Drought Status Report and

Communications UpdateApril 28, 2015

California Drought

• Governor’s Office declares statewide drought January 2014 and calls for immediate 20% voluntary reduction in water use

• State Water Resources Control Board recently announces mandatory restrictions and agency fines of up to $10,000 per day

• Rowland Water is required to cut water use by 20%

Where does RWD water come from?

• The District receives a blend of waters from two treatment plants: – Weymouth Filtration Plant in

La Verne, • Supplied by the State Water

Project and Colorado River Water

• One of five treatment plants within the Metropolitan Water District system

– Three Valleys Municipal Water District Miramar Plant in Claremont, • Supplied by the State Water

Project

• A member agency to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

State Water Project

• Reservoirs across the northern part of the state are

between 30 to 40% capacity

• Has major impacts on Metropolitan Water District

supplies for Southern California

• Will have major impacts on supply to RWD

State Water Project Allocation (in percentages)

100

90

39

70

90

65

90

100

65

3540

50

80

65

35

520

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15

What does the drought mean?

• New Normal

• 5 percent allocation of more than 4

million acre-feet of water requested for

2014

• Each year of drought makes it harder to

refill reservoirs

• El Nino is only temporary

Metropolitan Water District

• April 14 – MWD voted to impose a Level 3 allocation starting in July. This is roughly a 15% reduction in wholesale water use regionally.

• Establishes a surcharge of four times the normal price of an acre foot of water for use beyond the allocated amount.

– That could mean paying as much as

$3,859 per acre foot

• MWD calls allocation plan a tool to support the Governor’s call for a 25% reduction in urban water use statewide.

Total Potable Water Use

(in acre feet)

13256.1

11793.710990 10831.9 11244.4 11487 11408.5

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Water Use by Customer

Single FamilyResidential

Multi-family Residential

Commercial

Landscape Irrigation

Recycled Water

Other

Financial Impacts on

Rowland Water

Acre Feet Purchased 8,700 AF (CY 2013)

Cost per Acre Foot$899.00

Revenue Per Acre Foot$1,263.00

($2.90 per hcf)

Margin per Acre Foot

$364.00

20% Reduction 1,740.00 Acre Feet 1,740.00 AF x 364.00 AF $633,360.00

15% Reduction 1,305.00 Acre Feet 1,305.00 AF x 364.00 AF $475,020.00

10% Reduction 870 Acre Feet 870 AF x 364.00 AF $316,680.00

5% Reduction 435 Acre Feet 435 AF x 364.00 AF $158,340.00

Rowland Water Supply Update

• Mostly Imported Water

• MWD accounts for approximately 80% of RWD’s

current water supply

• La Habra and Recycled Water make up other 20%

• New MWD allocation means 15% reduction for RWD

RWD Water Supply Initiatives

• Create "New Water”

• Improve Supply Reliability

• Decrease Reliance On Imported Supply

• Improve Groundwater Management

• Implement Water Efficiency Programs

RWD Water Supply:

Recycled Water

*Includes water used for Peaker Plant cooling

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Number of Customers

0.0

200.0

400.0

600.0

800.0

1000.0

1200.0

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Number of Acre Feet

Water Supply Contingency Planning

• RWD adopted WSCP in 2011 as part of the

Urban Water Management Plan

• New Regulations require water agencies to:

– Activate their Water Shortage Contingency

Plan to a stage with mandatory restrictions.

– Report monthly water production to the state

including an estimate of the gallons per capita

per day used by residential customers

Strategic Planning – February 2013

Board Direction:

In order to decrease reliance on expensive

imported water, reliable alternative water

sources must be aggressively pursued. Rowland

Water must also hold a leadership position on

water supply diversity in the region.

Strategic Planning – February 2013

• Commit to securing a long-term water supply for the region by

proactively pursuing alternative supplies, limiting reliance on

imported water and prioritizing diversification of the district’s

water source portfolio.

• Continue to invest in local recycled water programs to reduce

dependency on imported potable water for non-potable needs.

• Promote reduction of water demand and effective water

conservation through comprehensive practices and education

programs.

• Set a tone of leadership and collaboration by promoting

cooperative agreements across jurisdictional boundaries and

developing effective regional partnerships.

Drought Timeline

2012•Current drought began

2014

•January – Governor declares State of Emergency

•July - RWD expands conservation programs and rebates

•November 19 – RWD enters Stage II in Water Shortage Plan

2015

•April 1 - Survey finds that Sierras have 5% of historic average snowpack

•April 1 - Governor Jerry Brown called for a 25% statewide savings

•April 7 – SWRCB announces agency requirements to save as much as 35% (RWD 20%)

•April 18 – SWRCB issues revised requirements

•May 6 – SWRCB approval expected

2016•RWD must meet 20% savings goal

Rowland Water’s Approach

• Assess conservation impacts on revenue

• Find alternative ways to save water

• Share critical information with customers

• Promote rebates and other conservation

tools

• Remain cautious and calm

• Continue to thoughtfully plan for the

future

Key Drought Points

• Statewide 25% reduction– Compared to 2013 usage

– Applies to all CII and residential customers

• Replace 50 million square feet of turf– Underserved communities

• State Model Landscape Ordinance– Increase efficiency standards for all landscapes

• Prioritize infrastructure projects that will increase water supply– Water Recycling

– Reservoir Improvements

– Surface Water Treatment Plants

– Desalination Plants

• Agencies in high to medium groundwater basins shall implement requirements– Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Program

Drought Stage Two

(initiated September 2014)

• Mandatory water use restrictions

– Only water 2 times per week (Mondays &

Fridays)

– Do not water landscape between 8 am and 5 pm

– No washing down hardscapes

– No water served in restaurants unless requested

– Limits on filling swimming pools, spas,

ornamental lakes and ponds

– Fix leaks, breaks or malfunctions within 24 hours

Enforcement Process

Rowland Water’s current policy allows for the following enforcement actions:

• Written Notice

• Final Written Notice

• Third Violation $50.00 fine

• Fourth Violation $150.00 fine

• Fifth Violation $150.00 fine and installation of a flow restrictor

• Continued violations could lead to prosecution

Customer Outreach

• Customer Outreach

– Website

– On-Hold Messages

– Direct Mailers

– Educational Events

• Media Outreach

– Press Releases

– Holding Statements

– Fact Sheets

Press Statements

Special Event Outreach

• Buckboard Days Parade & Festival (October)

• Cherry Blossom Festival (Beginning of March)

• Operations Safe Community (March)

• Family Resource Fair (May)

• Emergency Preparedness Fair (May or June)

• National Night Out (August)

Total # of customers reached since 2013 is 27,000 people

Conservation Education

• 2012-2013 School Year (at the end of the

school year *new program)

– 3 Schools=300 Students

• 2013-2014 School Year

– 7 Schools=1300 Students

• 2014-2015 School Year

– 4 Schools=900 Students *Including GATE

and OPTIONS (after school program)

Turf Rebates

Residential

– 14 Turf Replacement Transformations

Complete

– 41 Transformations in Process

Commercial

– 2 in the queue

• LA County Fire

Department

• LA County Internal

Services Department

Giveaways

• 2013:– Over 500 Hose Nozzles

– 500 Dye Tablets for toilets

– Over 750 conservation coloring books and workbooks for kids

– Conservation brochures, rebate information, educational brochures, backflow brochures

• 2014:– Over 700 Hose Nozzles

– 700 Dye Tablets for toilets

– Over 900 conservation coloring books and workbooks for kids

– Conservation brochures, rebate information, educational brochures, backflow brochures

• 2015 so far:– Over 500 Hose Nozzles

– 200 Dye Tablets for toilets

– Over 500 conservation coloring books and workbooks for kids

– Conservation brochures, rebate information, educational brochures, backflow brochures

Residential Programs

• A limited number of SoCal Water$martrebates are available for the following devices (BeWaterWise.com) – High-efficiency clothes washers

– High-efficiency toilets

– Rotating sprinkler nozzles (minimum of 15)

– Weather-based irrigation controllers, or "smart" controllers

– Soil Moisture Sensors

– Rain Barrels (maximum of 4)

• Turf removal rebates are now being offered starting at $2.00 per square foot.

Next Steps

• State will mandate cutbacks

• Rowland Water will consider

enforcements of water use restrictions

and may enter Stage III Water Supply

Emergency

• Visit rowlandwater.com for water supply

updates and news about what you can do

Questions?