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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-01-14 - AGENDA REPORTS - DROUGHT CMTE QUARTERLY REPORT (2)AGENDA REPORT City Manager Item to be P UNFINISHED BUSINESS DATE: January 14, 1992 SUBJECT: DROUGHT COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT DEPARTMENT: Community Development BACKGROUND The resolution which appointed the members of the Drought Committee also required the submittal- of quarterly reports. Since the Water Conservation Ordinance terminated on January 1, 1992, this is the final quarterly report which the Committee is required to submit. A copy of their report is attached to -this item for the Council's reference. The Committee was able and did complete all of its functions except its recommendation for a future City water conservation plan as requested by the Council. Because the state has mandated that each of the water purveyors and the Castaic Lake Water Agency adopt an urban water management plan which would have similar elements as the Council's proposed plan, the Committee felt that their focus should be on the state's plan at this time. Unfortunately, the Committee no longer has any official status. This along with the. continuing drought and the state's policy to release state water project water to areas that have a water conservation ordinance, promoted the Committee to recommend that the ordinance with a modification for water during the winter months be reenacted and in effect .until July 1, 1992. This would allow the Committee to complete its recommendations to the Council regarding a water conservation plan for the Santa Clarita Valley. It would also.continue the City's commitment towards preserving this valuable resource. RECOMMENDATION 1. _ Review and file the Drought Committee's final quarterly report. 2. Direct staff to submit a revised drought ordinance, which will sunset on July 1, 1992, as an emergency ordinance on the next available agenda. 3. Direct staff to submit a resolution reappointing the existing Drought Committee members and establish the 2nd Thursday of each month as their regular meeting date. ATTACHMENT Quarterly Report AGN:dls:579 s� item: CITY OF SANTA CLARITA DATE: January 9, 1991 TO: Chairperson and Members of the Drought Committee FROM: Richard.Kopecky, Deputy City EngineerV--- /'�_ SUBJECT: DROUGHT COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT DISCUSSION One of the tasks of the' Drought Committee, which was established by the City's Water Conservation Ordinance, was for the Drought Committee to make quarterly reports to the Council on its findings and recommendations. Since the ordinance had a termination date of January 1, 1992, this will be the final quarterly report. Since the joint City Council/Drought Committee meeting, held on September 11, 1992, the Committee has been focusing on these basic areas. • An analysis of the effect of this water conservation ordinance on water consumption in the Santa:Clarita Valley. • Modification to the existing ordinance; • Preparation of an Ordinance that would provide a water conservation plan which could be in place immediately upon a determination that certain drought conditions were a reality; • How the state .mandated preparation of an urban water management plan would affect the need or conflict with a water conservation ordinance; and The following is a brief summary of the Committee's findings in each of the areas. Water Conservation. Water consumption in the Santa Clarita Valley was approximately ten percent lower in 1991 when compared to calendar year 1990. These raw figures and the many telephone calls we received from residents who wanted to know how to conserve and comply indicates a successful program. We have no way of determining how much the cool summer and rains in November and December affected these figures. However, the figures are still -encouraging. Ordinance Modifications. The Committee recommended and the Council adopted ordinance changes which deleted the requirement for a specific percentage reduction in water conservation and allowed more frequent watering, but for shorter periods. , . . Page 2 The Committee is also recommending that the ordinance be reenacted for another six month period. If the Council --agrees with this proposal, they are recommending that the daytime limits for watering in the ordinance be suspended from November 15 to March 15 of any year to recognize the needto water during the warmer, daylight hours during the winter months. City Water Conservation Plan. The Committee wanted to. analyze and consider the provisions of the state mandated (AB11) urban water management plan before it made a recommendation on a new City water conservation ordinance that may conflict or at least confuse the consumer. State Urban Water Management Plan. State law requires the preparation, adoption, and submittal to the Department of Water Resources by January 31, 1992, of an urban water management plan which meets the requirements relating to the preparation of the urban water shortage contingency plan. The local water purveyors and the Castaic Lake Water. Agency must submit a plan. The water shortage plan requires in essence: • A plan that manages a watershed to achieve conservation and efficient water use; • Alternative conservation measures; • Estimates of available water during drought conditions; • Stages of action to be undertaken in a drought; • How to determine actual water conservation; • How to determine the effectiveness of water conservation measures; and • Penalties for excessive water use. Since much of the elements which are to be included in the urban water management plan are those requested by the Council, the Committee feels that their focus should be on this state plan before a City Water Conservation Plan is formulated. However, since the drought is not over and water conservation is still being a good steward of a valuable resource, the Committee is recommending that the current water conservation ordinance with the modifications on watering during the winter season be reenacted and be effective for another six months. RECOMMENDATION The Committee review this final quarterly report and provide input to the Chairperson for presentation to the Council.