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Home My WebLink About0150.093- ~, • • '<.,', ."c' February -4, 1993 THE HONORABLE CITY COc~CIL Palo Alto, california Report fp Brie' This informational report is another in a series of periodic updates to council on Palo Alto~s overall 1992-93 water use status and drought program management. Staff will return to Council in la:t~ spring 'When the San Francisco Water Departm'9nt makes its decision about continued rationing. No council action is required. CJU PI' ,prp ALTO DTER CO!fBUUPTIOII In this third consecutive year of mandato::t"y reduction from Palo Altors supplier, th~ San Francisco Water Department (SFWD), Palo Alto water customers have dra&atically curtailed their water usage tro. 1987 levels. As of the end of the December 1992 billing period, Palo Alto's cons~ption for the first balf or FY 92-93 ~as 6 percent below allocation and 29 percent below 1987 usage. The following chart qives a monthly breakdown of '~se compared to allocation. ~ .... ..,n.t <M:r(+) -""" ..., ""~I or-Under (-) AONmllu,ted .lm... QIIO. ~ ~~ llMncmr ~tio!L &n~ ,,.,., h1r21 JClIe 2C S,l56,J&; ",~l,8'ill ·M.,. .,'-'" "M' """1 ,= 19 5,790,237 5,Clri7,22A ·12.j% m.()13 ...,.., PCrttl'1! o..-.::r ('I-) ..... SUrt F., A .... :.A! or lill<kr (0) Att\I~\IlaIe<.': liI2IIIL ~ 12m At1<qIKll1 C':P}: Us""s: Icd)· ~""'---~!gfJ ,.". ,..,.>J ',ry ., Wl,748 Sn,461 -11.1% 14,287 '04,287 A .... July ~l AIIJ.-19 644,670 51U.~7 .9..6% 61.733 B6,fl2() .... "".'" _'I 661,lZl :"oM,()<j] -11.5% 76J)(i1 "1~,()31 Ott -'" 'Jd '" 521,797 487~ ...... 34.1'.5 ,....,.. -, ""-Zl ~.1f) 368,001 ... "'" 9.9% .36,2" W,'K;.7 ""-Nov 21 Ott ~1 )10,i8ti ""'" II)~% -32..442 In.s2S .... De<. 22 Ja.r..20 31\.7115 290,OCIO •• -7.1% 21.7<l'i 1"-"" ""= ~ led .. One H .. nd~ C"-'lbic mt '"' 748 Gatloll.& =-1 un;t •• &umare<l "'"I'C for )a:l ... ry 1m billiA':; p"'riOO Q,{R,15W3 7 ,'0 ,",:;~~~'" -~;-'~~:~~ -.-~;, ,:,::>.-,,-, -'"':. ~ft:~ . .. Attaclute:1t "Alii shows a comparison consumption in 1992-93 and 1991-92. 1987, is sho'Wn f:Jr reference~ .ater 'nppl.y rJp4.t. of the 1992-;3 allocation to Consumption in the base ye~ri Information from the SFWD shoW's their reservoir system storage level to be 60 pe~c~nt of normal as of January 25, 1993. Last year at that time., storage was 5-4 percent of no::mal. It is too early to predict what the water supply conditions will be after the critical period of spring runoff. However, conceyns about greater levels of rationing bein"1 called for h.ave been ended by the recent rains. For new, the most liKely scenario is that rationing requir~ent$ will continue at the same 28 percent level for another fiscal year~ w,ter Pkility llP,cta Water sales and purchases are monitored monthly. Despite a 24 percent retail water rate increase effective July 1992, water sales have risen. Actual water sales r-eve.nue for the first half of FY 9~-93 are approximately 10 percent higher than the adopted budget forecast. Fr~m a utility financial perspective, this is good news as long as the additional sales do not make the City exceed its water allocation from the San Francisco Water Department. Fortunately, this has not been the case, as the City continues to exceed its required 28 percent conservation level~ Although ~~e higher sales level means !ligher purGhase cost, the net sales revenue for the first six months was approximately $500,000 higher than the adopted budget. If the trend of higher than projected sales continues through the remaining months of FY 91-93, ~his much needed revenue can help restore the Water Fund reserves. pROUspiT Jl'RO<J'iWl I.lIPLJpIBNTATIO!l Since the last update to Council in September 1992 (CMR:J89:92), there have been a tot_al of 80 adjustments made in response to customers requesting exemptions from the standard drought rate schedules. The most recent adj ustments fall il'lto the following cateo:ories: -Family of six or more 30 Med ieal needs 10 Baseline Consumption Allo~ance adjusted (commercial accounts) 40 Tot a 1 : 'S""i) A total of J!l adjustments have been made since the drought rates went into effect in July 1991. This number is very small, given there are over 29,000 water utility accounts. staff has found the drought rate system to be appropriate for the vast maj ority of customers. ;j~!t~1 --:--\ "-. • :,. _.tar va-Or4ipane •• I~ tlle last. five months, only tour first warn inq notices have needed to he issued for violation ?f current water use reBtrictionB. In the vinter season, typically the biggest problem CODes from people who forget to turn their automatic sprinklers off when it is raining. City and Public P§ciliti" ~l park and City facility irrigation systems have been turned off for the 'Winter. (Occasionally, sprinklers can bE seen operating tor three to five minutes while valves are being flushed for maintenance purposes. J The project to install r~clailfted wster lines to serve the Golf Course and Municipal Services Center is in the design phase, with construction expected to begin this summer. CPU'QXI. otmllACB lliSISTUCI Palo Alto residents and businesses are continuing to effectively conse.rve, and relatively little awareness advertising-has been needed. The following list summarizes staff's ong-oing 'Wate.r conservation ~ctivity since the September 1992 report to Council (CHR:389: 92): • Perfo~ed)O residential and 10 commercial on-site water audits; provided 135 te.lephone consultations, handled 305 requests for conservation factsheets and home 'Water kits. • Issued an update newsletter to major account customers and a targeted mailing to smalle~ commercial customers. • Produced a ..... ater situation update flyer for the November utilities bill~ • Reviewed 13 commercial landscape plans for conformance with City Water Efficient Landscape stan~ards. In September 1992~ the Council formally adopted tbe interim standards and made them part of the Municipal Code (CMR:396:92). • continued involvement with tocal and regional agencies to coordinate outreach efforts. (Includes the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Bay Area water Users Association and the state Department of Water Resources Conservation Ad.visory Committee.) CMR:l5O:93 , " BmqrM;X The City of Palo Alto continues to remain below its allocation from 'the San Francisco Water Department (SFWD) and the continued conservation effort of residents and businesses alike. is to be applauded. The recent rains have eased the drought c~isi5, but it is too early to estimate the a~ount of spring snow runoff that will enter srwn's reservoirs~ currently the most likely scenario is that SFWD will continue Palo Alto's 28 percent reduction requirement into the 93/94 water year. SFWO typically makes its rationing decisions in late spcinq. Staff will return to Council at that time to report this decision and propose how Palo Alto should respond. Respectfully submitted, .J2t-.-k! r{ DEBRA~r! Manager, Resource conservation Chair, City Water Management committee .t~fo~ Deputy Director of Utilities ~~ ~-~~ger Attachment: City of Palo Alto water Consumption ~-.~ ...... ' ..• '." -~ .:/ '''\. ___ ._,--...c:..' / AITACH!·[£.'\T A Z (-, '-' f- 0... ::2 r " '" I '" =.l en ~ <' ~ ", <. -c~! 0 " , " ~ :~ C) )- " , L 0:::: CT· ~ C w a f-:;: <: S N m 0 ,:'~ '" . ~ < , --'" " " i::' f n > f-I -.I '" <: '0 c .. , cy -, , - r -' 0 0 " "! , .- " < CL - '" I.L - ~ \...J . "-~ . ~ '--, ,---' ----'----, '_.