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SR-07-22-2014-3DCity Council Meeting: July 22, 2014 Agenda Item: 3 -D To: Mayor and City Council From: Dean Kubani, Manager, Office of Sustainability and the Environment Subject: Approve the 2013 Updated (Approved February 2014) Greater Los Angeles County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council: 1. Adopt the attached resolution to approve the 2013 Updated (Approved February 2014) Greater Los Angeles County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan; and 2. Authorize the City Manager or his designee to vote as a member of the Regional Water Management Group for the Greater Los Angeles County Integrated Regional Water Management Program to adopt this Plan in accordance with Sections 10530 to 10546 of the California Water Code. Executive Summary The State of California Department of Water Resources created the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program to encourage local governments to collaborate on strategies for managing water resources and to provide funding for both planning and implementing projects. Santa Monica is a member of one of three Regional Water Management Groups in the Greater Los Angeles County Region. Each group develops and administers an IRWM Plan, which emphasizes the importance of integration and cost - sharing to meet the region's future water resource management challenges. The Plan advances the City's efforts to improve water management and attain water self- sufficiency by 2020 through regional strategies and making needed funding available. The Regional Water Management Group requires the governing bodies of each member agency to adopt the updated IRWM Plan to qualify for funding for local projects. Therefore, staff recommends Council adopt a resolution approving the 2013 Updated Integrated Regional Water Management Plan, which would ensure access to future grant funds for regional projects, and authorize the City Manager or his designee to vote as a member of the Regional Water Management Group for the Greater Los Angeles County Integrated Regional Water Management Program to adopt this Plan in accordance with Sections 10530 to 10546 of the California Water Code. Background The State of California Department of Water Resources created the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program to encourage integrated regional strategies for managing water resources and to provide funding for both planning and implementing projects. The local governments located in the Greater Los Angeles County Region, including Santa Monica, formed three Regional Water Management Groups. Since 2006, these groups have supported the development and implementation of projects that reduce the Region's reliance on imported water, provide improved water quality and protect natural resources. To comply with state requirements, each of the three groups developed and implemented IRWM programs and plans to comply with state requirements. Through the IRWM Plan, member agencies acknowledge that integration and cost - sharing are key to meeting the region's future water resource management challenges. The City's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems ( NPDES) permit also encourages the City to adopt a regional approach water management. The NPDES permit controls discharges of non - stormwater and stormwater within Los Angeles County into Santa Monica. The 2012 NDPES permit was rewritten to focus water pollution solutions on onsite retention, low impact development and green infrastructure solutions, such as infiltration pits, rain harvesting for direct use, and green streets, instead of treat and release into the ocean. The permit also requires the cities of Los Angeles County to coordinate and participate in regional solutions. The IRWM Plan and the funding made available through its adoption align with Santa Monica's goal of water self- sufficiency by 2020, which Council approved on March 8, 2011. 40 regional projects received $74 million of IRWM implementation grant funding. Santa Monica received $1 million of those monies to fund the Marine Park runoff improvement project, in which treated urban runoff from the cities of Los Angeles and Santa Monica will be used for irrigation. 2 Discussion The City is in the final stage of completing the Sustainable Water Master Plan (SWMP) to achieve water self- sufficiency by 2020, which includes regional projects to harvest local water for beneficial uses but requires additional funding to complete. Santa Monica's Sustainable Water Master Plan includes a portfolio of water supply augmentation strategies. One group of strategies is increasing rain harvesting for onsite uses, such as irrigation and indoor flushing. Another strategy is the construction of new water augmentation projects as well as operation and maintenance of existing and new stormwater pollution control projects. These construction and annual maintenance activities are needed for the City to comply with state water pollution regulations. These efforts are supported largely through the Clean Beaches and Ocean Fund, which provides annual monies for the City's water management initiatives. The fund is not large enough to complete all necessary projects of water supply augmentation and water pollution compliance in a timely fashion; additional funding is needed. Taking advantage of state funds available for these projects would help the region and the City comply with the NDPES requirements. Adopting the IRWM Plan is important because it demonstrates Santa Monica's commitment to regional water management efforts and enables the City to apply for future funding under various grant programs. As a member agency of its Group, Santa Monica's City Council is required to approve a resolution to adopt the 2013 Update to the IRWM Plan. By adopting the 2013 Update IRWM Plan, the City would have access to future funds for regional projects to increase the City's local water supply, helping it meet its 2020 self- sufficiency goal of the SWMP and addressing water quality requirements of the 2012 NDPES Permit. Staff recommends that Council adopt this resolution and authorize the City Manager to vote as a member of the Regional Water Management Group to adopt the 2013 Updated IRWM Plan. 9 Financial Impacts & Budget Actions There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the recommended action. Prepared by: Neal Shapiro, Senior Sustainability Analyst Approved: ( $/ l / can Kubani, Manager Forwarded to Council: Rod Gould City Manager Attachments: Attachment A: Resolution Approving the Adoption of the 2013 (Approved February 2014) Updated Greater Los Angeles County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Reference: Resolution No. 10824 (CCS)