SR-6-A (23)
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MAQ 1 q 199'
GS:CP:heads Santa Monica, California
council Meeting: March 19, 1991
To: Mayor and City council
From: city Staff
Subject: Recommendation to Approve Emergency Purchase of Water
Conserving Showerheads and Faucet Aerators for City's
Emergency Water Conservation program
INTRODUCTION
This report requests that City council appropriate an additional
$46,000 from the Water Fund balance and approve the emergency
purchase of water conserving showerheads and faucet aerators to be
distributed free of charge to Santa Monica water customers.
DISCUSSION
On February 26, 1991, City Council adopted an emergency water
conservation program in response to projected water shortages
during California's fifth consecutive drought year. An important
component of the City' s emergency water conservation efforts is the
distribution of free water conserving showerheads and faucet
aerators to the City's water customers.
since July 1, 1990, over 10,000 showerheads have been distributed
by the General Services Department to eligible santa Monica water
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customers. since council adoption of the emergency water
conservation plan on February 26, 1991, almost 3,000 showerheads
have been distributed. This tremendous increase in demand for free
showerheads and faucet aerators has completely depleted the
Department's existing inventory. It is critical that additional
supplies of these items be immediately purchased in order to meet
the anticipated heightened demand during the next few months. The
$46,000 appropriation will allow the purchase of 10,000
showerheads, 10,400 faucet aerators and 2,000 showerhead adapters.
It is estimated that there are over 60,000 showers in the City of
Santa Monica in residential occupancies alone. Since 1988, staff
estimates that approximately one-third to one-half of these
showerheads have been retrofit with low flow models (2.4 gallons
per minute). The current General Services goal is to achieve the
retrofit of at least three-quarters of all residential showerheads
by the end of this calendar year. An additional effort is being
made to retrofit a substantial number of non-residential
showerheads as well (schools, hotels, health clubs, etc.).
This report recommends that the required showerheads, faucet
aerators and adapters be purchased from Niagra Products, the vendor
which has been utilized by the city for over two years. Although
other manufacturers offer showerheads which meet the City's water
flow restrictions, Niagra is the sole manufacturer of a pulsating
type of low flow showerhead which has received a very strong level
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of customer satisfaction. Quality performance by the showerhead is
a key factor in ensuring that the fixture will remain permanently
installed. The unit prices for the Niagra products are comparable
with the prices of other vendors.
BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT
There is sufficient balance in the Water Fund to finance the
additional $46,000 appropriation to purchase showerheads and faucet
aerators. The recommended Council action will increase
Environmental Programs Division account number 31-500-662-00000-
4429-00000 by $46,000; increase the reimbursement from the Water
Fund to the Wastewater Fund, account 25-700-695-00000-5566-00000,
by $46,000: and increase the reimbursement to the Wastewater Fund
from the Water Fund, account 31-700-695-00000-5566-00000, by
($46,000) . These transactions will result in no net fiscal impact
to the Wastewater Fund and a total impact of $46,000 to the Water
Fund.
RE COlomENDAT IONS
It is recommended that city Council:
l) Appropriate $46,000 in additional funds to the Environmental
Programs Division budget as detailed in this report; and
2) authorize the purchase of additional showerheads, faucet
aerators and showerhead adapters from Niagra Products in an
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amount not to exceed $46,000.
Prepared by: Stanley Scholl, Director of General services
Craig Perkins, Environmental Services Manager
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