May 8, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: IMPLEMENT LEVEL 1 WATER SUPPLY SHORTAGE PLAN AS DESCRIBED IN PASADENA MUNICIPAL CODE ("PMC") TITLE 13,
CHAPTER 13.10; AND LIFT THE TEMPORARY 15.PERCENT
VOLUNTARY WATER-USE REDUCTION TARGET (WATER AND
POWER DEPARTMENT)
On April 11, 2023, Pasadena Water and Power ("PWP") presented to the Municipal Services Committee ("MSC") the recommendation to moderately ease local drought restrictions consistent with overall water supply conditions and recent state and regional actions. Specific recommended actions include that the City Council adopt implementation of the Level 1 Water Supply Shortage Plan and lift the temporary 15 percent voluntary water-use reduction target.
MSC Discussion and Action
MSC members voted 2-2 on PWP's recommendations and suggested that this item move forward to the City Council for further discussion.
Key points raised against the recommendation to move to Level 1 Water Shortage included that the current Level 2 water restrictions help to further reduce water use and may be maintained to help address an overall hotter and drier future, concerns about mixed messaging and potential confusion of moving between Water Supply Shortage Plan levels, and relatively low groundwater levels.
Key points raised in favor of the recommendation to move to Level 1 Water Shortage included water availability due to the record-breaking precipitation in the State Water Project watershed above the system's storage capacity that can also help recharge local groundwater basins, remaining on track to meet the City's ongoing and long-term water conservation goals for climate resilience (Water Supply Shortage Plan is designed to meet near-term shortage needs), concerns about stressed trees/landscapes and community fatigue from water restrictions, and consistency with state and regional actions and messaging.
Meeting of: 05/08/2023 Agenda Item No. 16
Implement Level 1 Water Supply Shortage Plan and Lift the Temporary 15 Percent Voluntary Water-Use Reduction Target
May 8, 2023
Follow-Up Information
Regional Actions.
One of the discussion points included gaining an understanding of actions taken by other agencies and neighboring cities. Overall, the State (Governor's Executive Orders) and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California ("MWD") have eased drought restrictions.
Many neighboring agencies have eased restrictions by moving to a lower Water Supply Shortage Plan level, or are planning to recommend easing water restrictions, including Burbank and Glendale, while others have removed Shortage Plan levels altogether.
MWD member agencies generally expressed easing drought restrictions, while maintaining water-use efficiency messaging and actions.
Updated Water Supply Conditions
Following the MSC meeting, on April 20, 2023, the California Departme~t of Water Resources announced increasing the State Water Project allocation to 100 percent - an amount not seen since 2006. Major State Water Project reservoirs are now full or near full.
To help capture and beneficially use these surplus supplies, MWD officially activated a groundwater replenishment program that provides cost offsets for additional groundwater recharge with imported supplies via "in-lieu" deliveries. PWP, in partnership with MWD and Raymond Basin groundwater producers, is leading program implementation, which includes leaving more water in the groundwater basin by significantly reducing groundwater pumping and increasing MWD deliveries.
Approved by:
MIGU~ RQUEZ
City Manager
Respectfully submitted,
SIDNEY J CKSON
General Manager
Wate, a, 1d Powe, D~partment