TITLE:
Receive Report and Consider Adoption of City Council Resolution Declaring a Stage 2 Water Warning and Implementing Stage 2 Mandatory Water Conservation Measures ISSUE:
The City of Fort Bragg Municipal Code Chapter 14.06, Water Conservation, sets forth the parameters for the City to declare a water emergency and implement mandatory water conservation consistent with the Stage or level of the emergency. Effective July 12, 2021, changes were approved to the Municipal Code to improve notification of possible drought conditions early, providing earlier warning than in previous years.
The City’s remains in a severe drought status according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Water sources have declined steadily which is typical this time of year. Staff feels it prudent to ask our residents and water customers to target a Stage 2 conservation goal to reduce normal water usage by 10%-20%.
ANALYSIS:
Fort Bragg Municipal Code Chapter 14.06, Water Conservation, was most recently updated July 2021. This update allowed for a five-stage system that provides for early warning to residents of possible water shortage.
The City was very fortunate to receive the late rains this past spring. The rainfall extended our need to require water conservation restrictions. The City’s Noyo River source is currently flowing at 2.77 cubic feet per second, or 1.8 million gallons per day. Waterfall Gulch is flowing at 72 gallons per minute and Newman Gulch is flowing at 84 gallons per minute. Combined flows provide approximately 2.0 million gallons per day. Newman and Waterfall flows continue on their downward trend and are much lower compared to previous years. The Noyo River flows have dropped 0.5 cubic feet per second over the past thirty days.
Governor Newsom provided new statewide emergency water conservation regulations on June 14, banning use of potable water on decorative and non-functional grass at commercial, industrial, and institutional properties. These requirements do not apply to the City, as the City is not an urban water supplier, but we should be mindful of them. City staff began preparation for a drought in February. The reservoir is full, the desalination system is on standby and water conservation packets are available in the Finance Department and at our booth at the Farmers Market.
The City of Fort Bragg’s water supply system relies solely on three surface water sources: Waterfall Gulch (tributary to Hare Creek), Newman Gulch (tributary to Noyo River), and the Noyo River (diversion is at Madsen Hole). In 2015 the City’s water supply system could only store small amounts of water that provided enough to maintain proper water system pressure and to provide a safety margin for firefighting flows. Five years later, the City has made great progress with water storage by including an additional 1.5 million gallon finished water storage tank and the Summers Lane Reservoir with a raw water capacity of 14.7 million gallons. This brings our total water storage capacity to 22.6 million gallons.
During the winter and spring, pumping of the Noyo River is used to supplement the Waterfall Gulch and Newman Gulch sources. The two tributary sources generally provide a higher quality of raw water and gravity-feed to the water treatment plant, whereas water from the City’s Noyo River diversion must be pumped. As summer progresses and the flows in the tributary streams diminish, the Noyo River diversion is used more frequently and in greater quantities.
By making small reductions in our water usage today, we may avoid a higher level Water Emergency later.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt Resolution recommending Stage 2 water conservation measures, which target a 10% - 20% decrease in water usage from the same time in the base year.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Do not adopt Resolution.
Provide alternative direction to staff.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Reduced water usage will affect Water Fund revenues during the time frame customers practice water conservation, however, the water fund’s reserves and fund balance can absorb the loss. A small reduction now may mitigate the necessity of more significant mandatory water conservation measures in the future that would have a greater impact on revenue.
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IMPACT:
Reduced water usage will have an incremental reduction in pumping and water treatment, which will result in a small decrease in the use of electricity and resulting greenhouse gas emissions.
CONSISTENCY:
Consistent with Fort Bragg Municipal Code Chapter 14.06.
IMPLEMENTATION/TIMEFRAMES:
The request for voluntary compliance with Stage 2 water conservation measures would be immediate and if implemented, water usage will be reduced immediately.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
Noyo River Flows Graph
Ordinance 969-2021, Water Conservation
NOTIFICATION:
N/A
AGENDA ITEM NO. 8B
AGENCY: City CouncilMEETING DATE: September 12, 2022DEPARTMENT: Public WorksPRESENTED BY: John SmithEMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]: City CouncilMEETING DATE: September 12, 2022DEPARTMENT: Public WorksPRESENTED BY: John SmithEMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] AGENCY: City Council
MEETING DATE: September 12, 2022
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PRESENTED BY: John Smith
EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]
AGENCY: City Council
MEETING DATE: September 12, 2022
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PRESENTED BY: John Smith
EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY