21 - Laserfiche WebLink

BACKGROUND Since January 2014, the State of Califomia declared a drought emergency, as did the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Zone 7 (Zone 7). Shortly thereafter, in February 2014, the City adopted Stage 1 of the City's Water Conservation Plan. Stage 1 sought a 20% voluntarily reduction in water use. In April 2014, all Califomians were asked to reduce water usage by 20 %; and Zone 7 asked all water retailers, including Pleasanton, to reduce water usage by 25 %. As voluntary reductions were not achieved and water supplies continued to dwindle, in May 2014, the City adopted the Stage 3 mandatory 25% water reduction, and proclaimed a Local Drought Emergency. In August 2014, statewide mandatory reductions and prohibitions (generally less strict than Pleasanton's Stage 3) were also adopted. Since the summer of 2014, most Pleasanton residents and businesses have achieved 25% water use reductions. City staff has provided educational outreach, home and office visits (to program irrigation systems & detect leaks), enforced prohibitions on water waste (e.g. no washing car on driveway, no irrigation mid -day), provided free water - efficient sink aerators and shower heads, processed appeals for excess use penalties, and reduced water used at City facilities by 45.2 %. Based on successful water use reduction, in January 2015, the City suspended for 90 days the excess use penalties (but left in place restrictions against water waste and other water use restrictions). On April 1, 2015, the Governor declared statewide emergency requiring mandatory water reductions of 25% for all Municipal and Industrial water users. Pleasanton's current Stage 3 restrictions generally meet or exceed these latest State provisions (e.g. no hosing down sidewalks; restaurants only offer water when requested; etc.). City staff will work with local businesses regarding the State restriction on hotel and motel operators that now "must provide guests with the option of choosing not to have towels and linens laundered daily ", as that was not part of the City's Stage 3 restrictions.' Similarly, City staff will also assist residents and property owners to take advantage of the Executive Order's directive for State - sponsored programs for partial funding for replacing lawns with drought tolerant landscapes, rebates for replacing inefficient household devices, and other State and local programs. DISCUSSION Drought Update — Proiected Water Allocations. A chart summarizing a comparison between 2013 and 2015 water usage to date is provided as Attachment 1. The City has realized a 35.9% reduction in potable water consumption so far in 2015 as of July 6. The State released the statewide reductions through May 2015 and Californians are starting to conserve finally the statewide average for May 2015 was 28.9% this is the highest reduction numbers seen since the drought started and restrictions have been in place. While these State regulations allow local jurisdictions to fine violators up to $500 per violation, the City will continue to warn and provide courtesy citations, and thereafter administrative fines (starting at $100) for continuing violations.