Irvine Ranch Water District Drought Response What Works and Plans for 2015

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1 Irvine Ranch Water District Drought Response What Works and Plans for Drought Response Workshop February 25, 2015 Fiona Sanchez Director of Water Resources

2 Presentation Agenda IRWD Background Drought Response Emergency Regulations Alternate Plan and Rate Structure Water Conservation Programs and Outreach Reliability and Supply Management Summary

3 District Overview A California Special District Serving Central Orange County Reliable High-Quality Water & Sewer Service. Efficient. Cost Effective. Environmentally Sensitive. High Level of Customer Satisfaction. 3

4 Statewide Emergency Drought Restrictions Became Effective July 28, 2014 Prohibits Certain Outdoor Water Uses Applies to Potable Water Only Requires Water Agencies to Implement Mandatory Outdoor Water Use Restrictions

5 Drought Regulations: Water Agency Requirements Implement Water Shortage Contingency Plan at a level that imposes mandatory outdoor restrictions; OR Submit a plan showing superior water savings achieved with Allocation-Based Rate Structure. IRWD Selected the Second Option 5

6 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Approach Based on Allocation-Based Rate Structure Depending on stage and trigger, actions include: Adjusting over-use/wasteful tiers Adjusting outdoor allocations (more discretionary use) Adjusting indoor allocations IRWD is at Stage 1: Voluntary Conservation Adjustments incorporated into Prop 218 notices Adjustments to over-use tiers implemented July 1, 2014 Multi-step rate adjustment, if necessary Provides ability and flexibility to make adjustments to achieve desired level of demand response 6

7 Alternate Plan Approved by State Board Conservation attributed to the IRWD Rate Structure produced water savings 38% greater than a mandatory restriction limiting outdoor watering to 2-days per week Residential use approximately 82 gallons per capita per day Continue to have cost recovery and revenue stability 7

8 Conservation Financial Incentives and Programs Outdoor Rebates Turf Removal Rebate Program Weather- Based Irrigation Controllers Rotating Spray Nozzle Rain Barrels Soil Moisture Sensors Indoor Rebates High Efficiency Clothes Washers High Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures Performance Based Programs Custom efficiency projects Free Customer Audits and On-Site Assistance Workshops and Outreach 8

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10 Customer Engagement Take the Pledge Employee Pledges Customer Pledges Car Sticker Website Interactive Use at Outreach Events Lobby pledges to date

11 Do it Right. Do it Right now. RightScape Outdoor Water Efficiency Outreach The Right Plants The Right Equipment The Right Schedule Website/Micro-site Social Media campaign Demonstration Garden Themed Outreach Calendar Introducing Professor Wright and Roger..

12 Do it Right. Do it Right now.

13 RightScape Drought Demonstration Garden

14 Facebook Photo Contest Customers Fixing Leaks

15 Operational Practices Hydrant flushing Suspended for maintenance purposes Flushing limited to water quality purposes Suspended providing water for street sweeping Proactive leak detection and repair program 15

16 RESIDENTIAL GPCD IRWD Results 130 RESIDENTIAL GPCD TREND ( ) 120 TIERED RATE STRUCTURE RECORD LOW RAINFALL 4.12" RECORD DROUGHT EL NIÑO 1997 VERY WET CALENDAR YEAR 16

17 2015? Continue to implement conservation programs and outreach campaigns Proposed rates and Prop 218 notices will likely include multi-steps Planning for imported water allocations from Metropolitan Water District (MWD)

18 IRWD Water Supply Management Diversified Portfolio. Since 1990: Reduced imported water from 66% to 22% Increased recycled water from 14% to 25% Average of 25% supply redundancy 50,000 acre-feet of contingency storage Meets variability in demand 25% 19% % Imported Water 31% Imported Water Clear Groundwater Local Surface Water Recycled Water Treated Groundwater 18

19 Kern County Water Banking Program Objectives To store wet-year supplies for dry-year use To meet 15% of IRWD demands over a 3-year period of water-shortage conditions At an equivalent price to IRWD s imported supplies

20 Water Banking Program IRWD has two Water Banking Projects in Kern County: 761 acres of recharge basins 7 production wells Expanding to 10 wells 50,000 acre-feet of storage capacity Expanding to 125,000 AF 21,703 acre-feet of stored water 8,505 in MWD s system Considered Extraordinary Supply in an MWD allocation IRWD is 100% reliable in an MWD stage 2 allocation and 99% reliable at stage 4

21 EVERYONE CAN DO ONE MORE THING TO SAVE WATER Fiona Sanchez Director of Water Resources Irvine Ranch Water District Drought Outreach Program December 2014