conservation outdoor usage challenge

July 23, 2009July 23, 2009July 23, 2009

ConservationOutdoor Usage

Challenge


Challenge

Rates Advisory Committee

July 23, 2009

Rates Advisory CommitteeRates Advisory Committee

Topics• Drought Management vs. Conservation• Recent GPCD Trends• New Home Trends & Irrigation• Solutions

July 23, 2009


Drought = Mandatory Demand ReductionsDrought demand management is:– In response to special

conditions to obtain immediate cut-back

– Primarily targets discretionary usage

– Mandatory– Staged to reflect severity of

situation– Often inconvenient for

customers– Temporary

July 23, 2009


Conservation = Continuous Improvement• Conservation is:

– Set in place to meet long-term water management goals

– Targets all water users– Year-round– Measures begin as

voluntary (can become rules over time)

– Often provides improvements in quality of life

– Requires innovation, analysis, evaluation, and change

July 23, 2009


GPCD Trends:Why more extreme swings recently?

50

70

90

110

130

150

170

190

210

230

250

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

GPC

D

225

115

139

Gal

lons

Per

Cap

ita p

er D

ay

106110N/ALow

132

N/A

1998

116

122

2005 2009 Proposed

116Normal

126High

Where was increase in consumption between 2007 and 2008?

July 23, 2009


2007 to 2008 Consumption Increases

• Residential increased 23.9%• General increased 5.9%• All Classes increased 18.8%

33,026

19,166 20,296

49,511

58,828

26,651

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

2007 2008

Mill

ions

of G

allo

ns

Residential General ALL CLASSES

July 23, 2009


2007 Water Consumptions

Total 2007 Consumption (All Classes): 49.5 Billion Gallons

1,660 1,645 1,667 1,6911,557

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

Jun '07 Jul '07 Aug '07 Sep '07 Oth.Months

Avg.M

illio

ns o

f Gal

lons

General

11796

86120

93203

267166174

203

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000


Avg.

Mill

ions

of

Gal

lons

Res. Block 1 Res. Block 2


July 23, 2009


2008 Water Consumptions

Total 2008 Consumption (All Classes): 58.8 Billion Gallons

335 352

216164

135

576712

245

286

412

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000


Avg.

Mill

ion

s of

Gal

lons



1,6131,7821,813

1,8761,890

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

Ju n '08 Jul '08 Aug '08 Sep '08 Oth.M onths

Avg.M

illio

ns o

f Gal

lons

General

July 23, 2009


2007 Water Consumptions (acre-feet)

Total 2007 Consumption (All Classes): 151,910 AF

5,095 5,049 5,115 5,1904,779

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

Jun '07 Jul '07 Aug '07 Sep '07 Oth. MonthsAvg.

Acr

e-Fe

et

General Class

286370

264295

360 622820

508534

624

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000


Avg.

Acr

e-Fe

et



July 23, 2009


2008 Water Consumptions (acre-feet)

Total 2008 Consumption (All Classes): 180,451 AF

5,799 5,757 5,565 5,4704,949

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

Jun '08 Jul '08 Aug '08 Sep '08 Oth. MonthsAvg.

Acr

e-F

eet

General Class

1,029 1,079

663505

413

1,769 2,185

1,263

878753

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000


Avg.

Acr

e-Fe

et



July 23, 2009


Consumption Patterns• During dry years more water is sold for

outdoor irrigation– Through irrigation meters– Through residential meters; especially in 3rd

and 4th block• Even in very wet months there is still

discretionary consumption in the top two blocks residential

• How much does this matter? Is it significant?

July 23, 2009


Reduction of 10% • 2007 Reduction of 10% in 3rd and 4th

block usage would have resulted in:– 359.7 million gallons– 1,103.9 acre feet

• 2008 Reduction of 10% in 3rd and 4th block usage would have resulted in:– 609.3 million gallons– 1,869.9 acre feet

July 23, 2009


Why This Pattern Now?• Irrigation systems make it easy to use a lot of

water very quickly– An average irrigation cycle uses 2,000 gallons each

time it is run• Irrigation twice per week can negate all savings

gained from the most efficient fixtures available• San Antonio is not alone: trend with irrigation

even worse in other cities– New homes with irrigation have been shown to use

more water than older homes even when lot sizes are smaller on new homes.

July 23, 2009


Solutions?• There is no silver bullet answer:

– Home owners often over-water WaterSaver/xeriscapelandscapes

– “Smart” irrigation controllers are too generous in water application

• We need to motivate a change in irrigation settings– Even at 4th block rates it costs only about $10 to run

an irrigation cycle for 2000 gallons• How to motivate change?

July 23, 2009


Outdoor Water Usage ProgramsThree Parts to Strategy:

1. Education & Outreach– Events, Workshops, E-Newsletter, Free

Landscape Consultations, Irrigation Consultations, Master Gardener/ Botanical Gardens partnership, Media Campaigns

2. Reasonable Regulation– Drought tolerant turf, soil under turf, irrigation

quality standards, water waste prohibition, watering hours

3. Financial Incentives: rebates & rates

July 23, 2009


Financial Incentives; Outdoor• Rebates

– For landscape/irrigation design that may save water• Have learned to hold back full rebate until customer

demonstrates savings from appropriate irrigation habits

• Rates– Underscore need to move to better design– Motivate customers to move to more appropriate

irrigation schedule– Need more to pay attention to what they water, when

and why• Example; nearly all customers water all parts of the yard with

irrigation when only part of it needs it

July 23, 2009


Concluding RemarksOptions rejected during water supply planning to cope with increased irrigation usage:

A. Obtain even more water supply at high costB. Regulate outdoor usage heavily all of the time

Option Proposed:1. Increase customer education and incentives to

change landscapes and watering habits2. Increase other conservation strategies in other

sectors to maximize other permanent savings3. Have rates that encourage WaterSaver landscapes

that need less irrigation

July 23, 2009July 23, 2009July 23, 2009


Challenge


Challenge

Rates Advisory Committee

July 23, 2009


History of Conservation

May1992

San Antonio City Council creates the San Antonio Water System through consolidation of the City Water Board, the City Wastewater Department, and the Alamo Water Conservation and Reuse District.

Conservation department strategically located in the Planning and Water Resources department to emphasize water conservation as a viable method of addressing water resource challenges.

1991

Sierra Club files a lawsuit against the Department of Interior alleging violations of the Endangered Species Act at San Marcos and Comal Springs.

Nov1993

Jun1994

SAWS adopts its first Conservation and Reuse Plan.

Nov1994

City Council approves a residential water rate structure that encourages conservation and establishes dedicated funding for water conservation programs.

SAWS institutes its first direct program: Plumbers to People. This program provides leak repair services to low-income households.

1996

SAWS Community Conservation Committee (CCC) is established. This advisory group provides staff and the Board of Trustees with citizen feedback on conservation policies and programs.

1997

SAWS holds the first WaterSaver Awards, recognizing local companies who have taken a leadership role in water conservation efforts.

July 23, 2009



Mar1998

Jan1998

Oct1998

Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) appoints SAWS representative to the South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Group (Region L). Region L is one of 16 regional planning groups in Texas, tasked with the development of a 50-year water plan for inclusion in the state water plan.

Jan2001

Dec2001

San Antonio City Council approves a fee on all commercial water accounts in support of commercial conservation programs.

SAWS Board of Trustees approves the first Water Resource Plan, titled “Securing our Water Future Together.” This plan identified methods for meeting future water needs through diversification of our water resources.

Water use reduction goals established in the 1993 Conservation and Reuse Plan for 2008 are achieved a full 7 years in advance.

With input from Region L and regional planning groups throughout the state, TWDB adopts the first state water plan. In this plan, the San Antonio region is the only area in the state that adopts “advanced conservation” as a significant resource option.

Jan2002

SAWS per capita consumption drops to 143 gallons per person per day.

July 23, 2009



August20052005 2006

SAWS Board of Trustees approves an updated Water Resource Plan that establishes even more aggressive water use reduction goals: SAWS will reduce normal-year per capita consumption to 116 gallons per person per day by 2016.

Jan2007

San Antonio City Council approves a comprehensive water conservation ordinance with the full support of all stakeholders affected by the provisions, including homeowners, the irrigation industry, and developers.

SAWS celebrates the 10th

anniversary of the Community Conservation Committee.

San Antonio City Council approves updates to the drought management provisions of the water conservation ordinance.

2008 2009

Mission Verde – City ordinance requirement for WaterSaver fixtures in new construction. This will require HET toilets, efficient faucets, showerheads and urinals in all new construction starting 2010. Also limits total size of irrigation for residential and requires annual irrigation maintenance checks on large properties or those that use over one million gallons of water for irrigation.

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