CC SR 20211207 03 - Cal Water Conservation Presentation
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 12/07/2021
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA TITLE:
Receive a report from California Water Service regarding water conservation programs .
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file a report from California Water Service (Cal Water) regarding water
conservation programs.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: McKenzie Bright, Administrative Analyst
REVIEWED BY: Karina Bañales, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
BACKGROUND:
On October 19, 2021, Governor Newsom declared a statewide drought emergency and
urged Californians to do more to conserve water, calling on everyone to voluntarily reduce
water use by 15% compared to 2020.
Cal Water provides the City’s water utilities and offers a variety of conservation programs
for customers. On November 12, the Environmental Sustainability Subcommittee,
comprised of Mayor Alegria and Mayor Pro Tem Bradley , met with representatives from
California Water Service (Cal Water) to discuss water usage trends and conservation
strategies.
Cal Water staff will be providing a presentation of these programs , summarized below.
Additional information on all programs is available on the Cal Water website at
calwater.com/conservation.
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DISCUSSION:
Rebate Programs
Rebate programs include the following for residential customers in the City, based on
purchases of the following items from approved lists, available at
calwater.com/conservation-rebates/?type=res&dist=rd:
• High-efficiency toilet, up to $100
• High-efficiency clothes washer, up to $300
• Smart irrigation controller, up to $125
• High-efficiency sprinkler nozzle, up to $5 per nozzle
• Lawn-to-garden (turf replacement), $3 per square foot (250 to 1,500 square feet)
• Spray-to-drip, $0.50 per square foot (250 to 1,500 square feet)
Similar programs are offered for commercial customers in the City, available at
calwater.com/conservation-rebates/?type=comm&dist=rd:
• High-efficiency toilet, up to $200
• High-efficiency urinal, up to $300
• Smart irrigation controller, up to $25 per station
• High-efficiency sprinkler nozzle, up to $5 per nozzle
• Large rotary nozzle rebate, up to $30 per nozzle (material) and up to $8 per body
(installation)
• Spray body with integrated pressure regulation and check valve rebate and up to
$10 per body (material), up to $8 per body (installation)
• Lawn-to-garden (turf replacement), $3 per square foot (250 to 1,500 square feet)
• Spray-to-drip, $0.50 per square foot (250 to 1,500 square feet)
Smart Landscape Tune-Up Program
Customers can sign up to receive a free irrigation system efficiency evaluation and
recommended improvements based on the evaluations. Customers can select
recommended improvements to be made at no charge. Some limitations apply and
quantities may be limited. Inquire about eligibility on the Cal Water website or by calling
844-207-1313.
Conservation Kits
Single-family residential customers are eligible for a conservation kit at no charge.
Conservation kits include:
• Two high-efficiency showerheads (use 1.5 gallons per minute [gpm])
• One hose nozzle
• Two bathroom faucet aerators (use 1.0 gpm)
• Toilet leak tablets
• One kitchen faucet aerator (uses 1.5 gpm)
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Additional Conservation Resources
Cal Water provides links to additional conservation resources, including drought
information, drought-resistant plants, urban water management plans, and instructional
and conservation videos, available at calwater.com/conservation/resources/.
Cal Water staff will provide an overview of these conservation programs and be available
for questions.
Public Outreach
The City will continue to share these conservation resources via the City Manager’s
Weekly Administrative Report, as well as the City’s other networks. Cal Water is in the
process of preparing Peninsula-specific conservation materials, which will be distributed
via the City’s social media networks, quarterly newsletter, and Weekly Report. Cal Water
will also be distributing the materials directly to customers.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
During the subcommittee meeting with Cal Water, Cal Water representatives informed
the City that the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) applied for Cal Water’s
annual Firefighter Grant Program, to purchase and install a water tank to refill firefighting
helicopters on the Peninsula. Staff will work closely with LACoFD if it is awarded the grant
for the design and placement of the tank at an optimal location on the Peninsula.
At the same Subcommittee meeting, there was a discussion on recent water usage trends
on the Peninsula. Cal Water is preparing additional data at the Subcommittee’s request
to highlight water usage over the last ten years, in addition to a five -year water forecast.
At this time, the data is not available for inclusion to this report. However, w hen the data
is available, it will be shared with the City Council via the City Manager. This information
will additionally be used to inform strategies in preparing targeted conservat ion materials.
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