Title
Recommendation to Implement Water Conservation Measures in Response to Drought and Provide Direction on Further City of Alameda Water Reduction Efforts. (Public Works 31041500)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), at its April 27, 2021 Board of Directors meeting, voted to declare a Stage 1 drought shortage based on projections that water runoff will fall below what is needed to refill EBMUD’s reservoirs this year. On July 8, 2021, California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, signed an Executive Order calling for a voluntary 15% reduction in water use. The City of Alameda (City) staff have formed an interdepartmental team to begin discussions and develop recommendations for water conservation efforts. Staff is seeking City Council approval to implement certain conservation measures that have no, or previously funded, upfront cost and to provide direction on whether to pursue measures that require an upfront investment of funds and if so, whether to implement those now, when usage reductions are voluntary, or when usage reductions become required.
BACKGROUND
On April 1, 2015, California Governor Brown issued mandatory water use reductions as a result of California entering the fourth year of a severe drought. EBMUD, the City's water utility, declared a Stage 4 critical drought and put into effect new water use rules during a water shortage emergency condition. In response, the City made significant reductions in landscape irrigation, repaired leaks, upgraded equipment, and monitored water use to identify and remedy any observed overuse. Through these measures, a 29% reduction in municipal water use was achieved.
At its April 27, 2021 meeting, the EBMUD Board of Directors (EBMUD Board) voted to declare a Stage 1 drought shortage based on projections that water runoff will fall below what is needed to refill EBMUD reservoirs this year. The EBMUD Board also voted to ask East Bay customers to begin a 10% voluntary conservation to save water now in case next year is also dry. Mandatory restrictions are not currently in place, nor are drought surcharges or the Excessive Use Ordinance, at this stage of a drought. EBMUD’s standard regulations and restrictions on water use, Section 29 of its Regulations Governing Water Service, remain in effect. Exhibit 1 contains EBMUD’s Section 29, Water Use Restrictions.
EBMUD relies on snowmelt and runoff from the Sierra Nevada for most of its supply. As of April 26, 2021, the amount of snow and rain in the Mokelumne River watershed was 54% of average and EBMUD reservoirs were 69% full. The EBMUD Board voted to purchase supplemental water from the Sacramento River. As the drought situation unfolds, EBMUD is updating its Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan to explore various scenarios that incorporate the impacts of climate change, changes to population, and integration of uncertainties affecting water supplies.
On July 8, 2021, Governor Gavin Newson signed an Executive Order (Exhibit 2) calling for a voluntary 15% reduction in water use compared to 2020 levels statewide through simple actions such as reducing landscape irrigation, running dishwashers and washing machines only when full, finding and fixing leaks, installing water-efficient showerheads and taking shorter showers.
DISCUSSION
The ongoing drought state of emergency and Governor Newsom’s call for voluntary reductions prompted City staff to convene an interdepartmental team to assess current consumption levels and begin discussion of water use conservation efforts. The total water usage of all City meters, calculated as an annual average from 2018-2020, is shown below.
Many of the conservation efforts implemented in 2014-2015 were permanent, making further reductions more challenging and possibly more expensive. Examples of permanent measures implemented include low-flow fixtures at City buildings, repair of known leaks, installation of two rain sensitive irrigation clocks and significant reductions in irrigation in certain locations including all parks, with the watering of Main Street Linear Park (11 acres) ceasing completely. Other measures implemented in 2014-2015 were temporary in nature, like the washing of City vehicles no more than twice per month instead of weekly, the turning off decorative fountains, the Fire Department doing “dry drills” whenever possible, Alameda Recreation and Parks Department’s (ARPD) elimination of water to clean tennis courts, picnic tables and hardscapes, eliminating the watering of baseball infields, parks, and reducing hand-watering and the installation of water holding gel for young trees at Alameda Point.
Staff recommends and plans to implement the following measures effective immediately and at no cost:
• City vehicle washing no more than twice per month;
• Turn off any decorative fountains;
• Fire Department doing dry drills, whenever possible;
• Increasing compost and wood chip use around park trees to increase water retention;
• Reduce irrigation of the Mall Lawn at Alameda Point by 25% and discontinue manual irrigation at approximately 2.4 acres of landscape. There will be an aesthetic impact. Water savings are estimated at 5 million gallons/year or 3.6% of total annual City water use;
• The newly renovated Encinal Boat Launch Facility has four water spigots on the fish cleaning station. These have been problematic as the public uses them as well as the four community groups who are tenants at the site. There is no regulation on these water spigots and they are used excessively by the public and without regard to water restrictions. ARPD staff intends to turn off these water spigots off in September and to work\ with impacted groups to identify alternative water efficient sources for their boat wash needs. Based on past water usage at this site, this measure will conserve 180,000 gallons/year or 0.1% of total annual City water use; and
• Finish design and construction of Marina Village Park Improvement project, which includes among other activities, conversion of 63,000 square feet of lawn to landscape requiring less irrigation 1.8 million gallons/year or 1.3% of total annual City water use. This project was previously funded in the Capital Improvement Program and construction is expected in 2022.
• Staff will continue to identify locations where strategic changes in irrigation may yield further water reductions. This includes heightened detection and repair of leaks. Staff estimates an additional 5% of reductions will be obtained through this effort.
The first four listed items, although meaningful are difficult to quantify and may yield limited reductions. Reductions from quantified measures total a 10% reduction in overall City water usage.
To obtain further reductions, additional water conservation measures have been identified that will require an upfront investment of funds. Staff presents two measures, smart irrigation and landscape conversions, which if implemented at the locations listed yields 6.6% further reductions at 2.5 million in upfront cost if all the locations were converted. Council can consider these for implementation now. The costs below are initial estimates and further work is needed to finalize costs. Based on Council direction, staff will return with any needed funding request for review and approval in the mid-year budget update, or when/if water reductions become required.
When considering these additional water conservation measures, Council should be aware of Senate Bill 1383 (2016), which established a statewide target to reduce organic waste disposal and increase edible food recovery to reduce methane emissions from landfills. SB1383 goes into effect January 1, 2022. Staff will be presenting to Council an Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance in October and will begin discussions of compliance and cost considerations then. Compliance will likely include the application of compost/mulch (recovered organic waste products) on eligible landscaped areas. More detail on location and water saving impacts will be available later this year.
Install rain sensitive “smart” irrigation clocks at either limited key park locations or at all remaining parks. Smart irrigation controllers that are weather based yield approximately a 15% - 20% overall water reduction. Upper end cost is estimated at $100,000 for 13 new irrigation clocks and six rain sensors to converter older, previously installed irrigation controllers.
|
Park |
Estimated Annual Reductions (gallons) |
Annual Utility Savings |
|
Krusi Park |
577,366 |
$4,801 |
|
Woodstock Park |
273,904 |
$2,278 |
|
Rittler Park |
489,407 |
$4,070 |
|
Shoreline Park |
477,000 |
$3,966 |
|
Washington Park |
327,526 |
$2,724 |
|
Lower Washington Park |
278,665 |
$2,317 |
|
Littlejohn Park |
447,633 |
$3,722 |
|
Godfrey Park |
470,640 |
$3,914 |
|
Leydecker Park |
354,324 |
$2,946 |
|
Tilman Park |
392,324 |
$3,262 |
|
Harrington Field |
252,264 |
$2,098 |
|
Marina Cove Park |
182,745 |
$1,520 |
|
Chochenyo Park |
375,380 |
$3,121 |
|
Total: |
4,899,179 (3.6% of annual City usage) |
$40,739 (2.5 years, upfront cost recovered) |
• Lawn Conversions at City Facilities. For a limited time, between July 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021, EBMUD is offering a new landscape rebate program to support the conversion of lawn to water-wise gardens that thrive in California’s summer-dry climate and during a drought. This program may be extended although EBMUD has not committed to that yet. If certain conditions are met, up to $15,000 in rebate funds are available per site. The locations shown below currently have irrigated lawn that could be converted to a drought tolerant landscape. The actual lawn conversions will require a design and with that design a more firm cost estimate can be made. However, using general conversion calculators and square footage, the estimated costs (design and construction) and water savings are noted below.
|
City Facility |
Lawn, Sq Ft |
Conversion Cost |
Estimated Annual Reductions (gallons) |
Annual Utility Savings |
|
City Hall |
6,400 |
$108,800 |
192,000 |
$1,597 |
|
City Hall West |
29,000 |
$493,000 |
870,000 |
$7,234 |
|
Fire Station #2 |
1,045 |
$17,765 |
31,350 |
$261 |
|
Fire Station #4 |
1,900 |
$32,300 |
57,000 |
$474 |
|
Mastick Senior Center |
2,300 |
$39,100 |
69,000 |
$574 |
|
Officer’s Club |
13,000 |
$221,000 |
390,000 |
$3,243 |
|
Recreation and Park Admin Building |
1,500 |
$25,500 |
45,000 |
$374 |
|
Veteran’s Building |
5,800 |
$98,600 |
174,000 |
$1,447 |
|
Little John Park |
29,000 |
$493,000 |
870,000 |
$7,234 |
|
Leydecker Park |
12,000 |
$204,000 |
360,000 |
$8,981 |
|
Washington Park |
36,000 |
$612,000 |
1,008,000 |
$2,994 |
|
Total All Facilities: |
$2,345,065 |
4,138,350 (3% of annual City usage) |
$34,412 (68 years, upfront cost recovered) |
City Hall, City Hall West and the Officer’s Club are historic structures. Preliminary conversations with Planning Staff determined that landscaping can be part of a historic property’s character-defining features, but that lawn conversion to drought-tolerant landscaping can be achieved under applicable guidelines. The yards around City Hall have evolved over the years with different types of landscaping. Staff believes the existing lawn could be replaced with other landscaping without affecting the building’s historic character. Based on review of the Alameda Point cultural landscape design guidelines, the lawn immediately adjacent to City Hall West’s building requires low groundcover but the Mall Lawn across W. Mall Square is a historic landscape requiring preservation. If these lawn conversions are pursued, staff will present the landscape plans to the Historical Advisory Board.
At this point, the staff recommended measures and those requiring upfront cost total 16.6% of total City water usage. Staff will continue to monitor the state of the drought and voluntary or required usage reductions.
ALTERNATIVES
• Approve staff recommendation to implement certain water conservation efforts that have no, or previously funded, upfront costs; and provide direction on the conservation efforts that have unfunded, upfront costs. This direction should include the locations to implement each conversation measure and when to implement such measures (now when reductions are voluntary or when reductions become required).
• Do not approve the staff recommended water conservation measures and provide direction, as noted above, and include the different direction on the staff recommended conservation efforts.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item itself does not have a financial impact. The City Council will provide further direction on any actions that will have financial impact. Staff will return before the City Council if direction is given to take action that requires a budget amendment.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is not subject to environmental review as the activity is not a "project" for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is an organizational or administrative activity of the City that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment, in accordance with CEQA guidelines, section 15378(b)(5).
CLIMATE IMPACTS
Three percent of the nation's energy is used to pump and treat water, so conserving water conserves energy that reduces greenhouse gas pollution. In addition, the frequency, intensity, and duration of drought events is expected to increase with climate change. Implementing measures that lead to permanent water use reductions will build resiliency in the face of climate change.
Resources and rebate opportunities to achieve the voluntary 15% reduction in water use can be found here: <https://www.ebmud.com/water/conservation-and-rebates/residential/>
RECOMMENDATION
Receive update and provide direction on the City’s water reduction efforts.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
I want to first and foremost recognize the efforts that Public Works has put forth on this analysis under the Public Works Director’s direction. I fully recommend that Council approve the immediate actions recommended and additionally authorize one or two demonstration projects that could utilize EBMUD incentive funding. I would recommend the City Hall conversion and potentially one of the other facilities such as a Fire Station or the Rec. & Parks administrative offices.
Respectfully submitted,
Erin Smith, Public Works Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Annie To, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. EBMUD’s Water Use Restrictions.
2. July 8, 2021, Signed Executive Order
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager
Gerry Beaudin, Assistant City Manager