The State of Water Conservation in the State’s Capitol Sacramento Regional Issues October 7, 2010October 7, 2010 Tom Gohring, Water ForumTom Gohring, Water

The State of Water Conservationin the

State’s Capitol

Sacramento Regional Issues


State’s Capitol


October 7, 2010Tom Gohring, Water Forum



State’s Capitol



State’s Capitol




June 19, 2008

Exclusive: Capital Gushes Wasted Water

Region's Per-capita Use Tops U.S. Daily Average; Conservation Pledges Unmet

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Mar.05, 2009

Sacramento Per Capita Water Consumption 280 Gallons Per Day

California National Average 192 . The rain in sprain stays mainly on the plain The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy. dog When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to The rain in sprain . . stays mainly on the plain The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to The rain in sprain stays mainly on the

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AQUAFORNIAThe California Water News Blog

Editorial: Can Sacramento Stop the Water Waste?

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AQUAFORNIAThe California Water News Blog

Editorial: Sacramento’s a Shameless Guzzler

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 22, 2009 . The rain in sprain stays mainly on the plain The quick brown fox jumped over . the lazy dog When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to The . rain in sprain stays mainly on the plain The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy. dog When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to The rain in

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August 12, 2009

Editorial: City Can Do More To Use Less Water

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Oct. 1, 2009

Public Eye: City Exempts Major Users from Water-Saving Rules

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April 27, 2010

Sacramento Water Demands Among Nation’s Worst

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Then…

City Charter (1920)

Then…

City Charter (1995)

Article II, Powers§ 11 Water supply and meters. The supply of water for the City of Sacramento for municipal and domestic purposes shall always be owned and controlled as a municipal utility and shall be administered by the city government. No water meters shall ever be attached to residential water service pipes; provided, however, that the city council in its discretion may regulate by meter the charges for water supply of all other water users.”

Recently…

… In the absence of SB 229 and AB 2572, the City could not require the installation of meters on any residential water service, due to Section 11 of the Sacramento City Charter, that prohibits meters on residential water pipes. However, the requirements now mandated by SB 229 and AB 2572 have superseded City Charter Section 11…

City Ordinance (Current)

Now…

Why Has Adoption Been Slow?

• Culture / Mindset• Reliability /

Predictability• Water Rights• Financing• Economics

Abundance & Growth

Years

mgd

Urban Water Supply & DemandDemand

Supply




Diffuse, homeowner actions v. concrete & steel

Use it or lose it




Barriers

“Traditionally, resource efficiency improvements have been funded out of current revenues resulting in large payback periods or financed as part of much larger bond issues constraining them by a dependency on capital projects. In contrast, infrastructure-related projects are commonly capitalized and repayment can be made over the life of the project resulting in viable payback periods and cost/benefit evaluations. Because of the difference in the way these projects are financed, it is not surprising that many utilities have an aversion to undertaking resource efficiency activities.”

Alternative Conservation and Resource Efficiency Financing, 1995, A.R. Rego



Predictability• Water Rights• Financing• Economics Cost/ Benefit

Years

mgd

Urban Water Supply & DemandDemand

Supply

Sup

ply

Cos

ts

Con

serv

atio

n C

osts

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 2000

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Treatment Plant Construction Cost

Plant Capacity (MGD)

Con

stru

ctio

n C

ost P

er G

allo

n of

Tre

atm

ent (

$)

Fairbairn Expansion (2005)

Sacramento River Expansion (2004)

Proposed Sacramento River Expansion Memo (Carollo, 2008)

Contra Costa WD (2006)

City of Tracy John Jones Expansion (2007)

Freeport WTP Memo (MWH 1999)

SRWRS Interim Report (MWH 2005)

Cost CurveCost = 108% x 6.4951 x Capacity in mgd ^ 0.5957Cost Estimating Manual for Water Treatment Facilities (McGivney, Kawamura, 2010)

+50%

-30%

Cheaper to build big once than build small twice!

(if you have perfect foresight)

Water Supply Costs

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

190

70

60

10

80

80

75

75

5

150

810

Total

Environmental Cost

O&M

Treatment Works

Diversion/Extraction Works

Cos

t ($

/AF

) 405

330

235

160

Water Conservation Costs

Large Landscape

Res. Landscape

CII Res. Indoor Surveys

Low Flow Toilets

Clothes Washers

Meters & Billing

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

Cos

t ($

/AF

)

Water Conservation Decisions

• Legal?• Feasible?• Locally cost-effective? Compare:

– BMP cost ($/AF) – $ known; AF is disputable

to – Marginal water cost ($/AF) – AF firm; $

computations depend on whether at build-out

Marginal Cost Components

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

190

70

60

10

80

80

75

75

5

150

810

Total

Environmental Cost

O&M

Treatment Works

Diversion/Extraction Works

Cos

t ($

/AF

) 405

330

235

160

Marginal Cost Components

Surface Water Groundwater Buildout (no "new" water)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

250

80

80

80

80

75

75

75

Environmental Cost O&M Cost

Capital Cost

Cos

t ($

/AF

)

405

330

235

160155

80



Large Landscape

Res. Landscape


Low Flow Toilets

Clothes Washers

Meters & Billing

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Cos

t ($

/AF

)

Surface Water

Build-Out

Groundwater


Large Landscape

Res. Landscape


Low Flow Toilets

Clothes Washers

Meters & Billing

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Cos

t ($

/AF

)

Surface Water

Build-Out

Groundwater


Large Landscape

Res. Landscape


Low Flow Toilets

Clothes Washers

Meters & Billing

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Cos

t ($

/AF

)

Surface Water

Build-Out

Groundwater


Large Landscape

Res. Landscape


Low Flow Toilets

Clothes Washers

Meters & Billing

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Cos

t ($

/AF

)

Surface Water

Build-Out

Groundwater

Water Conservation Economics

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 202080

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

120

125

130

Wat

er S

up

ply

& D

eman

d

Add Supply

or Reduce Demand (20 %) by 2020Don’t need

conservation

Can’t justify conservation

Transition: Then to Now

• CUWCC: Calif. Urban Water Cons. Council• SB 229 and AB 2572 (water meters)• SB 610 and SB 221 (show me the water)• Water Forum• SB 7x 7 (20 by 2020)

Why a Water Forum?

• Lower American River habitat in jeopardy

• Gridlock and litigation on water issues

• Groundwater overdraft and contamination

• Rapid urban growth impacting supplies

A Regional Approach

• 40 Diverse Stakeholders• Six-Year Facilitated Process

─Interest-Based Negotiations─Education Before

Negotiation─Agreements in Principle─Trial Balloons─Final Recommendations─Approval / Implementation

Protect the lower American River

The Agreement

● Increased Diversions

● Water Conservation

● Groundwater Management

Reliable Water Supply to 2030

A Balanced Approach

● Improved Flow Standard

● Dry Year Actions

● Habitat Management

● Water Forum Successor Effort

Water Forum: Water Conservation Element

• Follow the CUWCC – BMPs (effort-based)– Flex Track (hybrid)– GPCD (performance-

based)

• No “Exemptions”– Invest equivalent $

Water Forum Conservation

Large Landscape

Res. Landscape


Low Flow Toilets

Clothes Washers

Meters & Billing

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Cos

t ($

/AF

)

Surface Water

Build-Out

Groundwater

Then Now

• Use it or lose it• Protect water rights:

Establish a pattern of use• Overbuild? We’ll use it

eventually• Conservation mandate:

that’s just So. Cal. “stealing our water”

• Tired of being the bad example• Protect water rights:

Demonstrate good management• Tough Economy: Build only

what we need• Whether you believe in it or

not, we have to do it

Documents

The State of Water Conservation in the State’s Capitol Sacramento Regional Issues October 7, 2010October 7, 2010 Tom Gohring, Water ForumTom Gohring, Water