CITY OF SIMI VALLEY
MEMORANDUM
Augus
t 8, 2022
TO: Boar
d of Directors, Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 FRO
M: Department of Public Works
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF A R E SOLUTION MODIFYIN G CURRENT IRRIGATION
RESTRICTIONS
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board of Directors (Board) ad opt Resolution No.
WWD-289 (page 6) modifying current irrigation restrictions to limit the per-irrigation- station duration to ten (10) minutes, and authorizing the District Manager to enact a zero-days-per-week watering restriction, if mandated by District water suppliers.
B
ACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
On May 9, 2022, the Board adopted Resolution No. WWD -286 declaring a Stage IV Water Supply Shortage limiting outdoor watering to one day per week, effective June 1, 2022. This declaration provided for an irrigation limit of fifteen (15) minutes per station. On April 26 and April 27, 2022, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and the Calleguas Municipal Water District (Calleguas), respectively, adopted resolutions declaring a Water Shortage Emergency Condition. Their resolutions require water purveyors that receive water from the State Water Project to impose a one-day per week outdoor watering limitation and submit to the wholesaler an Enforcement Plan to hold users accountable, or be subject to penalties.
Subsequently, on June 14, 2022, MWD notified agencies dependent upon the State Water Project that they must limit customers to water durations of ten (10) minutes effective September 1, 2022. Further, MWD is also advising agencies to adopt a mechanism prior to September 1 st to enforce the banning of all outdoor watering in the event MWD determines such a ban is necessary (see Attachment A; page 8).
Staff recommends the City Council appr ove the recommended action to conform w ith MWD requirements.
FINDINGS AND ALTERNATIVES
On May 25, 2022, M
WD issued the Emergency Water Conservation Program Handbook (Handbook). The Handbook requires member agencies to adopt a limitation of ten (10) minutes per irrigation station by July 1, 2022. The District’s current requirement is fifteen G:\PW\EC\Water Conservation\2022 Actions\Aug 8 2022\Staff Report
AGENDA I
TEM NO.
8A
(15) minutes per station, based upon the model water conservation restrictions issued by MWD in 200 7. The Handbook was issued after many agencies (including the District) had already adopted summer of 2022 irrigation restrictions within their local jurisdictions.
Calleguas and other members of MWD asked for more time to implement the ten-minute limitation, and MWD amended the requirement deadline to September 1, 2022 (letter from Brad Coffey, Manager, Water Resource Management Group, MWD, June 14, 2022, Attachment A, page 8).
The MWD’s and Calleguas’ April 2022, resolutions emphasized that the actions being taken (i.e. irrigation restrictions) are the first phase of an attempt to manage critically short water supplies to adequately meet demands. The actions recognize the ultimate need to serve water for basic health and safety needs inside homes. If projected water supplies are not sufficient to meet demands through 2022, MWD and Calleguas have cautioned that a second phase of prohibiting outdoor irrigation would be the next step.
In their June 14, 2022, correspondence, MWD is strongly advising local agencies to have a mechanism in place to readily modify the irrigation restriction to zero-days-per-week, if the water shortage becomes increasingly dire and MWD and/or Calleguas mandate such a chan ge. Such an action could be required as soon as September 1, 2022.
For the period July 1 to July 28 , 2022, Calleguas reported that they, in total, exceeded the monthly target calculated by MWD, by 10%; while the District exceeded the target calculated by Calleguas by 54% (Table from Calleguas, July 28, 2022, Attachment B, page 9).
Calleguas also informed its purveyors that MWD has met their overall target for both June and July, and that to date they are 4% under their own target. The District meets the current requirements established by Calleguas for its purveyors – there is a one-day watering mandate in effect and staff is enforcing this mandate. If the Board adopts the 10-minute-per-station watering limit recommended in this report (before Septe mber 1), then the District remains in compliance with current mandates.
Enforcement of Stage IV Water Supply Shortage Mandates
While the District will remain in compliance with MWD and Calleguas mandates (with adoption of the proposed resolution), the Di strict’s customers are not saving water in sufficient quantities that are proposed by these agencies, exceeding water use targets by 54%. Since adoption in May 2022, staff has been enforcing the water reduction mandates adopted by the Board of Directors. Reactive enforcement, that being accepting reports of water waste sent by the public via phone and e-mail, reports forwarded from the State’s Water Waste reporting system, and reports sent by the public from the water- waste form posted on the City/District website are followed-up on by staff.
In addition, starting i n July, staff began proactive enforcement, whereby staff inspects properties before 7:00 a.m., and photographs evidence primarily of watering lawns on a non-designated watering day. When a staff-confirmed water overuse is documented, a G:\PW\EC\Water Conservation\2022 Actions\Aug 8 2022\Staff Report letter is sent to the offending property owner (Complianc e Letters, Attac hment C, page 10). As of August 1 st, s taff has sent over 340 enforcement letters to District customers. While necessary, the enfor cement of the water mandates has become a significant drain on City resources and existing staff. District staff have fielded hundreds of phone calls and emails from customers ranging from questions on when to irrigate and how to care for landscaping to anger over the restrictions and the resulting effect on landscaping.
To date, the District has attempted to meet the water use targets through education of the water emergency and informing customers of the need to reduce water usage.
Leading to this report, the District has:
• R
un weekly full page ads in the Acorn in June, July, and August (two weeks were missed)
• Utilized Social media posts – 35 Total
o Facebook - 13 City of Simi Valley - Local Government Posts, 1 boosted (approx. 20K reach on the boost)
o Simi Valley H2O Facebook Page: 4 posts
o Instagram: 10 posts
o Twitter: 8 Tweets
• A special water conservation edition of City Focus e-Newsletter in June • Water conservation articles in City Focus e-Newsletter in July and in the upcoming August edition
• A ba nner on the City’s website homepage advising of the Water Shortage Emergency and how to report water waste
• Postcards mailed to all District residential and commercial customers with the emergency information and when irrigation may take place • Radio spots on the Ranch 99.1 beginning week of August 1st • A
ds on 6 bus shelters throughout the community
• Messaging on the Cultural Arts Center changeable message board • Messaging on changeable traffic signs throughout the City – Los Angeles Avenue between Tapo Canyon Road and Sequoia Avenue; Madera Road south of Royal; and Cochran Street west of Madera Road
• A slide on SVTV with the watering schedule
• Ads in the Acorn promoting the Waterwise Gardening Workshops • A sign at the Welcome Corner
W
hile the District and its staff have attempted to gain conservation through education and notifying customers of their excess use, the District is falling short in meeting its conservation goals. Continuance of failing to meet water conservation goals could subject the District to fines and penalties assessed by Calleguas and MWD. The Simi Valley Muni cipal Code provides for the ability of the City/District to assess fines and penalties for violations of water use restrictions. The District’s fines structure is established in District Resolution WWD-222 and outlined below.
Dis
trict staff will continue proactive enforcement of the District’s water use restrictions .
Attempting to provide as much education and notice as possible, staff will inspect 3 properties based on complaints as well as proactive inspections and notify the customer of the need for corrective actions. After a period of time, staff will conduct a second inspection. If property owners are again found out of compliance with water use restrictions, a fine will be assessed. The fines authorized by the Municipal Code and the District Resolution are:
• F
irst Violation – Notice of Violation (no monetary fine) • Second Violation - $100 fine
• Third Violation - $250 fine
• Fourth Violation - $500 fine
• Subsequent Violation – additional $500 fines and possible installation of a flow restrictor
W
hile staff is sympathetic to the customer and the possible loss of landscaping, compliance with water use restrictions is imperative to ensure sufficient water is available and to av oid zero water days. The District has resisted implementing the financial penalties however data suggests that it may be successful in gaining water use reductions. Golden State Water, the other water provider in Simi Valley, is 20% under their assigned water use target and have instituted financial penalties upon their Simi Valley customers for over use of water. As noted above, the District is 54% over the water use target.
T
o comply with MWD ’s modified Handbook requirement and be prepared for a more drastic water shortage, staff recommends that the Board adopt attached Resolution No.
WWD-289.
T
he following alternatives are available to the Board:
1. A
dopt attached Resolution No. WWD-289 modifying current irrigation restrictions to limit the per-irrigation-station duration to ten (10) minutes, and authorizing the District Manager to enact a zero- days-per-week watering restriction, if mandated by District water suppliers; or
2. D
o not adopt the Resolution, and provide other direction to staff.
Staff recommends Alternative No. 1.
SUGGESTED BOARD MOTION
I move to adopt Resolution No. WWD-289 modifying current irrigation restrictions to limit the per-i rrigation-station duration to ten (10) minutes, and authorize the District Manager to enact a zero-d ays-per-week watering restriction, if mandated by District water suppliers.
SUMMARY
On April 26 and April 27, 2022, MWD and Calleguas , respectively, adopted resolutions declaring a Water Shortage Emergency Condition that requires water purveyors that
G:\PW\EC\Water Conservation\2022 Actions\Aug 8 2022\Staff Report 4 G:\PW\EC\Water Conservation\2022 Actions\Aug 8 2022\Staff Report receive water from the State Water Project to impose a one- day per week outdoor watering limitation, or be subject to penalties. On May 25, 2022, MWD issued the Emergency Water Conservation Program Handbook, requiring local agencies to adopt a ten-minutes-per-irrigation-station limit on watering as well. This requirement must be adopted by the District by September 1, 2022, to remain in compliance with the Water Shortage Emergency mandates. Furthermore, MWD strongly advised local agencies to be ready to further restrict watering to zero- days-per-week if necessary, based upon water supply conditions. Staff recommends the Board adopt a Resolution modifying current irrigation restrictions to limit the per-irrigation-station duration to ten (10) minutes, and authorizing the District Manager to enact a zero- days-per-week watering restriction, if mandated by District water suppliers.
___
_________________________________
Ronald K. Fuchiwaki, Director
Department of Public Works
P
repared by: Joe Deakin, Assistant Public Works Director INDEX Page
R
esolution No. WWD-289 ................................................................ 6 Attachment A – Letter from Brad Coffey, June 14, 2022 .................. 8 Attachment B - Table from Calleguas, July 31, 2022 ....................... 9 Attachment C – Compliance Letters (2) ......................................... 10 5 G:\PW\EC\Water Conservation\2022 Actions\Aug 8 2022\Resolution
RESOLUTION NO. WWD-289
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
VENTURA COUNTY WATERWORKS DISTRICT NO. 8
RESTRICTING PER- IRRIGATION-STATION WATERING
TO TEN (10) MINUTES AND AUTHORIZING THE DISTRICT
MANAGER TO ENACT ZERO -DAYS-PER-WEEK
WATERING LIMITS , IF MANDATED BY DISTRICT
SUPPLIERS
WHEREAS, the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 (Waterworks District) contracts with Calleguas Municipal Water District (Calleguas) to deliver water imported by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) from the State Water Project (SWP), and is considered a SWP dependent agency by MWD; and
WHEREAS, the Waterworks District Board of Directors, following a public hearing on May 11, 2009, adopted Ordinance No. WWD -08, entitling Article 1, Chapter 11, Title 6 of the Simi Valley Municipal Code (Water Conservation Program); and
WHEREAS, the Waterworks District Board of Directors , following a public hearing on May 17, 2021, passed Resolution No. WWD-283, adopting the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan and 2020 Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP); and
WHEREAS, the adopted WSCP describes six stages of actions the District can take in accordance with California Water Code 10632(a)(3)(A), and provides a cross reference to the Municipal Code Water Conservation Program providing the authority for the Waterworks District Board of Directors to adopt any of the six stages in the WSCP in accordance with California Water Code 10632(a)(3)(B); and
WHEREAS, the Waterworks District 's current Stage IV Water Supply Shortage declaration (Resolution No. WWD -286) is insufficient to comply with the irrigation restrictions mandated by the Metropolitan Water District ’s Emergency Water Conservation Program Handbook, May 2022.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF VENTURA
COUNTY WATERWORKS DISTRICT NO. 8 DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1
. Watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape, or other vegetated area with potable water using a landscape irrigation system or other watering device is limited to no more than ten (10) minutes of watering per allowable day per station.
SECTION 2. All restrictions listed under the 2020 Water Shortage Contingency Plan (dated June 1, 2021) Stage IV Water Shortage remain in effect.
Municipal Code Title 6, Chapter 11 remain in effect for all other aspects relating water conservation requirements.
6 RES. NO. WWD-289
G:\PW\EC\Water Conservation\2022 Actions\Aug 8 2022\Resolution
SECTION 3. The District Manager is hereby authorized to enact Stage V or Stage VI Water Shortage mandates further restricting outdoor irrigation up to a complete ban on irrigation, if mandated by District water suppliers: the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and/or the Calleguas Municipal Water District, no earlier than September 1, 2022.
SECTION 4 . The District Secretary shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall cause a certified resolution to be filed in the Office of the District Secretary.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 8th day of August 2022.
Attest:
_
Lucy Blanco, City Clerk/ Keith L. Mashburn, Chair of the Ventura District Secretary County Waterworks District No. 8
Approved as to Form: Approved as to Content:
David L. Caceres, Brian Paul Gabler, District Manager District Counsel
Ronald K. Fuchiwaki
Public Works Director
7 Date: June 14, 2022
To: State Water Project Dependent Area Coordination Group (via e-mail) From: Brad Coffey, Manager, Water Resource Management Group Subje
ct: Modification of the Emergency Water Conservation Program Handbook to extend the deadline to modify watering limit duration
On May 25, 2022, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California issued the Emergency Water Conservation Program Handbook (version 1). In the handbook, Section 3.1.1 (Eligible Outdoor Water Restriction Criteria) states, in part:
Me
tropolitan does not specify the day of the week or any method of even/odd house numbering for the watering restrictions. Metropolitan does, however, require that Member Agencies limit watering times to prevent substitution of water use from restricted days to permitted days. For this purpose, watering duration will be limited to no more than 10 minutes, effective July 1. In addition, it is advisable that the Member Agency also adopt a mechanism before September to enforce the banning of all outdoor watering in the event the General Manager later determines that such a ban is necessary to preserve SWP supplies. [emphasis added]
Pr
ior to distribution of the handbook, some Path 1 agencies established watering durations of 15 minutes. Accordingly, Metropolitan is changing the July 1 date above to September 1 to allow sufficient time for the agencies to return to their governing bodies to further reduce the watering duration to be consistent with the handbook.
Not
e, however, that Path 1 agencies who did not specify a watering duration of 15 minutes or less are not compliant with the handbook. This is because outdoor watering could be fully substituted from restricted days to newly permitted days.
If
you have any questions regarding this change, please contact me at (213) 217-5845 or [email protected].
Si
ncerely,
Bra
d Coffey
Manager, Water Resources Management Group
ATTACHMENT A
8 ATTACHMENT B
9 Water Shortage Emergency Initial Notice of Violation - SFR.docx Date
Wa
ter Customer
Mailing Street Address
City, State Zip
SUBJ
ECT: INITIAL NOTICE OF VIOLATION
WATER SHORTAGE EMERGENCY WATER WASTE VIOLATION
Customer Account No.
Property Street Address:
Simi Valley, CA 9306X
Dear
Customer:
Th
e City of Simi Valley/Waterworks District No. 8 staff observed water waste at this property address on XX-XX-XXXX.
Ir
rigation is restricted to one day per week. Addresses ending in even numbers are allowed to water on Sunday and addresses ending in odd numbers are allowed to water on Saturday. The one- day-per-week watering restriction applies to all outdoor irrigation including high-efficiency systems, drip irrigation, and hand watering by hose with a self - shutoff nozzle. Watering is allowed after 5:00 p.m. and before 9:00 a.m., with no excessive runoff. Broken sprinklers, leaks, breaks and malfunctions must be repaired within 48 hours. Washing down of paved surfaces is prohibited.
Due t
o the severity of the water shortage, the City is enforcing water waste with civil penalties, as described in the Municipal Code. Specifically, Water Conservation Program Enforcement Section, 6-11.112, and Resolution No. WWD-222, which authorize fines of $100 for a second violation; $250 for a third violation; and $500 for a fourth and subsequent violations. In addition to any fines, the District may install a water flow restrictor.
Ple
ase visit www.simivalley.org/waterconservation for more information on Water Shortage Emergency mandates and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). If you have questions regarding this Notice, you may contact the Water Conservation Hotline at 805- 583-6420.
Si
ncerely,
City
of Simi Valley/Waterworks District No. 8
ATTACHMENT C
10 Water Shortage Emergency Official Notice of Reported Water Waste - CII HOA MF final rev1 Date
Water Customer
Mailing Street Address
City, State Zip
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL NOTICE
WATER SHORTAGE EMERGENCY REPORTED WATER WASTE
Customer Account No.
Street Address:
Simi Valley, CA 9306X
Dear Customer:
The City of Simi Valley/Waterworks District No. 8 has been notified that water waste was observed at this property address on XX-XX-XXXX. The State of California requires all commercial, institutional, industrial, HOA, and multi -family properties (excluding residential yards) to cease irrigation of “non -functional” turf areas until further notice. “Non-functional” means the turf is solely ornamental, and is not regularly used for recreation, sports, or for civic or community events.
Commercial, institutional, industrial, HOA, and multi -family properties may irrigate non- turf areas (gardens, shrubs, and trees, for example) one day per week. Functional turf locations, such as athletic fields, active parks, and recreational play areas, may also be irrigated one day per week. Addresses ending in even numbers are allowed to water on Sunday and addresses ending in odd numbers are allowed to water on Saturday.
Watering is allowed after 5:00 p.m. and before 9:00 a.m., with no excessive runoff. Broken sprinklers, leaks, breaks and malfunctions must be repaired within 48 hours. Washing down of paved surfaces is prohibited.
Due to the severity of the water shortage, the City is enforcing water waste with civil penalties, as described in the Municipal Code. Specifically, Water Conservation Program Enforcement Section, 6-11.112, and Resolution No. WWD-222, which authorize fines of $100 for a second violation; $250 for a third violation; and $500 for a fourth and subsequent violations. In addition to any fines, the District may install a water flow restrictor.
Please visit www.simivalley.org/waterconservation
for more information on W ater
Shortage Emergency mandates and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) . If you have questions regarding this Notice, you may contact the Water Conservation Hotline at 805- 583-6420.
Sincerely,
City of Simi Valley/Waterworks District No. 8
11