City Council September 27, 2012

Proposed Ordinance Amendment

• Provision added to “Exception and Variance” section

of Water Conservation/Drought Contingency code:

“The City Council may allow exceptions to any of the

provisions of this article. The Council may place

conditions on any exception.”

Drought Level III

• September 14, 2012

-Trigger point for entering Level III met

-Water supply available to the city from its developed

sources over the next 12 months is not adequate to

meet the projected demands

Drought Level III Implementation

• September 27, 2012

Council consider adopting resolution implementing

provisions of Drought Level III

Drought Level III Implementation

• September 27, 2012

Council consider adopting resolution implementing

provisions of Drought Level III

• October 1, 2012

Proposed effective date for Drought Level III

Drought Level III Implementation

• September 27, 2012

Council consider adopting resolution implementing

provisions of Drought Level III

• October 1, 2012

Proposed effective date for Drought Level III

• November 1, 2012

Usage surcharges effective with November billing

Prohibited Water Uses Under Drought Level III

• Watering of lawns, gardens, landscape areas, trees,

golf courses (including greens), shrubs and other

plants being grown outdoors

• Hand watering or drip irrigation of trees and

foundations may be done on days and at times as

established by the City Council

Prohibited Water Uses Under Drought Level III

• Fill, refill or maintain the level of any swimming pool or

fountain

• Washing of automobiles, trucks, trailers, boats or other

types of vehicles, mobile equipment; except for health,

safety, welfare as determined by Health Director

Water Usage Surcharges

• Residential accounts- $6.00/1,000 gallons for usage

over 10,000 gallons

• Apartments- $5.00/1,000 gallons for usage over 3,000

gallons/apartment unit

• All other accounts- $2.50/1,000 gallons

Drought Level III Implementation

• September 14, 2012 Trigger Point Met

• September 27, 2012 Resolution Adoption

• October 1, 2012 Effective date

• November 1, 2012 Surcharges included in bills

Exceptions to

Water Conservation Ordinance

Exception Procedure

• Ordinance amendment authorizing Council to grant

exceptions adopted September 27, 2012

• Exception request brought before Council

• Council considers and establishes any special

conditions with respect to the request

• Request is approved or denied by simple majority vote

Exception Requests / Drought Level III

• Vehicle Washing

• Swimming Pools

• Golf Course Greens

• Nurseries

• Goodfellow Air Force Base Kennel Area

Vehicle Washing

• Commercial Vehicle Wash Facilities

-Hand held spray wand

-In-Bay automatic wash facility

-Tunnel automatic wash facility

-Mobile, self contained, trailer mounted unit

• Residential Vehicle Washing

-Hand held hose

-Bucket

Commercial Vehicle Wash Facilities

• Identified 18 commercial vehicle washing

facility accounts

• Water usage over the past 12 months

48.4 million gallons

Exception Considerations/Vehicle Washing

• Type of vehicle washing operation

Residential

Commercial fixed location

Commercial mobile

Commercial fleet vehicles

• Requirement to recycle

• Surcharges

• Duration of exception

Swimming Pools

• Approximately 1,100 pools in the city

• Average Pool Size- 16 ft X 32 ft

• Average water needed to maintain a pool-

1 1/2 inches/week; 1,915 gallons / month

• Estimated water needed to maintain pools in city-

27.4 million gallons/year

Exception Considerations/Swimming Pools

• Residential and Commercial pools

• Outdoor and Indoor pools

• Covering requirement for a pool

• Duration of exception

Golf Course Greens

• Courses within city utilizing city water-

Santa Fe and Riverside

• 27 greens at the two courses

Golf Course Greens

• Watering requirement for 27 greens

September thru October 150,0000 gallons

November thru February 300,000 gallons

March thru April 1,000,000 gallons

June thru August 1,950,000 gallons

Total 3,400,000 gallons

Exception Considerations/Golf Course Greens

• Number of greens allowed to be water

• Allowable application rates

• Watering frequency

• Surcharges

• Duration of exception

Nurseries

• Types of nurseries

-Indoor

-Outdoor

• Indoor Nursery

Seasonal stock-Plants in containers or holding beds

Watering generally done by hand held hose or drip

system

• Outdoor Nursery

Plants being grown for future transfer to containers or

holding beds

Nurseries

• Five full time nursery businesses identified

• Water usage over past 12 months

Indoor Nurseries- 8.6 million gallons

Outdoor Nursery- 17.8 million gallons

Exception Considerations/Nurseries

• Indoor and Outdoor Operations

• Usage limitations

• Surcharges

• Duration of exception

Goodfellow Air Force Base

• Exception Requested for Military Dog Kennel

• Request to water grass area within kennel during

months of March through October

• Estimated water usage of 65,000 gallons per month

during watering season

Tree and Foundation Watering

• Hand watering or drip irrigation of trees and

foundations may be allowed under Level III

• Council establishes conditions for water use

-Days, times, frequency, amount

Sprinkler Meters

• Monthly Base fee applicable unless service is

discontinued

• No charge to discontinue service

• $20 activation fee to re-establish service

City Council September 27, 2012