Item 7A
Emergency Ordinance
Amending SMMC 7.16.020
for Water Conservation
6/14/2022
Background
1%
• Climate change continues to
challenge the reliability and
resiliency of our water supply
• Higher average temperatures
• More intense heat waves
• Wildfires
• Persistent and worsening
drought conditions not just
locally but across the State of
California and Southwest
United States.
Source: drought.ca.gov
Lake Oroville
State Drought Response
1%
• Governor’s Executive Order N-7-22
(March 28, 2022)
• Implement Stage 2 Water Shortage response
actions (20% conservation)
• Encourage further water conservation efforts
and improve drought resiliency through
voluntarily actions (e.g., Stage 3)
• Develop regulations to ban irrigation of nonfunctional turf • Several other actions……
Regional Drought Response
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MWD declared a Water Shortage Emergency Condition for State Water Project dependent areas on April 26, 2022:
1. Restrict outdoor irrigation to one (1) day per week beginning June 1, 2022
2. Comply with monthly allocation limits based on human health and safety needs Local Drought Responses
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Outdoor Watering Restrictions
• LADWP = 2 day per week
• Beverly Hills = 2 day per week
• Culver City = 2 day per week
• Las Virgenes MWD
(Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills)
= 1 day per week
City’s Ongoing Water Conservation Efforts
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• Declared Stage 2 Water Shortage on August 14, 2014
• Continues to maintain water conservation actions for a Stage 2 Water Shortage as recently adopted by Council on April 26, 2022 City’s average
residential use is
<80 gallons per
person per day
Conservation is Critical to Our Sustainable Water Supply 2011 2017 2023
Local Groundwater
Imported Water
Conservation
Alternative Water Supply
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Overview of SMMC Section 7.16.020
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• Sets the City’s water conservation requirements for:
a) Landscape
b) Cleaning
c) Water Features and Water Recreation Facilities
d) Water waste, ponding, and leaks
e) Eating and Drinking establishments
• Emergency ordinance seeks to amend requirements under (a) Landscape
Amendment of SMMC Section 7.16.020
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(a) Landscape
1) Watering Hours. No lawn or landscape area shall be spray irrigated between the hours of nine ten a.m. and five four p.m. on any day……. 2) Irrigation Overspray and Runoff. No change
3) Limitations on Sprinkler Use. All irrigating of landscape with potable water using spray head sprinklers and bubblers shall be limited to no more than ten (10) minutes per watering day per station. All irrigating of landscape with potable water using standard rotors and multi-stream rotary heads shall be limited to no more than fifteen (15) minutes per cycle and up to two (2) cycles per watering day per station.
Amendment of SMMC Section 7.16.020
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(a) Landscape
4) Outdoor Watering Restrictions.
A. Phase I - Outdoor watering limited to three (3) days per week B. Phase II – Outdoor watering limited to two (2) days per week C. Phase III – Outdoor watering limited to one (1) day per week D. Phase IV – No outdoor watering is allowed.
E. Penalties
F. Hardship waiver
Amendment of SMMC Section 7.16.020
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(a) Landscape
4) Outdoor Watering Restrictions.
• Each phase of outdoor watering restriction is implemented through recommendation by the City Manager to the City Council and concurrence of the City Council. After Council’s concurrence, said order shall be published one time only in a daily newspaper of general circulation and shall become effective fourteen (14) days from publication.
• Exemptions for Phase I through III Outdoor Water Restriction:
• Drip irrigation of food sources is allowed every day, except between 9am and 5pm.
• Watering with a hand-held hose, equipped with a positive quick release shutoff valve or nozzle, of trees is allowed everyday except between 9am and 5pm.
How to Report Water Waste
1%
• City’s 3-1-1 System:
311.santamonica.gov (preferred)
• Email water conservation unit -
[email protected]
• State of California’s water waste
reporting system: savewater.ca.gov
Public Outreach – Social Media
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Public Outreach – Outdoor Watering Restrictions
1%
What Else Can We Do to Conserve Water?
1%
Why an Emergency Ordinance Tonight?
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• Update the City’s municipal code to provide flexibility to implement more stringent water conservation and water use efficiency requirements
• Align with regional and state efforts to reduce non-essential water use
• Adoption of the emergency ordinance would allow the City to implement the proposed outdoor watering restriction starting in July instead of late August.
Recommended Action
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• Introduction and adoption of the emergency ordinance amending SMMC 7.16.020 on Water Conservation Requirements
• City Council concurrence to implement Phase 2 Outdoor Watering Restrictions and limit outdoor water to two (2) days per week. • Reduce the City’s annual water demand by ~8-10%
• Save roughly 950 acre-feet of water per year
(1 acre-feet of water provides enough water for 3 single family homes for the year) THANK YOU…
State Water Resources Control Board – Emergency
Water Conservation Regulation (May 24, 2022)
1%
• Submit annual water supply and
demand assessment by June 1, 2022
• Implement Stage 2 Water Shortage
response actions by June 10, 2022
• Prohibit the use of potable water for
the irrigation of non-functional turf at
commercial, institutional, and
institutional sites
• Does not apply to residential lawns,
community spaces, sports fields, or other
turf fields used for recreation or events