REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
June 23, 2016
FROM: THOMAS C. ESQUEDA, Director
Department of Public Utilities
THROUGH: MICHAEL CARBAJAL, Division Manager
Department of Public Utilities - Water Division
BY: DEJAN PAVIC, P.E. Project Manager
Department of Public Utilities - Water Division
SUBJECT
Title
HEARING to discuss and consider adoption of the 2015 Urban Water Management Plan.
a. RESOLUTION - Adopting 2015 Urban Water Management Plan (Citywide).
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council adopt a Resolution adopting the City's 2015 Urban Water Management Plan (2015 UWMP).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Fresno (City) currently has over 130,000 active service connections and provided over 133,000 acre-feet of potable water to customers in 2015. The City is required to comply with the requirements of the Urban Water Management Planning Act, established by Assembly Bill 797 (AB797) on September 21, 1983.
Adoption of an Urban Water Management Plan is required every five years by the Urban Water Management Planning Act for urban retail water suppliers that directly provide potable municipal water to more than 3,000 end users or that supply more than 3,000 acre-feet of potable water annually at retail for municipal purposes. The proposed 2015 Urban Water Management Plan complies with requirements of the Water Conservation Act of 2009 (Senate Bill x7-7) and the Urban Water Management Planning Act.
BACKGROUND
In August 2015, the City entered into an agreement with Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group to develop the City's 2015 UWMP. Urban Water Management Plans (UWMP) are required to be updated and submitted to the State Department of Water Resources (DWR) every five years under the Urban Water Management Planning Act (UWMPA). In November 2009, Senate Bill x7-7 (SBx7-7), the Water Conservation Act of 2009, was signed into law as part of a comprehensive water legislation package. The Water Conservation Act addresses both urban and agricultural water conservation and sets a goal of achieving a 20 percent statewide reduction in urban per capita water use by the year 2020, and directs urban retail water suppliers to establish an interim per capita water use target to be met by 2015 and a final per capita water use target to be met by 2020.
In order to fulfill the objectives of the 2035 General Plan and retain a long-term sustainable water supply, the City must fund and implement the Demand Management Measures set forth in the UWMP. In order to balance groundwater usage and fulfill the objectives of the 2035 General Plan, the City must significantly expand and/or construct surface water treatment facilities, groundwater recharge facilities, a recycled water system, and water conservation efforts. In the event that conditions warrant, the City is prepared to implement mandatory prohibitions and water use restrictions as described in the Water Shortage Contingency Plan, a component of the UWMP.
The Draft 2015 UWMP was and is available to the public and stakeholders for review and comment. A copy of the Draft 2015 UWMP was placed at City Hall, at the City Clerk’s office and at the Department of Public Utilities office (2600 Fresno Street), the City of Fresno Department of Public Utilities-Water Division office (1910 East University Avenue), and the Fresno County Public Library (2420 Mariposa Street). Additionally, the Draft 2015 UWMP was and is accessible on the City of Fresno website at
http://www.fresno.gov/Government/DepartmentDirectory/PublicUtilities/Watermanagement/importantdocuments.htm <http://www.fresno.gov/Government/DepartmentDirectory/PublicUtilities/Water%0bmanagement/importantdocuments.htm>. Required legal postings were made on May 11, 2016, and May 18, 2016, respectively. After the end of the 30-day public comment period on June 13, 2016, and prior to the public hearing, the link on the City of Fresno website and the copies of the draft 2015 UWMP at the City Hall will be updated.
With the completion of the 2015 UWMP, water supply and demand projections are provided in five-year increments to the year 2040 to provide for a 20+ year planning horizon. Completion of the UWMP fulfills compliance with the UWMPA and enables the City to be eligible for State Water Management grants or loans.
The adopted 2015 UWMP will be submitted to DWR and the California State Library. Copies of the 2015 UWMP will be provided to Fresno County and other stakeholders, and will be made available for public access at City offices and on the City's website.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The UWMP is not a project for the purpose of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), according to California Water Code Section 10652. CEQA does not apply to the preparation and adoption of UWMPs or the implementation of potential actions included in the Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local Preference was not considered because this action does not include a bid or an award of a City construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be no impact to the General Fund. Long-term fiscal impacts from the reduction of water consumption will be factored into future rate structuring. The impact of the adoption of the SBx7-7 per-capita water use targets is expected to be a decrease in the per-capita water consumption.
Attachment:
Resolution