sr-030811-4aCity Council Meeting: March 8, 2011
Agenda Item: 4-A
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Martin Pastucha, Director of Public Works
Dean Kubani, Director, Office of Sustainability and the Environment
Subject: Water Self-Sufficiency Study Session
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that Council review and ,provide input on developing a plan to
achieve water self-sufficiency by 2020.
Executive Summary
Achieving 100% water self-sufficiency means closing the gap that exists between total
water demand. and total water available locally. This gap of 3,729 acre-feet may be
eliminated. by a combination of maximizing the use of groundwater resources at a
sustainable level, increasing water conservation efforts, capturing and. using rainwater
and dry-weather runoff, and reusing graywater. It may also require enhanced water
recycling efforts and reuse of wastewater and other innovations.
A plan to achieve water self-sufficiency by 2020 by necessity will include multiple inputs
and analyses. In an effort to merge these elements toward realizing self-sufficiency,
staff envisions developing a Water Master Plan. The master plan will serve as a
strategic review and forecast of the city's water supply and demand picture, as well as
an "umbrella" plan to amalgamate existing strategies.
Background
On September 20, 2010 the Santa Monica Task Force on the Environment unanimously
adopted the following motion regarding water self-sufficiency:
"The Task Force on the Environment recommends that City Council direct staff to
develop a plan to reach a 100% sustainable water supply (100% water self-sufficiency
from local sources) by 2020. This plan should include 1) a safe yield analysis of all City
owned ground water resources, including Charnock, Olympic and Arcadia basins, 2) an
analysis of the impact of enhanced ground water augmentation through storm water
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infiltration on the transport of contaminates, and 3) a thorough economic analysis of the
costs, benefits and potential savings that could be achieved by reaching this sustainable
goal. "
On January 25, 2011 Council directed staff to develop a water self-sufficiency plan and
to prepare a study session on the topic.
Discussion
Achieving water self-sufficiency in Santa Monica is a complex and ambitious goal with
regional as well as local benefits. Every drop of imported water conserved by Santa
Monica reduces the regional demand for imported water, which may be available for
other uses within the State.
In direct terms, achieving 100% water self-sufficiency means closing the gap that exists
between total water demand and total water available locally. For example, projections
for FY 2011/2012 indicate a total demand of 13,229 acre-feet, and a local production
capability of 9,500 acre-feet. The difference (3,729 acre-feet) represents the gap to be
eliminated in order to achieve 100% self-sufficiency, as illustrated below.
2
Supply vs. Demand FY 2004/2005 through 2014/2015 (projected)
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The City of Santa Monica is fortunate to be able to meet a significant portion of its water
needs through the local pumping of groundwater from City wells. The City has pumped
groundwater in the Santa Monica Basin since the 1920s and pumps water from well
fields in three subbasins of the Santa Monica Basin:
1. The Santa Monica Well Field located in the Olympic sub-basin;
2. The Charnock Well Field located in the Charnock sub-basin; and
3. The Arcadia Well Field located in the Arcadia sub-basin.
This water is supplemented with purchases of imported water from the Metropolitan
Water District (MWD). Starting in 1990, the City began measures to reduce the amount
of imported water purchased from MWD through the increase of groundwater
production and the implementation of water conservation programs and policies. From
1990 to 1995 the percentage of total water supply from local groundwater increased
from 31 percent to 70 percent. In 1996, the gasoline additive MTBE was detected in
Santa Monica's groundwater wells which caused the City to cease production from both
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the Arcadia and Charnock well fields, resulting in a significant loss of locally produced
water. As a result, the City was forced to increase its purchases of imported water from
MWD. Consequently, over 85% of the water used in Santa Monica during the last
decade was imported.
Near the end of 2010, two new treatment plants at the Arcadia and Charnock well fields
began operation and Santa Monica once again obtains a majority of its water from its
own local groundwater wells. However, 15 years of reliance on imported water coupled
with recent droughts and the severe long-term outlook for water resources in California
and the Western United States highlights the need to increase Santa Monica's water
self-sufficiency to ensure a sustainable water supply to support the city's residents,
businesses, and the local economy.
Developing and implementing a water self-sufficiency plan will ensure that the City
adequately manages its water supplies given that water resources are limited and
imported water is not sustainable. Challenges have been noted by leading. climate
change experts predicting that the Western United States will face extended periodic
droughts over the next 30 years and at other times severe storms will produce severe
flooding. Recently enacted State legislation requires each urban water retailer to
reduce per capita water demand 20% by 2020. This will require residents and
businesses to reduce current demand while facing climate change impacts, all of which
reinforce the value of developing a plan.
Local water supplies are limited by the amount of water available for extraction within
the groundwater basin, the recharge rate, the amount that can. be safely withdrawn, and
the amount that the existing treatment facility can treat in a given day. Imported water is
limited by similar issues, and those limited supplies are shared throughout the region
and State. Imported water also has a higher environmental impact due to higher energy
demands to pump, transport, and treat the water. There is also higher potential for
negative impacts to wildlife and habitat due to the extraction and transport of these
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water supplies over vast areas of the State. The cost to purchase imported water will
continue to rise to off-set these challenges.
The challenge in pursuing self-sufficiency resides in creating a comprehensive
approach not only in identifying the water resource portfolio required to close the gap,
but also the financial, operational, and policy considerations required to do so. In
addition to maximizing the use of groundwater resources at a sustainable level,
achieving this goal will require increased water conservation efforts, the capture and
use of rainwater and dry-weather runoff, and the reuse of graywater to offset potable
water use. It may also require enhanced water recycling efforts and reuse of
wastewater and other innovations. While these efforts will require investments in the
short term, it is anticipated that they will result in long term cost savings for all water
users in the city as well as the security of a sustainable water supply as we move into
an uncertain future. Projections of imported water costs from MWD indicate treated
water costs will approach $1200 per acre foot by the year 2020. Currently, the price of
treated water is $744 per acre foot.
Next Steps
The development of a plan to achieve water self-sufficiency by 2020 requires a
multifaceted approach. Many of the pieces of the plan have been recently completed or
are in progress. Among these are the Water Supply Assessment in the 2010 Land Use
and Circulation Element, the City's Water Resources Division Asset Management Plan,
the 2010 update of the City's Urban Water Management Plan, the 2009 Water Shortage
Response Plan, and the 2006 Watershed Management Plan.
In an effort to merge these elements toward realizing self-sufficiency, staff envisions
developing a Water Master Plan. The master plan will serve as a strategic review and
forecast of the City's water supply and demand picture, as well as an "umbrella" plan to
amalgamate existing strategies. The Water Master Plan will delineate the physical and
policy requirements to meet the 100% by 2020 goal, and continue providing potable
water to all of Santa Monica's customers. In addition to merging the various plans
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already in existence, the Water Master Plan will evaluate supply options including
increased use of groundwater, recycled water, stormwater and graywater, and demand
management options including various water conservation strategies. The plan will
include a review of the existing and future regulatory environment, and the development
of a numerical model to analyze existing conditions, evaluate. the current and projected
water system capacity and. necessary future improvements. The Water Master Plan will
also include a financial analysis to address rates and proposed capital improvement
plans.
Timeline
This spring, the Water Resources Division will release a Request for Proposals (RFP) to
select a consultant to develop the Water Master Plan. By early summer, staff will return
to City Council with a recommended consultant for selection. The Master Water Plan is
anticipated to be completed by June 2012.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
Funding for a Water Master Plan is presently included in Fund 25 -Water.
Prepared by: Dean Kubani, Director, Office of Sustainability and the Environment
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
"~ .- t
~...~ ~
Martin Pastucha Rod Gould
Director of Public Works City Manager
........:...
~...
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~=~ Dean Kubani v
Director, Office of Sustainability and the
Environment
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