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BACKGROUND <br /> The original establishment of a seasonal differentiation between the number of allowed <br /> watering days between cooler months and warm/hot months within PMC 9.30 was <br /> adopted by City Council on March 18, 2014, in advance of the mandatory water use <br /> restrictions implemented during the last significant drought. The referenced resources <br /> used to make those proposed code amendments in 2014 were from the City's 2010 <br /> Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP); the Tri-Valley Water Retailers' Water <br /> Shortage Contingency Plan (a 2009 cooperative effort between the City, City of <br /> Livermore, DSRSD, and California Water Service), and best management practices <br /> from other agencies such as East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). Though the <br /> 2010 UWMP and the Tri-Valley Water Retailers' Water Shortage Contingency Plan <br /> served as the foundation of the PMC 9.30 amendments, by 2014 more recent best <br /> management practices, such as legislative directives under the State's Model Water <br /> Efficient Landscape Ordinance, were important new factors taken into consideration in <br /> proposing watering day limitations relevant to season changes that influence plant <br /> watering needs over times of water shortage. <br /> Currently, each Tri-Valley Water Retailer (Retailers) individually updates and adopts <br /> their own WSCP per the California UWMP Act. The WSCP outlines in detail a water <br /> supplier's response to a water shortage, and PMC 9.30 codifies the implementation of <br /> the City's WSCP. During the preparation phase of the 2020 UWMP update the Retailers <br /> held a meeting to review and discuss each Retailers' direction in WSCP updates. City <br /> staff shared the current water conservation measures with the other retailers with the <br /> goal of aligning water conservation measures within the Tri-Valley area. <br /> Following the 2021 adoptions of each Retailer's updated WSCP and respective water <br /> shortage response code section amendments; differences existed between the <br /> implementation of each Retailer's requirements on watering day restrictions. Per City <br /> Council's October 5, 2021 , request for further collaboration with the Retailers on <br /> potentially matching watering day restriction approaches, staff has engaged both City of <br /> Livermore and DSRSD on the possibility of further collaboration. The City of Livermore <br /> Stage 2 water day limitation remains at a maximum of three times per week, with no <br /> seasonal differentiation. DSRSD had made no further changes to their updated watering <br /> day limitations; however, on September 21, 2021, DSRSD's Board approved by <br /> resolution a Stage 2 Water Shortage declaration with the watering day restriction limit of <br /> no more than three, non-consecutive days per week March through October, and one <br /> day per week November through February. <br /> Additionally, consideration was made to ensure that water conservation measures <br /> would not hinder the delivery of life and safety services at medical patient-care facilities. <br /> As these facilities likely could not reduce their indoor water usage below a minimum <br /> threshold, staff recommends a separate standard that would set a 15 percent reduction <br /> when a Stage 2 mandatory reduction of 20 percent (or higher) is required. <br /> If excess use penalties are enacted for exceeding the mandated water use allotment, all <br /> water customers are eligible to apply for an adjustment through the process outlined in <br /> Section 9.30.120. <br /> Page 2 of 4 <br />