SR-06-11-2013-7ACity of City Council Report
Santa Monies*
City Council Meeting: June 11, 2013
Agenda Item: 7A
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Dean Kubani, Manager, Office of Sustainability and the Environment
Subject: Repeal of SMMC 7.18 Water Conservation - Plumbing Standards
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council introduce for first reading the attached ordinance
repealing SMMC 7.18 Water Conservation — Plumbing Standards.
Executive Summary
The Water Conservation — Plumbing Standards ordinance (Chapter 7.18 of the Santa
Monica Municipal Code), also referred to as Retrofit Upon Sale, has been very
successful in retrofitting nearly every single - family home, multi - family building, and
commercial property sold in Santa Monica since 1993 with water - saving toilets,
showerheads, and faucets. Due to the high saturation levels of these devices, existing
State law that sets forth the same requirements, and the staff time required to enforce
this ordinance, staff recommends repealing Chapter 7.18 as unnecessary.
Background
The Water Conservation — Plumbing Standards ordinance was adopted in February
1993 to reduce potable water use and sewage in response to drought conditions and
flow constraints at Hyperion sewage treatment plant. Since 1993, every building sold in
Santa Monica must have low -flow toilets, urinals, showerheads, and faucets installed
before the close of escrow. In order for escrow to close, a certificate of compliance must
be issued by the City. Upon verification that low -flow fixtures are installed in the property
either through an inspection performed by a certified plumber or record of compliance
from the previous sale of the property, staff sends the compliance certificate to escrow.
As a result of this ordinance, approximately ninety -two percent (92 %) of all toilets,
urinals, showerheads, and faucets installed in Santa Monica since 1993 are low -flow.
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Discussion
The success of this ordinance has resulted in a high saturation rate of low- fixtures in
buildings throughout the city. The few remaining buildings that have not retrofitted will
not produce significant savings compared to staff time needed to enforce this ordinance.
Below is data compiled over six years that shows the amount of effort required to
achieve minimal water savings.
Upon verification through an inspection or documentation of previous compliance with
the ordinance, staff issues a certificate of compliance to the escrow company. The
processing of the compliance certificates is currently being administered by a temporary
staff member and takes approximately one and a half days each week to enforce. This
temporary staff position is due to expire on June 30, 2013.
Data from 2006 through 2012 shows the following:
• Total certificates issued — 4,260
• Number of properties that failed and required retrofitting— 400
• Number of fixtures replaced — 475
• Water saved — 12 acre feet
• Staff hours to enforce — 7,332
If SMMC Chapter 7.18 is repealed, existing State and local laws will ensure that
remaining inefficient fixtures are replaced with high- efficiency fixtures (which are twenty
percent more water - efficient than low -flow fixtures that Chapter 7.18 currently requires).
State law SB 407 adopted in 2010 requires a retrofit upon resale for single - family
homes. The City's Green Building Ordinance further requires any toilets, showerheads,
and faucets that are replaced to be high- efficiency. Starting in 2014, only high- efficiency
toilets will be sold in California. Rebates are available for customers that install these
types of toilets.
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Repealing Chapter 7.18 would allow staff and resources to be focused on other water -
efficiency programs that will gain far more water savings to help the City reach its water
self- sufficiency goal by 2020. Staff is working with a consultant on developing the
Sustainable Water Master Plan to reach this goal. The current draft includes a list of 23
proposed water - efficiency programs that can save approximately 1,400 acre feet of
water. Many of these programs target high water -use commercial customers that can
achieve and sustain significant water savings through water - saving plumbing fixture
retrofits including cooling towers, coin - operated washers, and laminar flow faucets.
Other programs will focus on conversion of high water -using landscapes to sustainable
landscapes. Because the City has been aggressively implementing water - efficiency
programs since 1988, future programs will take more staff time and resources to
achieve the same savings as code -based or passive conservation.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impactor budget action necessary as a result of the
recommended action.
Prepared by: Kimberly O'Cain, Water Resources Specialist
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
dO4M 1d4 d �4 /Vi-
bean K ani, Rod Gould
Manager, Office of S s inability and the City Manager
Environment
Attachment:
® Ordinance Repealing SMMC 7.18 Water Conservation — Plumbing Standards
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Council Meeting: June 11, 2013
Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
REPEALING CHAPTER 7.18 OF THE SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE
RELATING TO RETROFITTING OF PLUMBING FIXTURES
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica is committed to reducing inefficient use of
water resources and maximizing the availability of potable water for essential residential
and business uses; and
WHEREAS, conservation of water is critically important if the City of Santa
Monica is to sustain itself, survive droughts as well as emergencies and natural
disasters; and
WHEREAS, on September 2, 1993, the City Council adopted Chapter 7.18 of the
Santa Monica Municipal Code, which established water conservation plumbing
standards in order to reduce wastewater flows and decrease the use of potable water
within the City; and
WHEREAS, this law has been implemented with great success as nearly every
single - family home, multi - family building, and commercial property sold in Santa Monica
since 1993 has been properly retrofitted with water saving plumbing fixtures; and
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WHEREAS, recently enacted state laws, such as SB 407 of 2010, and local laws,
such as the Green Building Code, duplicate the key requirements contained in Chapter
WHEREAS, in light of the successful implementation of Chapter 7.18 and the
adoption of other State and local laws setting forth the same requirements, Chapter
7.18 no longer serves a useful purpose; and
WHEREAS, limited staff resources should be redirected toward other
sustainability programs.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 7.18 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code is hereby
repealed.
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Section 2. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of
this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official
newspaper within 15 days after its adoption
days from its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
This Ordinance shall become effective 30