Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Utilities Department

TO:	David Corliss – City Manager Diane Stoddard – Assistant City Manager Cynthia Wagner – Assistant City  Manager Jonathan Douglass – Assistant to the City Manager
FROM:	Jeanette Klamm – Utilities Programs Manager
CC:	Dave Wagner – Director of Utilities Mike Lawless – Asst. Director of Utilities Philip Ciesielski – Asst. Director of Utilities Toni Wheeler – City Attorney Ernie Shaw – Interim Parks and Recreation Director Mark Hecker –Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation Megan Gilliland – Communications Manager
Date:	April 9, 2013
RE:	Agenda Item – Approval of the Water Conservation Plan update

Please include the following item on the City Commission Agenda for consideration at the next available City Commission meeting:

Approval of the Water Conservation Plan update

History

The Kansas Water Office requires all public water supplies to have an approved water conservation plan and city code to grant authority to enforce the elements of that plan. The Kansas Water Office required a review and update of the City’s water conservation plan and related city code in 2010, which was completed and received approval from the Kansas Water Office. The updated changes to the plan and ordinance were approved by the City Commission at that time.

Due to the excessively dry conditions this summer, the Utilities Department reviewed the Water Conservation Plan, based on the conditions at the time. It was determined that the current drought responses would likely not achieve the expected results. Modifications to the plan are needed to accomplish the necessary water use reductions that the State may require, if it activates further drought levels. The attached Water Conservation Plan specifically modified the sections located under Drought/Emergency Contingency Stages 1-3.

Generally each stage gets progressively more stringent in their requirements as the particular water situation becomes more serious. Stage 1: Water Watch uses education and awareness methods to inform customers on how to decrease water usage and requests voluntary conservation practices to meet a goal of 5% reduction per week. Stage 2: Water Warning implements limits on outdoor water use to meet the goal of 10% water reduction per week. Stage 3: Water Emergency further limits the use of outdoor water usage and potentially overall prohibiting outdoor watering for some uses to meet a 20% reduction per week.

A summary of the changes made include:

• Additional triggers such as contamination of a component of the system, difficulty in water delivery through a major water component, agreement by Kansas River Water Assurance District members to decrease water use, and drought declarations by the state that require implementation of the City’s specific water conservation plan stage.
• Remove the City’s requirement for flushing of wells in all stages due to the type of wells operated and the minimal impact the wells have on the water supply quantities.
• Added specific details in the regulation of use section to include hours of watering, limiting of run-off, non-essential water uses, and additional detail of what those include. As the stages increase, these regulations move from voluntary to mandatory limitations to potentially mandatory prohibitions of various uses. This section includes specific watering schedules based on odd/ even house numbers and assigned to specific days, which is not clear in the current plan. It also specifies water uses allowed.
• The emergency stage may further restrict lawn irrigation to no more than one day per week or potentially prohibits it. It includes further restrictions or prohibitions on non-essential uses, waste of water, and may include excess water charges for use over the amount used in the winter.
• Discretionary wording has been added to allow for flexibility in choosing what actions may have the most impact in meeting the water reduction goals of the given stage.

Action Request:

Staff recommends City Commission approval to adopt this plan for use as required by the Kansas Water Office. Upon approval, the Kansas Water Office will require their review and approval. The Kansas Water Office has reviewed the changes and responded that they would approve the modifications to the plan, once the City has adopted it.