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MAR 1 ~ r9~;
GS:CP:emergord Santa Monica, California-
Council Meeting: March 17, 1992
To: Mayor and city council
From: city Staff
Subject: Recommendation to Direct the city Attorney to Amend the
City's Emergency Water Conservation Ordinance
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that city council direct the city Attorney
to amend the City's emergency water conservation ordinance to
reduce the mandatory cutback level to 10 percent of 1990 water
usage instead of the current 20 percent requirement. All other
aspects of the emergency ordinance would remain unchanged.
DISCUSSION
Since April 1, 1991, every water customer in the City has been
required to reduce their water usage by 20 percent from their usage
during the same period in 1990. To date, residents and businesses
in the City have surpassed this 20 percent cutback goal.
At the time that the City's emergency conservation ordinance was
adopted by Council, the 20 percent cutback was tied to action which
had been taken by the Metropolitan Water District related to the
allocation of imported water to their member agencies. On Tuesday,
March 10, the MWD Board of Directors voted to relax their water
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allocation restrictions to a 10 percent cutback level for member
agencies such as Santa Monica. This MWD action is based on an
improved state water supply situation and a projected increase in
the availability of state Project water. The California Department
of Water Resources has indicated that although the drought is not
over, the severity of the crisis has lessened considerably.
Based on latest water supply projections from the state and the
recent action by the Metropolitan Water District, it is prudent for
the City of Santa Monica to reduce its required water cutbacks to
a 10 percent level. Although other possible changes to the
emergency ordinance are under evaluation, as has been described to
Council previously, it is not recommended at this time that any
ordinance changes other than the reduction in the cutback targets
be made. The change to a mandatory 10 percent cutback target is
proposed to become effective on April 1, 1992, which would allow
sufficient time for the City to re-program its utility billing
system.
It is important to recognize that the state-wide drought is not yet
over. Unless there is significant additional rainfall in northern
,
California rainfall during the next month or so this rainfall year
will be designated as "critically dry". Some jurisdictions, such as
the City of Los Angeles, are now proposing to eliminate all
mandatory controls and move to a completely voluntary conservation
program. Staff believes that such an action is both inappropriate
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and unwise. Inappropriate due to the fact that the drought is not
yet over, and unwise because it transmits the message to residents
and businesses that a return to the wasteful water use of the pre-
drought period is acceptable. The message which instead must be
communicated is that water conservation is a way of life, not a
temporary event. In fact, staff is currently developing a proposal
for city council review and consideration in the near future which
would make many of provisions in the emergency ordinance into
permanent parts of the Municipal Code.
Once the reduction in cutback targets is approved by council, a
notification of the change will be mailed to all city water
customers in as timely a fashion as is feasible. other media wlll
also be utilized to ensure that customers are both aware of the
change in the ordinance as well as the permanent need to conserve.
Information on the new phase of the City's BAYSAVER program for
both residential and commercial customers will also be included in
this public education effort.
BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommendations in this report are not expected to
have a net impact on either revenues or expenditures in the Water
or Wastewater Funds.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that city Council direct the City Attorney to
amend the City's emergency water conservation ordinance to change
the mandatory cutback target to 10 percent of 1990 water usage.
Prepared by: stan Scholl, Director of General Services
John Mundy, utilities Manager
Craig Perkins, Environmental Services Manager
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