Urban Public Policy and Sustainability: Policy recommendation for the City of Mesa

Investigators:

Mike Boyle, Vanessa Davis, Rebecca Kervella,

Allison Shannon & Craig Thomas

Urban Public Policy & Sustainability (SOS 594)

School of Sustainability │ Arizona State University

Decreased Wastewater

for Sustainable Development

To meet this challenge, we must achieve an appropriate balance between

• capacity expansion

• conservation

ChallengeTwo-fold Challenge:As water supplies decrease

Infrastructure stress increases

Opportunity

for savings

Reduce the need to:

Acquire and develop water resources

Construct new water supply, treatment

and delivery facilities

Construct new wastewater treatment

facilities and infrastructure

Effective Conservation Initiatives

Creating Sustainable Policies

• To be a sustainable city, Mesa must adopt revenue neutral or better policies that:

• Foster growth in the business sector

• Maximize city services

• Utilize resources wisely

• Promote sustainable practices

Policy Statement

Sustainable structures

Less burden on city facilities

Reduced development impact fees

(DIF)

A revenue-neutral policy to:

Conserve/manage Mesa’s water resources for future generations

Attract sustainability-minded businesses and development to Mesa

Wastewater Development Impact Fees

Development Impact Fees (DIF)

• One-time charges applied to offset the additional public-service costs of new development

• Applied at time building permit is issued

• Eight total elements to DIF

On average, wastewater DIF accounts for approximately 30% of fees charged to new developments in Mesa.

Breaking Down Wastewater DIF

Because wastewater treatment is the most costly aspect, developers who reduce their wastewater output should pay less for the reduced amount of wastewater that needs treated.

Tiered Wastewater DIF Reduction

Development meets Tier 2 IGCC standards for water resource conservation and efficiency

40% reduction of potable water consumption of fixtures and fittings

20% reduction in wastewater DIF

Development meets Tier 1 IGCC standards for water resource conservation and efficiency

30% reduction of potable water consumption via fixtures and fittings

15% reduction in wastewater DIF

Development meets minimum IGCC standards for water resource conservation and efficiency

20% reduction of potable water consumption via fixtures and fittings

10% reduction in wastewater DIF

Calculate the Benefits: Pilot Project

• Provides data to quantify efficiency of a policy or program

• Ability to thoroughly study and monitor small scale vs. city-wide

• Provides the opportunity to modify a policy to mitigate any unintended externalities

A P

ilot

Pro

gram

Op

tio

nVerde Dimora

•Multi-Family Development includes 160 units

• Designed to serve

surrounding community

• Emphasis on building

sustainable and equitable

development

• Projected Wastewater DIF

= $242,560

• Effluent meters can accurately

measure wastewater output

= Location of PAD

Benefits Quantified

This policy could result in savings up to $48,512 in wastewater development impact fees for Verde Dimora.

Water Savings

20% 30% 40%

$24,256

$36,384

$48,512

Example:

Low-flow toilets, faucets and

showerheads

Example:

Low-flow toilets, faucets and

showerheads

WaterSenseAppliances

Example:

Low-flow toilets, faucets and

showerheads

WaterSenseAppliances

Greywatersystems

Green Building

Design Standards

Building water use reduction • Plumbing fixtures and fittings • Appliances • HVAC systems and equipment • Roofs • Cooling towers • Commercial food service operations • Medical and laboratory facilities

Site water use reduction• Landscape design • Irrigation system design • Controls

Special water features • Water consumption measurement• Consumption management • Consumption data collection • Data storage and retrieval

Going Beyond Code: Building Technologies Program, Green Building Codes (U.S. Department of Energy)

Graduated wastewater impact fee policy

Reduced demand on current infrastructure

Decreased need to build new infrastructure

• Up to $3.4 billion savings over 50 years.

• Residential water and sewer bills could be

reduced by up to $200 million long-term.

• Water-efficient plumbing saves a typical

four-member household 55,800 gallons of

water and $627 in reduced water and

energy annually.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

A Case Study in Texas

Low-flow toilet use throughout Texas could reduce the need

to build new water and wastewater treatment plants by 15%.

Saving Water is Good Business

Benefits for the City• Provides incentive to build new

development efficiently

• Competitive advantage to attract new

environmentally conscious businesses

• Reduce the burden on existing

infrastructure

• Reduce the demand for new

wastewater infrastructure

• Conserves Mesa’s water resource

Benefits for Developers• Money saved through reduced DIF can

offset the cost of innovative water

efficient technologies

• IgCC certification is fee-free and voluntary

• Reduced water consumption results in

lower monthly utility costs

• Those who choose not to participate are

not penalized

Companies planning to use water-efficient

practices and technology will:

• reduce water use by 20%

• decrease energy use by 10 – 11%

• reduce operating costs by 11 – 12%

Graduated Wastewater DIF:A Sustainable Urban Development Policy for Mesa

•Conserves Mesa’s water resources

•Reduce stress on wastewater infrastructure

•Incentivizes sustainable development

•Fosters business and growth

Summary

When the well is dry…

We learn the worth of water.—Benjamin Franklin

Questions?Thank you.