Attachment_D_-_2024_Water_Conservation_Master_Plan.pdf

Prepared by:

June 30, 2023

Water Conservation Master Plan

City of Santa Monica Water Conservation Management Plan 2

Table of Contents Page

LIST OF FIGURES

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction

Program Overview

Implementation Recommendations

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Overview of the Santa Monica Water System

1.2. Project Background

1.3. California Legislation and the Water Use Objectives

2. PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF PLAN

2.1. Plan Development

3. ANALYSIS OF WATER DEMAND

3.1. Information Review and Data Collection Methods

3.2. Production versus Consumption

3.3. Consumption by User Category

4. CONSERVATION MEASURE EVALUATION

4.1. Conservation Measure Screening

4.2. Conservation Measures Evaluated

4.3. Conservation Measure Analysis

5. CONSERVATION PROGRAM EVALUATION

5.1. Measure Selection for Conservation Program Alternatives

5.2. Conservation Program Analysis

5.3. Selected Program

6. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

6.1. Monitoring Progress

6.2. Track and Update for New Codes and Emerging Technologies

6.3. Proposed Implementation Schedule

6.4. Staffing

6.5. Five-Year Implementation Recommendations

6.6. Suggestions for Future DSS Model Updates

7. NEXT STEPS AND CONCLUSIONS

7.1. Selected Program Estimated Water Savings and Budget

7.2. Recommended Funding Sources and Partnerships

7.3. Conclusions

8. REFERENCES

APPENDIX A. DSS MODEL OVERVIEW

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APPENDIX B. DSS MODEL PLUMBING CODE ASSUMPTIONS

B.1 National Plumbing Codes

B.2 State Plumbing Codes

B.2.1 California State Law – AB 715

B.2.2 California State Laws – SB 407 and SB 837

B.2.3 2019 CALGreen and 2020 CA Code of Regulations Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Regulations

B.3 Key Baseline Potable Demand Inputs, Passive Savings Assumptions, and Resources

B.3.1 Fixture Estimates

APPENDIX C. DSS MODEL MEASURE ASSUMPTIONS

C.1 Water Reduction Methodology

C.2 Present Value Analysis and Perspectives on Benefits and Costs

C.3 Measure Cost and Water Savings Assumptions

APPENDIX D. INDIVIDUAL CONSERVATION MEASURE DESIGN INPUTS AND RESULTS

Measure 1: Leak Detection and Alerts: Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

Measure 2: Leak Detection and Alerts: Toilet Flow Sensors

Measure 3: Free Water Saving Devices

Measure 4: Public Messaging and Education

Measure 5: Rebate: Toilets (Residential)

Measure 6: Rebate: Toilet/Urinals (CII)

Measure 7: Rebate: Clothes Washers (Residential)

Measure 8: Rebate: Commercial Equipment (CII)

Measure 9: Rebate: Irrigation Conversion (Spray to Drip)

Measure 10: Rebate: Landscape Conversion (Cash for Grass)

Measure 11: Water Neutrality Direct Install: Indoor Devices

Measure 12: Direct Install: Irrigation Devices

Measure 13: Water Audits: Indoor and Outdoor Residential

Measure 14: Water Audits: Indoor and Outdoor CII

Measure 15: Enforcement: Outdoor Water Waste

Measure 16: Compliance: CA Water Budgeting (Dedicated Irrigation Meters)

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L I S T O F F I G U R E S Figure ES-1. City of Santa Monica Selected Measures for Evaluation

Figure 1-1. City of Santa Monica Potable Water System

Figure 1-2. City of Santa Monica Water Profile

Figure 3-1. Data Collection Workbook Topics and Items Requested

Figure 3-2. Total Production vs. Total Consumption

Figure 3-3. Consumption by Customer Category 2017-2019, 2022

Figure 3-4. Overall Use: Indoor vs. Outdoor

Figure 4-1. Measure Screening Criteria

Figure 4-2. Cost of Savings per Unit Volume ($/AF)

Figure 5-1. Conservation Program Options

Figure 5-2. Per Capita Water Savings with Different Program Options

Figure 5-3. Present Value of Utility Costs vs. Water Saved in 2045

Figure 5-4. Water Demand with Different Program Options

Figure 6-1. Program Implementation

Figure 6-2. Program Tracking and Monitoring

Figure 6-3. Program Costs and Staffing Comparison

Figure 7-1. Selected Program

Figure A-1. DSS Model Main Page

Figure A-2. Sample Benefit-Cost Analysis Summary

Figure A-3. DSS Model Analysis Flow

L I S T O F T A B L E S Table ES-1. Per Capita Water Savings of Selected Water Conservation Programs

Table 1-1. SB 606 and AB 1668 Key Requirements- Completed and Proposed

Table 4-1. Measure Descriptions

Table 5-1. Comparison of Program Results

Table 6-1. Conservation Measures Implementation Schedule (2023–2045)

Table B-1. List of Key Assumptions

Table B-2. Key Assumptions Resources https://maddauswatermanagementinc-my.sharepoint.com/personal/sierra_maddauswater_com/Documents/Desktop/Desktop%20Projects/Santa%20Monica/Santa%20Monica%20DRAFT%20WCMP_2023-5-25_v3_so.docx#_Toc135914409 https://maddauswatermanagementinc-my.sharepoint.com/personal/sierra_maddauswater_com/Documents/Desktop/Desktop%20Projects/Santa%20Monica/Santa%20Monica%20DRAFT%20WCMP_2023-5-25_v3_so.docx#_Toc135914419

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L I S T O F A B B R E V I A T I O N S A N D A C R O N Y M S AB Assembly Bill acct Account AMI Advanced Metering

Infrastructure AWE Alliance for Water Efficiency AWWA American Water Works

Association AWWARF American Water Works

Association Research Foundation

BMP Best Management Practice CalWEP California Water Efficiency

Partnership CEC California Energy

Commission COM Commercial

CII

Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional

CPUC California Public Utilities Commission

DSS Model Demand Side Management Least Cost Planning Decision Support System

DWR California Department of Water Resources

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

FTE Full Time Equivalent GPCD gallons per capita per day gpd gallons per day gpf gallons per flush gpm gallons per minute PHET Premium High Efficiency

Toilet MWELO Model Water Efficient

Landscape Ordinance MWM Maddaus Water

Management N/A not applicable Plan Water Conservation Master

Plan psi pounds per square inch RES Residential SB Senate Bill SWRCB State Water Resources

Control Board

ULWU Ultra Low Water Urinal UWMP Urban Water Management

Plan WBIC weather based irrigation controller

WUE

ZWU

Water Use Efficiency Zero Water Urinal

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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y The purpose of this Executive Summary is to briefly describe the City of Santa Monica Water Conservation Master Plan (Plan). The evaluation process and assumptions used to develop this Plan as well as recommendations for future implementation are included in this section.

I n t r o d u c t i o n This conservation technical analysis was conducted by Maddaus Water Management Inc.

(MWM) for the City of Santa Monica (City). The purpose of the analysis was to accomplish the following Conservation Study Objectives:

The planning process included the analysis of water conservation measures1 and programs using the Least Cost Planning Decision Support System (DSS Model), developed by MWM. A screening of more than 100 measures, directed at existing customers and new development, was conducted by City staff following the methodology presented in the American Water Works Association Manual of Practice, M52 Water Conservation Programs – A Planning Manual

(AWWA, 2017).

Through the identification and prioritization of conservation measures, this Plan will enable the City to project long-range demands, identify attainable conservation goals, develop strategies to raise awareness of available water conservation programs, and meet state legislative requirements including, but not limited to, Senate Bill 606 (Hertzberg), Assembly Bill 1668

1 Though “demand management measure” is not a term used in this report, it may be relevant to readers who are more familiar with the term to understand that it is essentially the same as the term “water conservation measure.” So, in this report, “demand management” and “water conservation” are used interchangeably.

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(Friedman), and Senate Bill 1157 (Hertzberg)2. The Plan includes an effective suite of water conservation measures that will help meet future water needs.

P r o g r a m O v e r v i e w The foundation of the Plan development was four-fold: (1) incorporate current, historical, and projected population growth and new commercial growth rates; (2) evaluate current and future conservation measures using a set of applicable criteria; (3) quantify the costs and water savings of these measures; and (4) combine the measures into increasingly aggressive programs that could be evaluated as a group. Groups of measures are termed Programs.

Following the thorough measure screening process, the City chose 16 conservation measures to constitute a suite of measures for evaluation. This suite, called Program C throughout the Plan, includes residential, commercial, irrigation, and system focused measures. By combining new initiatives with existing programs as part of a comprehensive strategy, a strategic program scenario was created, called Program B in this Plan. The conservation activities proposed for Program B are expected to save an estimated 301 million gallons (MG) of water per year in 2045 as compared to the average demand of 3,599 MG during the baseline period, 2017-2019 and 2022. Actual savings will depend on program selection and the implementation schedule.

The three Programs evaluated in the DSS Model include:

A. The Current Program scenario (Program A), consisting of 11 measures, includes existing measures only.

B. The Strategic Program scenario (Program B) includes 13 measures that save significant amounts of water and support community interest in conservation.

C. The All-Inclusive Program scenario (Program C) includes all 16 measures modeled, making it the most expensive suite of measures as well as the one that will achieve the most water savings.

All 16 measures are listed in Figure ES-1 and are described in more detail in Appendix D.

2https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And- Efficiency/Make-Water-Conservation-A-California-Way-of-Life/Files/PDFs/Final-WCL-Primer.pdf

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Figure ES-1. City of Santa Monica Selected Measures for Evaluation

The average annual implementation cost for the Current Program, Strategic Program, and All- Inclusive Program are approximately $979,000, $883,000, and $1,251,000 respectively, for the period 2023–2027. This total includes all direct City costs but does not include any costs related to partners’ programs or grants. However, the program is intended to be flexible and structured in a “menu/toolbox” format to allow individual measures to change within the schedule as necessary. This flexible format will allow adaptation to new or best-available technology, changes in cost-sharing partnerships, or other unforeseen needs. It also will enable the City to select or change measures for implementation, as needed, to reach its conservation goals.

The associated water savings and costs for the three programs are in Table ES-1.

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Table ES-1. Per Capita Water Savings of Selected Water Conservation Programs

Year Program A Program B Program C

Water Savings

(MGY)

2023 27 26 27

2025 77 101 107

2030 162 255 264

2035 220 330 340

2040 241 300 311

2045 243 301 312

Present Value of Water Savings $8,075,000 $11,301,000 $11,704,000

Present Value of Utility Costs $13,873,000 $13,001,000 $18,699,000

Water Utility Cost of Water Saved ($/MG) $3,290 $2,250 $3,120

2023–2027 Average Annual Utility Cost $979,000 $883,000 $1,251,000 Notes:

1. Program savings do not include savings from plumbing codes.

2. Costs presented here are directly attributable to the utility conservation department only.

3. Present value costs and savings are rounded to the nearest $1,000.

4. Water Utility Cost of Water Saved is rounded to the nearest $10.

5. 2021–2025 Average Annual Cost is rounded to the nearest $1,000.

I m p l e m e n t a t i o n R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s The design of the conservation program, a collaboration between MWM and City staff, assumes new conservation measures will be employed and many existing measures will target higher participation rates to achieve selected Plan goals. Recommendations to assist with implementation include the following next steps:

• Budget: The Strategic Program has an average annual cost of approximately $883,000 for 2023–2027 to implement 13 measures.

• Prioritize Measures for Implementation: Measures that are relatively easy to operate with limited staff and contribute the most to meeting water saving targets are prioritized for implementation.

• Work Plan: Prepare an annual work plan for each year in concert with the budget planning process. Form partnerships and apply for grants where appropriate.

• Program Data Management/Tracking: Store and manage measure participation, cost, and other data to gauge successes and areas that need improvement.

• Review Plan Goals: Annually review goals and update the Plan, including actual measure participation, projected water savings, and expected per capita water use to ensure the Plan is on track to meet conservation goals. Use data from the programs and annual work planning process as the forum to amend the Plan and other elements (budgets, staffing, contracting, schedule, etc.) to stay on track.

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1 . I N T R O D U C T I O N This section provides an overview of the City of Santa Monica. This section also describes the purpose and scope of the Plan and provides a project history of the steps used to complete it.

1 . 1 . O v e r v i e w o f t h e S a n t a M o n i c a W a t e r S y s t e m The City of Santa Monica (City) is an urban coastal community, bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and the City of Los Angeles to the north, east, and south. The City's water service area consists entirely of the City of Santa Monica with limited service in the City of Los Angeles (Figure 1-1). The City maintains ten groundwater wells and three water treatment facilities.

Figure 1-1. City of Santa Monica Potable Water System

The City experiences a Mediterranean climate, ranging from warm and generally dry summers to cool, relatively wet winters. Water usage in the City varies with changes in temperature and rainfall throughout the year. Climate change in the coming decades is expected to test the City’s ability to sustainably manage its water resources, in particular its groundwater supply.

Besides local groundwater, the City’s current water supply also includes imported water from Northern California, provided through the wholesale water agency Metropolitan Water District (MWD). Figure 1-2 displays the City’s current water portfolio.

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City’s 2020 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) water portfolio is as follows: 70% groundwater, 29% imported, and 1% recycled water.

Figure 1-2. City of Santa Monica Water Profile

As described in the City of Santa Monica 2018 Sustainable Water Management Plan Update (SWMP), the City is working towards a goal to meet all the City’s water demand using local water sources. The SWMP outlines a comprehensive plan to achieve this goal with a combination of water demand reduction strategies and increased development of local water supplies. The City also proposed alternative water supply projects to collectively offset imported water purchases from MWD, including an expansion in recycled water production, recharging local groundwater aquifers, and enhancing production efficiency at the Arcadia Water Treatment Plant.

1 . 2 . P r o j e c t B a c k g r o u n d Santa Monica utilizes a suite of benchmarks to assess progress in the implementation of their ongoing water conservation program. The City tracks per capita water use as well as measure performance metrics such as number of rebates awarded, student engagement, customer workshops and classes (virtual and in-person), and customer satisfaction surveys. Looking ahead, City staff plans to track state legislation metrics related to the future water use objectives as the standards are developed through the state’s stakeholder process by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Resources Control Board.

This Plan provides detailed information for 16 individual conservation measures and aligns with the following:

• Current and pending state regulations

• California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) resolutions

• Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) guidelines

• Utility supply reliability goals

Groundwater 70%

Imported 29%

Recycled 1%

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With this detailed measure information readily available, Santa Monica has the flexibility to use this Plan as a guide to implement additional measures to help increase water savings when another statewide drought occurs.

1 . 3 . C a l i f o r n i a L e g i s l a t i o n a n d t h e W a t e r U s e O b j e c t i v e s In the aftermath of yet another drought from 2014–2017, the California Legislature established a framework centered on “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life: Primer of 2018 Legislation on Water Conservation and Drought Planning Senate Bill 606 (Hertzberg) and Assembly Bill 1668 (Friedman).”3 This framework was designed to help the state better prepare for droughts and climate change by establishing statewide water efficiency standards and incentivizing recycled water. The supporting state legislation, SB 606 and AB 1668, established guidelines for efficient water use and a framework for the implementation and oversight of the new standards by 2024. These efforts and requirements, along with any future regulations, will have profound effects on water providers over the coming years by requiring annual water budgets for urban retail water suppliers, per-person indoor water use goals, and documented preparation for long-term droughts.

In addition to performance measures for Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) water use, and with stakeholder input, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) will adopt long-term efficiency standards for outdoor water use and water loss through leaks. The legislation will require each urban retail water supplier to calculate and report an urban water use objective, which is an estimate of aggregate efficient water use for the previous year based on the adopted water use efficiency standards. Reports are due by January 1, 2024, and every year thereafter.

Senate Bill 1157 (Hertzberg), signed into law in September 2022 by Governor Gavin Newsom, lowered limits for indoor residential water use even further than those established just four years prior.

The bills grant the SWRCB the authority to enforce compliance with the Urban Water Use Objectives, which is expected to include monetary penalties for non-compliance. The bills also establish a schedule for state agencies to develop the methodology for implementing the requirements. This Plan will be used for compliance in meeting the many requirements of recent legislation and additional expected state mandates. A list of key requirements and proposed regulations from the legislation is included in Table 1-1.

This Plan is aligned to the state legislative framework; however, as illustrated in Table 1-1, details of the state plan have yet to be released. When detailed guidance becomes available, this Plan may need to be modified to include any new or revised actions needed by the City. Per the SWRCB, draft regulations will be released in summer 2023.

3 California Department of Water Resources, et al. (2018). Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life: Primer of 2018 Legislation on Water Conservation and Drought Planning Senate Bill 606 (Hertzberg) and Assembly Bill 1668 (Friedman).

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Table 1-1. SB 606 and AB 1668 Key Requirements- Completed and Proposed

Date AB 1668/SB 606 Key Requirements

Completed

1. DWR recommended to CA Legislature standards for indoor residential water use.

SB 1157 (Hertzberg) was signed by Governor Newsom in September 2022 with the following standards:

• 55 GPCD until 2025

• 47 GPCD from 2025 until January 2030

• 42 GPCD beginning in 2030

2. DWR provided each urban retail water supplier with data regarding irrigable lands at level of detail sufficient to verify accuracy at the parcel level

September 30, 2022

DWR recommended standards for outdoor residential use, performance measures for CII water, variance provisions, incentive provisions for recycled water and standards for outdoor irrigation of landscape areas with dedicated irrigation meters.

March 22, SWRCB staff provided alternate recommendations to the Board on standards, measures, incentives, and CII Performance Measures. Notable revisions include lowering the outdoor residential and CII standard to an ETF factor of 0.55 and 0.45 after Oct. 1, 2035 respectively, replacing the CII-DIM conversion threshold of 1 acre with a volumetric water usage of 500 thousand gallons or more annually (process water excluded), and changing the CII classification categories from the 19 NAICS codes recommended by DWR to the 18 categories used by the U.S. EPA’s ENERGYSTAR Portfolio Manager tool.

Pending

1. SWRCB to adopt long-term standards for efficient water use:

• Outdoor residential

• Outdoor irrigation of landscape with dedicated irrigation meters at CII customer sites

• Water loss (consistent with Senate Bill 555)

2. SWRCB to adopt performance measures for CII water use

Pending

1. Urban water supplier shall calculate its urban water use objective and report its actual water demand for the previous calendar or fiscal year:

• Efficient indoor residential water use, plus

• Efficient outdoor residential water use, plus

• Efficient outdoor water use through dedicated irrigation meters at CII customer sites, plus

• Efficient water loss, plus

• Variances and incentives as appropriate

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2 . P U R P O S E A N D S C O P E O F P L A N The primary purpose of the Plan was to systematically evaluate and quantify a long-term water conservation strategy for the City. The Plan details the assessment, analysis, and measurement of completed and existing conservation measures and identifies new water use efficiency (WUE) opportunities. The Plan analyzes program costs and water savings, thereby evaluating whether expanding existing efforts is a feasible and cost-effective way to meet future water needs in comparison to using and/or developing other sources of water. The Plan is intended to serve as a guide for conservation programming and to set measurable targets for Santa Monica regarding future WUE investments and activities.

Other purposes of the Plan were to refine water demand forecasts through the year 2045 using the most recent data available and to collect input from customers on water conservation measures and programs to provide guidance on refining and prioritizing the City’s conservation program. The data collected for the Plan will also inform the City’s upcoming Water and Sewer Master Plan.

Through identification and prioritization of conservation measures, Santa Monica can project long-range demands, identify attainable conservation goals, develop strategies, and raise awareness. Additionally, potential water savings from the individual conservation measures and/or combinations thereof were determined in this Plan to assess potential per capita water use reduction. By combining new initiatives with existing programs, this comprehensive strategy and slate of conservation activities will contribute to a more sustainable management of water supplies in the Santa Monica service area and community.

2 . 1 . P l a n D e v e l o p m e n t The Plan development included review of past documentation and data analyses. Santa Monica provided data per a list of requirements. The information requested and received included:

• Prior year(s) water production and consumption data on a monthly basis for the different classes of water users.

• Complete descriptions of past, present, and proposed future conservation programs including historical annual participation rates.

• Results of any independent analyses of water savings due to prior Santa Monica programs.

• Historical and projected water system service area population, employment, land use data, and growth projections through the year 2045, or other suitable end year, along with maps of the water system, political jurisdiction boundaries, and study area(s).

• Customer characteristics and data needed to characterize water conservation measures such as the number of facilities or businesses of a particular type.

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City staff worked closely with Maddaus Water Management (MWM) to compile the data mentioned, and together, these formed the foundation for the City’s Least Cost Planning Decision Support System (DSS Model). This DSS Model, developed by MWM, provided an update to the DSS Model which was initially developed as part of Santa Monica’s 2017 WUE Plan. The project team at MWM verified and tested data against historical records to ensure accuracy and logic as the DSS Model was developed. More detailed information about the DSS Model can be found in the appendices of this Plan, including a description of the assumptions, analysis, and methodology used.

MWM reviewed existing City practices and procedures to create a comprehensive list of water use conservation measures currently in place. The team also reviewed relevant literature and practices of other agencies to determine potential measures that could be implemented by Santa Monica. MWM used its master database of over 100 measures and followed the screening process outlined in the American Water Works Association Manual of Practice, M52 Water Conservation Programs – A Planning Manual (AWWA, 2017).

Throughout the planning process, Santa Monica and MWM conducted multiple meetings, primarily to complete the measure design sheets of the DSS Model which identifies measure criteria such as fixture costs, applicable customer classes, length of implementation, measure life, administrative costs, end uses, end-use savings per replacement, and a target number or percentage of accounts per measure year. Following the DSS Model completion and evaluation of program options, the Draft and Final Water Conservation Master Plans were prepared.

This analysis is planned to be used in support of Santa Monica’s conservation program planning for budget, staffing, and preparing for the new state legislation. This Plan is aligned to the new state legislation SB 606 and AB 1668 framework; however, details of the state plan have yet to be released. When detailed guidance is available, this Final Plan may need to be modified to include any new or revised actions needed by Santa Monica.

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3 . A N A L Y S I S O F W A T E R D E M A N D This section presents information about the data collection process, historical production and customer category consumption data, as well as a summary of Santa Monica’s conservation efforts.

3 . 1 . I n f o r m a t i o n R e v i e w a n d D a t a C o l l e c t i o n M e t h o d s A thorough collection and review of information relevant to this effort was conducted and entered into the City’s Data Collection Workbook. Using the provided consumption and accounts values from the City, MWM and City staff confirmed the number and types of customers within the service area and identified the unique customer categories to be tracked.

Figure 3-1 presents data topics and items requested, gathered, and stored in the City of Santa Monica Data Collection Workbook.

Figure 3-1. Data Collection Workbook Topics and Items Requested

3 . 2 . P r o d u c t i o n v e r s u s C o n s u m p t i o n Santa Monica’s water use patterns were analyzed based on twelve years of water production, consumption, and water loss data provided by Santa Monica (years 2010 to 2022). Figure 3-2.

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Figure 3-2 illustrates the total production versus total consumption for Santa Monica’s service area. Water production data were measured at their respective sources. Water consumption data were measured at the customer meters. Note the overall decreased water use since 2014 is related to the severe California drought from 2014-2016.

Figure 3-2. Total Production vs. Total Consumption

Note: Abnormal water years include bad economy in 2008-2011, recent local dry years in 2013-2017 and 2021-2022, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

3 . 3 . C o n s u m p t i o n b y U s e r C a t e g o r y The City has a variety of customer categories utilized in their billing system. Data from each customer category was analyzed separately. This Plan has organized users into Single Family Residential, Multi-Family Residential, Commercial/Industrial, Institutional, Landscape Irrigation, and Fire categories to align with the City’s 2020 UWMP customer categories. Figure 3-3 below illustrates the water use breakdowns within the City based on water use data. Multi-Family Residential is the largest category of water users, accounting for about 45% of the water consumed between 2017-2019 and 2022. This period was selected for the water use profiles in this section to avoid potential impacts to the data from drought and the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Figure 3-3. Consumption by Customer Category 2017-2019, 2022

Note: Customer category water use is based on averaging 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022 historical water use per account by customer category, representing post-drought and non-Covid conditions.

Using the DSS Model, historical data was segregated into indoor and outdoor water use by customer type. To determine the indoor and outdoor water use split MWM assumed that indoor use is approximately equal to the minimum use in the winter. While there may be minimal landscape watering in the winter, or leakage from irrigation systems, it is assumed this is minor, at less than 5–10% of the average winter water use. Figure 3-4 shows the breakdown of water use into indoor and outdoor components based on these assumptions. The average indoor water use for the selected period was 87.6% and outdoor water use was 12.4%.

Figure 3-4. Overall Use: Indoor vs. Outdoor

Note: Figure is based on average 2017-2019 and 2022 estimated indoor water use.

Single Family Residential, 24.1%

Multi-Family Residential, 44.6%

Commercial/Indus trial, 26.0%

Landscape Irrigation, 4.5%

Institutional, 0.7% Fire, 0.1%

Indoor Total , 87.6%

Outdoor Total, 12.4%

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4 . C O N S E R V A T I O N M E A S U R E E V A L U A T I O N City staff identified 16 conservation measures for evaluation in the DSS Model. This section presents a description, baseline assumptions, and output comparison of the conservation measures that were evaluated as part of this Plan’s development.

4 . 1 . C o n s e r v a t i o n M e a s u r e S c r e e n i n g The experience of many utilities has shown there is a reasonable limit to how many measures can be feasibly implemented at one time. Programs that consist of many measures are historically difficult to implement successfully. Therefore, prioritization of measures is important both as an outcome of this planning effort and as the program is implemented. The approach to program implementation is viewed as a “living” process where opportunities may arise and be adopted as new technologies become available over time. Program timelines can also be adjusted, with the recognition that doing so may impact the savings objectives.

An important step in updating the City’s water conservation program included identification of new measures that may be appropriate and screening of these measures to a short-list for detailed evaluation (benefit-cost analysis). Potential new measures for the Plan included more than 100 potential water conservation measures drawn from MWM and City experience and a review of what other water agencies with innovative and effective conservation programs are implementing. The list of measures included devices or programs that can be used to achieve water conservation and what distribution method, or mechanism, can be used to activate the device or program (direct install, incentive, ordinance). A thorough screening process was necessary to scale a reasonable short-list of measures for evaluation in the DSS Model. City staff reduced the library list of measures to 16 measures based on a quantitative and qualitative ranking of each measure’s water savings, cost to the City, public acceptance, and ease of implementation. The 16 selected measures also target water conservation across all relevant customer categories. Figure 4-1 shows the City’s measure screening criteria.

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4 . 2 . C o n s e r v a t i o n M e a s u r e s E v a l u a t e d Table 4-1 defines all 16 measures that were thoroughly analyzed for the City’s Plan. Information about the DSS Model analysis approach to measure unit costs, water savings, and lifetimes are in Appendix C. Actual measure inputs used in the DSS Model to evaluate the water conservation measures selected by the City, and their results, can be found in individual measure screenshots provided in Appendix D. More information on the selected program, which includes 13 measures, is included in the next section- Conservation Program Evaluation.

Figure 4-1. Measure Screening Criteria

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Table 4-1. Measure Descriptions

Measure Name Description Leak Detection and Alerts:

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

The City plans to have AMI fully deployed and operational by 2026. The rollout includes web portals to access AMI data: one for the utility, and one for customers (which includes a mobile app).

This measure consists of two aspects: 1) Water resources staff will reach out to customers daily where usage is flagged as a leak by the web portal, and 2) Education for customers on accessing the web portal/mobile app and setting up their own leak detection alerts (which has been shown to improve accountability and reduce water use). Could roll out program by targeting certain customer classes, high volume users, or ongoing leaks. Note: this measure does not include watering restrictions, monitoring, and enforcement.

Leak Detection and Alerts:

Toilet Flow Sensors

Provide rebates or other financial incentive to MF property owners for a toilet leak detection technology system (e.g., Sensor Industries SI-Flush Sensor). These sensors send data to a server that then alerts property owners of potential leaks. This measure can be a starting component of a follow-on comprehensive MF program (modeled after Santa Clarita's MF program).

Free Water Saving Devices The City's water resources division bulk purchases high efficiency showerheads, faucet aerators, toilet dye strips, and hose nozzles and gives them away for free at the City office or community events. Planning to add spray valves for restaurants.

Free devices are also included in the Office of Sustainability's residential sustainability kit. The City partners with Sustainable Works to distribute devices through their Certified Green Business program.

Public Messaging and Education

The City conducts and plans to conduct several public education and training efforts including:

> Printed and electronic materials to raise awareness of conservation measures available to customers, including incentive programs offered by Utility. This includes newsletters, bill stuffers, brochures, working with local newspapers, signage at retailers, signs on public buses, social media campaigns, and website updates.

> Community outreach: Conducting presentations at various neighborhood groups, BIDs, and booths at relevant community events with free device giveaways.

> Workshops or other means for educating customers, landscapers, and contractors in efficient landscaping and irrigation principals (e.g. Sustainable Landscape Workshops at the Airport Demonstration Gardens).

> School education program

City of Santa Monica Water Conservation Management Plan 22

Measure Name Description > Recognition program for water saving businesses- through Green Business program efforts by Sustainable Works > Non-Functional Turf Education > Fixture replacement compliance (SB 407) > Signage in public landscape areas (e.g. using recycled water, reduced watering, etc.)

Rebate: Toilets (Residential) Provide a rebate for installing a Premium High Efficiency Toilet (PHET: i.e., a toilet that uses 1.06 gpf (4 liters/flush) or less) that replaces a toilet using >= 1.6 gpf in residential properties. Current rebate covers up to nine toilets (SF only, unlimited for MF) and covers the material cost up to $200/toilet ($40 from MWD and supplemental $160 from Santa Monica). New incentive amount going forward would provide $70 supplemental funds from Santa Monica per toilet. CA code requires toilets flush at 1.28 gpf or less.

Rebate: Toilet/Urinals (CII) Provide a rebate for the installation of a Premium High Efficiency Toilet (PHET: i.e. a toilet that uses 1.06 gpf (4 liters/flush) or less) that replaces a toilet using >= 1.6 gpf in CII properties. Current rebate covers the material cost up to $200/toilet ($40 from MWD and supplemental $160 from Santa Monica). New incentive going forward would provide a $70 rebate from the City per toilet for a total rebated cost of $110. CA code requires toilets flush at 1.28 gpf or less.

Provide a rebate for the installation of a Ultra-Low Water Urinal (ULWU: 0.125 gpf) or Zero Water Urinal (ZWU) that replaces a urinal using >= 1.5 gpf. Current rebate covers the material cost up to $400/urinal ($200 from MWD and supplemental $200 from Santa Monica). Proposing to keep the same incentive amount moving forward. CA code requires urinals flush at 0.125 gpf or less.

Rebate: Clothes Washers (Residential)

Provides a rebate for High Efficiency Clothes Washers (meet or exceeds the CEE Tier 1 standard) to single family homes. The current rebate covers the material cost up to $400/HECW ($85 from MWD and supplemental $315 from Santa Monica). New incentive amount going forward would provide $120 supplemental funds from Santa Monica.

Rebate: Commercial Equipment (CII)

Provide rebates for water efficient indoor commercial equipment. Includes air-cooled ice machines, steamers, dry vacuum pumps, and controllers on cooling towers. Can add cooling tower submeters as an additional item but would be a City rebate not through MWD.

Rebate: Irrigation Conversion (Spray to Drip)

The City's Spray to Drip program provides a rebate for water-efficient landscape irrigation retrofits that replace overhead spray irrigation (sprinklers) in non-turf areas with highly efficient

City of Santa Monica Water Conservation Management Plan 23 drip irrigation. Rebate is $2.00/sqft up to $4,000 for SF, $6,000 for MF and CII.

Rebate: Landscape Conversion (Cash for Grass)

The City's Cash for Grass program provides a landscape conversion rebate for water-efficient landscape retrofits that remove turf grass, cap sprinklers, and install low-water plants, compost, mulch and drip irrigation. Rebate is $3.50/sqft up to $6,000 for SF. Rebate is $3.50/sqft. up $10,000 for MF, $20,000 for CII. Use Eagle Aerial's WaterView to identify large turf areas to target outreach for landscape conversion.

Water Neutrality Direct Install: Indoor Devices

The Water Neutrality Direct Install Program installs high efficiency indoor fixtures in SF, MF, and CII buildings. This includes SMMUSD, SMC, and private schools. Replacements include high efficiency toilets, showerheads, faucet aerators, and high efficiency urinals. Installations are performed by a contracted third-party installer.

The “Water Neutrality Direct Install Program” is funded by the Water Neutrality Ordinance offset and in-lieu fees for new development.

Direct Install: Irrigation Devices

For SF, MF, CII, and IRR customers with landscape, provide for the installation of water efficient irrigation upgrades. This could be in conjunction with the WaterWise landscape surveys or via one of CalWEP's turnkey programs for administration assistance.

Included in the menu of installations are: rotary nozzles, WBIC, soil moisture sensor, rain sensors, rain barrels. Use Eagle Aerial's WaterView to identify large turf areas to target outreach. This program could be funded by Water Neutrality fees and become part of that program.

Water Audits: Indoor and Outdoor Residential

Provide a free water survey for Residential customers. The City is working on a contract with WaterWise Consulting to provide water surveys for residential customers. Those with high water use or that have received a Notice of Violation (NOV) for outdoor water waste are targeted. Assumes these customers are different than those targeted with AMI leak alerts. Includes an onsite visit and customized report on how to save water. Simple irrigation repairs, spray head alignment, retrofits with rotary nozzles, and installation and programming of WBICS is included.

Outdoor survey is the primary offering, with indoor water surveys also available upon request. Includes the free installation of efficient showerheads and aerators. These surveys can link with the Irrigation Devices Direct Install program.

Water Audits: Indoor and Outdoor CII

Provide a free water survey for CII customers. Target top users including hotels, hospitals, and restaurants. Assumes contracted out at this time but could add staff to be administered in-house.

After the free water use survey has been completed at each site, Santa Monica would analyze the recommendations on the

City of Santa Monica Water Conservation Management Plan 24 findings report that is provided and determine if site qualifies for rebates, direct installs, and/or MWD's WSIP (Water Savings Incentive Program). Recommendations are tailored to each individual site as each site has varying water savings potential.

Link to CII Equipment Rebates measure and the Irrigation Devices Direct Install program. Modeled after the West Basin pilot program.

Enforcement: Outdoor Water Waste

The City's Water Conservation requirements SMMC 7.16.020 prohibits the waste of water outdoors, including failure to repair leaks in a timely manner. Water waste enforcement is handled for reported violations with Notices of Violation sent to the property's account holder. A contract is being finalized for nighttime water waste patrols. A component of this program could be to provide coupons for saving water and money at a certified water smart car wash. Water smart car washes recycle water on-site or send it to a water treatment facility where the water is treated, recycled, and reused. Some establishments may go waterless, providing car cleaning services with environmentally friendly products using little or no water.

Coupons may only be redeemed at a participating retailer.

Coupons could be presented at the time of purchase. Water Resources Protection could provide coupons when addressing water runoff issues.

Compliance: CA Water Budgeting (Dedicated Irrigation Meters)

Conduct detailed landscape area measurements for CII dedicated irrigation accounts. Can use aerial imagery including freely available National Agricultural Aerial Program (NAIP) Imagery. The recommended standard would require urban retail water suppliers to identify dedicated irrigation meters (DIMs) and measure the associated irrigated CII landscapes within five years after the State Water Board adopts the regulation. The total landscape area will be incorporated into a landscape water use equation/standard (provided by DWR) to produce a supplier level CII landscape budget in gallons. The state will not enforce CII landscape budgets for individual parcels/customers. Also includes requirements for new MF and CII developments to install dedicated irrigation meters and SF accounts with greater than 5,000' of irrigation to install a dedicated landscape meter. This is already specified in Santa Monica's WELIS and enforced in plan check.

4 . 3 . C o n s e r v a t i o n M e a s u r e A n a l y s i s MWM conducted an economic evaluation of each selected water conservation measure using the DSS Model. Appendix D presents detailed results including how much water each measure will save through 2045, how much each will cost, and the cost of saved water per unit volume if

City of Santa Monica Water Conservation Management Plan 25 the measure were to be implemented on a stand-alone basis (i.e., without interaction or overlap from other measures that might address the same end use/uses). Dollar savings from reduced water demand was quantified annually and based on avoided costs provided by the City.4 Actual measure design parameter inputs can be found in Appendix D. While each measure was analyzed independently, it is important to note very few measures operate independently. For example, higher efficiency indoor fixtures go together with indoor water checkups and public education.

It should be noted that the water savings from the education measure is not double counted with other conservation measures. As a result, costs appear significantly higher for education than for other measures due to the very minimal water savings estimated for the singular cost investment.

However, other measures certainly would be less effective or possibly infeasible without an active outreach program. Without community and school education initiatives, customers would be unaware of other conservation measures and participation would likely be reduced.

Figure 4-2 below shows the comparison of cost of savings per unit volume of all modeled measures.

Figure 4-2. Cost of Savings per Unit Volume ($/AF)

4 Santa Monica’s weighted unit cost of water of all sources in fiscal year 2022 was $3,508/MG.

$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000

Rebate: Irrigation Conversion (Spray to Drip)

Enforcement: Outdoor Water Waste

Leak Detection and Alerts: Toilet Flow Sensors

Rebate: Landscape Conversion (Cash for Grass)

Public Messaging and Education

Leak Detection and Alerts: Advanced Metering…

Water Audits: Indoor and Outdoor Residential

Free Water Saving Devices

Rebate: Toilets (Residential)

Rebate: Clothes Washers (Residential)

Direct Install: Irrigation Devices

Rebate: Toilet/Urinals (CII)

Water Audits: Indoor and Outdoor CII

Compliance: CA Water Budgeting (Dedicated…

Water Neutrality Direct Install: Indoor Devices

Rebate: Commercial Equipment (CII)

City of Santa Monica Water Conservation Management Plan 26

5 . C O N S E R V A T I O N P R O G R A M E V A L U A T I O N This section provides a summary of which measures were included in each of the three conservation programs as well as the program implementation strategy selected by Santa Monica. The three programs were designed to illustrate a range of various measure combinations and resulting water savings.

The following key items were taken into consideration during measure selection for Programs A, B, and C:

• Existing conservation measures

• Measures run by Metropolitan Water District

• Conservation measures recommended by AWWA, CalWEP (California Water Efficiency

Partnership- formerly CUWCC), DWR and others

• New and innovative measures

• Measure equitability among customer categories

• Customer demographics

In addition, this section identifies and prioritizes the conservation programs and projects by cost effectiveness, quantifiable water savings, and compliance with American Water Works Association G480 Water Conservation Program Operation and Management Standard (G480 Standard). The G480 Standard is defined on the AWWA web page as follows:

The G480-13 Water Conservation Program Operation and Management Standard (G480 Standard) is a voluntary standard that can be adopted by water providers at their own discretion. The G480 Standard describes the critical elements of an effective water conservation program and encompasses activities undertaken by a utility within its own operations to improve water use on the supply side through distribution system management and on the demand side through customer billing and education practices. A conservation program meeting this standard has the potential to impact all water users.5

5 . 1 . M e a s u r e S e l e c t i o n f o r C o n s e r v a t i o n P r o g r a m A l t e r n a t i v e s Using the data gathered, MWM created a list of all potential program concepts that were appropriate for the Santa Monica service area to meet future regulatory and conservation compliance mandates. The list included existing program elements and traditional conservation measures as well as concepts that had yet to be implemented or considered by Santa Monica.

Factors for determining which measure should be in each program included budgeting, feasibility to implement the program, and the time at which each measure would need to be introduced to promote conservation efforts. Programs also needed to address water conservation across all relevant customer categories.

5 American Water Works Association. G480 Standard and AWE Leaderboard web page:

https://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/resources/topic/g480-standard-and-awe-leaderboard https://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/resources/topic/g480-standard-and-awe-leaderboard

City of Santa Monica Water Conservation Management Plan 27

The results of the program analysis were reviewed, at which point Santa Monica adjusted the program contents to determine which measures would be in each of the three program scenarios. MWM then compiled descriptions and parameters of the programs. These program scenarios were not intended to be rigid but rather to demonstrate the range in savings that could be generated if selected measures were run at the same time.