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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-25-19 PRL&L Committee PacketOTAY WATER DISTRICT PUBLIC RELATIONS, LEGAL & LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING and SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2554 SWEETWATER SPRINGS BOULEVARD SPRING VALLEY, CALIFORNIA Board Room TUESDAY June 25, 2019 12:00 P.M. This is a District Committee meeting. This meeting is being posted as a special meeting in order to comply with the Brown Act (Government Code Section §54954.2) in the event that a quorum of the Board is present. Items will be deliberated, however, no formal board actions will be taken at this meeting. The committee makes recommendations to the full board for its consideration and formal action. AGENDA 1. ROLL CALL 2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ON ANY SUBJECT MATTER WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION BUT NOT AN ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. CONSERVATION PROGRAM UPDATE (OTERO) [5 minutes] 4. DISCUSSION OF SOCIAL MEDIA 5. ADJOURNMENT BOARD MEMBERS ATTENDING: Mark Robak, Chair Hector Gastelum 2 All items appearing on this agenda, whether or not expressly listed for action, may be de- liberated and may be subject to action by the Board. The Agenda, and any attachments containing written information, are available at the Dis- trict’s website at www.otaywater.gov. Written changes to any items to be considered at the open meeting, or to any attachments, will be posted on the District’s website. Copies of the Agenda and all attachments are also available through the District Secretary by con- tacting her at (619) 670-2280. If you have any disability that would require accommodation in order to enable you to par- ticipate in this meeting, please call the District Secretary at 670-2280 at least 24 hours pri- or to the meeting. Certification of Posting I certify that on June 21, 2019 I posted a copy of the foregoing agenda near the regular meeting place of the Board of Directors of Otay Water District, said time being at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting of the Board of Directors (Government Code Section §54954.2). Executed at Spring Valley, California on June 21, 2019. /s/ Susan Cruz, District Secretary STAFF REPORT TYPE MEETING: Regular Board Meeting MEETING DATE: July 3, 2019 SUBMITTED BY: Tenille M. Otero Communications Officer PROJECT: Various DIV. NO. All APPROVED BY: Mark Watton, General Manager SUBJECT: Informational Item: Conservation Program Update GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION: No recommendation. This is an informational item only. COMMITTEE ACTION: See Attachment A. PURPOSE: To inform the Board of Directors about the various conservation programs and services offered through the District, the San Diego County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. ANALYSIS: The Otay Water District offers many programs and services to assist and educate its customers on water-use efficient practices. Historically, the District’s customers have taken advantage of many of the available conservation programs. The District’s overall water use reflects a conservation-minded customer base. Due to an unusually wet month, May 2019 usage was 28 percent lower than May 2013. Since May 2018, customers have saved an average of 14 percent over 2013 levels. Background On April 7, 2017, Governor Jerry Brown issued an executive order officially ending the drought state of emergency in most of California. The Governor also released the state’s long-term plan to better prepare the state for future droughts and make conservation a way of life. Also, in April 2017, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) rescinded the conservation mandates, but continued the water-use reporting requirements and prohibitions against wasteful practices. As part of the Governor’s mandate, the SWRCB adopted Resolution No. 2016-0029, which allowed individual suppliers to self- certify that there would be no supply shortfall assuming three additional dry years. With the certification of the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, additional water storage capacity, and upgraded conveyance systems, the San Diego region’s water agencies demonstrated the ability to provide sufficient water supplies to meet customer demands, assuring there would be no supply shortfall during three additional dry years. Building on efforts to make water conservation a way of life and to prepare the state better for droughts and climate change, on May 31, 2018, Governor Brown signed two bills into law – Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668 – that establish permanent water-use restrictions throughout California. The laws outline an overall framework to guide the District and other urban water suppliers in setting water-use targets. The District has been working with the San Diego County Water Authority, other water agencies, and state officials to define how the new laws will be implemented, ensuring the regulations are both equitable and reflect local conditions. As part of its efforts to keep stakeholders engaged in the conservation legislation (AB 1668 and SB 606), in May 2019, the SWRCB held its first quarterly Urban Overview Meeting. Although the quarterly meetings are informational, the SWRCB’s goal through the meetings will be a way of keeping everyone apprised of the big picture through progress reports back from each of the eight urban project workgroups. The workgroups, six of which are new, consist of the following: Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance; Landscape Area Measurement; Wholesale Water Loss; Water Use Studies; Standard, Methodologies and Performance Measures; Urban Water Management Plan Guidebook; Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment; and Data Streamlining. To broaden the state’s approach on water as California faces a range of existing challenges, on April 29, 2019, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-10-19. The order directs the secretaries of the California Natural Resources Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to identify and assess a suite of complementary actions to ensure safe and resilient water supplies, flood protection and healthy waterways for the state’s communities, economy and environment. Water Conservation Programs To offer its customers opportunities to increase water-use efficiency and potentially save money, District staff has worked closely with the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) and the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) to offer a variety of water-use efficiency programs. The programs are listed below. • Rebate Program The District offers available rebates for residential and commercial, industrial, and institutional customers through MWD’s SoCal Water$mart Rebate Program. Funding for the program is through a partnership between MWD and its member agencies throughout Southern California. In fiscal year 2019 to date, $209,338.20 in device rebate funding from the District, CWA, and MWD was paid to District customers. Through this program, during the same time period, a total of 455 water-use efficient devices were purchased by or distributed to District customers. In fiscal year 2019, the District supplemented additional funding to MWD’s program for Weather Based Irrigation Controllers (WBIC) for landscapes under one acre and for High- Efficiency Washers (HEW). The District provided an additional $40 to MWD’s $80 incentive for WBICs and an additional $50 to MWD’s $85 incentive for HEWs. • Turf Replacement Program Through MWD’s Turf Replacement Program, the District offers a minimum of $2 per square foot to replace residential and commercial turf with water-efficient landscape. CWA currently offers the District’s customers an additional $1.75 for residential projects depending on availability of funding. In fiscal year 2019 to date, 12 District customers completed the program, receiving $43,168 in rebate incentives and replacing 13,230 square feet of turf with water-efficient landscapes. • WaterSmart Checkup The WaterSmart Checkup program includes free, site-specific water- saving recommendations from certified irrigation professionals. If a customer owns or manages a commercial, multifamily, industrial, public or single-family property, they may qualify. Single-family home checkups also include recommendations to increase indoor water-use efficiency. The District contracts this service through the Water Authority’s regional service provider, Mission Resources Conservation District. Since July 1, 2018 through December 6, 2018, 14 District customers (11 single-family and 3 commercial) have participated in the program. • WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program Based on the first edition of the CWA’s Homeowner’s Guide to a WaterSmart Landscape, the free program is designed to empower homeowners with the skills and knowledge necessary to convert a turf area into a WaterSmart landscape. The program offers a four- class series, a three-hour design workshop, and videos on demand. The program also offers events and resources for creating a WaterSmart landscape. In fiscal year 2019 to date, seven District customers have participated in the program, converting approximately 7,523 square feet of landscape to a more water- efficient one. • Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) Training The QWEL program, which launched in January 2016, offers free local training to landscape professionals. It provides them with 20 hours of education on principles of proper plant selection for the local climate, irrigation system design and maintenance, and irrigation system programming and operation. Since the program began, CWA has offered two trainings at Cuyamaca College and one at Southwestern College with 35 participants achieving their QWEL certification. Currently, a second class at Southwestern College is enrolling and will begin in August. • Sustainable Landscape Program (SLP) The SLP pilot program, funded by the Department of Water Resources, provided residential customers with financial incentives for converting their water thirsty lawns into sustainable landscapes that included climate-appropriate plants, high-efficiency irrigation, soil amendments and rainwater detention features. In addition to financial incentives, the SLP offered a suite of other resources for homeowners, including a 71-page San Diego Sustainable Landscape Guidelines publication, landscaping classes and materials, and technical assistance through personalized design coaching. Since the SLP launch in October 2016, nine District customers have participated in the program with a total of 14,668 square feet of former turf areas upgraded to sustainable landscaping standards, receiving a total of $25,660.58 in incentives. The program’s funds were expended and the program ended in April 2019. Since the close of the SLP, participants can now participate in MWD’s Turf Replacement Program. Contests • WaterSmart Landscape Contest The annual contest rewards San Diego County residents who have created beautiful landscapes with water-wise features and demonstrate the best water conservation practices in their yard. District staff selects one winner as the “Best in District” and awards a $250 nursery gift card, goodie bag, yard sign, and other promotional materials. This year’s winner will be recognized at the July Board meeting. • Student Art Calendar Contest MWD’s annual “Water is Life” Student Art Calendar and Exhibit Tour showcases student artwork with imaginative messages of water conservation and stewardship. Elementary schools, grades K-6, within the District’s service area had the opportunity to enter the contest in 2019 for a chance to have their artwork featured in the 2020 calendar. District staff selected six winners from District schools. MWD will then select 36 art pieces from all participating water agencies to be featured in the “Water is Life” calendar with a distribution of 11,000. During the 2019 school year, the District received 247 submittals from 45 schools within the District’s service area. Educational Programs The District has resources available on its website for teachers and students to learn more about water-use efficiency. For teachers, information is provided about District-sponsored contests, bus tours to the Water Conservation Garden, Splash Labs, and water education websites. For students, there is information about the contests, EPA watershed resources, State of California water resources, and more. In addition, the District financially subsidizes Water Conservation Garden field trips and assemblies through the Ms. Smarty Plants program. In fiscal year 2019, the District funded up to 35 school bus tours to the Water Conservation Garden to learn from Ms. Smarty Plants. Schools contact the Garden directly to schedule their field trips or assemblies. To date, in fiscal year 2019, 33 classes (29 field trips to the Garden and four assemblies) and more than 3,100 students from the District’s service area have learned from Ms. Smarty Plants about water conservation. As a member of CWA, the District helps fund the below programs through the CWA. • School-wide Assemblies CWA provides elementary school assemblies at no cost to the school. The following options are available: 1) “H20, Where did you go?” for schools with more than 700 students, 2) “Waterology” for schools with a minimum of 200 students, and 3) “Hydro Game Show” with a minimum enrollment of 200 students. In fiscal year 2019 to date, CWA provided assemblies for 16 classes in four District schools, reaching more than 1,000 students. • Splash Lab & Green Machine The Splash Science Mobile Lab is a self-contained mobile science laboratory that comes to schools to educate students, grades four through six, on the impact of water pollution on the environment and the importance of water conservation. The Green Machine, designed for grades K-4, is a mobile field trip to educate students on the importance of a healthy environment. The District, funds up to four Splash Lab or Green Machine visits per year. In addition to the District’s funding, MWD approved the CWA’s application for Splash Lab funding via the Member Agency Administered Program Funding. Approximately $75,000 is available to fund additional Splash Lab visits for each of the CWA’s member agencies for the 2019 and 2020 school years. Staff works with the CWA and the San Diego County Office of Education to promote and schedule these visits. District staff will continue to promote water-use efficiency programs and services offered to customers and participate in interagency conservation meetings to remain updated on the latest information. FISCAL IMPACT: Joe Beachem, Chief Financial Officer This is an informational item only and has no fiscal impact. All programs are included in the Water Conservation budget. The budgeted costs for fiscal year 2019 are $198,500. The fiscal year 2020 approved budget is $176,000. Costs of the District’s conservation programs are also incorporated into the general cost of water paid to CWA and MWD. STRATEGIC GOAL: Execute and deliver services that meet or exceed customer expectations, and increase customer engagement in order to improve District Services. LEGAL IMPACT: None. Attachments: A) Committee Action ATTACHMENT A SUBJECT/PROJECT: Informational Item: Conservation Program Update COMMITTEE ACTION: The Public Relations, Legal and Legislative Committee reviewed this item at a committee meeting held on June 25, 2019. The attachment will be updated with notes from the committee’s discussion.