces without hose-end shut off nozzles, requirements that restaurants only
serve water on request, and eliminate non-essential water uses. Stage;I does not contain any
changes to the water rate structure. Staff will continue to implement an enhancedoutreach
strategy to informcustomers about the current water supply status, the elements of the voluntary
Stage 1 request, and future actions needed to meet demand.reductions Staff will promote water
conservation programs^including the Water-wise HouseCall programiand%appliance and fixture
rebates,:and will lift the `winter;break"normally in place for Much Madness program, The
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City will utilize social media,such'as Facebook and Twitter, direct mailings, movie theater ads,
print media,•andthe City's website to alert customers of the current drought conditions. The City
will continuewith its participation in'the:Sonoma-Marin Water Saving partnership and its
• regional marketing campaign:
The proposed action will meet'Counc"i1.Goal: "Plan for the•future".
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
A.20%,water:usere4uciion would:reduceboth the sales revenues and cost ofsales:expenditures
while expenditures for water conservation efforts would increase The net fiscal impact of the
proposed action hag not;been calculated in detail,but is believed to be within the conservation
budget adopted,for the water enterprise fund. Adjustments-can be made, as necessary from
Utility resources, which currently total a yearend projedtion;of$4',8000 000.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
2. Governor Browns.Proclamation
3. WAG`Resolufion
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Attachment 1
RESOLUTION OF THE,EETALUMA CITY.COUNCIL,DECLARING A WATER
SHORTAGE EMERGENCY:AND IMPLEMENTING STAGE 1 OF`THE CITY'S
WATERiSHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
WHEREAS, the City_of Petaluma;isa:Cityempowered to provide water service Within
certain boundaries; and
WHEREAS, calendar year 2013 was the lowesfrrainfall year on record in 120 years; and
WHEREAS, due to this water supply shortage, a water shortage emergency exists and a
reduction in demand is requiredto ensure adequatesupply'in 2014 and beyond; and
WHEREAS, On January.17 ,2014 Gov. Edmund,G,,Brown, Jr; declared,a drought state
of emergency-and directed state;;and.local officials to take,all`necessary actions to conserve
water; and
WHEREAS, the Restructured Agreement for Water Supply; executed on June 23, 2006,
by and betweenythe Sonoma County Water Agency(SCWA), the Cities',of Cotati, Petaluma,
Rohnert Park, Santa.Rosa, and'Sonoma,'the North Marin and Valley of the Moon Water Districts
'and.the Town of Windsor, collectively known as the Water Contractors, created the Water
Advisory Committee and Techn"ical.Advisory Committee; and
WHEREAS, the Water Contractors, along with SCWA and Marin Municipal Water
District, are members of.theSonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership, through which these
members'have joined together to,provide a regional approach to water use efficiency; and
WHEREAS,-On February:a, 2014, the Water Advisory Committee of the SCWA
Approved,a Resolution,Supporting The.Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership Efforts
And Governor Jerry Brown's Emergency Drought;Declaration That Includes Seeking
20% Voluntary Conservation,and recommended that-all principal SCWA contractors
follow suite with their respectivegoveming boards;.and
WHEREAS,,the City of Petaluma has the authority::and responsibility to adopt water
demand reduction measures Within its area of service;and
WHEREAS, the.City ofPetaluma's Water Shortage Contingency Plan Stage 1 calls for a
15% voluntary reduction inrwater.usefbyall customersFserved,bythe City's potable water
distribution system and'Governor Brown has ordered,a20%:reduction.in water use; and,
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NOW,•THEREFORE,,IT IS RESOLVED that,the City declares that under the
current water shortage conditions, a.watershortageiemergencyexists and Stage I of the City's
Water Shortage Contingency Plan will be;implemented immediately: Furthermore, the prescribed
Stage 1 is hereby increased from a-requested 15%vdluntaiyreduction in water use for all water
customers within the area served by the`Cityof Petaluma potable water distribution system to
20% to comply with the Goyernor's,and WAC's associated proclamations and resolutions.
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Attachment 2
A PROCLAMATION:OF A STATE'OF EMERGENCY
WHEREAS the State of California is experiencing record.dry conditions, wdh•2014,projected,to become the
driest year on record; and
WHEREAS the state's water supplies.have dipped to alarming levels, indicated by snowpack in California's
mountains is approximately''-20 percent of the;nermal average for this date California's largest waterreservoirs
have very low water levels:for this time of year;Calfornia's=major river systems, including the Sacramento and
San Joaquin rivers have significantly reduced surface water flows; and,groundwater levels throughout the state
have dropped significantly; and
WHEREAS dry conditions and lack-ofprecipitation present urgentproblems:drinking water supplies are at risk
in many California communities fewer crops can be cultivated and farmers long;term investments are put at
risk; low-income communities heavilyidependent on agricultural employment willrsuffer heightened
unemployment andeconomic hardship; animals andplants rely on,California s.rivers, including many
speciesin danger of extinction, will'be:threatened; and the nsk,ofwildfires acressdhestate is greatly increased;
and
• .WHEREAS'extremelydry conditions have.persisted since 2012'and-may continue beyond this year and more
regularly into the future, based on scientific projections regarding the impactof climate change on California's
Snowpack;'and'
WHEREAS the magnitude of the:.severe drought conditions presents;threats beyond.the control of the services,
personnel;equipment and facilitiesof any single local government and require the combined forces of a mutual
aid"region or regions to combat; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of section8558(b)of the CaliforniaGovernment•Code, I find that conditions of
extreme peel to the safety of;persons and property exist in California:due;to water shortage and drought
conditions with which local authority;is unable-"to cope.
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NOW,THEREFORE, I. EDMUND G. BROWN'JR., Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the
authority vested in me by the state Constitutionandstatutes,including;the California.Emergency Services Act;
and in particular;section 8625 of the:California Government Code HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF
EMERGENCY to exist in the State Of.Cal forhia:due to current drought conditions.
ITIS HEREBYORDERED THAT:,
1.Stateagencies led by.the..Department of Water Resources. will execute a-statewide waterconservation
campaign to,make;all•Californians awareof the drought and encourage personal actions to;reduce water
usage. This campaign will be built on'.;the existing Save,Our.Watercampaign,(www saveourh20:org)and will
coordinate with local water agencies..ThisiOimpaigif will call'on Californians to reduce their water usage by 20
percent.
2. Local urban water suppliers and municipalities-ares calleduponto implement their local water.shortage
contingency plans immediately in order to avoid or forestall outright restrrctions'that couldbecomenecessary
later in the drought season Locahwatedagencies should also update their legally required:urban and
agricultural water management plans,.which:help plan for extendeddrought conditions. The Department of
Water Resources will make the status of these updates publicly available:
3. State;agencies,led bythe„Department of GeneralSeryices,will inimediatelytimplement water use reduction
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plans forall,staterfacilities.,These plans wilfmcludelimmedate water'conservation"actions;.and a moratorium
will be placed on new,non-essential landscaping projects:afstate facilities and:on4state:highways and roads.
4. The Department of Water:Resources and the State Water Resources;>Control Board(Water Board)will
expedite the processingfof water transfers, asscalled for in.Executive Order B-21-13.Voluntary water transfers
from one water right'.holder to another enables water toflow where it is needed most.
. 5. The Water Board will immediately consider petitions requesting consolidation of the places of use of the
State Water Project and FederatCenfral'Valley Project,which would streamline water'transfers and exchanges
between water users within:theareasof..these two.major water projects.
6.The Department of Water Resources and-the"Water'Board will accelerate'funding:for water supply
enhancement:projects that can break'+,ground'this year and will:explore.if any existing unspent funds can be
repurposed to enable near-term water conservation projects.
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7. The•Water,Board will put water right holders:throughout the state:on notice that°they may be directed to
ceaseor reduce waterdiversions'based onWater shortages.
8.'t he Water:Board will consider modifying,requirements for reservoir.releases or diversion limitations,where
existing requirements were established to implement a water quality_control plan. These changes would enable
water to be conserved upstream later in the year to protect:cold water pools forjsalmonand steelhead; maintain
water supply, and improve.water quality:
9.The Department of Water Resources:and'the Water Board will take actions necessary to make water
immediately available,:and,.for purposes of carrying;out directivesr5 and 8„,Water Codesection 13247 and
Division 13(commencing with section 21000)of the,Public ResourcessCode and regulations adopted pursuant
to that Division are+suspended on the basis that strict compliance with them will prevent, hinder, or delay the
mitigation-of the effects of<the emergency. Department of Water Resources and the Water Board shall maintain
on their-websites a list of the actitities orapprovalsfor which these provisions are'suspended.
10. The state's Drinking Water Program will work with local agencies.to�identify::communities that may run out
of drinking water and will provide technical and';financial assistance to',help these communities address
drinking water shortages. It will also.,identify'emergency interconnections`that exist among the state's public
water systems that can help'these threatened communities.
11. The Department:of Water Resources will”evaluate_changing groundwaterlevels, land subsidence, and
agricultural;land:fallowing as the drought persists and will provide a public-update by April 30 that identifies
groundwater basins with watershortages and details gaps in oundwatermonitoring.
12.The Department of Water Resources;will.work with counties to help ensure that well drillers submit required
groundwater well logs for newly;constructed land deepened wells in a timely manner:and the Office,of
Emergency Services will work:with local authoritiesto enable early'notice,of areas experiencing problems with
residential groundwater sources.
13. The California.Department of Food andAgriculture will launch done-stop website
(www:cdfa.ca.gov(drought)that,provides timely updates'on:the drought and connects farmers to state and
federal progranis,that they can access during the drought.:
14'The Department of Fish and Wildlife will:evaluate and manage the changing impacts of drought on
threatened species and species of speciaf concern, and,develop contingency plans for state
Wildlife.Areas'and Ecological Reserves to manage reduced water resources in the interest.
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15.The Department of Fish and Wildlife will'work with the Fish and Game Commission;,using the best
available science„to determine whetherrestrictingfishing in certain areas-will.become necessary and prudent
as drought conditionspersist.
16. The Department of Water Resources,iwill-take necessary actions loprotect water quality.and water supply
in the Delta, including installation of temporary barriers or temporary water supply connections as needed, and
will coordinate.With the Department of Fish and Wildlife to minimize impacts to affected aquatic species.
17. The Department of Water"Resources-will refine its seasonal climate forecasting-and drought prediction by
advancing new,methodologies piloted'in.2013.
18. The California,'Departmentof?Forestry and Fire Protection willhire additional,seasonal firefighters to
suppress wildfires`and take other needed actions to protect public safety during,this time ofelevated fire nsk.
19. The states Drought Task.Force williimmediately develop a plan that can be,executed as needed to provide
emergency food supplies,financial assistance, and unemployment services in,communities that suffer high
levels of unemployment fromthe'drought:
20 The Drought Task Force will monitor,drought impacts ona daily basis and will-advise'me,of subsequent
actions that should be taken if drought'conditions worsen.
I FURTHER DIRECT that as:soon asihereafter possible,this Proclamation be filed'in the Office of the
Secretary of State and thatwidespread;publicity-and notice be given of this Proclamation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused.the`Great Seal of the,State of California to
be affixed this 17th day of January,2014.,
EDMUND G.,BROWN.JR.,
Governor of California
ATTEST:.
DEBRA.BOWEN,
Secretary,of State
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Attachment 3
:Feb 3, 20i4WAC/TAC.
Agenda Item #9'
DRAFT
WATERADVISORY COMMITTEERESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE
SONOMA MARIN SAVING WATER:PARTNERSHIP EFFORTS AND
GOVERNOR JERRY BROWNS EMERGENCY DROUGHT DECLARATION
THAT INCLUDES SEEKING2O% VOLUNTARY,CONSERVATION
WHEREAS, the Restructured Agreement for Water Supply (RA), executed on June 23,
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2006, by and between the,Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA), the,Cities of Cotati,
Petaluma, Rohner/ Park,,Santa;Rosa, Sonoma and Forestville,the•North•Marin and Valley of
the Moon Water Districts and the Town of Windsor, collectively known as the Water
Contractors, creates the Water.Advisory Committee (WAC) and Technical Advisory Committee
(TAC); and
WHEREAS, the Water Contractors, along with SCWA and'Marin Municipal Water
District, are members of,the'Sonoma-Marin+Saving Water Partnership{Partnership), through
which these members have joined together to provide a'regional:approach to water use
efficiency; and
WHEREAS, these Partnership members recognize that establishing common water
conservation projects on,a regional basis and applicable acros&theepolitical and jurisdictional
boundaries of each member may be a,means of cost effectivelyconserving more water than
would be otherwise be conserved on an individual member-by-member basis;;and
WHEREAS, the Partnership, through its many water efficiency programs, educational
seminars and outreach campaigns, is:workingto educate our'communities about the importance
of"conserving water resourcesand eliminating water-wasting behaviors; and
WHEREAS, the Partnership received a 2013 Water,Sense Excellence award from the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for promoting water efficient irrigation practices
through implementation of the Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper Progrram (QWEL). QWEL
educates landscape professionals and their customers on the benefits of sound landscape and
design, management and irrigation practices. The award wasone`of`the only five issued by the
EPA nationally; and
WHEREAS,the,Partnership members have•taken a regional approach°to comply with
the Water Conservation Actof`-2009 (SBx7,7) requiring a20% reduction in percapita water use'
f.\gm\water shodage 2014\wac resolution doe p
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Feb 3;2014 WAC/TAC
• Agenda Item #9
byyear'2020, and the individual':members,and,regional effolthas resulted in meeting this target
eight years,in:advanceiof theicompliance deadline; and
WHEREAS, in summer-2013•the""20-Gallon Challenge"'was embraced by community
members who'pledged to reduce water use by 20,gallons per person per day: The 20-Gallon
Challenge was-''promoted throughout the Russian RiverWatershed expanding the Partnership
reach;into Mendocino'County: Working together in Sonoma; Marin and Mendocino counties, the
"20-Gallon.Challenge" resulted in a positive response to the 2013 dry spring conditionsand
WHEREAS, calendar year.20,13'was the lowest rainfallyearon record in 120 years; and
WHEREAS, the historical dry conditions have.resulted in severely low storage levels in
Lake Mendocino (36%of"capacity) requiring a Temporary UrgencyChange.Orderto be issued
by thetiState Water Resources'Controi'Board enabling lower in stream releases to the Russian
River and preserving'.lake storage;'iand
WHEREAS, storage level in Lake Sonoma on Dry Creek (66%.of„capacity) is not
significantly below normal and;SCWAwill re-evaluate water supply conditions in spring 2014 to
determine whether itwill be necessary'to file a subsequent Temporary Urgency Change Petition
toaddress Lake Sonoma storage!'conditions; and
• WHEREAS, the Partnership members have;embarked;on;a regional water use efficiency
media campaign titled: 'There's a Drought on. Turn the Water"Off',designedto increase
awareness and reduce water use; and
WHEREAS, on January-17, 2014:.Governor Brown declared a:statewide drought in
California and called for a 20%;voluntaryreduction'in water use:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED;,that the Water Advisory Committee hereby
pledges to support the Partnership efforts; and
,Encourages residents to increase water use efficiency by fixing,leaks and
eliminating unnecessary outdoor irrigation to.help protect and preserve reliable
drinking.water supplies stored in Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma; and
Urges water customers to heed the Governors' declaration"to'reduce water use
by 20%.
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Feb 3, 2014'WAC/TAC
Agenda Item #9
ADOPTED this 3' dayof*February, 2014 by'the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
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