HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdopt Resolution 2015-21 declaring Level 2 of the Water ManaDept. ID PW 15-080 Page I of 3
Meeting Date: 5/18/2015
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MEETING DATE: 5/18/2015
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
T.UBMITTED BY: Fred A. Wilson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Travis K. Hopkins, PE, Director of Public Works
Statement of Issue:
The City Council adopted an Updated Water Management Plan on August 4, 2008, in response to
regional water shortages. The State of California has experienced four years of below -average
rainfall and the snowpack level is at about 6% of normal levels. On April 1, 2015, Governor Brown
issued Statewide Mandatory Water Reductions, directing the State Water Resources Control Board
to implement mandatory water reductions in cities and towns across California to reduce urban
water usage by 25 percent. The City of Huntington Beach must reduce water usage by 20%.
Subsequently, Utilities Division staff is recommending that the City Council implement Level 2 of the
Water Management Program. The City Council implemented Level 1 of the Water Management
Program on August 18, 2014.
Financial Impact:
Any funds needed to implement Level 2 of the Water Management Program will be provided by the
Water Efficiency business unit, 50685806. Failure to meet the 20% reductions could result in fines
of up to $10,000 per day, which would be assessed from the Water Enterprise Fund.
Recommended Action:
Adopt Resolution 2015-21, "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach
Declaring A Level 2 Water Shortage."
Alternative Action(s):
1. Do not adopt Resolution 2015-21.
2. Direct staff to implement a greater level of the Water Management Program.
Analysis:
The State of California is now in its fourth year of the drought. On April 1, 2015, Governor Brown
delivered an executive order to the State Water Resources Control Board to impose water use
restrictions to achieve an aggregate statewide 25% reduction in urban potable water use through
February 2016. This follows the Drought State of Emergency that was declared in January, 2014.
All Water Agencies in the State will have to reduce water usage. Some agencies will need to
reduce by 36%, others by less than 10%. The City of Huntington Beach will have to reduce water
production by 20% during the period of June 2015 to February 2016 compared to the same time
period in 2013-2014. Reduction is based upon a per capita use of 109 gallons per day. This is a
requirement placed upon the City of Huntington Beach as a water provider, not each consumer in
HB -33- Item 4. - 1
Dept. ID PW 15-080 Page 2 of 3
Meeting Date: 5/18/2015
the City. If we do not meet this requirement, the City is subject to warnings, and potentially, fines of
up to $10,000 per day. Currently, under another Request for Council Action, staff is proposing
changes to the Municipal Code to comply with the State mandates and to facilitate the manage the
requirements. The proposed Resolution to implement Level 2 Water Supply Shortage references
the Municipal Code sections and will followed any City Council approved updates.
Chapter 14.18 of the Municipal Code sets forth the Water Management Program for the City. The
California Water Code, documenting the need to conserve water and avoid or minimize the effects
of water shortages, allows public entities supplying water to adopt and enforce a program. The
Ordinance was revised and updated in August 2008 and again in 2009. The program is
implemented in levels depending on the severity of the water supply situation at the time. If the
severity of the water emergency increases, levels which reduce demand more than the previous
stage will be implemented. Unanticipated emergency water shortages may require immediate
restrictive actions, without progressive levels.
The Water Management Program already contains a robust program of permanent water
requirements. Permanent Water Conservation Requirements Include:
• Reduce interior and exterior uses of water whenever possible to prevent water waste.
• Prohibit the washing of concrete and other
and parking areas, except as required to
machine equipped to recycle water is used.
hard surfaces, including driveways, walkways
maintain health or safety, unless a cleaning
• Require automatic shut-off valves on hoses or use of a bucket when washing vehicles or
other items outside.
• Turn off decorative fountains, ponds, lakes and pools unless a water recycling system is
used. Eliminate draining and refilling of decorative ponds and fountains unless necessary
for health and safety reasons.
• Encourage installation of pool and spa covers to minimize water loss due to evaporation.
Discourage draining and refilling of pools and spas unless necessary for health and safety
reasons.
• Regulate irrigation of residences, golf courses, cemeteries, government, public and
commercial facilities landscape areas.
• Schedule irrigation times between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. for no more than 15 minutes per
station (pending adoption of amendment by City Council to Water Management Plan to
reduce irrigation time to 10 minutes per station).
• Adjust sprinklers and irrigation systems to avoid over -spray, run-off and waste. Do not allow
water to run off landscaped areas into adjoining streets, sidewalks, parking lots or alleys.
• Encourage the installation of low -water -using plants combined with hardscape materials and
energy -efficient irrigation systems when installing or replacing landscapes; discourage
replanting, if possible.
• Restaurants shall serve drinking water only upon request.
• Evaluate necessity or frequency of high -water -using activities, such as window washing,
exterior walls or other nonessential cleaning.
• Retrofit indoor plumbing fixtures with low -flow devices if appropriate; encourage low -water -
using fixtures when replacing existing fixtures.
Item 4. - 2 RB --
Dept. ID PW 15-080 Page 3 of 3
Meeting Date: 5/18/2015
a Check faucets, toilets, pipes, irrigation systems and meters for leaks and repair immediately.
This level involves implementing voluntary conservation measures; specific water use restrictions,
regulated irrigation times, review of City facilities water use, and a coordinated public information
program. In all levels, water waste is prohibited. Penalties may be assessed for noncompliance.
Last August, the City Council declared Level 1 of the Water Management Program. Implementation
of Level I added the following measures:
Limits on Watering Days. Watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area
with potable water is limited to three days per week on a schedule established and posted
by the City of Huntington Beach. During the months of November through March, watering
or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water is limited to no
more than two days per week on a schedule established and posted by the City of
Huntington Beach. This provision does not apply to landscape irrigation zones that
exclusively use very low flow drip type irrigation systems when no emitter produces more
than two gallons of water per hour. This provision also does not apply to watering or
irrigating by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container, a hand-held hose equipped with
a positive self -closing water shut-off nozzle or device, or for very short periods of time for
the express purpose of adjusting or repairing an irrigation system.
Obligation to Fix Leaks, Breaks or Malfunctions. All leaks, breaks, or other malfunctions
in the water user's plumbing or distribution system must be repaired within 72 hours of
notification by the City of Huntington Beach unless other arrangements are made with the
City of Huntington Beach.
Based on the current water supply situation, staff is recommending that the City Council authorize
implementation of Level 2 of the program. Level 2 contains the following restrictions:
® Limits watering of lawns, landscapes or other vegetative areas with potable water to one
day per week from November to March, two days per week from April to October.
® Requires leaks, breaks and other malfunctions be fixed within 48 hours.
• Prohibits filling of artificial lakes and ponds, except those with aquatic life.
• Prohibits filling of more than one foot of residential swimming pools or spas with potable
water; prohibits initial filling of residential pools or spas (this restriction under consideration
for modification by City Council).
Enforcement of the ordinance will be done with existing Utilities Division customer service and
water conservation staff. Enforcement consists primarily of education, including door tags citing
waste of water. Penalties may be issued in extreme cases.
Public Works Commission Action: Not Applicable
Environmental Status:
Actions taken pursuant to the Water Management Program are exempt from CEQA and are
considered necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code
Section 21080 (b)(4) and the CEQA Guidelines Section 15269(c).
Strategic Plan Goal: Not Applicable — Administrative Item
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution 2015-21, "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach
Declaring A Level 2 Water Shortage"
HB -35- Item 4. - 3
RESOLUTION NO.
2015-21
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH DECLARING
A LEVEL 2 WATER SHORTAGE
WHEREAS, the State of California has had four consecutive years of below average
rainfall and the snowpack is at six percent of normal levels; and
Governor Brown issued the first ever Statewide Mandatory Water Reductions on April 1,
2015, directing the State Water Resources Control Board to implement manaatory water
reductions in cities and towns across California to reduce water usage by 25 percent; and
The Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD)
voted to activate its Water Supply Allocation Plan at Level 3, which calls for a 15 percent
reduction of imported water use; and
The Board of Directors of the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC)
voted to activate its Water Supply Allocation Plan at Level 3; and
MWDOC Level 3 Allocations will require the City of Huntington Beach to reduce its
imported water demands by 15 percent; and
The City Council implemented Level 1 of the Water Management Plan on August 18,
2014; and
Chapter 14.18.070 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code allows the City to declare a
Level 2 Water Shortage and take measures to respond to water supply shortage conditions.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach does hereby
resolve as follows:
SECTION 1.
A. A drought and water supply shortage or threatened shortage exists, and a
consumer demand reduction is necessary to make more efficient use of water and appropriately
respond to existing water conditions. Because of the preceding factors, the City of Huntington
Beach declares a Level 2 Water Supply Shortage.
B. Additional Water Conservation Measures. In addition to the prohibited uses of
water identified in Sections 14.18.050 and 14.18.060 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code
as currently set forth or as may be amended in the future, the water conservation requirements set
forth in Section 14.18.070 apply during the time of a declared Level 2 Water Supply Shortage.
15-4695/119972.doc
Resolution No. 2015-21
SECTION 2. The City Council finds the adoption of this resolution is not subject to the
California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity
will not result in a director or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the
enviromnent) and 15050(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the
CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no
potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly. Actions
taken pursuant to the Water Management Program are exempt from CEQA and are considered
necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080
(b)(4) and the CEQA Guidelines Section 15269(c).
SECTION 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by the
City Council, and the City Clerk shall certify the vote adopting this resolution.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach at a
regular meeting thereof held on the 18th day of May 2015.
APPROVED: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Manager ✓ X City Attorney S�� �11z11S
ATED AND APPROVED:
Director of Publit Works
15-4695/1 19972.doc 2
Res. No. 2015-21
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss:
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH )
I, JOAN L. FLYNN the duly elected, qualified City Clerk of the City of
Huntington Beach, and ex-officio Clerk of the City Council of said City, do hereby
certify that the whole number of members of the City Council of the City of
Huntington Beach is seven; that the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted
by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of all the members of said City Council
at a Regular meeting thereof held on May 18, 2015 by the following vote:
AYES: Posey, O'Connell, Katapodis, Hardy, Sullivan, Delgleize, Peterson
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
City rk and ex-officio lerk of the
City Council of the City of
Huntington Beach, California