HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-12-18 City Council (17)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: UTILITIES
DECEMBER 18, 2000 CMR: 439:00
RECOMMENDATION OF THE UTILITIES ADVISORY
COMMISSION TO ADOPT THE 2000 URBAN WATER
MANAGEMENT PLAN TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
RECOMMENDATION
The Utilities Advisory Commission and staff recommend that Council adopt the attached
resolution by which the Council of the City of Palo Alto adopts the 2000 Urban Water
Management Plan.
BACKGROUND
The California Urban Water Management Planning Act requires every California water
agency serving more than 3000 customers to prepare an Urban Water Management Plan
(UWMP) every five years. Palo Alto. prepared a UMWP in 1990 and 1995. The 2000
UWMP is due to the California Department of Water Resources by December 31, 2000.
UTILITY ADVISORY COMMISION REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC) reviewed the 2000 UWMP at its December 6,
2000 meeting, and recommended that City Council adopt the 2000 UWMP. The UAC had
a few clarifying questions relating to the topics mentioned in the UWMP. The questions
included:
CMR:439:00 Page 1 of 3
What kind of mutual aid agreements do we have with other water agencies? .Staff
mentioned that we have some form of agreement with both Stanford and Mountain View,
but that these agreements have minimal value because both Stanford and Mountain View
get most of their water from the same source as Palo Alto (from the San Francisco Public
Utility Commission). In the event of a regional water supply emergency it is unlikely that
either Stanford or Mou~tainView will have sufficient amounts of water to share with
Palo Alto. Note: The issue of water supply reliability is being addressed in other reports
being brought before the UAC.
What are Palo Alto’s long-range water conservation plans and activities? Staff described
the ongoing water conservation activities and described possible future, activities. Staff
mentioned that Palo Alto is doing fairly well in the area of water conservation.
The UAC requested one minor edit to the last sentence of page 20. Staff has edited the last
two sentences of page 20 to further clarify the water consumption patterns of Palo Alto
residents and businesses.
The UAC approved the UWMP by a unanimous vote (5-0).
RESOURCE IMPACT
Staff resources are already committed to plan for Palo Alto’s water supply during normal
times and during shortages. Approving the attached resolution will have no additional
resource impacts (as compared to the resource impacts if an Urban Water Management Plan
were not in place).
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This recommendation is consistent with existing City policies.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The attached resolution does not constitute a project under the California Environmental
Quality Act and, therefore, is exempt from the environmental assessment requirement.
CMR:439:00 Page 2 of 3
_ ATTACHMENTS
A:Resolution of The Council Of Palo Alto Adopting The 2000 Urban Water
Management Plan To Be Submitted To The California Department Of Water
Resources
B: 2000 Urban Water Management Plan
C: UAC Staff Report - Urban Water Management Plan (December 6, 2000)
D: Excerpt of Minutes from the December 6, 2000 UAC meeting
PREPARED BY:Kirk Miller, Resource Planner
Jane Ratchye, Senior Resource Planner
Girish Balachandran, Supply Resource Group Manger
APPROVED BY:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
ULRICH
Utilities
Assistant City Manager
CMR:439:00 Page 3 of 3
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO
ALTO ADOPTING THE 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT
PLAN TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARMENT
OF WATER RESOURCES
WHEREAS, the California Legislature has enacted the
Urban Water Management Planning Act, California Water Code
Sections 10610 - 10656, as amended, which requires every urban
water supplier, as defined, providing water to more than 3,000
customers or supplying more than 3,000 acre-feet of water
annually to prepare an urban water management plan ("Plan") that
has as its primary objective the conservation and efficient use
of water; ’and
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto ("City"), a municipal
utility and chartered city, is an urban water supplier providing
water to a population over 60,000; and
WHEREAS, the Pla~ must be reviewed at least once every
five years by the City, which must amend the Plan, as necessary,
after it has cbnducted a review; and
WHEREAS, the Plan must be adopted by December 31, 2000,
after it is first made available for public inspection and a
public hearing is noticed and held, and it must.be filed with
the California Department of Water Resources within thirty days
of adoption; and
WHEREAS, a properly, noticed public hearing regarding the
Plan was held by the City Council on December 18, 2000; and
WHEREAS, the City has prepared the Plan that will be
filed with the California Department of Water Resources by
December 31, 2000;
NOW, THEREFORE, the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE as
follows:
SECTION I. The Council hereby adopts the 2000 Urban
Water Management Plan of the City of Palo Alto, which shall be
filed with the City Clerk. The City Manager or his designated
representative, the Director of Utilities, is hereby authorized
and directed to file the 2000 Urban Water Management Plan of the
City of Palo Alto with the California Department of Water
Resources on or before December 31, 2000.
001203 syn 0071949
SECTION 2. The Council finds that, under the California
Water Code section 10652, the adoption of the Plan and this
resolution does not constitute a project under the California
Environmental Quality .Ac[, and no environmental assessment if
required.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:APPROVED:
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Senior Asst. City Attorney
Mayor
City Manager
Director of Utilities
Director of Administrative
Services
001203 syn 0071949
2
City of Palo Alto.Utilities
2000
Urban Water
Management Plan
December 2000
Table Of Contents
Public Participation
Public Participation
Plan Adoption
Agency Coordination
Coordination Within the City.
Interagency Coordination.
Supplier Service Area
Demographics
Historical Background
Historical Water Usage
Current Water Usage
Water Sources (Supply)
Water Supply Sources
The Master Contract
The Water Supply Master Plan
Interim Water Shortage Allocation Plan (IWSAP)
Groundwater
Recent Anal~,sis
Well Water Treatment Options
Recycled Water
Reliability Planning
Reliability
Frequency and Magnitude of Supply Deficiencies
Plans to Assure a Reliable Water Supply.
SFPUC’s Plans to Assure a Reliable Water Supply.
Water Availability Comparison
Normal, Single Dry-year and Three-year Minimum Water Supply
Transfer or Exchange Opportunities
Water Transfers
Water Use Provisions
Past, Current and Projected Water Use
Residential Sector
Commercial Sector
Industrial Sector
City Facilities
Public Facilities
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
6
8
8
8
8
10
10
11
13
14
14
15
16
16
17
17
18
18
2O
20
22
22
22
23
23
11/27/00 ii
Supply and Demand Comparison Provisions
Supply and Demand Comparison
Water Demand Management Measures
Water Recycling
Wastewater System Description
Participation in Regional Recycled Water Planning
WateReuse Association Membership.
Wastewater Collection and Treatment in Palo Alto
Wastewater Treatment Processes
Wastewater Generation, Collection & Treatment
Palo Alto Regional Regional Water Quality Control Plant (PARWQCP)
Wastewater Disposal and Recycled Water Uses
Recycled Water Currently Being Used
Potential Uses of Recycled Water
Encouraging Recycled Water Use
Proposed Actions to Encourage Use of Recycled Water
Recycled Water Optimization Plan
Plan for Optimizing the Use of Recycled Water
APPENDIX A Resolution Adopting the ’Urban Water Management Plan
APPENDIX B Best Management Practices Report
APPENDIX C Water Shortage Contingency Plan
24
24
27
28
28
28
28
28
29
29
30
30
31
32
33
33
11127/00
List of Tables
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 4
Table 5
Table 6
Table 7
Table 8
Population and Employment Projections
Average Information for the Five Existing Wells
SFPUC System Water Availability
Past, Current and Projected Water Use
Supply and Demand (Normal Years)
Supply and Demand (Single Dry Year)
Supply and Demand (Multiple Dry Years)
Wastewater Treatment
4
13
18
21
24
25
25
29
Figure 1
Figure 2
List of Figures
City of Palo Alto Annual Consumption since 1965 and Forecast
Percent of Total Water Usage FY 2000
11/27/00 iv
2000
City of Palo Alto Utilities
Urban Water Management Plan
Contact Sheet
Date plan submitted to the Department of water Resources: 12/28/00
Name of person preparing this plan: Kirk Miller, Resource Planner
Phone: (650) 329.248~i
Fax: (650) 326-1507
E-mail address: kirk_miller@city.palo-alto.ca.us
Utility services provided by the City of Palo Alto: Electricity, Water, Natural Gas,
Wastewater Collection, Recycled Water, Sewer, and Storm Drain.
Is This Agency a Bureau of Reclamation Contractor? No
Is This Agency a State Water project Contractor? No
11127100 1
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Public Participation
Law
10642. Each urban water supplier shall encourage the active involvement of
diverse social, cultural, and economic elements of the population within the
service area prior to and during the preparation of the plan. Prior to adopting a
plan, the urban water supplier shall make the plan available for public inspection
and shall hold a public hearing thereon. Prior to the hearing, notice of the time
and place of hearing shall be published. After the hearing, the plan shall be
adopted as prepared or as modified after the hearing.
Public Participation
The City of-Palo Alto has actively encouraged community participation in its urban water
management planning efforts for several years. The City of Palo Alto has a Utilities Advisory
Commission (UAC) which provides advice to utility staff and the City Council. The UAC was
formed in 1991 and includes five members of the public who are appointed by the City Council.
The Utilities Advisory Commission meets once per month and reviews the activities of the
various utility ,services (e.g. electric, gas, water, wastewater). One of the primary tasks of the
Utility Advisory Commission is to assist with the review and development of long-term plans for
the City’s utilities. The Utility Advisory Commission meetings are open to the public and the
agendas are posted for the public to i’eview.
The Utility Advisory Commission reviewed the draft Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP)
and the Urban Water Shortage Contingency Plan and provided feedback to staff. The comments
and feedback have been incorporated into the final version of the 2000 UWMP.
The UWMP was discussed with the Utility Advisory Commission on December 6, 2000. The
Utility Advisory Commission provided comment on the draft plan before the City Council’s
approval.
In addition to the review of the ~, the Utility Advisory Commission has been very active in
the review of several other water supply and water management documents. This review during
public meetings has included discussion and presentations of the following:
Water Wells, Regional Storage and Distribution System Study (December 1999)
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Water Supply Master Plan (1.999)
Preliminary Assessment of Water Resource Alternatives (2000)
Long-Term Water Supply Study (2000)
Alternative Emergency Water Supply Options Study (to be completed in early 2001)
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Plan Adoption
The City of Palo Alto prepared this update of its Urban Water Management Plan during fall
2000. The updated plan will be adopted by City Council in December 2000 and submitted to the
California Department of Water ResQurces within 30 days of Council approval. Attached to the
cover letter addressed to the Department of Water Resources, and as Appendix A, are copies of
the signed Resolution of Plan Adoption. This plan includes all information necessary to meet the
requirements of California Water Code Division 6, Part 2.6 (Urban Water Management
Planning).
Agency Coordination
Law
10620 (d) (2) Each urban water supplier shall coordinate the preparation of its
plan with other appropriate agencies in the area, including other water suppliers
that share a common source, water management agencies, and relevant public
agencies, to the extent practicable.
Coordination Within the City
Many members of Utilities staff met and coordinated the development of this plan including
representatives from the Rates department, Public Relat.!ons, Utility Marketing Services,
Engineering and Operations, Supply Resources and Competitive Assessment.
During the past three years, the City of Palo Alto has completed several important water planning
projects, including:
Water Wells, Regional Storage and Distribution System Study (December 1999) -
This study examined the ability of the City to supply water for a short (8-hour)
curtailment of the primary SFPUC water supplies. The report suggested a series of
improvements to the water wells and water distribution system.
Preliminary Assessment of Water Resource Alternatives (2000) - This report
provided a complete summary of the water supply alternatives available to the City.
Long-Term Water Supply Study (2000) - This study examined the costs and
operational issues relating to treatment of well water for full-time potable supply.
The completion of the studies listed above required the cooperation of several divisions within
the City’s Utilities department. Data from these reports was used in this document.
Interagency Coordination
The City of Palo Alto is an active member of the California water community including the
following:
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
The City of Palo Alto is a very active member of the Bay Area Water Users Association
(BAWUA). The BAWUA members, including Palo Alto, receive water from the City and
County of San Francisco through a contract that is administered by the San Francisco
Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).
The City of Palo Alto is reprdsented on the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD)
Commission and the SCVWD Water Retailers Group.
The City of Palo Alto is a member of the WateReuse Association and the Bay Area
Regional Water Recycling Program (BARWRP).
Water Supply Master Plan (1999) - This study was a joint study by BAWUA and the
SFPUC to address the future water supply needs of the 30 agencies and 2.3 million
people who are served via the SFPUC water system. Palo Alto was actively involved in
the development of this plan and was represented on the joint SFPUC/BAWUA Steering
Committee. This plan is further described below.
Facility Reliability Study (1999) - This study was conducted by SFPUC to examine the
vulnerability of its system to catastrophic events (e.g. earthquakes). Palo Alto was
actively involved in the review of this study.
The City of Palo Alto is continually coordinating with neighboring communities and water
agencies regarding water-planning activities.
The Water Supply Master Plan - One example of interagency coordination and planning is the
development of the Water Supply Master Plan (WSMP). From 1996 through 1999 BAWUA
and the SFPUC worked cooperatively to develop a WSMP. The WSMP is intended to address
the future water supply needs of the 30 agencies and 2.3 million people who are served via the
SFPUC water system.
The WSMP strategy development has been completed. On April 25, 2000 the SFPUC formally
adopted the WSMP including the implementation schedule for identified, selected projects. The
next steps are to inaplement the identified projects by fitting them in with the other capitN
projects SFPUC is planning to finance and construct over the next 10-15 years.
Preliminary Assessment of Water Resource Alternatives (2000) - This report describing all of
Paio Alto’s water supply alternatives was distributed to the members of the BAWUA Water
Resources Committee. Besides BAWUA, the agencies that have received this document include:
The City of Mountain View, The Alameda County Water District, Stanford University, The City
of San Jose, California Water Company, the City of Redwood City, The City of Daly City, the
Purissima Hills Water District, the City of Santa Clara, the City of Milpitas and the City of
Sunnyvale.
Supplier Service Area
Law
10631. A plan shall be adopted in accordance with this chapter and shall do all
of the following:
11/27/00 3
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
10631. (a) Describe the service area of the supplier, including current and
projected population, climate, and other demographic factors affecting the
supplier’s water management planning. The projected population estimates shall
be based upon data from the state, regional, or local service agency population
projections within the service area of the urban water supplier and shall be in
five-year increments to 20 years or as far as data is available.
Demographics
Palo Alto is located in northern Santa Clara County approximately 35 miles south of the city of
San Francisco. The City’s population in 2000 is approximately 62,0001. The City is roughly 26
square miles in area and is a part of the San Francisco Bay metropolitan area. Palo Alto is one of
the area’s most desirable residential communities with approximately 25,7002 housing units. Palo
Alto’s desirability is partly due to the excellent public schools, comprehensive municipal
services, shopping, restaurants and the community’s aesthetics.
While the population within Palo Alto has been fairly stable for many years, the growing number
of jobs in ’Silicon Valley’ has caused many more young families to move into Palo Alto in the
past five .years. The resulting rise in population is placing pressures on local resources, such as
schools, and is also causing water usage to rise.
Table 1 shows the population and employment total for the City from 1995 with projections to
2020. The population increased 6.7% between 1995 and 2000. The population growth within
Palo Alto is expected to slow with a 3.1% increase from 2000 to 2005 and only a 3.3% increase
over the next fifteen years (2005 to 2020). The number of jobs grew faster than the population
from 1995 to 2000 and is expected to grow at a significantly slower rate for the next 20 years.
Service Area
Population
Five year - %
increase
Total
Emplo~nent
Five year - %
increase
Table 1 Population and Employment Projections3
1995
58,100
91,370
2OOO
.62,000
6.7%
98,450
7.7%
2005
63,900
3.1%
99,740
1.3%
2010
64,300
0.6%
101,090
1.4%
2015
65,300
1.6%
102,050
0.9%
2020
66,000
1.1%
103,330
1.3%
Palo Alto is considered the birthplace of the high technology industry and the Silicon Valley.
Located directly adjacent to the City is Stanford University which attracts major corporations
Palo Alto Economic Resource Planning office - using Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) numbers
City of Palo Alto website - Economic Resources Development.
ABAG, Projections 2000. Population and employment exclude Stanford University.
11/27/00 4
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
from around the world. Palo Alto’s 630-acre Stanford Research Park includes among its tenants
the headquarters of such prestigious and innovative high-tech leaders as Hewlett-Packard, Sun
Microsystems, Varian Associates, Alza, and Xerox. The City is a major employment center with
approximately 98,450 jobs within the jurisdictional boundary (excluding Stanford University)?
Palo Alto is also home to one of the areas largest shopping destinations. Palo Alto has over 200
restaurants and almost 500 retail outlets, including the Stanford Shopping Center.
Historical Background
The water utility got its start on May 9, 1896 - two years and one month after the City of Palo
Alto (City) was incorporated. Local water companies were bought out at that time with a
$40,000 bond approved by the voters of the 750-person community. These private water
companies operated one or more shallow wells to serve the nearby residents. The City grew and
the well system expanded until 9 wells were in operation in 1932.
In December 1937, the City signed a 20-year contract with the San Francisco Water Department
(SFWD - subsequently the SFPUC) for water deliveries from the newly constructed pipeline
bringing I-Ietch Hetchy water from Yosemite to the Bay Area. Water deliveries from the SFWD
commenced in 1938 and well production declined to less than half of the total citywide water
demand.
A 1950 engineering report noted, "the capricious alternation of well waters and the SFWD
water...has made satisfactory service to the average consumer practically impossible." However,
groundwater production increased in the 1950’s leading to lower groundwater tables and water
quality concerns. In 1962, a survey of water softening costs to City customers determined that
the City should purchase 100% of its water supply needs from the SFPUC. A 20-yeai" cofltract
was signed with San Francisco and the City’s wells were placed in a standby condition. Since
1962 (except for some very short periods) all the City’s water has come from the SFPUC.
A group that coordinates many of the collective activities of the twenty-nine suburban customers
is the Bay Area Water Users Association (BAWUA). BA.WUA is an incorporated association of
SFPUC’s twenty-nine suburban customers. The City works through BAWUA to manage the
SFPUC contract and to interact with the SFPUC.
In 1993 the City completed a Water Integrated Resources Plan (IRP). This IRP was completed
because Palo Alto was facing a choice of participating in a recycled water project. In the 1993
I:RP, the City Of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) calculated the value of recycled water for water
supply. At that time, Palo Alto decided not to participate in the recycled water project because
the costs exceeded the benefits of the project.
In 1999 the City and Carollo Engineers completed a study of its water distribution system which
resulted in a report entitled "Water Wells, Regional Storage, and Distribution System Study"
4 City of Palo Alto Website, Economic Resources Planning Office
11/27/00 5
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
-(1999 Study). One of the major issues addressed in the 1999 Study was whether the City would
be able to meet water demands if it were ever temporarily disconnected from the SFPUC
aqueduct system. It was assumed that a temporary disconnection could be caused by a failure of
the aqueduct system such as might result from a major earthquake, or a water quality issue that
would force the City to stop taking water from the turnouts. The 1999 Study recommended a list
of capital projects to improve the system’s ability to meet water demands during such a
disruption. Among the recommended improvements were to refurbish the City’s five existing
wells and construct three new wells.
The 1999 Study focused on short-term emergency preparedness and the analysis did not consider
groundwater wells for use as long-term water supplies. Therefore the City decided to expand on
the 1999 Study to evaluate in greater detail the realities associated with using the wells as active
sources of supply. In addition, the City wanted to examine some other options for either
obtaining alternative potable water supplies or reducing the dependence on the SFPUC system.
The result of this additional analysis by the City and Carollo Engineers was a report entitled
"Long-Term Water Supply Study" (2000 Study). The results from the 2000 Study were
incorporated into the City’s Preliminary Assessment of Water Resource Alternatives.
Historical Water Usage
The two drought periods have had a profound effect on Utility and customer attitudes as well as
the mechanism used in water consumption. Substantial capital investments were made in 1977
toward more water-efficient equipment in the commercial and industrial sectors. New
construction in every sector is subject to increasingly stringent regulations regarding water-
consuming appliances and fixtures. Additionally, the recent drought has added significantly to
the development of extensive demand-side planning activities in the water utility industry.
With the exception of the multiple family sector, average dally consumption per customer
decreased roughly 20 to 65 percent between 1975 and 1995. The greatest reduction was realized
in the industrial sector, most likely as a result of permanent changes made to their process and
outdoor water practices.
Current Water Usage
Figure 1 shows the City’s water consumption since 1965 and a projection of water usage until the
year 2020. Present water demand is significantly higher than 1992-93 (a drought year), but lower
that the 1987 (pre-drought) usage. This reduction in present water demand, compared to pre-
drought levels, appears to be the result of ’permanent’ water conservation measures implemented
during the past twelve years. Future demand projections are uncertain, but large increases in
demand are unlikely.
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Figure 1 - City of Palo Alto Annual Consumption since 1965 and Forecast
use
ggg b~se
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010’2015 2020
Fiscal Year
11/27/00 7
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Water Sources (Supply)
Law
10631. A plan shall be adopted in accordance with this chapter and shall do all
of the following:
10631 (b) Identify and quantify, to the extent practicable, the existing and
planned sources of water available to the supplier over the same five-year
increments [to 20 years or as far as data is available.]
Water Supply Sources
100% of Palo Alto’s water supply is presently received from the San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission (SFPUC) system. The City receives this water through a long-term contract with
the SFPUC. There are a number of significant issues relating to the future of this water supply,
including: expiration of the water sales agreement in 2009; implementation of the SFPUC Water
Supply Master Plan; and funding and implementation of the SFPUC’s Capital Improvement
Program (CIP). These issues, and others, are described in the following sections of this report.
The Master Contract
The present contract conditions are stated in the "Settlement Agreement and Master Sales
Contract between the City and County of San Francisco and Certain Suburban Water Users" (the
Master Contract). There is also a supplementary contract that includes specific conditions
between SFPUC and Palo Alto (the Palo Alto contract).
The present Master Contract expires in 2009. The part of the Master Contract relating to delivery
of water does not expire and SFPUC has a renewable obligation to serve water to BAWUA
member agencies. However, the cost allocation portion of the Master Contract is not renewable
and is open to revision after 2009. While the 2009 contract renewal is still 9 years away,
BAWUA members have begun planning and preparing for this contract negotiation process.
The Master Contract has conditions which limit Palo Alto’s purchase from other suppliers, limit
the use of recycled water to 20% of needs, and suggest that Palo Alto will make a best effort to
use the water it controls to supplement SFPUC water.
The Master Contract vaguely commits SFPUC to undertake best efforts to meet peak day
deliveries. No quantitative limits are stated in the Master Contract other than the annual average
delivery of 184 million gallons per day (mgd) to the Suburban Customers.
The Water Supply Master Plan
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
SFPUC and BAWUA have undertaken a joint effort to develop a Water Supply Master Plan
(WSMP). Using a fundamentally different approach than that taken in traditional water planning
efforts, the WSMP is structured to allow each customer to define its own needs. While the
WSMP will determine what supplies and reliability can be provided through the SFPUC system,
it will be the responsibility of the individual wholesale agencies to develop their own water
management plans and decide on water purchases from SFPUC.
The WSM~ was originally undertaken because the demands on SFPUC’s system are in excess of
the system’s "safe yield". Safe yield estimates of 239 mgd compare to existing annual average
system demands of approximately 260 mgd.5 By 2030, a 30% shortage (75 mgd) is projected if
new supplies are not developed. Under the current contract with SFPUC, there is no basis for
retail agencies to plan for their own reliability since the amount of water they can receive during
times of water shortages is unknown. Thus, the goal of the WSMP was to develop a set of
commodity products that are sufficiently characterized for retailers to make informed choices.
The WSMP includes a Water Resource Strategy to develop a firm, .annual system delivery
capability of 310 mgd by 2050, the projected needs of San Francisco and the suburban agencies.
First, additional dry year supplies will be acquired from willing sellers. Secondly, new supplies
will be developed from new storage facilities. The facilities that need to be developed and the
timeline for their development are integral parts of the WSMP.
The WSMP strategy development has been completed. On April 25, 2000 the SFPUC formally
adopted the WSMP including the implementation schedule for identified, selected projects. The
next steps are to implement the identified projects by fitting them in with the other capital
projects SFPUC is planning to finance and construct over the next 10-15 years.
Interim Water Shortage Allocation Plan (IWSAP)
The SFPUC and BAWUA have developed methods for allocating available water during droughts.
The Interim Water Shortage Allocation Plan (IWSAP) will set in place two allocation methods to be
used during system-wide droughts up to 20 percent.
The first method defines how the available water will be shared between SFPUC
and the collective BAWUA agencies.
The second method defines how the water made available to BAWUA will be
allocated among the BAWUA agencies.
The Master Contract allows for the City and County of San Francisco ("City’") and the Suburban
Purchasers (also known as BAWUA agencies) to develop a "water conservation plan" which
allocates water between them during times of shortages due to drought. The water conservation
plan would then supersede the Master Contract’s shortage allocation provisions.
5 As stated in the WSMP, the SFPUC system is capable of sustaining a 239 mgd annual average delivery over a
hydrologic equivalent to that experienced from 1921 to 1999 with no deficiencies.
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Following the last drought, BAWUA and its member agencies began working with the SFPUC
staff to develop such a shortage plan that would eliminate the existing contractual penalties to
conservation and that would provide a better basis for future planning for the member agencies.
The proposed IWSAP is the result of the effort and will serve as the "water conservation plan"
for the Master Contract. The IWSAP will be in effect until the present Master Contract expires
in 2009.
The IWSAP will accomplish four main things:
First, it will establish agreed-upon percentages to be used during system-wide
droughts up to 20 percent that will determine how the available water will be
shared between SFPUC and the collective Suburban Purchasers.
Second, it will establish an allocation formula that will determine how the
available water will be allocated among the individual Suburban Purchasers
themselves.
Third, it will allow for "banking" of SFPUC water during droughts by those
agencies which use less than their allocation.
Lastly, it will allow for the transfer of banked SFPUC water and water
allocations amongst the parties during droughts.
As of the date this 2000 UWMP was prepared, SFPUC had adopted the IWSAP. In order to be
implemented the IWSAP must be approved by all 29 BAWUA agencies. Approval of the
BAWUA agencies is expected prior to June 2001. Palo Alto’s Utility Advisory Commitfee
recommended Council approval of this plan. The City Council will consider adoption of the plan
in January 2001.
Groundwater
The City’s existing water well system consists of five wells (Hale, Rinconada, Peers Park,
Fernando, and Matadero) with a combined total rated capacity of 4,300 gpm. Of these five wells,
Femando and Matadero are non-operational, reducing the current rated capacity to 3,575 gpm.6
These wells were constructed in the mid-1950s and were operated continuously until 1962. In
1988, the wells were operated to provide supplemental supplies as SFPUC implemented
mandatory rationing. Two of the wells were operated for about a month and a half in 1991 when
it appeared that the City was facing a severe (45%) cutback requirement. At present, the wells
are not in good repair. Major repair and upgrades have been identified if they are to be counted
on either for emergency use or for supply.
Recent Analysis
During the past two years, the City has completed significant analysis of the city-owned wells
and local distribution system. This analysis included two studies conducted by Carollo
6 Water Wells, Regional Storage, and Distribution System Study, 1999, page 6-1.’
11/27/00 ,10
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Engineers:
1)"Water Wells, Regional Storage, and Distribution System Study" (1999 Study). One of the
major issues addressed in the 1999 Study was whether the City would be able to meet water
demands if it were ever temporarily disconnected from the SFPUC system.7 It was assumed
that a temporary disconnection could be caused by a failure of the aqueduct system such as
might result from a major earthquake, or a water quality issue. The 1999 Study recommended
a list of capital projects to improve the system’s ability to meet water demands during the
above-mentioned scenario. The recommended improvements include refurbishing the City’s
five existing wells and constructing three new we/Is.
2)"Long-Term Water Supply Study" (2000 Study). This study extended the results of the 1999
Study and examined the use the wells for full-time operation. The study evaluated water
treatment alternatives required to make the well water pass secondary water quality standards
and reduce the levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) to levels near the existing SFPUC
supply.8
The results of these two studies provide a significant amount of information regarding the costs
and operational issues of wells for emergency use, drought-only supply and full-time operation.
As recommended in the 1999 Study, it is assumed that the City’s existing wells will be upgraded
to improve their reliability and capacity. The water from these wells, however, exceeds secondary
(aesthetic) drinking water standards for iron and manganese. In addition, the water from Hale and--
Rincon~da wells exceeds the secondary standard for total dissolved solids (TDS). The water
quality from the City’s wells is adequate for emergency service and the wells are currently listed
with the Department of Health Services (DHS) as ’standby’ supply sources. As such, the wells
may only be used for a maximum of five consecutive days, and no more than 15 days in a year
(California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Section 64414).9 If the wells were to be used for
long-term supply, then some type of treatment is required to reduce the levels of iron, manganese
and TDS. ~0
Well Water Treatment Options
A yariety of blending and treatment alternatives were evaluated in the 2000 Study. These
alternatives differ from the standpoin.ts of finished water quality, production capacity, capital
cost, operations cost, and piping and equipment installed. The four well water treatment
alternatives identified in the 2000 Study arel~:
7 Additional details regarding the assumptions are included in the 1999 Study, Chapter 3.
8 The 2000 Study also examined the issues related to connecting to the SCVW’D treated water line, use of irrigation
only wells, and developing joint projects with California Water" Service Company in neighboring communities. (e.g.
Menlo Park).
9 L~ng Term Water Supply Study, 2000, page 2. This ’standby’ listing would remain even if the existing wells are
rehabilitated.~0 Secondary water quality standards can be exceeded for longer periods of time if customers are notified, The
notification option would avoid the need for treatment. Staff is not cohsidering the notification option.
~ ~ The indented text is extracted from the Long Term Water Supply Study, 2000, page 7.
11/27/00 11
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Option 1:Blend well water with SFPUC water to meet the regulatory limits for iron,
manganese and TDS. The blended water will meet DHS standards but will
have TDS levels two to three times the current level in the distribution
system.
Option 2:Provide iron and manganese treatment at each well site. The water will
meet the DHS standard, except the TDS at some of the wells will exceed
the 500 mg/L standard. The TDS levels in the distribution system near the
wells will be five to seven times the current levels in the overall
distribution system.
Option 3:Provide iron and manganese treatment at each well site and blend with
SFPUC water to reduce the well water TDS level. The blended water will
meet DHS standards with a TDS level comparable to the current
maximum level in the distribution system (120 mg/L) assuming that the
water received from the SFPUC is at the average level reported for 1999
(69 mg/L).
Option 4:Provide iron, manganese and TDS treatment at each well site. The treated
well water quality will be comparable to the current SFPUC water quality.
These four treatment options result in different capital costs, volumes of treated water, cost
for delivered water, and water quality. Table 2 provides a summary of the features for the
five existing wells.
11127/00 12
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Table 2 ¯ Average Information for the Five Existing Wellsu
Capital Cost
(Total for five wells)
Average Water Cost
(Continuous Operation)
Well Production (AF/year)
Average Water Cost
(Drought-Only Operation)
Water Quality Parameters
(1)
TDS
Iron
Manganese
1
$6.0 million
$434/AF
6,300
$1,100/AF
130 - 300
0.08 - 0.3
0.04 - 0.05
Treatment Option
2
$6.0 million
$395/AF
12,800
$840/AF
440 - 700
< 0.30
< 0.05
3
$6.6 million
$647/AF
2,500
$3,000/AF
120
O.O5 - O.O6
< 0.01
4
$26.0 million
$713/AF
12,800
$2,400/AF
120
< 0.30
< 0.05
Recycled Water
The source of the recycled water within the City is the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control
Plant (PARWQCP) of which the City is the operator and a part owner.
In 1992, the City and the other PARWQCP owners undertook a Water Reclamation Maste~ Plan
(Master Plan). This Master Plan identified a five-year, three-stage implementation for recycled
water development in the service area of the PARWQCP. However, in 1995 the RWQCP
owners decided not to pursue any of the expansion stages of a water recycling system.
A more complete description of the recycled water system with Palo Alto is included in the
Recycled Water sections at the end of this report.
Preliminary Assessment of Water Resource Alternatives, July .2000, Table 1
11/27/00 13
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Reliability Planning
Law
10631. A plan shall be adopted in accordance with this chapter and shall do all
of the following:
10631 (c) Describe the reliability of the water supply and vulnerabilit3; to
seasonal or climatic shortage, to the extent practicable.
10631 (c) For any water source that may not be available at a consistent level of
use, given specific legal, environmental, water quality, or climatic factors,
describe plans to replace that source with alternative sources or water demand
management measures, to the extent practicable.
10631 (c) Provide data for each of the following:
(1) An average water year, (2) A single dry water year, (3) Multiple dry water
years.
10632. The plan shall provide an urban water shortage contingency analysis
which includes each of the following elements which are within the authority of .
the ’urban water supplier:
10632 (b) An estimate of the minimum water supply available during each of the
next three-water years based on the driest three-year historic sequence for the
~gency’s water supply.
Reliability
The reliability for the City water supply is very dependent upon the reliability of the SFPUC’s
water supply system. The City has been very active in working with the SFPUC to analyze the
supply reliability needs of the SFPUC system and to begin implementing the most important
reliability improvements.
The City participated in the Facility Reliability Study completed in1999. This study was
conducted by SFPUC to examine the vulnerability of its system to catastrophic events (e.g.
earthquakes). Palo Alto is represented on the BAW.UA Facility Reliability Committee that was
actively involved in the development of this study.
Palo Alto is also participating in the development of the BAWUA Local Resources Management
Program. This project will begin in 2001 and will examine methods for developing local projects
that increase supply and reliability within the SFPUC service territory.
The SFPUC defines reliability by the amount and frequency of water delivery reductions
(deficiencies) required to balance customer demands with available supplies in droughts. The
11/27/00 14
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
SFPUC plans its water deliveries anticipating that a drought worse than the worst drought yet
experienced may occur. This section discusses these system-wide deficiencies.
The SFPUC’s Hetch Hetchy supply is vulnerable to periodic, short-term outages. Due to the fact
that Hetch Hetchy water is not filtered, it is subject to strict water standards set by the state
Department of Health Services. As a result of weather events, turbidity levels can exceed
standards requiring the Hetch Hetchy supply to be shut off until levels drop to within standards.
Hetch Hetchy supply outages can last a week or longer. During these periods, the SFPUC’s
entire supply comes from the Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant and the Harry Tracy Water
Treatment Plant, both of which are supplied by local reservoirs.
The City working in cooperation with SFPUC and BAWUA has recently completed a significant
amount of analysis regarding the reliability of the water supply. Several of the analyses are
described in previous sections of this report. The analysis includes the following:
Water Wells, Regional Storage and Distribution System Study (1999) - This study
examined the ability of the City’s water system to supply water during an 8-hour cut off
of SFPUC supply.
SFPUC System Vulnerability Report (1999) - This study wag completed by the SFPUC
and examined the vulnerability of the SFPUC system to catastrophic events (e.g.
earthquakes). Palo Alto was actively involved in the review of this Study.
The Water Supply Master Plan - WSMP (1999) This study was a joint study by
BAWUA and the SFPUC to address the future water supply needs of the 30 agencies and
2.3 million people who are served via the SFPUC water system. Palo Alto was actively
involved in the development Qf this plan. This plan is further described below.
Alternative Emergency Water Supply Options Study (expected early 2001) - This
Study will examine the ability of the City’s distribution system to supply water during
various lengths of supply disruption (e.g. 1 day, 3-days, 30 days). The report will
examine several different water supply and storage options. The report will include an
analysis of the vulnerability of the City’s distribution system.
Frequency and Magnitude of Supply Deficiencies
The City experienced severe droughts during 1976-77 and 1987-92. In response to these
droughts the City has adopted a number of water conservation strategies. Full descriptions of the
City’s water conservation programs are included in the Annual Report of Best Management
Practices, which is included as an attachment to this report.
The magnitude of future supply deficiencies is hard to estimate. For moderate droughts (less
than 20% system-wide shortages), the recently approved Interim Water Shortage Plan (IWSAP)
will assist the City to plan for droughts. The IWSAP is described in Water Sources section of
this report.
11/27/00 15
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
The total amount of water the SFPUC has available to deliver during a defined period of time is
dependent on several factors which generally reduce to a comparison of 1) the amount of water
that is available to the SFPUC system from natural runoff and reservoir storage and 2) the
amount of that water that must be released from the SFPUC’s system for commitments to
purposes other than customer deliveries (e.g., releases below Hetch Hetchy reservoirs to meet
Raker Act and fishery purposes).
The 1987-92 drought profoundly highlighted the deficit between the SFPUC’s water supplies and
the demands on the SFPUC system. Based on the 1987-92-drought experience, the SFPUC
assumes its "firm" capability to be the amount the system can be expected to deliver during
historically experienced drought periods. In estimating this firm capability, the SFPUC assumes
the potential recurrence of a drought such as occurred during 1987-92, plus an additional 18
months of limited water availability.
At current delivery levels, the SFPUC system can be expected to experience up to a 20 percent
shortage 10 to 15 percent of the time, during multiple-year drought sequences. Therefore, the
SFPUC is faced with the necessity to develop a long-term strategy to accommodate or rectify the
potential of future water shortages throughout its wholesale and retail operations.13
Plans to Assure a Reliable Water Supply
The City has recently completed several important studies regarding water reliability supplies.
These studies are described in previous sections. As a result of these studies, the City is planning
several million dollars of improvements to the existing wells to ensure future water reliability.
In addition, the City is continuing to evaluate other water supply altematives as part of its
ongoing Water Integrated Resource Plan 0:RP). This analysis will include the impact of serious
long-term drought on the total water supply.
The City is also conducting additional analysis regarding the vulnerability of the existing water
system to outages. The City is evaluating the ability of an updated well and reservoir system to
supply water needs if the primary water supply (SFPUC supplies) are unavailable for long
periods of time (e.g. 30-90 days).
SFPUC’s Plans to Assure a Reliable Water Supply
The following information is extracted from the SFPUC’s 2000 draft UWMP.
As an established major water supplier for the Bay Area region, the SFPUC has a
responsibility to secure and manage its existing system supplies and plan for future needs.
Given the existing circumstance that the SFPUC’s water supplies are less than current
system demands and that demand growth is anticipated, the SFPUC and its customers
must accept the challenge of an increasing gap between supplies and demands. The
13 SFPUC 2000 UWMP draft, page 13
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
SFPUC has prepared a Water Supply Master Plan to address system supply reliability
issues. The Plan provides a water resource strategy that includes demand management;
development of additional supplies; and facility improvements. As an extension of the
Water Supply Master Plan, the SFPUC is currently exploring the possibility of increasing
storage capacity at CalaverasReservoir as a tool for improving supply reliability and
potentially contributing to a Bay Area regional solution for meeting water quality
objectives.1’~
Water Availability Comparison
The following information is extracted from the SFPUC’s 2000 draft UWMP~5.
Normal, Single Dry-year and Three-year Minimum Water Supply
Assuming a normal water condition occurs for the ensuing year, no deficiency in water
deliveries would be anticipated. The SFPUC system water deliveries are anticipated to be
approximately 260 mgd (approximately 291,000 acre-feet), all of which could be met.
The SFPUC plans its water deliveries anticipating that a drought worse than the 1987
through 1992 drought may occur. As a result, the SFPUC system operations are designed
for providing sufficient carry-over water in SFPUC reservoirs after six years of drought.
This design would enable the SFPUC to continue delivering water, although at
significantly reduced levels, during and after such a drought.
The SFPUC currently operates under a plan that anticipates three stages of response to
water supply shortages, ranging from voluntary customer actions to enforced rationing,
the third stage envisioned only during a drought period worse than previously
experienced. At current demand levels the SFPUC system can expect shortages of at
least 10 to 25 percent in dry years.
The 1987-1992 drought period includes one-year and three-year sequences that are among
the worst hydrologic periods projected for the SFPUC system. If within the next year a
single dry (critical) year occurs, the SFPUC system deliveries could be reduced by 10
percent as a precaution to continued drought. If within the next three years a critical thee-
year sequence recurred,.the SFPUC system deliveries could be reduced by 10 to 20
percent. Table 3 [Table 6 from the SFPUC 2000 draft UWMP] illustrates the SFPUC
system water availability for the next three years under differing assumptions of
hydrologic conditions.
~4 SFPUC 2000 UWMP draft, page 14
15 SFPUC 2000 UWMP draft, page 16
11/27/00 17
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Table 3 SFPUC System Water Availability16
Average/
Normal
Water Year
Single Dry
Water
Year
291,000 262,000
100% of Normal 90% of Normal
Unit of Measure: Acre-feet/Year
Year 1
2001
262,000
90%ofNormal
Multiple Dry Water Years
Year 2
2002
233,000
80% of Normal
Year 3
2003
233,000
80%ofNormal
The customers of the SFPUC system, including Palo Alto, do not have a firm allocation of water
from the SFPUC system. This lack of allocation makes it very difficult for Palo Alto to perform
long-term and/or drought planning. The SFPUC recently approved the Interim Water Shortage
Allocation Plan (IWSAP). The IWSAP (described in the Water Sources section of this report)
will help Palo Alto-and the other BAWUA agencies to have more certainty in the amount of
water that will be available in a drought.
The development of firm allocations of SFPUC supplies, including revised pricing, is required in
order for Palo Alto to properly plan for future water supplies. It is unclear when these firm
allocations will become available.
Transfer or Exchange Opportunities
Law
10631. A plan shall be adopted in accordance with this chapter and shall do all
of the following:
10631 (d) Describe the opportunities for exchanges or transfers of water on a
short-term or long-term basis.
Water Transfers
Because the existing SFPUC system is in deficit, dry-year water transfers are an important part of
future water supplies. The City has undertaken three activities to support transfers:
1)The City participated in the SFPUC-BAWUA Water Supply Master Plan (WSMP) which
identified dry-year purchases as an important part of the future water supply. The discussion
in the WSMP includes purchasing additional Tuolumne River water and water from willing
sellers located geographically south of the Delta who possess water rights or contractual
entitlements to water diverted from the Delta. In addition, the Plan identifies potential
opportunities of water purchases from willing sellers upstream of the Delta along the
Sacramento, Feather, Yuba, American, San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries.17
16 SFPUC 2000 UWMP draft, Table 6, page 17
17 SFPUC 2000 UWMP draft, page 17.
11/27/00 18
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEME_NT PLAN
The WSMP has been formally adopted by the SFPUC and implementation of the WS1V[P
(including investigating dry-year transfers) will be undertaken during the next several years.
2).The City is supporting the recently adopted Interim Water Shortage Allocation Plan
(IWSAP). This plan includes the ability of transfer water between BAWUA members during
drought periods.
3)The City is monitoring the development of a water transfer market in California. The City
will encourage SFPUC to pursue attractive dry-year water transfers as part of the overall
water supply for the SFPUC system.
11/27/00 19
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Water Use Provisions
Law
10631. A plan shall be adopted in accordance with this chapter and shall do all
of the following: ~
10631 (e) (1) Quantify, to the extent records are available, past and current water
use, over the same five-year increments described in subdivision (a), and
projected water use, identifying the uses among water use sectors including, but
not necessarily limited to, all of the following uses:
(A) Single-family residential; (B) Multifamily; (C) Commercial; (D) Industrial;
(E) Institutional and governmental; (F) Landscape; (G) Sales to other agencies;
(H) Saline water intrusion barriers, groundwater recharge, or conjunctive use, or
any combination thereof; and (I) Agricultural.
(2) The water use projections shall be in the same 5-year increments to 20 years
or as far as data is available.
Past, Current and Projected Water Use
The City’s water consumption is significantly higher than 1992-93 (a drought year), but lower
that the 1987 (pre-drought) usage. This reduction in present water demand, compared’to pre-
drought levels, appears to be the result of ’permanent’ water conservation measures implemented
during the past twelve years. Table 4 illustrates Past, Current, and Projected Water Use. 1995 -
2020 in acre-feet per year and number of customers per year.
Table 4 shows that between 1995 and 2000 overall water use increased 17% from 5.7 million
CCF to 6.7 million CCF. During this same period the population of Pato Alto increased 6.7%
and the number of jobs within Palo Alto grew significantly. The increase in population and jobs
accounts for much of the increased water usage.
11/27/00 20
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Table 4 Past, Current and Projected Water Use
Segment
~¢ters 15,033 14,g47 15,146 15,452 15,763 16,081
U~ts (CCFs)2,185,657 2,851,129 3,084,108 3,152,969 3,199,840 3,247,~3
% of TotM 42%46%46%46%46%46%
% of Meters 78%78%78%78%78%78%
G~day/meter 298 394 417 418 416 414
Meters 1,?00 1,861 1,908 1,956 2,~6 2,056
U~ts (CCFs)654,238 973,750 1,053,320 1,076,838 1,092,846 1,109,1~
% of TotM 12%16%16%16%16%16%
% of Meters 9%10%10%10%10%10%
G~day/~ter 789 1,072 1,131 1,128 1, l 1 ?1, 105
Meters 1,840 1,728 1,789 1,853 1,919 "~’:’ 1,~87
U~ts (CCFs)1,132,~8 1,280,889 1,385,556 1,416,493 1,437,550 1,458,936
% of Tot~22%20%20%20%20%20%
% of Meters 10%9%9%9%9%10%
G~day/meter 1,261 1,519 1,587 1,567 1,535 1,505
Meters 2?4 255 252 250 24?245
U~ts (CCFs)801,492 747,100 808,149 826,193 838,4?5 850,949
% of TotM 15%12%12%12%12%12%
% of Meters 1%1%1%1%I%
G~day/meter 5,995 6,0~6,560 6,774 6,943 ?, 117
62 62
164,258 167,926
2%2%
0%0%
5,429 5,551
Meters 275 287 293 299 305 311
Units (CCFs)294,936 260,047 281,297 287,577 291,852 296,194
% of Total 6%4%4%4%4%4%
% of Meters 1%2%2%2%2%1%
Gal/day/meter 2,198 1,857 1,969 1,973 1,963 1,953
Meters 71 62 62 62
Units (CCFs)191,623 151,850 170,422 172,958
% of Total 4% ’2%2%2%
% of Meters 0%0%0%
Gal/day/meter 5,531 5,019 5,633 5,717
Meters 19,193 19,040 19,451 19,871 20,302 20,742
Units (CCFs)5,260,394 6,264,765 6,776,617 6,927,996 7,030,984 7,135,514
Gal/day/meter 562 674 714 7 It 4 7 I0 705
Assumptions:
Total water sales grow as shown in Nov 99 forecast.
Number of meters grow at 25 year historic growth rate.
Percent of total sales by segment remains constant.
11127100 21
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Figure 2 Percent of Total Water Usage FY 2000
Commercial
20%
Public Fac.ilities
2%
City Facilities
4%
Industrial
12%
Multiple Family
16%
Single Family
46%
Examination of FY 1999-2000 consumption (Figure 2) reveals that the residential sector (single
and multiple-family dwellings) is responsible for 62% of total City sales. The commercial and
industrial sectors consume 32% and public and City facilities use the remaining 6%.
Residential Sector
Water use in the residential sector has increased in total volume and percentage of overall usage
between 1995 to 2000. This increase is partly due to the 6.7% increase in population during this
time period.
Commercial Sector
Water use in the Commercial sector has decreased in percentage of overall usage with only a
small increase in total water volume. This low increase is partly due to the water conservation
efforts and enforcement of the landscape irrigation ordinance.
Industrial Sector
Between 1995 and 2000, water use in the Industrial sector has decreased in percentage of overall
usage and in total water volume. This decrease is partly due to the water conservation efforts and
enforcement of the landscape irrigation ordinance.
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
City Facilities
Between 1995 and 2000, water use at City facilities has decreased in percentage of overall usage
and in total water volume. This decrease is due to the efforts of the City to reduce water usage at
- City facilities.
Public Facilities
Between 1995 and 2000, water use at City facilities has decreased in percentage of overall usage
and in total water volume. This decrease is due to the efforts of the City to reduce water usage at
public facilities and the enforcement of the landscape irrigation ordinance.
11/27/00 23
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Supply and Demand Comparison Provisions
Law
10635 (a) Every urban water supplier shall include, as part of its urban water
management plan, an assessment of the reliability of its water service to its
customers during normal, dry, and multiple dry water years. This water supply
and demand assessment shall compare the total water supply sources available to
the water supplier with the total projected water use over the next 20 years, in
five-year increments, for a normal water year, a single dry water year, and
multiple dry water years. The water service reliability assessment shall be based
upon the information compiled pursuant to Section 10631, including available
data from the state; regional, or local agency population projections within the
service area of the urban water supplier.
Supply and Demand Comparison
Since the City’s primary water supply is the SFPUC, it is useful to examine the supply-demand
comparison for the entire SFPUC syste, m. The following information, including that in Tables 5,
6, and 7, is extracted from the SFPUC 2000 UWMP draft.
Table 5 [Table 9 from the SFPUC 2000 draft UWMP] compares current and projected
SFPUC system water supply and demand: It indicates that during normal precipitation
years, the SFPUC has adequate supplies to meet its projected retail and wholesale water
demands.
Table 5 Supply and Demand (Normal Years)
Projected SFPUC System Supply and Demand Comparisonis
System Supply Totals
System Demand Totals
Difference
Units of Measure: mgd
Normal Years(Non-droughtYears)
Current 2005 2010
> 261 > 276 .....> 285
261 276 285
0 0 0
20i5
>290
290
0
2020
>294
294
0
As the SFPUC water demands increase in the future, absent actions to increase the
SFPUC system water supplies, the SFPUC customers will be subjected to an i.ncreasing
risk of water delivery shortage. A single dry-year (critical) condition following a normal-
year could cause the imposition of system-wide water shortages, Table 6 [Table 10 from
the SFPUC 2000 draft UWMP] below illustrates the level of first dry-year water delivery
shortage that could occur with the projected 5-year increments of water demands.
~8 SFPUC 2000 UWMP draft, Table 9, page 24
11/27/00 24
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Table 6 Supply and Demand (Single Dry Year)
Projected SFPUC System Supply and Demand Comparison19
Current 2010 2015 2020
S),stem Demand Totals 261 285 290 294
System Supply Total 235 242 246 250
90% of 85% of 85% of 85% of
Demand Demand Demand Demand
Difference 26 43 44 44
Units of Measure: mgd
Single Dry-year
,2005
276
235
85% of
Demand
41
Multiple-year drought Sequences could subject the SFPUC system to greater levels of
shortage. Table 7 [Table 11 from the SFPUC 2000 draft UWMP] illustrates the level of
water delivery shortages that would be anticipated under a three-year dry hydrologic
condition.
Table 7 Supply and Demand (Multiple Dry Years)
Projected SFPUC System Supply and Demand Comparison~°
Multiple Dry-years
Multiple Dry Water Years
Current S),stem Demand
System Supply Total
Year 2005 System Demand
System Supply Total
Year 2010 System Demand
System Supply Total
Year 2015 System Demand
System Supply Total
Year 2020 System Demand
System Supply Total
Year 1
261 mgd
235 mgd
90% of Demand
276 mgd
235 mgd
85% of Demand
285 mgd
242 mgd
85% of Demand
290 mgd
246 mgd
85% of Demand
294 mgd
250 mgd
85% of Demand
Year 2
261 mgd
,209 mgd
80% of Demand
276 mgd
207 mgd
75% of Demand
285 mgd
214 mgd
75% of Demand
290 mgd
203 mgd
70% of Demand
294 mgd
206 mgd
70% of Demand
Year 3
261 mgd
209 mgd
80% of Demand
276 mgd
207 mgd
75% of Demand
285 mgd
214 mgd
75% of Demand
290 mgd
203 mgd
70% of Demand
294 mgd
206 mgd
70% of Demand
19 SFPUC 2000 UWMP draft, Table 10, page 24
20 SFPUC 2000 UWMP draft, Table 11, page 25
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
As described in Table 5, the SFPUC deliveries during non-drought years are not expected
to be curtailed. However, as illustrated in Table 6 and Table 7, during single dry-year or
multiple dry-year events the SFPUC system supply will be limited.
The illustrations shown above depict anticipated SFPUC shortages on a system-wide basis. The
impact on Palo Alto will depend on how the shortage is applied to the City. For droughts up to
20%, prior to 2009, the Interim Water Shortage Plan (IWSAP) will be applied. The formula
included in the IWSAP indicates that the cutback for Palo Alto will be similar to the system-wide
cutback, but less than the average BAWUA cutback. For system-wide shortages greater than
20%, the allocation formula of the IWSAP does not apply and a new formula will have to be
developed by SFPUC and BAWUA.
During a severe drought, the City could utilize groundwater to supplement SFPUC supplies.
However, it is anticipated that only a small amount of groundwater would be utilized during a
drought (e.g. < 10% of overall demand). During a severe drought the City would work with
residents and business to significantly reduce water usage with wells as a supplemental resource.
Additional information on the City’s drought response is included in the Water Shortage
Contingency Plan (Appendix C).
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Water Demand Management Measures
Law
10631 (f) Provide a description of the supplier’s water demand management
measures. This description shall include all of the following:
(1) A description of each water demand management measure that is currently
being implemented, or scheduled for implementation, including the steps
necessary to implement any proposed measures, including, but not limited
to, all of the following: (the law then lists the sixteen demand management
measures).
The City is committed to implementing both water conservation and water recycling programs.
This Section discusses water conservation.
Tlie City is a signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding regarding Urban Water
Conservation in California (MOU) and is a member of the California Urban Water Conservation
Council (CUWCC).
Exhibit C includes the City’s 2000 report to the CUWCC regarding the implementation of the
Best Management Practices (BMPs). The report to the CUWCC lists the BMPs and describes
the City’s efforts on each BMP. The BMP report meets the City’s obligation for this section of
the UWMP.
The attached BMP report shows the City’s continued efforts to improve the overall water
efficiency within the City. The City continues to focus on improving landscape water efficiency,
provide information to business and residential customers and promote conservation in the
schools. In addition, the City is beginning work with other BAWUA agencies to investigate
. methods for regional implementation of certain BMPs. It is expected that though this regional
effort, even more water efficiency improvements will result.
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Water Recycling
Wastewater System Description
Law
10633. The plan shall provide, to the extent available, information on recycled
water and its potential for use as a water source in the service area of the urban
water supplier. To the extent practicable, the preparation of the plan shall be
coordinated with local water, wastewater, groundwater, and planning agencies
and shall include all of the following:
10633 (a) A description of the wastewater collection and treatment systems in
the supplier’s service area...
Participation in Regional Recycled Water Planning
The Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program (BARWRP) is a regional partnership of 15
agencies who have an interest in water recycling. The City is one of the members of the
BARWRP. The BARWRP completed a Regional Water Recycling Master Plan in January 2000.
The supporters of BARWRP hope that by looking at water recycling on a regional basis, some
economies of scale may help reduce the high cost of water recycling. The BARWRP supporters
also hope to obtain up to 50% cost sharing (Federal 25% and State of CA 25%) for constructing
these projects.21
As mentioned in the Water Source section of this plan, the City has conducted a Water
Reclamation Master Plan (1992). The information from the Water Reclamation Master Plan was
incorporated into the BARWRP Regional Water Recycling Master Plan.
WateReuse Association Membership
The City is a member of the California WateReuse Association, which helps implement water
recycling in California.
Wastewater Collection and Treatment in Palo Alto
Palo Alto’s wastewater flows to the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant
(PARWQCP) that is operated by the City of Palo Alto for the communities of East Palo Alto,
Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Stanford University.
The PARWQCP is classified as an advanced treatment facility that provides tertiary treatment of
wastewater in addition to primary and secondary treatment. Through these treatments, 99 percent
21’The BARWRP Master Plan identifies several project areas in the Palo Alto area. However, detailed analysis of
these projects has not been completed.
11/27/00 28
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
of ammonia, organic and solid pollutants are removed. While the plant was not designed to
remove metals, the treatment process through optimization has reduced the quantity of mercury,
silver, and lead by 90 percent. The removal rates for other heavy metals range from 20 to 85
percent.
The plant’s discharge meets very high standards that are indeed among the most stringent
discharge standards in the nation. The quality of water leaving the plant is approaching those
standards for drinking water. In fact, the heavy metal content in the plant’s discharge is
significantly lower than Safe Drinking Water Act standards, hence appropriate for reuse with one
additional disinfection step. The reclaimed water produced from the plant effluent is in full
Compliance with Title 22 of the California Administrative Code requirements for "Non-Potable
Unrestricted Use."
Wastewater Treatment Processes
The PARWQCP is an EPA award winning Class V tertiary treatment facility featuring primary
sedimentation, fixed film reactors, conventional activated sludge, dual media filters, disinfection,
water reclamation, incineration, and bio-solids reuse. Table 8 provides some data on the
PARWQCP. A full description of the treatment facility is included in the 1993 Water
Reclamation Master Plan and is not reproduced here.
Wastewater Generation, Collection & Treatment
Law
10633. The plan shall provide, to the extent available, information on recycled
water and its potential for use as a water source in the service area of the urban
water supplier. To the extent practicable, the preparation of the plan shall be
coordinated with local water, wastewater, groundwater, and planning agencies
and shall include all of the following:
10633 (a) A [...] quantification of the amount of wastewater collected and
treated...
Palo Alto Regional Regional, Water Quality Control Plant (PARWQCP)
The PARWQCP has a treatment capacity of up to 38 MGD. Current flows are approximately 25
MGD. The plant already has some i’ecycled water capability (approximately 4 MGD of capacity
of which 2 MGD or 2240 AF/year is presently operating).
Treatment
Plant Name
PARWQCP
Table 8 Wastewater Treatment
Location (City)
City of Palo
Alto
Average Daily
(2000)
25 MGD
Maximum Daily
(2000)
47.3 MGD
Year of Planned
Planned Build-Maximum
out Daily Volume
2020 38 MGD
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Wastewater Disposal and Recycled Water Uses
Law
10633. The plan shall provide, to the extent available, information on recycled
water and its potential for use as a water source in the service area of the urban
water supplier. To the extent practicable, "the preparation of the plan shall be
coordinated with local water, wastewater, groundwater, and planning agencies
and shall include all of the following:
10633 (a) A description of the [...] methods of wastewater disposal.
10633 (b) A description of the recycled water currently being used in the
supplier’s service area, including but not limited to, the type, place and quantity
of use.
10633 (c) A description and quantification of the potential uses of recycled
water, including, but not limited to, agricultural irrigation, landscape irrigation,
wildlife habitat enhancement, wetlands, industrial reuse, groundwater recharge,
and other appropriate uses, and a determination with regard to the technical and
economic feasibility of serving those uses. ¯
10633 (d) The projected use of recycled water within the supplier’s service .area
at the end of 5, 10, 15, and 20 years.
Recycled Water Currently Being Used
The PARWQCP already has some recycled water capability (approximately 4 MGD of capacity
of which 2 MGD or 2240 AF/year is presently operating). The existing water recycling capacity
at the PARWQCP is being used for the following:
Providing irrigation water for Greer Park in Palo Alto (30.6 AF/yr22)
Providing irrigation water for the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course. (19.5 AF/yr 23) The
golf course used to use more recycled water, but has stopped using recycled water on the
greens due to ongoing salinity problems.
The Palo Alto Municipal Service Center uses a small amount of recycled water for various
uses including use in street sweepers, dust control at construction sites, vehicle washing,
and for irrigating median strips of roads.
Providing irrigation water to Shoreline Park in Mountain View. Shoreline has not used
recycled water for the last couple 6f years, but used to use as much as 1/4 million gallons
per day, or 280 AF/year.
Providing water for enhancements at the Emily Renzel Marsh in Palo Alto. The
PARWQCP pumps from 1.0 to 1.5 MGD of water into the 14-acre freshwater marsh.
This water does not get the full recycled water treatment, just the standard tertiary
treatment from the plant.
Trucks collect recycled water for dust control at construction projects.
22 Greer park usage = approximately 2 Million gallons per month for five months of the year, B. Miks, 7/99.
23 Golf Course usage = approx. 30,000 gpd for seven months out of the year, or 6.3 million gallons, B. Miks, 7/99.
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
CALTRANS may use up to 50,000 gpd in the summer for irrigating (by truck) the median
strips on local highways.
Potential Uses of Recycled Water
A large number of potential recycled water uses were identified in the 1993 Water Reclamation
Master Plan. This Master Plan recommended a five-year, three-stage implementation (see table 9
below) for recycled water development in the service area of the RWQCP. However, in 1995 the
RWQCP owners decided not to pursue any of the recommended expansion stages of a water
recycling system.
Table 9 1993 Water Reclamation Master Plan - Proposed Stagesu
Project A_F/year Cumulative O&M Cumulative Annual Average Cost
Stage in RWQCP Capital Cost cost Cost $/AF
service area .(Capital & O&M)
A 634 $8.0 million $50/AF $ 847,000 $1,336
B 1,779 $22.6 million $50/AF $ 2,389,000 $1,343
C 2,977 $30.0 million $50/AF $ 3,209,000 $1,078
Costs
The main impediment to expanded use of recycled water within the City is cost. At present the
cost of implementing recycled water is too high and makes further expansion of recycled water
system uneconomical.
The 1992 Water Reclamation Master Plan identified costs for recycled water of approximately
$1,300/AF (average costs were reduced to $1,100/AF if all three phases were constructed). The
Operations and Maintenance costs were approximately $50/AF, with the remaining costbeing
capital construction cost. The capital costs are represented in 1992 dollars and include 35% for
contingency and engineering; legal and administrative costs. If the capital cost requirement has
not changed since 1992, the 1992 costs represent approximately $1,547/AF in 1999 dollars (a
19% increase due to inflation).
The Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program is expecting "average" prices of approximately
$500/AF of delivered recycled water for the near-term (2010) projects.25 However, the costs in
areas where retrofitting would be required (e.g. Palo Alto) is probably much higher than the
average price of $500/AF.
24 The numbers in the table are all in 1992 dollars and assume that Stanford uses 500 AF/yr and excludes Greer Park,
the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course and the Municipal Service Center (since these three facilities were already
using recycled water or under construction to use recycled water)25 March 15, 2000 letter from BARWRP to the Department of Interior.
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
The existing PARWQCP can produce 2 MGD of recycled water. Staff at the RWQCP state that
the capacity could be increased to 4 MGD (an additional 2240 AF/year) for a capital cost of
approximately $100,000 or $44/AF. 26 This cost excludes the significant cost of piping the
recycled water to the end-uses. When these piping costs are included the total costs exceed
$1,000 A~.
Availability
The three stages of the 1993 Master Plan identified 63 "target" reuse sites representing about
4,000 AFY for the entire region of the RWQCP. Of these sites, 3,400 AFY was found to be
economical enough to make the final cut and be included into the staged implementation plan.
This estimate included both existing and planned recycling projects within Palo Alto.
Of the 3,400 AF identified, 1,724 AFY were located in the City of Palo Alto and represented
approximately 1,300 AFY when the completed and previously planned projects were excluded
(e.g. Greer Park, the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course and the Municipal Service Center).
Staff feels that the 1993 estimate of 1300 A.F/year of recycled water potential for the City’s target
sites is probably still valid in 2000. 1300 AF represents approximately 8.4% of the City’s total
water consumption for FY 1999-00 (15,427 AF).
Encouraging Recycled Water Use
Law
10633. The plan shall provide, to the extent available, information on recycled
water and its potential for use as a water source in the service area of the urban
water supplier. To the extent practicable, the preparation of the plan shall be
coordinated with local water, wastewater, groundwater, and planning agencies
and shall include all of the following:
10633 (e) A description of actions, including financial incentives, which may be
taken to encourage the use of recycled water, and the projected results of these
actions in terms of acre-feet of recycled water used per year.
The City is encouraging Recycled Water usage in the following ways:
Participating in the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program (BARWRP)
Encouraging businesses and City departments to utilize the existing recycled water
capability within the City.
Participating as an active member of the WateReuse Association, including hosting
meetings of the Northern California Chapter of the Association.
Conversation with Bill Miks 7/15/99
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Proposed Actions to Encourage Use of Recycled Water
There are a number of options available to the City to encourage customers to convert to recycled
water. Several of these options are more fully described in the 1993 Water Reclamation Master
Plan.
Recycled Water Optimization Plan
Law
10633. The plan shall provide, to the extent available, information on recycled
water and its potential for use as a water source in the service area of the urban
water supplier. To the extent practicable, the preparation of the plan shall be
coordinated with local water, wastewater, groundwater, and planning agencies
and shall include all of the following:
10633 (f) A plan for optimizing the use of recycled water in the supplier’s
service area, including actions to facilitate the installation of dual distribution
systems and to promote recitculating uses.
Plan for Optimizing the Use of Recycled Water
The City continues to examine methods to expand the use of recycled water. The BARWRP
Master Plan suggests that costs for recycled water may be lowered through regional efforts. The
City is hopeful that the costs of implementing recycled water can be reduced through a
combination of regional coordination and state and federal matching funds.
The City will further analyze recycled water as part of its ongoing Integrated Water Resource
Plan (IRP)
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEM_ENT PLAN
11/27/00
PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
APPENDIX. A
Resolution Adopting the Urban Water Management Plmi
(Note: This resolution will be developed prior to the City Council adoption)
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PALO ALTO - 2000 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
APPENDIX B
California Urban Water Conservation Council
Best Management Practices Report
(Note: In order to conserve paper, this Appendix is no__~t included for the UAC review)
11/27/00
Attachment ~
Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Background
Catastrophic Interruption of Supply,
Short or Long-term Water Shortages
Water Shortage Mitigation Options
Reduce Demand
Increase Supply
Stages of Action
STAGE I: MIMINUM WATER SHORTAGE
STAGE II: MODERATE WATER SHORTAGE
STAGE HI: SEVERE WATER SHORTAGE
STAGE IV: CRITICAL WATER SHORTAGE
Consumption Reduction Methods, Prohibitions and Penalties
Customer Class Targets
Allocation/Allotment Methods
Water Use Restrictions
Excessive Use Penalties
Water Shortage Contingency Ordinance/Resolution
Revenue and Expenditure Impacts and Measures to Overcome Impacts
Impact On Expenditures
Impact On Revenues
Reduction Measuring Mechanism
WSCP - Appendix A - Dra~ Ordinance
WSCP - Appendix B - Evaluation Criteria
WSCP - Appendix C - Water Use Restrictions
4
4
5
8
8
9
9
10
12
12
12
14
14
15
15
15
15
16
17
19
21
Water Shortage Contingency plan
Background
Palo Alto does not currently produce any of its own water supplies, but is dependent upon its
suppliers. Palo Alto’s primary supplier is the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
(SFPUC). The SFPUC is the only supplier in normal years. The City wells are maintained in
standby condition for use in emergencies and to supplement SFPUC’s supplies if needed. The
Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) manages the county’s groundwater and levies a
pump tax for all water produced by the wells. The City of Palo Alto has also approved and
signed a mutual aid agreement for emergency water supplies with California’s Water Agency
Response Network (Coastal group) which has over 75 signatories.
To meet the requirements of the Urban Water Management Planning Act and for the purposes of
this document, a distinction will be made between a catastrophic interruption of water supplies
and a water shortage due to drought. A catastrophic interruption of water supplies may occur due
to natural disaster such as an earthquake or due to a sudden problem with water quality or
because of sabotage or terrorism. A water shortage due to drought is the more likely occurrence.
Palo Alto has experienced two drought water shortages in recent years, in 1976-77 and from 1987
to 1992.
Catastrophic Interruption of Supply
Law 0632. The plan shall provide an urban water shortage contingency analysis
which includes each of the following elements which are within the authority of
the urban water supplier:
10632 (c) Actions to be undertaken by the urban water supplier to prepare for,
and implement during, a catastrophic interruption of water supplies including,
but not limited to, a regional power outage, an earthquake, or other disaster.
Response to a catastrophic Interruption of supply is handled through a series of interconnected
plans. All Disaster or Act of War Plans, from the state to local levels, use the Federal Civil
Defense and Emergency Planning systems as role models with additions that take into
consideration any unique conditions or situations which may exist within their jurisdictions.
At the national level, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) controls all
functions of Civil Defense or Emergency Planning for the Federal Government. FEMA will not
assume control of an emergency until the President declares a State of Emergency or an Act of
War occurs. At that point FEMA will assume control through the State of California Office of
Emergency Services (State OES) and make available all of its resources.
.At the state level, The California OES will control any disaster within the state after a State of
Disaster has been declared by the governor and can make available all of its resources. The State
OES further controls the Master Mutual Aid Agreement that can also be used in a local disaster
(the City of Palo Alto is a member of California’s Water Agency Response Network, a mutual
aid system for water utilities, in accordance with State requirements).
At the county level, the Santa Clara County OES will control the unincorporated areas of the
County. They will coordinate mutual aid within the County, .and act as an intermediary between
local governments or utilities and the State mutual aid office.
On the city level, the City of Palo Alto will control all emergencies according to its Emergency
Response Plan. The Mayor, City Council or City Manager may declare an emergency at which
time representatives of all City departments will report to the Emergency Operations Center.
The City of Palo Alto’ s Emergency Response Plan incorporates the Utility Emergency Response’
Plan (the Plan) which covers any emergency curtailment of water supplies. The Plan is a
detailed outline of actions to be taken and procedures to be followed by utility personnel in event
of a water emergency. This Plan is maintained in the office of Water-Gas-Wastewater
operations and must be updated every 12 months.
The Plan is designed as both an outline and a procedures manual. It covers the following
primary functions:
i)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Notification Procedures
Water Mutual Aid Agreement
Radio/Telephone/Communications
Water Receiving Station and Reservoir Chedk List
Boil Water Notifications
Highest Water Use Customer Load Reduction List
Water Interconnect Locations
Disinfecting of Water Mains
All City of Palo Alto Utility personnel who~e duties include work on the system through
maintenance or construction operations, or as Utility Dispatchers, are highly trained and
experienced in performing their normal or "common emergency" duties. If a disaster or Act of
War were to occur, the City’s construction standards may have to be lowered to make temporary
repairs to expedite the restoration of the system, but the procedures and safety rules by which the
work would be accomplished will not. change. These temporary repairs would be upgraded and
made permanent or replaced, as n~c.essary, at a later date. The City’s primary concern is the
safety of the general public and all City personnel.
Short or Long-term Water Shortages
Law 10632. The plan shall provide an urban water shortage contingency analysis
which includes each of the following elements which are within the authority of
the urban water supplier:
2
10632 (a) Stages of action to be undertaken by the urban water supplier in
response to water supply shortages, including up to a 50 percent reduction in
water supply and an outline of specific water supply conditions which are
applicable to each stage.
10632 (d) Additional, mandatory prohibitions against specific water use
practices during water shortages, including, but not limited to, prohibiting the
use of potable water foi" slxeet cleaning.
10632 (e) Consu.mption reduction methods in the most restrictive stages. Each
urban water supplier may use any type of consumption reduction methods in its
water shortage contingency analysis that would reduce water use, are
appropriate for its area, and have the ability to achieve a water use reduction
consistent with up to a 50 percent reduction in water supply.
10632 (f) Penalties or charges for excessive use, where applicable.
A key element to developing water shortage contingency plans for Palo Alto is close
coordination and cooperation with its water suppliers. For example, Palo Alto is one of 29
members of the Bay Area Water Users Association (BAUWA). Palo Alto and BAUWA
members purchase water from the SFPUC under terms established in a Master Contract
monitored and administered by BAUWA staff. Utilities Department staff regularly attend
BAUWA board meetings and serve on project committees. It is critical to develop a coherent and
coordinated regional response to water shortages in order to provide a consistent message to
customers.
Palo Alto’s primary response to a water supply shortage will be to reduce demand. Palo Alto’s
Water Shortage Contingency Plan describes the response at four water supply shortage stages:
- Stage I (5% to 10% supply reductions) calls for a low level of informational outreach
and enforcement of the permanent water use ordinances.
- In Stage II (10% to 20%) there will be a stepped up outreach effort and the adoption of
some additional water use restrictions (listed in Appendix C). Drought rate schedules will
be implemented. Rate-based incentives have proved both efficient and effective during
past water shortage periods. Based on the amount of reduction required by the SFPUC
and the capabilities and limitations of the Utilities’ computerized billing system,
strategies will be determined for each customer class. The most likely division is of
single-family residential customers as one basic group and all other customer classes in
another. The number of tiers in the schedules, the increase in cost per unit and the
amount of a "penalty" rate would be set according to the required amount of water
reduction.
- Stage III (20% to 35%) calls for increased outreach activities and additional emergency
water use restrictions. Rates in each block would increase from those in Stage II. Fines
and penalties would be applied to users in violation of water usage restrictions. In some
cases, water flow restriction devices would be installed on customers’ meters. Appendix
C contains proposed water restrictions for this phase.
- Stage IV (35% to 50 %) requires very close management of the available water
supplies. Allocations of water for each customer will be introduced. Informational
outreach activities would be operating at a very high level. Severe water use restrictions
and a restrictive penalty schedule would be implemented. Appendix C contains proposed
water restrictions for this phase.
Water Shortage Mitigation Options
Reduce Demand
Palo Alto has achieved significant amounts of demand reduction in recent years. Through a
combination of information outreach programs, incentive rate structures, demand side programs
and water use restrictions, Palo Alto has been able to achieve substantial reductions in baseline
water use.
¯ Information Outreach
When customers are asked to reduce their water consumption, they will be provided information
on ways to achieve the reduction. Informational outreach efforts address this need by
communicating to the customers how best to prioritize their water use needs and alternative ways
to receive the same level of service while using less water.
Information and public outreach prog.rams include utility bill stuffers, local print media
campaigns, commercial targeted mailings, workshops and demonstrations, fact-sheets on
conservation technologies and practices, schools programs, working with product manufacturers
and suppliers, and coordinating contests and special events. It is important to recognize and
reward customer cooperation as well as to admonish waste with an outreach program.
Customer Water Use Audit Programs
Water audits are bas’ically an infomaational service, providing customers with individualized,
tailored, one-on-one analysis and recommendations including both indoor and outdoor water use
analyses. Audits can be enhanced by the delivery of relevant, action-oriented information,
supplier lists and even products for direct installation. In a water emergency or shortage,
additional staff would be needed to provide water audits to residential and commercial
customers. These personnel could be temporary or contract employees.
Demand Side Management Programs
In a persistent water shortage, most customers will take the "quick and easy" actions early on.
More complex and expensive incentive programs to provide demand side management would be
needed to achieve additional results. Although incentive programs require time to develop and
promote, they can result in significant water savings. Some programs such as delivery of
~elatively inexpensive hardware (e.g. faucet aerators, showerheads, and toilet tank displacement
devices) can offer quick drought-time savings. Other programs may include a toilet rebate
program or incentives to remove lawn turf for less water-thirsty landscaping or to install
advanced irrigation controllers.
Incentive Rate Structures and Water Allotment Plans
Pricing is one of the most powerful tools that a utility can use to promote its conservation goals.
Certain rate structures as well as water allotment plans can be developed to encourage
conservation. Criteria to consider include those listed in Appendix B. These criteria have
different weights depending on the water reduction goals. While each criterion relates to an
important objective, certain criteria conflict with one another. For example, the ability to meet
the "water usage reduction" criterion is impacted by the "cost minimizing" criterion with respect
to enforcement and administrative staffing costs. Similarly, the "equity" criterion may involve
the use of individual historical data or square footage or census data that may be unavailable
except at great expense.
Thus any rate structure or water allotment plan can be viewed as a compromise between partly
conflicting objectives in order to deal with the diversity of water needs and consumption patterns
by Palo Alto residents and businesses.
Increase Supply
Palo Alto’s options to increase its short-term water supply are limited. Palo Alto’s long-term
supply options are referenced in the section of this document regarding the Water Supply Master
Plan that has been developed by BAWUA members and the SFPUC. The Water Supply Master
Plan includes long-term options to increase both the quantity and the reliability of SFPUC water
supplies for customers, including Palo Alto. This section discusses short-term alternatives to
increase supply in the event of a water supply shortage.
City Wells
In 1999 the City and Carollo Engineers completed a study of its water distribution system which
resulted in a report entitled "Water Wells, Regional Storage, and Distribution System Study"
(1999 Study). One of the major issues addressed in the 1999 Study was whether the City would
be able to meet water demands if it ,,vere ever temporarily disconnected from the SFPUC
aqueduct system. It was assumed that a temporary disconnection could be caused by a failure of
the aqueduct system such as might result from a major earthquake, or a water quality issue that
would force the City to stop taking water from the turnouts. The 1999 Study recommended a list
of capital projects to improve the system’s ability to meet water demands during such a
disruption. Among the recommended improvements were to refurbish the City’s five existing
wells and construct three new wells.
During a drought period, it would be possible to use some water from the existing wells to
supplement the supply from the SFPUC.
Recycled Water
Palo Alto has a source of recycled water in the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant
(RWQCP). This facility is owned jointly by the cities of Palo Alto, Mountain View and Los
Altos Hills. Palo Alto operates the RWQCP under theterms of the ownership agreement. As
part of its long-term planning, the City and the other RWQCP owners undertook a Water
Reclamation Master Plan (Master Plan) in 1993. This Master Plan recommended a five-year,
three-stage implementation program for recycled water development in the service area of the
RWQCP. However, in 1995 the RWQCP owners decided not to pursue any of the recommended
expansion stages of a water recycling system.
Currently the RWQCP processes approximately 25 MGD of wastewater and already has some
recycled water capability (approximately 4 MGD of capacity of which 2MGD or 2240 AF/year
is presently operating.) The existing water recycling capacity at the RWQCP is being used for
supplementary irrigation at the Municipal Golf Course and two parks, enhancements at the Emily
Renzel Marsh in Palo Alto and is provided by the truckload for construction projects and
highway median irrigation.
During a drought or a short-term water emergen.cy, this recycled water would be available to the
City. Private companies with tanker trucks can obtain permits to apply reclaimed water from the
RWQCP. These companies can pick up reclaimed water and deliver it to customers who will pay
for this service. Public awareness could be enhanced by greater publicity of. the availability of
this alternative to customers.
This recycled water would be available except in a catastrophic disaster (severe earthquake)
which cut all sources of water (SFPUC, wells and storage) to the system thereby eliminating the
source of water to the RWQCP. However, in the event of a severe earthquake the delivery of
recycled water would be a low priority.
Water Purchases from Other Suppliers
Palo Alto could conceivably purchase water from a new supplier in an extreme water supply
shortage situation. However, this would require agreem, ent with the SFPUC - and with all other
jurisdictions between the source and Palo Alto - to transport this water. The SFPUC has made
purchases of water from various suppliers in times of water shortages. Palo Alto and all other
Bay Area Water Users Association (BAWUA) members have received this water through the
SFPUC delivery systems. It is unlikely that Palo Alto could negotiate a better deal than the
SFPUC in these extremely complicated arrangements. The Preliminary Assessment (2000) being
developed as part of Palo Alto’ s water Integrated Resource Plan reviews the City of Palo Alto’ s
options for water purchase and trading. The City will continue to investigate these options.
WATER INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN
As part of long-term planning, Palo Alto has developed a Preliminary Assessment of water
resource alternatives as part of the Water Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) process. The Water
IRP includes analysis of the following water resources:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Water from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
Use of the emergency standby groundwater wells for potable distribution
a) for continuous usage
b) for drought time only usage
Development of new groundwater wells for non-potable uses such as irrigation of
parks and other large landscaped areas
Recycled water
Desalination
Connection to the treated water pipeline of the Santa Clara Valley Water District
(SCVWD)
Demand-side management resources
Water transfers and/or water trading
Factors examined for each alternative include cost (capital, commodity, and O & M),
availability, water quality, long-term reliability, assistance during short-term emergencies,
environmental impacts, sensitivity to regulations, community acceptability, City experience, and
water banking and/or trading opportunities.
The preliminary assessment is the first step in the process of conducting an IRP. Background
information collected in this assessment will be used in the next step of the IRP where each
alternative will be compared side-by-side. However many uncertainties will remain and these
will be tested in the next phase of the analysis to determine whether or not each is significant in
the water resource planning decisions facing Palo Alto.
~tages of Action
Actions to be taken in response to a water shortage are relative to the severity of the shortage.
The staged responses depend to some extent upon the local conditions and the length of time that
customers have had to focus their attention on the water shortage. For each stage noted below,
activity levels in several key areas are described. Reduction targets referred to below would use
the most recent non-drought year as the base year. If a different base year were to be selected,
the programs might require modification. In all stages, action will be taken to ensure City facility
water use is reduced by the appropriate amount.
Some factors which influence the effectiveness of any water management plan include: 1) the
customer’s behavior and perception of the need to conserve; 2) weather variables; 3) the length
of the drought; 4) the customer’s economic situation; 5) the extent to which the Utility achieves
its revenue targets; 6) the percentage of exemptions or variances granted; 7) the role of the
media; and 8) the customer’s acceptance of the need for the program.
One lesson learned from the 1987-92 drought is that the longer the water shortage, the greater the
water use reduction achieved. This is likely due to a combination of factors including: 1)
acknowledgement that the situation is serious since it seems to be lasting; 2) realization that
maintaining green lawns or other relatively unimportant landscaping is costly and not necessarily
in the community’s interest; 3) time for more people to get the message, a culture change over
time; 4) increasing availability of conservation devices in local stores; 5) increasing examples of
successful waterconservation methods; and 6) more sophisticated response from the City as
experience is gained.
Therefore, there is a need for some.fl~xibility in selecting the exact strategy to be used to respond
to a particular water shortage situation. Even with the same reduction target, the strategy in the
first year of a drought would be different than that recommended for an additional year of a long
running drought. It is very important early in a drought period.to determine outreach messages
and policy directions using a longer-term perspective. In this way, communications with
customers ,throughout the drought period will be consistent and appropriate.
STAGE h MIMINUM WATER SHORTAGE
(5% TO 10% TARGET WATER SAVINGS)
Information Outreach and Audit Programs
The Utilities Department provides ongoing informational outreach and audit programs. At this
water shortage stage, the focus of these programs would be on water saving information. A low
level media information campaign would begin with the emphasis on reducing waste. As water
consumption is monitored, the level of emphasis would be adjusted in order to meet the goal.
Palo Alto has permanent ordinances in place which prohibit the waste of water. These ordinances
are sufficient for this stage of water shortage. Enforcement would be on an "as reported" basis
and mostly via reminder notices. (See Appendix C.)
Rate Structure
No special drought rate structure is needed at this water shortage stage. Palo Alto’s standard
single-family rate structure already encourages conservation by having low fixed charge.s and
increasing block rates based on water consumption.
STAGE II: MODERATE WATER SHORTAGE
(10% TO 20% TARGET WATER SAVINGS)
Palo Alto was able to achieve this level of water reduction (19.1%) when rationing was imposed
by the SFPUC in 1988-91. The program used at that time is basically the one outlined below.
Information Outreach and Audit Programs
The frequency of advertising and events comprising the information campaign would be
increased. Water kits, with low-cost devices will be available to customers.
Demand Side Management Programs
Programs designed to assist customers in demand side management would be continued and
augmented, to the extent necessary to provide the savings required by Palo Alto’s water supplier.
These programs may include a toilet rebate program or incentives to remove lawn turf for less
water-thirsty landscaping or to install advanced irrigation controllers. Palo Alto would continue
to monitor programs being developed by other utilities in order to a)take advantage of regional
momentum and b) shorten internal development time.
Water Use Restrictions
The City would be more vigilant in enforcing the water use restrictions. A system of warning
citations leac~ng to possible installation of a flow restrictor would be followed. A small number
of emergency water use restrictions would be added. (See Appendix C.)
Incentive Rate Structure
In response to previous water shortage conditions due to drought, the City established separate
drought rate schedules for single-family residential and all other customers and increased the
price difference between lower and higher consumption tiers. For all other than single-family
residential customers, the consumption tiers were based on a Baseline Consumption Allowance
(BCA) concept. This concept is described in the next section, Consumption Reduction Methods,
as applicable to multi-family accounts, businesses, and City departments. These strategies have
worked effectively in the past and will be the basis for developing future strategies. Palo Alto has
a new utilities billing system which may allow other methods to be implemented.
STAGE III: SEVERE WATER SHORTAGE
(20% TO 35% TARGET WATER SAVINGS)
9
Palo Alto achieved a 35% water reduction level during 1991 when the SFPUC continued
rationing during the last drought. The water conservation program included the following major
components:
Information Outreach and Audit Programs
All activities from State II would continue at escalated levels. In addition, emphasis would be put
on targeted outreach to high water users and special categories of water users (car washes,
restaurants, etc.).
Demand Side Management Programs
Existing demand side management programs would be continued. Staff would continue to
closely monitor overall water savings in order to determine if additional levels of rebate amounts
would provide additional savings, or whether other programs would be necessary.
Water Use Restrictions
Additional "emergency" water use restrictions would be added to the existing permanent
ordinances. (See Appendix C.) The amount of staff time dedicated to enforcement would be
increased.
Incentive Rate Structure
This plan does not include all customer allocations. Instead, inverted rates can provide the
incentive to achieve the desired results along with an extensive information outreach effort. As in
Stage II, rate schedules are likely to be separate for single-family residential customers and all
others. Rateblocks would be structured to fit the overall water usage reduction requirement. Price
signals within the rate structure would serve to alert customers of their target.
For other than single-family residential customers, the rate schedule could relate to the BCAs
assigned to each customer if the BCA strategy were to be used. Prices for each of the rate tiers
would increase at a greater rate than in .Stage II’in order to provide an incentive and rate signal.
In addition, the tiers themselves would decrease in size providing for customer targets reflective
of the increased reduction requirement: The exact pricing mechanism would be developed
according to the capabilities and limitations of the utility billing system.
The exact rates and rate blocks would be established upon receipt of the actual information from
the SFPUC regarding both the reduction requirement and applicable penalties and based on the
utility’s overall revenue requirements. Furthermore, a hardship exemption process would be a
component of this plan..
STAGE IV: CRITICAL WATER SHORTAGE
(35% TO 50% TARGET WATER SAVINGS)
A program to meet this level of water use reduction has not yet been implemented in Palo Alto.
However, in the spring of 1991, the SFPUC adopted a program calling for reductions in this
10
rffnge. Although ultimately i’eplaced with a less restrictive program, Palo Alto discussed what
actions would be taken to meet the critical reduction target.s. The program below outlines the
major components of the plan to meet such a target.
Information Outreach and Audit Programs
All activities from Stage III would continue at further escalated levels. A greater focus will be
placed on survival strategies and prioritization assistance for all customer classes.
Water Use Restrictions
Severe "emergency" water use restrictions, many of which will supersede previous ones, will be
added. Enforcement will be more rigorous in terms of hours of enforcement, number of staff
involved, and the speed with which penalties are applied. (See Appendix C.)
Incentive Rate Structure
At this level of reduction, an allotment method would be considered for each customer. The
allotments would be sufficient for the most critical, high priority uses of water and the
availability of water for outside use would be dramatically reduced. As in Stage gI, ra(e
schedules are likely to be separate for single-family residential and all other customer classes. A
hardship exemption process would be a component of this plan. Various allotment methods are
discussed in the next section, Consumption Reduction Methods.
For other customer classes, the size of the rateblocks would decrease from Stage I_1I as
appropriate to meet the reduction goal. An allocation for each customer would be based on some
fraction of the BCA. This fraction w.ould be determined after receiving the actual reduction
requirements from our suppliers.
Demand Side Management Programs
Depending on what programs have been implemented prior to this stage, a selected number of
indoor conservation incentives will be offered. These may include rebates for and/or give-aways
of showerheads, toilet modifications or retrofits, process water use modifications and use of
reclaimed water.
Reclaimed Water Use
Reclaimed water offers an alternative source of water to those customers with valuable
landscaping. The availability of contractors who can haul reclaimed water will be advertised. In
addition, the City will rent tanker trucks to irrigate valuable City landscaping and street trees that
will undoubtedly be stressed by a long-term drought, the likely precursor to this stage of a water
shortage.
Consumption Reduction Methods, Prohibitions and Penalties
Customer Class Targets
Customer class targets will mirror the required indoor/outdoor water reduction goals that exist
for the city as a whole. However, whether there will be different rate schedules for each customer
class or different percent rate increases applied to existing customer rate classes will be
determined by a) the severity of the water shortage, and b) the capabilities and limitations of the
recently installed computerized utility billing system. Experience has shown that separating class
1 (single-family residential) - which is more homogeneous than any other class - from all other
customer classes is generally the only distinction needed.
Allocation/Allotment Methods
Any allocation/allotment plan or rate incentive plan would take into consideration the criteria
listed in Appendix B. The strategies that have been considered during past drought periods
include allocations based on a percent of past use, equal allotment for each single-family
residential unit and complete or default per capita allotment for single-family residential
accounts and Baseline Consumption Allowances (BCAs) for all customer classes except single-
family residential accounts. In future drought periods, each of these strategies would be
considered as well. However, Palo Alto’s contractual relationship with its supplier or supplier
agencies may change. Also, the capabilities and limitations of the computerized utility billing
system may provide an opportunity for additional strategies that cannot be foreseen at this time.
The criteria listed in Appendix B will be a guide to selecting the most efficient and effective
water use reduction method.
Allocations Based on Percentage of Past Use
Plans that base a customer’s allotment on a percentage of past use are sometimes perceived as
fair and easy to administer. However, these plans have three significant shortcomings. First,
selection of a base year is problematic. There have been two water shortage periods in Palo Alto
since 1976. It would be difficult to pick a base year unaffected by shortage year programs on the
one hand, or gradually increasing water use after a drought (the "rebound effect") on the other.
The second problem is that each year the’turnover of new accounts is approximately 20 to 30
percent (mostly multi-family residents). In addition, many businesses have changed their
practices to some extent over the years. Therefore to use this plan in 2000 and beyond would
mean that a large percentage of water customers would have an allotment based on a previous
occupant’s usage, a previous operation, or some alternative situation. Handling the large volume
of such cases can create administrative difficulties and perceptions of inequities as revised or
new allocations are assigned to these customers. The third major flaw in the "percent of past use"
concept is that, regardless of base year selected, historically conservation-minded customers
may feel penalized.
Equal Allotment for Each Home (for single-family residential)
This plan would set an identical allotment for each home designed to meet the target reduction
for the class. The first tier in the rate structure would be-set at this target amount. The second tier
would be a "buffer" tier designed to accommodate seasonal water needs. The third and last tier
would be a penalty rateblock price considerably higher than the first two tiers.
Since all homes would be treated the same, this plan suggests equity and fairness. In addition it
would be inexpensive to administer, and easy to Understand and implement. However, it would
be perceived as unfair by relatively large families or those with large lots.
Under this plan, hardship exemptions would be limited to those who require more water for
health or safety reasons. No additional allowances would be provided for the number of persons
living in the household or the landscaping requirements of the particular size lot. Enforcement of
this plan wold involve contacting all those customers exceeding the allotment and installing a
flow restrictor on those customers who continue to exceed the allotment beyond a two-month
period.
Complete Per Capita Allotment Plan (for single-family residential)
Under this plan each person would be allotted a certain amount of water per month. In addition,
each household would be allotted a certain arnount of water per month for other essential needs
including a base minimum amount for outdoor watering of shrubs and trees. Per capita
information would be based on information supplied by the customers through a special mailing.
The strength of this plan is that it would probably be more acceptable to the community than the
equal allotment per household plan because it takes into account the relationship between water
usage and.the number of persons living in a household. Its weaknesses are higher administrative
costs associated with processing per capita data (15,100 single-family accounts) and verification
of per capita information.
Default Per Capita Allotment Plan (for single-family residential)
Under this plan each household would receive an allotment which would be sufficient for
families of a default size. For households over that size, an additional amount would be allotted
per month for the number of people over the default size. This plan is easier to administer than a
complete per capita plan since the number of data entries is significantly reduced. Based on year
2000 population estimates and the last available demographic survey in Palo Alto, of the 15,100
single-family residential accounts, approximately 10,000 accounts have households of three
persons or fewer. Therefore, if the default size were three persons, only about 5,000 accounts
would need additional allotments. Thus the plan has the advantage of reduced implementation
cost and is administratively more feasible than the complete per capita allotment. The plan’s
weakness is its lack of detail or fine tuning for households under the default size which may be
perceived as unfair by larger households.
This plan is probably most appropriate in a relatively severe water shortage situation where close
accounting of water consumption is required.
Mandatory Water Rationing Plans Applicable to Multi-Family Accounts, Business, and
City Departments
Due to the lack of homogeneity of these customer classes, it is particularly difficult to construct
rationing plans that meet all the criteria listed in Appendix B. In 1990, Palo Alto introduced
Baseline Consumption Allowances (BCAs) for all customer classes except single-family
residential accounts. This includes multi-family residential, commercial, industrial, institutional,
and city facilities accounts. The BCA is intended to represent the indoor consumption of each
customer.
It is important for any allocation plan to take into account the specific needs of these customer
classes because of the their diversity and unique requirements. The BCA does this. Rate
structures using the BCAs can be constructed as appropriate to meet the reduction targets
required and to provide the economic incentive necessary to prompt action by these customers.
And, the targets and the associated rateblock prices could be changed as the reduction
requirement changes.
Water Use Restrictions
Adopting water use restrictions is another way to manage how customers use a limited resource.
Restrictions can be classified as those preventing water waste, those "setting a tone", and those
which prohibit low priority use in times of severe shortages.
Again, close coordination with our suppliers is necessary. One of the considerations for selecting
which water use restriction ordinances to adopt is what our suppliers recommend for the region.
Both the SFPUC and SCVWD provide recommendations and Palo Alto will attempt to follow
those recommendations so that area-wide consistency is achieved.
The ability to enforce them is also a critical variable in the selection of water use regulations. For
restrictions to be credible and obeyed, they must be enforced. Therefore certain restrictions, such
as limits on indoor uses such as showering, are unacceptable.
Appendix C lists water use restrictions that Palo Alto currently has in place permanently and
those that could be adopted on an emergency basis in times of water shortage.
Excessive Use Penalties
Penalties for excessive use are expected to vary according to the customer class. For single-
family residential customers, exceeding percent-of-past-use, equal-allotment-per-home, or per
capita water use, the penalty would be installation of a flow restrictor when usage continued to
exceed the allotment beyond a 2-month period. Enforcement of this penalty would only occur
after customers had been notified and any reasonable appeals had been processed.
For customers under a BCA allotment, the primary penalty and enforcement mechanism is in the
rate structure itself. At six to ten times the basic per unit cost, excessive use results in an
immediate financial penalty to the customer,
14
Water Shortage Contingency Ordinance/Resolution
Law 10632. The plan shall provide an urban water shortage contingency
analysis which includes each of the following elements which are within the
authority of the urban water supplier:
10632 (h) A draft water shortage contingency resolution or ordinance.
The City of Palo Alto has experienced two instances of water shortage due to drought in recent
years. A shorter duration drought occurred in 1976-77,-and a longer rainfall deficit occurred
between 1987 and 1992. Staff has now drafted an ordinance for use during implementation of a
Water Shortage Contingency Plan. See Appendix A.
Revenue and Expenditure Impacts and Measures to Overcome Impacts
Law 10632. The plan shall provide an urban water shortage contingency analysis
which includes each of the following elements which are within the authority of
the urban water supplier:
10632 (g) An analysis of the impacts of each of the actions and conditions
described in subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, on the revenues and expenditures
of the urban water supplier...
10632 (g) [An analysis of the impacts of each of the] proposed measures to
overcome those [revenue and expenditure] impacts, such as the development of
reserves and rate adjustments
Impact On Expenditures
Water utility expenditures can be generally categorized as fixed or variable expenses. Th~
variable costs are almost entirely related to the costs of purchasing units of water. The fixed costs
primarily relate to the cost of operating and maintaining the distribution system.
As consumption falls, the fixed expenses must be spread over fewer units sold which can trigger
a rate increase (see below). In addition, costs for the informational outreach programs during a
water shortage increase. Estimates for those costs are relatively small for voluntary programs -
$30,000 for Stage I and $55,000 for Stage II. For mandatory programs, enforcement and
advertising efforts are escalated and the costs rise. Estimates are $100,000 for Stage KI and
$150,000 for Stage IV. The net effect is an increase in the expenses per unit.
Impact On Revenues
From a utility perspective, there is often a downside to water conservation - the erosion of sales
revenue. As consumers reduce their usage in response to the drought, the utility will experience a
decline in sales. This decline in sales revenue will necessarily be greater than the associated
decline in fixed expenses. The impact of this sales erosion on revenues can be mitigated to some
extent by drawing upon cash reserve balances or enacting a rate increase.
The preferable approach is to draw upon the utility’s cash reserves, if they are sufficient, to cover
the financial obligations of the utility~ One approach to establishing a reserve for this purpose is
to earmark penalty surcharge revenue (applicable for usage above allotment or target levels) as a
funding source for this reserve. Other options include short term borrowing or financing long-
term capital projects through revenue bonds rather than through current rates. In this manner, the
rate revenue that was earmarked for the capital project can then be applied toward offsetting
other utility expenses. This has the short-term effect of relieving the pressure to raise rates. Each
of these approaches has its advantages and disadvantages. The appropriate response depends
upon the specific circumstances facing the utility at that moment and other factors.
Reduction Measuring Mechanism
Law 10632. The plan shall provide an urban water shortage contingency analysis which
includes each of the following elements which are within the authority of the urban water supplier:
10632 (i) A mechanism for determining actual reductions in water use pursuant
to the urban water shortage contingency analysis.
Under normal water supply conditions, the amount of water coming into Palo Alto from the
SFPUC regional supply line is metered at the Arastradero and Lytton turnouts. The daily meter
readings are maintained at the Utility Control Center. Totals are reported monthly to the Supply
Resources office of the Resource Management Division for comparison to the billing from the
SFPUC.
During curtailment stages in a water shortage, supply figures are reported to the Supply
Resources office on a daily basis with copies to the Utility Marketing Services office and the
Water Committee. In water shortage periods, the Utilities Department forms an ad hoc Water
Committee with representatives of all divisions to oversee outreach and monitoring efforts. The
Water Committee provides timely reports to the City Coiancil.
If curtailment reaches Stage Eli or S. tage IV, daily supply figures are reported to the Director of
Utilities in addition to the Supply Resources Group with copies to Utility Marketing Services and
the Water Committee. The Water Committee reports monthly to City Council or as frequently as
information is requested by the City Council.
WSCP - Appendix A - Draft Ordinance
DRAFT ORDINANCE
WATER SHORTAGE CONTIGENCY PLAN
Ordinances declaring water shortage emergencies were enacted in previous drought periods in
Palo Alto, in 1976-78 and in 1987-91. This draft ordinance includes the necessary language for
quick response to any future water emergency.
ORDINANCE NO.
ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AMENDING
CHAPTER 12.32 OF THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE TO ENACT
SUPPLEMENTAL WATER SHORTAGE EMERGENCY REGULATIONS PURSUANT
TO THE WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN
WHEREAS, in Ordinance No. the City Council duly declared a water
shortage emergency pursuant to the notice and hearing procedures set forth in Water
Code section 350, et se_9.~.; and
WHEREAS, the water shortage so declared remains an ongoing emergency which
has intensified in scope and severity; and
WHEREAS, on , the City Council adopted an Urban Water
Management Plan; and
WHEREAS, one purpose of the Contingency Plan was to have a readily-available
stage response plan to address ongoing water shortage emergencies as they intensify in
scope and severity; and
WHEREAS, [SET FORTH REASONS FOR CONTINGENCY PLAN USE];
and
WHEREAS, in order tO achieve the necessary water use reductions it is necessary to
enact supplemental and amended water shortage emergency regulations in furtherance
of the Contingency Plan.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as
follows:
SECTION 1. Section 12.32.__ of chapter 12.32 of the Palo Alto Municipal
Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
12.32. ~ Water Use Regulations. The following emergency regulations of the use
of water are effective in the City of Palo Alto:
[INSERT PROVIONS FROM
WATER SHORTAGE pLAN]
SECTION 2. The Council finds that the provisions of this ordinance do not
constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act because it can be "
seen with certainty that no significant environmental impact will occur as a result of the
ordinance. Moreover, the Council finds that enactment of this ordinance is exempt from
provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act because it is immediate action
necessary to mitigate a water shortage emergency.
SECTION 3. The Council finds and declares that, based upon the findings and
declarations set forth above, the material furnished to the City Council by the City staff,
and oral and documentary testimony at the Council meeting at which this matter was
considered, the enactment of this ordinance is necessary as an emergency measure to
preserve public health and safety.
This ordinance was introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of the City Of
Palo Alto on Monday, the __ day of __, 200__, and was passed by a four-fifths vote
of all Council members present at the meeting as follows:
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTENTIONS:
ABSENT:
ATTEST:
APPROVED:
City Clerk
Mayor
City Manager
Approved as to Form
City Attorney
WSCP - Appendix B - Evaluation Criteria
CRITERIA TO EVALUATE WATER SHORTAGE RESPONSE PLAN
This appendix lists criteria expected to guide the selection of allocation/allotment strategies
whenever water use reductions are needed. Not all of them may be applicable to every
strategy but customer perception of equity is important in achieving the necessary
reductions.
1. RedUce overall City consumption by reduction target required - this is the effective
goal of any plan. To accomplish this g0al the percentage reduction for the various
customer classes will necessarily vary because their ratios of indoor / outdoor use
varies.
Sufficient water available for personal use - the most important use of water is for
basic drinking, health, and sanitary uses, and therefore, this is given the highest
priority of use. This prioritization will drive both rate schedules and water use
restrictions. However, within allowed limits (i.e. water use restriction ordinances),
customers will be able to choose how they use their allotment between indoor and
outdoor uses.
3. ~ - it is important for any plan to attempt to be fair to all consumers of water by
treating customers in similar circumstances in an equal manner. The plan should
not penalize those who have already been conserving significantly. To a practical
extent, additional water allotments should be made available based on the number
of persons in a household. The varying need for water among businesses must be
accommodated.
Acceptance by the community - many people tend to evaluate or accept a particular
water-rationing plan-in terms of how it would directly affect them. It is this aspect
which makes it difficult to gain a popular consensus on any one plan. However,
any plan must be generally accepted by the community to be successful. One
important aspect of acceptance is the public’s understanding of the program; thus,
it is viewed as important to make the plan as uncomplicated as possible.
5. Minimize unemployment or business loss - water is extensively used in both
commercial and industrial functions. If water is severely limited to these
consumers, increased unemployment and business losses could result. Staff
intends that, wherever possible, this should be avoided. Still, outside water use
must be sacrificed greatly if only minimal indoor reductions are required.
6. Landscaping investment losses - in cases of critical or severe shortage of water, it is
expected that significant landscaping losses may arise. The use of reclaimed water
should be encouraged for ceriain applications. In some cases, using the Palo Alto
well system to augment the SFWD supply will be an option to provide a minimum
amount of water for landscaping. In this case, the goal should be to keep valuable
and mature trees and plantings alive. Shrubs and lawns will be considered a lower
priority.
7. Provision for hardship exemptions - any plan will not automatically cover all special
hardships and exemptions; therefore, a procedure must be included to address
grievances and grant exemptions when appropriate. However, as part of the plan,
it should be possible to estimate the likely number of valid exemptions to be
requested. An excessive need for exemptions is a sign that the original plan needs
modification.
8. Workable plan - the plan must be workable in order to accomplish its goal. It must
take the following factors into account:
a.Cost - the cost of any water plan to the public should be minimized.
bo Enforcement - enforcement is viewed as a key component of any plan. Those
plans requiring fewer resources for enforcement would be preferable.
However, the success of a plan is contingent upon effective enforcement and
the utility must be provided the resources to meet the enforcement objective.
The current staff can only absorb a certain level of additional responsibilities
without unreasonably impacting service to the customer.
Co The plan must be practical and feasible from a data processing viewpoint and
not subject to erroneous results due to incomplete or inaccurate databases. A
realistic timeframe must be allowed to perform any necessary data entry o/-
customer programming functions.
Flexibility - the water shortage is a dynamic situation and may get better or worse. Thus,
it is necessary that any plan be adaptable to changes in targets or adjustable if original
expectations are not being met.
10.Consistency with other Bay Area districts - in the interest of effective dissemination
of public information, it is important to have plans that are basically consistent with
plans in surrounding communities.
11.Allowance for new services - some provision must be made in any plan to serve new
establishments or those under construction.
12.Recover penalties applied by suppliers - revenue should be collected to the extent
necessary to recover any penalties that may be charged by suppliers.
2O
WSCP - Appendix C- Water Use Restrictions
WATER USE RESTRICTIONS
This appendix lists the current long-term water use restrictions and additional
restrictions that could be applied during a water supply shortage situations.
Existing Permanent Water use Regulations
1. Flooding or runoff of potable water is prohibited.
2. A shut-off valve is required for hoses used to wash vehicles, sidewalks, buildings,
etc. ,
3. Potable water for construction uses is prohibited if reclaimed water is available.
4. Broken or defective plumbing and irrigation systems must be repaired or replaced
within a reasonable period.
Additional Regulations for Emergency Water Shortage Situations
Water Use restrictions added for Water Shortage Stage II:
1. Landscape irrigation shall not be allowed between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., except
for drip irrigation, soaker hoses and handwatering.
2. Restaurants and other food service operations shall serve water to customers only
upon request.
Water Use Restrictions added for Water Shortage Stage 11I:
All water use restrictions for Stage II above and the following:
1. Potable water other than when used from containers of five gallons or less, shall not
be used to clean hard surfaced areas or building structures.
2. Potable water shall not be used to operate, clean, fill or maintain levels in decorative
fountains or ponds.
3. Newly constructed pools, spas and hot tubs may not be filled.
4. Signs providing notice of water shortage emergency shall be displayed in all public
restrooms and restaurants, and in hotel guestrooms.
5. Outdoor water use audits are required for those customers continuing to use more
than target allotments for three months.
6. Commercial car washes must use recycled water systems, if economically feasible.
7. Verified water waste will serve as prima facie evidence that the allocation assigned
to the water account is excessive and subject to reduction.
8. The use of potable water on golf courses is limited to putting greens and tees.
9. The use of potable water for street sweepers/washErs is prohibited.
Water Use Restrictions added for Water Shortage Stage IV:
1. Indoor water use audits are required for those customers continuing to use more than
target allotments for three months.
2. No new water service hookups unless customer pays for sufficient conservation
elsewhere to offset anticipated water use.
3. No new landscaping installed at new construction sites. Bonds to be posted for
landscaping after water shortage emergency is lifted.
4. Turf irrigation prohibited.
5. Owners/operators of private wells must adhere to the same water use restrictions as
other residents and businesses dependent upon the City’s potable supply.
6. Once-through cooling systems must be converted to recycling systems.
7. The washing of all vehicles is prohibited outside of a commercial washing facility
that recycles its water.
8. Irrigation by sprinklers is prohibited at all times.
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
MEMORANDUM
Utilities Advisory Commission
Utilities Department
December 6, 2000
Urban Water Management Plan
Staff requests UAC approval of the attached 2000 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP).
BACKGROUND
The California Urban Water Management Planning Act requires every California water
agency serving more that 3000 customers to prepare an Urban Water Management Plan
(UWMP) every five years. Palo Alto prepared a UMWP in 1990 and 1995. The 2000
UWMP is due to the California Department of Water Resources by December 31, 2000.
DISCUSSION
All California water agencies serving more than 3000 customers must complete an Urban
Water Management Plan (UWMP) every five years. The UWMP is intended to ensure
reliability of supplies and encourage efficient use of limited water resources. The UWMP
must include descriptions of the following:
Local water system
Water supplies and water dbmands
Water transfers and trading
Water service reliability
Water conservation and efficiency measures
Reclaimed water
Proposed actions for responding to severe water shortages
The UWMP is intended to ensure that all water agencies conduct a minimum level of water
planning. In many areas of water planning, Palo Alto is conducting more detailed water
planning than required by the UWMP. Examples of water planning that are in excess of the
UWMP requirements include the following:
0
®
®
Water Wells, Regional S(or.age and Distribution System Study (December 1999)
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Water Supply Master Plan (1999)
Preliminary Assessment of Water Resource Alternatives (2000)
Long-Term Water Supply Study (2000)
Alternative Emergency Water Supply Options Study (to be completed in early 2001)
Because of the level of water planning that Palo Alto is already conducting, the attached
UWMP serves as a summary of existing information. One section of the LVgCMP that is not
covered in other reports that the City has completed is the Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan
The UWMP includes a Water Shortage Contingency Plan (Shortage Plan). The Shortage
Plan describes how Palo Alto will respond to significant water shortages up to and including
shortage of 50% of supplies.
The Shortage Plan outlines the strategies Palo Alto would use in response to various levels
of water shortages. The shortage plan covers disruptions of part of the delivery sysiem due
to earthquake or some water quality issue as well as the incremental shortage levels that
would occur in times of drought.
The Shortage Plan would serve as a guide for how the City handles a future drought. The
shortage plan includes the following:
®
Response for Catastrophic Interruption of Supply
Response for Short or Long-term Water Shortages
Water Shortage Mitigation Options
Proposed Stages of Action
Consumption Reduction Methods, Pr :~hibitions and Penalties
Criteria To Evaluate Water Shortage Response
During water shortages due to drought, the primary strategy would be to reduce demand. The
basic approach would include the following:
@
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Information outreach
Customer water use audit programs
Demand- side management programs
Incentive rate structures and water allotment plans
2
These programs have been used successfully in previous shortage years and would be the
basis of staff planning in the future.
The most likely scenario of water shortage would be the incremental shortages due to
drought. Four action stages are pr6posed to meet reduction targets. As an increasingly high
percentage of reduction is required, there will be increased education efforts, more emphasis
on incentive rates and, finally, at the 50% reduction requirement level, severe usage
restrictions and very high incentive rates. A set of criteria has been established to guide staff
in developing both rates and restrictions. These criteria are included in Appendix B of the
Shortage Plan.
NEXT STEPS
The City Council is scheduled to approve the 2000 UWMP on December 18, 2000. On this
date the City Council will be asked to approve a resolution formally adopting the UWMP.
ATTACIEVIENT
A: 2000 Urban Water Management Plan
B: Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Prepared By:Beth O’Conner, Account Representative
Kirk Miller, Resource Planner
Reviewed By:Tom Auzenne, Manager, Utility Marketing Services
Jane Ratchye, Senior Resource Planner
Girish Balachandran, Manager, Supply Resources
DEPARTMENT I-~AD APPROVAL:
of Utilities
12/6/00
Ferguson: Great if there are no other questions lets proceed to our next item which is an
action item. Staff request UAC approval of the year 2000 Urban Water Management Plan
including the Water Shortage contingency Plan. This is a fascinating comprehensive
document one of the best integrated pictures and snap shots of the system here I’ve come
across so I appreciate the work that you put in generating the document. Lets collect
questions from commissioners first then we will ask for motion any questions or comments
Mr. Dawes.
Dawes: I’d sort of be interested in having the staff discuss what changes where from the prior
one I gathered this is a 5 year update and to me really the important thing is what changes are
here and focus on that. I just might point out that there seems to be a little more proof
reading necessary the appendices and attachments in the table of contents don’t really relate
to what’s in our package I assume this is a late stage draft, but before it goes to the City
Council you should check into that.
Miller: Yes, there are a couple minor formatting things with the appendixes.
Dawes: And titles and things like that.
Miller: Right, that we will clear up. As far as the changes as you mentioned here in one of
the management plan is updated every five years in this plan we used as a template a
template that department resources provided so the format is completely different from the
previous plans and we did that in order to one make it fit with what DWR was doing but also
to take a fresh look at it so we didn’t nearly just replace the or update the existing numbers.
What we did try and do was incorporate as much as possible the information from the
previous planning studies that we have done many of which or all of which have come in
front of the UAC so we even tried to incorporate that into the document as much as possible
and that’s the main change as we incorporated that document and follow the format that the
DWR was asking for. The Urban Water Management Plan is required of all agencies serving
more than 3,000 people in California, and is a minimum planning level that there asking for.
Fortunately in Palo Alto we have done a lot more planning than is required in this and this
plan is primarily a summary of many of the planning efforts that we have done so we have
gone into a lot more detail in a lot of the areas than DWR is asking for in this study. So
much of it is a summarizing document. The one piece that is different than any of the other
Utilities Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes Excerpt 12/6/00
documents we brought to you is the Water Shortage Contingency Plan, and that is something
that is only provided in the last Urban Water Management Plan we had a shortage
contingency plan and this one is an update to that. The format is similar the actions are
similar in what we are proposing in this one and what we propose in the previous one there
has been some minor changes to it but the overall actions and stages of actions that we would
undertake during a drought are quiet similar.
FerCuson: . That leads to me to a question on the provisions of the shortage plan. Does this
cast this in concrete for five years? Or is the Council have the opportunity to change the
excess usage fees for example?
Miller: My understanding is does not ~ast it in stone, that is a general structure and that if we
got into a drought we would look to this general structure as a starting document but our
actions would depend very much on where we were at that time what severity of the drought
was, a bunch of other factors, and that’s taking into account that what it does is give us a
general idea of the types of actions that we would take so that we would have a blue print
from which to work.
Ferguson: Any comments Mr. Dawes?
Dawes: On the table on page 24 where is talks about SFPUC System Supply and Demand
Comparisons shows our projections going out from 261 acre feet to 294 and the same
covered by the supply. I had thought that the system in a normal year that we where drawing
about what our allotment was is my recollection not right there, in other words I didn’t think
that the amount of water available at SFPUC would sustain a 294 acre foot thousand acre
foot requirement. It’s on Page 24 Jane. Its says they have plenty of supply for our increasing
demand.
Ratchye: That would be nice.
Dawes: It seemed great you know why are we so excited.
Ratchye: I don’t know if...this is taken straight from San Francisco we did not make these
numbers up. They probably took those numbers from the water supply master plan that did
indicate that they are planning to increase the supplies. So you know that looks like their
plan. The problem with a lot of these numbers is the safe yield of the system depends a lot
on how you operate the system. I don’t know if you recall, I had made some presentation
before about currently they can operate the system at a certain amount and almost never have
to cut back below that. The only problem is we would have to cut back every year ten
percent if they went down to that level, which is about ten percent lower than our current
demands in the system.
Utilities Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes Excerpt 12/6/00
Dawes: This relays to Tulomne having first dibs or/their amount and then San Francisco
having the amount above.
Ratchve: Right. Its under the .... if you assume that next year is going to be the start of a I
think a (7) seven year drought, that looks like the last drought plus (2) two more years tacked
on the end,. then you could only deliver 239 is my memory every year because you have to
keep back a whole bunch in storage so that you always have the ability to fide through that
whole (7) seven years with hardly having to decrease below that, but the problem is 239 is
below what we are currently using or you could operate the system to meet current demands
and then your safe yield is down below. And so what is behind these numbers I’m not aware
but I do believe that these numbers do include what is probably in the Water Supply Master
Plan as far as when new supplies plan to come on line.
Dawes: We aren’t miss leading the state by putting these numbers down, I mean as far as
we know they are accurate.
Ratchye ¯ Right we have it footnoted.
Dawes: We are not on the hook here, okay.
Ratchve: That’s what we are supposed to do in this plan, we are supposed consult our
supplier and get the information from them and we are just reflecting that back as they told
US.
Baldschun: Yes and the tables on the next page go into more detail on the dry year scenario
page 24 is the normal year scenario.
Dawes: Why did Shoreline stop taking our recycle water? This is on page 30.
Ratchye: A lot of it is because the pipeline that delivered that down there is in horrible
shape. It is an old, old pipeline that was Roger can maybe answer that better than I can, but
that’ s my knowledge of it. It’s an old pipeline its fight along the bay, its holy, a lot of water
infiltrates into.
Dawes: It was not having to do with recycle water was inappropriate for this particular use
in the Golf Course there and that sort of stuff.
Ratchye: Well I think it also relates a bit to the incentive structure for the people who
operate that Golf Course. Their incentive is to have the greenest lawn not to have the
cheapest lawn and they don’t pay the ...the party that is paid to maintain that doesn’t pay the
Utilities Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes Excerpt 1216100
water bill. I think that’s ~eally a big part of it.
Dawes: And recycle water isn’t cheaper that Hetch Hetchy water?
Ratchye: It is cheaper but that’s like a split incentive thing, they
Dawes: But Hetch Hetchy makes greener green I guess.
Ratchye: Well HetchHetchy doesn’t have the salts.
Dawes: I see
Ratchve: I think there is a salt problem and they want to completely avoid ever having to
have that. So yes it is definitely poorer quality water there are things you could do but ......
Dawes: Thank you. Any other questions or comments on the Water Plan. Mr. Rosenbaum
Rosenbaum: Yes I did speak, leave a message with Kirk about one minor concern there as
a sentence at the end of the last paragraph on page 20 about explaining the increase in our
water use from 1995 - 2000. It’s of the increase in population and jobs accounts for much
of the increased water usage and I didn’t think it was necessary to put in a sentence to try to
explain it, but in any event the increase is almost certainly due tO the rebound affect from the
drought. There’s been almost no single family housing built in Palo Alto in the last five
years, and now if you look at table 4 on page 21 it is quite interesting almost the entire
increase is due to single family and multiple family residential. Most of the other categories
actually did go down. So yes I would recommend you leaving that out or changing that
sentence.
Baldschun: I think your point is well taken and I think you are right that I would speculate
that most of that increase is due to the fact that your going from a situation during the
drought where we had lawns that were either dying or brown, to a point today where
everybody has green lawn so that, is accounted for a lot of the usage so we’ll edit that.
Ferguson: In this shortage plan one of the topics is Water Mutual Aid Agreements. Do you
we have Mutual Aid agreements in place today? Or is that something we redevelop as
circumstances develop?
Miller: I would ask Roger Cwiak to answer, he is much more knowledgeable about that than
Iarn.
Cwiak: Roger Cwiak, Engineering Manager for Water Gas Waste Water. We have mutual
Utilities Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes Excerpt 1216/00
aid agreements for help but not for water supply although we do have entities with Stanford’s
Water System and the City of Mountain View. The~?e is no written agreements as of today
for those entities in the past historically water systems have just helped other water systems
in a time of need.
Ferguson: One of things this leads to is that, due to our format that we are using for the first
time here. One of the nice outcomes is that it provides a common language for the various
suburban systems to talk with each other, negotiate with each other or plan with each other.
In this is one of those topics where we all kind of see our situation arrayed in the same order.
I’m wondering if your suspicion helps us start such negotiations for a short-term water
resistance. Particularly in the case of the local breakage here in Palo Alto. Or do you think
it’s perfectly good on the ad hoc basis that it is today?
Cwiak: I have been trying for two (2) years to negotiate now with and to get other water
Utilities to sign something and its not going well. I think the way the status pull people can
live with that, but actually give up their water supply to supply another water purveyor its
hard to get that in writing. Most of the cities around here depend on the same supplier so
when they’re out of water we are out of water from a supplier. The only thing that they are
going to be able to help us with is there storage or their wells.
Ferguson: Good thank you, that’s a useful fact for one of our next items on the agenda. Any
other comments here on the Urban Water Management Plan, Mr. Carlson.
Carlson: Yes I’ve got one question and maybe I just didn’t see it here, but I didn’t see much
about long run conservation plans are there things that we could do now to make ourselves
less vulnerable?
Auzenne: Well we have a number of programs operating across multiple market sectors,
whether is be residential, industrial, commercial, our attempt is always to reverse the upward
trend of consumption that’s what we are trying to do. I don’t really know of any particular
activity that we could do that would make a substantial drop immediately. One thing that we
have embarked upon is a new program this year to promote the use of dedicated irrigation
water meters for those large commercial and industrial sites that have typically always had
there irrigation systems tied into their domestic water. The reason that we are pursuing this
activity is because in time of drought then we would be more able from both the pricing and
a policy point to be able to differentiate indoor versus outdoor usage.
Carlson: Well what I’m thinking of is something, or do we have, what kind of program do
we have to encourage drought resistance plantings, so everything doesn’t, it’s a choice
between death or cheating.
Utilities Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes Excerpt 12/6/00
Auzenne: One of the items that wasn’t included as an appendix was B the report for the best
management practices. In 1991 the City of Palo Alto signedthe Best Management Practices
Memorandum of Understanding with the California Urban Water Conservation Council.
What that means is there are 14 activities ranging from education to hardware installation to
plumbing retrofits and modifications that we have embarked upon. And we are obligated,
or we have obligated ourselves to try and meet in a good faith effort those standards as part
of the Cal Fed process those standards may become mandatory. We find ourselves well
positioned should that happen. We are working constantly with the CUWCC to identify what
our conservation goals would be under that memorandum of understanding. So as to if not
identify or if not participate in a particular activity on of the 14, there is a qualitative
volumetric goal associated with that, that we could make up in another activity such as this
hot water demand recovery system. We are looking at that as a way to meet a significant
amounts of our goal for thebest management practices.
Carlson: Ok. Let me switch to the supply side again in terms of drought planning and I know
this is primarily a San Francisco issue, but by far the easiest to obtain supply. In the water
area is the water that goes right through our dams to the Modesto Irrigation District and there
is one other ...Modesto and Turlock which actually gets the great maturity of the flow on
those streams. What is the status of drought sharing discussions with them?
Ratchye - Well I don’t have new information on .that, that is an element of the Water Supply
Master Plan, that was the source identified as the easiest, quickest, cheapest, best, just the
obvious candidate for dry year water, and so we are hoping that San Francisco is still
proceeding on the plan to get some sort of dry year agreements with the districts I don’t have
any new update where they stand on that, just I think they .... I don’t think they dropped it I
think they are proceeding, but I can’t tell you ..... there is no agreement yet. We do have a lot
of water stored in new Don Pedro Dam that we can’t get physically. And all that water
gets...we can use that water on paper during droughts and one idea is to go into a negative
bank and drought. There is a lot of different ways to structure an agreement and ultimately
we will get some agreement. We haven’t seen any agreement or the form of one yet.
Carlson: Maybe we should end crop subsidies and drought years.
Miller: I have some update on that commissioner Carlson in that my understanding is that
MID and possibly TID are waiting to discuss that until San Francisco has a permanent
General Manager.
That topic isn’t on the table until there is a permanent General Manager.
Ratchye: That should bein January
Miller: And that would be a topic that could be discussed.
Utilities Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes Excerpt 12/6/00
Ferguson: There are no other comments can I have a motion to approve.
Carlson: I would move that the UAC recommend to the City Council approval of the 2000
Urban Water Management Plan.
Ferguson: Is there a second.
All together: Second
Bechtel: Any other discussion ?
Ferguson: All those in favor say aye.
All together: - Aye.
Ferguson: Any one oppose?
Ferguson: None its unanimous 5 - 0 vote. Thank you very much. We are on to item 3, the
Risk Management Update, is there a presentation on this?
Utilities Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes Excerpt 12/6/00