To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Phil Brun, Utilities Director
Prepared By: Joy Eldredge, Deputy Utilities Director
TITLE:
Title
Declare a Moderate Water Shortage
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a Resolution declaring a moderate water shortage to implement the City’s water shortage regulations set forth in Napa Municipal Code Chapter 13.10, in order to achieve a 15% community-wide demand reduction and maintain water supply reliability, and determining that the actions authorized by this resolution are exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA guidelines Sections 15307, 15308, and 15329.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Due to critically dry conditions both locally and throughout the state, available water resources are more sparse than typical this time of year. The City’s main local supply of water, Lake Hennessey, received less than 10 inches of rain compared to our annual average of 27 inches. The amount of water recharge at Lake Hennessey this year (approximately 1,000 acre feet) rivals the limited recharge during the benchmark drought years in 1977-78 and 1990-91. Lake Hennessey is currently at 67% capacity, holding 20,812 acre feet (AF) as of April 1st. Fortunately, Milliken Reservoir is at 100% capacity, but it is much smaller, holding 1,400 AF.
In addition to the City’s local supply of water, the City contracts through the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (NCFCWCD) for water supply from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) State Water Project (SWP). Due to the limited precipitation throughout California, the April 1st snowpack was just 58% of normal in the Sierras. Correspondingly, the SWP allocation is just 5%. As a result, City of Napa will receive just 1,095 AF of our 21,900 AF of Table A entitlements this year. This is in addition to 3,754 AF of carryover and Article 21 water available this year. It is also expected that 3,772 AF of Advanced Table A water will be available this year.
During the 2014-16 drought, a moderate water shortage, pursuant to Napa Municipal Code (NMC) Chapter 13.10, was declared in order to reduce consumption by 20%. Customer demands were reduced to 12,100 AF, representing a 23% reduction over the previous year.
Since the last drought, customer demands have slowly increased and in 2020 they were 14,100 AF. Given the critical dry year conditions, SWP allocations at 5%, and Lake Hennessey storage at 67%, it is necessary to declare a moderate water shortage pursuant to Napa Municipal Code (NMC) Chapter 13.10 in order to reduce consumption by 15%.
A 15% consumption reduction will allow the City to use available State Water Project supplies and potential dry year purchases while minimizing the use of Lake Hennessey storage. It is important to manage our local supply by maximizing storage as we enter an uncertain water supply year in 2022. Under this plan, contingent upon achieving the 15% consumption reduction, Hennessey storage is projected to be approximately 16,700 AF (54%) as we enter the rainy season on Nov 1st.
Upon the City Council’s declaration of a moderate water shortage, as documented in the recommended resolution, City water customers will be required to limit their use of water as codified in NMC Sections 13.10.040 and 13.10.050, including, but not limited to, the following:
1. No person shall use water to irrigate landscaping on consecutive days, except for the initial watering of newly planted landscaping and germination requirements of newly seeded lawns.
2. No person shall use water to irrigate landscaping between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., except for the initial watering of newly planted landscaping and germination requirements of newly seeded lawns.
3. No application of water to outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes runoff such that water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures.
4. No person shall use water to irrigate landscaping during a measurable rainfall event or within 48 hours thereafter.
5. No use of water in a decorative fountain or other decorative water feature, except where the water is part of a recirculating system.
6. No use of a hose that dispenses water to wash a motor vehicle, except where the hose is fitted with a shutoff nozzle or device attached to it that causes it to cease dispensing water immediately when not in use.
7. No application of water to driveways and sidewalks, except where necessary to address an immediate health and safety need.
8. No person shall drain and refill any swimming pool unless that person establishes that it is needed for the purpose of pool repair or to correct a severe chemical imbalance. No person shall drain and refill any decorative pond or lake unless that person establishes that it is needed for the purpose of lining the bottom to prevent absorption.
9. Service to interruptible surplus agricultural water contractors may be reduced or suspended.
10. No operators of eating or drinking establishments, including but not limited to restaurants, hotels, cafés, cafeterias, bars, or other public places where food or drinks are sold, served, or offered for sale, shall provide drinking water to any person unless expressly requested by that person.
11. Operators of hotel, motel, and other commercial lodging establishments shall provide guests the option of not having towels and linens laundered daily, and shall prominently display notice of this option in each guestroom using clear and understood language.
Extensive customer outreach by City staff has already started and will continue via social media, City website, news media, customer mailers and other channels to provide information on water conservation and status of meeting the 15% consumption reduction goal. City staff will closely monitor the City’s overall water consumption, and if the City is falling short of our goals during the peak summer months, our programs, outreach and actions will increase accordingly. If City staff determines that additional regulatory actions are warranted to protect and preserve the City’s precious water supply, City staff will return to City Council.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
For FY2021, water sales revenue is tracking above budget. A 15% consumption reduction in May and June should not reduce revenue below budgeted levels.
For FY2022, the target of 15% water consumption reduction by customers will be reflected in the proposed FY2022 revenue budget as part of the budget hearings in June.
CEQA:
City staff recommends that the City Council determine that the Recommended Action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15307, 15308, and 15329 which exempt actions taken by the City to assure the maintenance, restoration, or enhancement of a natural resource or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment; and exempt actions taken by the City to prevent or mitigate the impacts of an emergency.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
ATCH 2 - Napa Municipal Code Section 13.10
NOTIFICATION:
None.