EXCEEDING THE STATE WATER USE TARGET MAURICE CHANEY PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

CUSTOMERS TOOK ACTION “My water use is down about 68 percent, which saves me money, and I’m saving an additional $100 per month because I no longer need a gardener. Start out with customers who really embodied the drought. It is their passion that assisted us in achieving amazing results. Jere Myers joined the trend to drought-tolerant lawns during fiscal 2015 by participating in EU’s highly successful “Cash for Grass” program. He removed 2,394 square feet of turf from his home, replaced it with rock, 33 drought-tolerant plants, two low-water trees and a drip-irrigation system. Jere received a $1,000 reimbursement check from EU and a matching check from the state. “My wife and I have lived in our home for 35 years, and I have wanted to remove the turf for several years,” Jere told us. “But my wife wasn’t sure, so we held off. Then, after a trip to Mexico, I came home and found a five-gallon bucket in the shower. My wife said, ‘Did you know we’re in the middle of a terrible drought? Every drop counts!’ So that’s when we decided to replace our lawn.” “My wife and I love what we did, and it’s almost obscene how little it cost me. For example, my water use is down about 68 percent, which saves me money, and I’m saving an additional $100 per month because I no longer need a gardener to cut my lawn. And the state matched Roseville’s incentive check.” Read a quote from Jere

CUSTOMERS TOOK ACTION Start out with customers who really embodied the drought. It is their passion that assisted us in achieving amazing results.

WHO WE ARE One of the largest communities in Sacramento region 130,000 population Full service city Water service cost inexpensive Primary water source: Folsom Lake Stress that being part of a city has considerable advantages because it allowed us to coordinate among all impacted departments.

OUR PRIMARY WATER SOURCE This was taken in 2014. Folsom Lake has a capacity to hold just shy of 1 million acre feet. The mere proximity to our water supply resource was a constant reminder that the drought was real. We get a portion of our water from the Central Valley Project and also through contracts with PCWA. 3 acre feet per month for the typical customer. The biggest performer in our water portfolio is surface water. The city has three surface water supply contracts totaling 66,000 acre feet per year This includes a 32,000 acre foot per year contract with the US Bureau of Reclamation A 30,000 AFY contract with placer county water agency and a 4,000 AFY contract with san Juan Water District.

SAVING WATER IS A TEAM SPORT (image of drought management team and describe when it was formed and what its charter was) Formed in 2013 Cross functional team with the goal of sharing operational information Coordinated efforts to ensure that all functions of the organization was in compliance. For example, working with our parks department or our building department to ensure the drought contingencies were being followed. Interpret and implement state water use and conservation regulations Ensure that city ordinances complement statewide mandates Work collaboratively with operations to ensure citywide water-use efficiency Advocate for policy changes both internally and externally Communicate effectively with and address concerns from internal and external audiences

ROSEVILLE’S WATER SAVINGS TARGET 28 % (talk about how our region was the first to commit to a voluntary 20 percent reduction) 28 percent between June 2015 and February 2016

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH WATER SAVINGS TOOLBOX EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ENFORCEMENT ATTRACTIVE REBATES CUSTOMER CONTACT Behavior change is a four part mix of these elements working in tandem.

WATER SAVINGS TOOLBOX Drought surcharge SEPARATE THESE OUT WITH VISUALS We had access to a number of tools in our tool box. Will go through quickly what some of these tools looked like and how we used it.

WATER SAVINGS TOOLBOX Increased our public information and media efforts SEPARATE THESE OUT WITH VISUALS We had access to a number of tools in our tool box. Will go through quickly what some of these tools looked like and how we used it.

WATER SAVINGS TOOLBOX Increased our public information and media efforts SEPARATE THESE OUT WITH VISUALS We had access to a number of tools in our tool box. Will go through quickly what some of these tools looked like and how we used it.

WATER SAVINGS TOOLBOX REBATE DOLLARS INCREASED EDUCATION & CLASS OFFERINGS CONTINUED BOLSTERED ENFORCEMENT Cash for grass: 2008 to 2013= 30K to 200K Increased classes at the Utility Exploration Center. Class registration went from about 9 to 19. About a 50 percent increase We added more enforcement. This included night patrol Our drought contingency plan has five stages. We increased to a stage 3 SHIFT IN DROUGHT STAGES

WATER SAVINGS TOOLBOX Recycled water A requirement in our current drought stage means that recycled water was required for construction activity. 23,542 CCF or 54 AF used so far this year. 

Our water conservation staff was hard at work last year. 989 House Calls 4,000 high use complaints they responded to Nearly 700 rebates 42 percent increase from 2013 and 2015 in water waste complaints

PARKS DOING THEIR PART We have the good fortune of having our parks department under the city’s purview. Allows us to work hand in glove with them to ensure that as a water portfolio, their water use is managed properly. In 2015, Parks saved about 39 percent from 2013.

PARKS DOING THEIR PART We have the good fortune of having our parks department under the city’s purview. Many water agencies are independent of the local land authority and in some cases separate from their parks system. This was an advantage for us. Allows us to work hand in glove with them to ensure that as a water portfolio, their water use is managed properly. 90 square foot conversion at our corp yard and electric department buildings. Done last April and estimated to save 5 million gallons per year. 25 percent of our parks, and growing, are using recycled water.

HOW DID WE DO?

CUMMULATIVE SAVINGS (%) HOW DID WE DO? MONTH MONTHLY SAVINGS (%) CUMMULATIVE SAVINGS (%) June 39.1 July 39.2 August 37.3 38.5 September 30.4 36.8 October 35.5 36.6 November 37.0 December 26.1 35.9 January 13.2 34.7 February 24.0 34.1 Obviously our customers have done a great job in helping our city and our state address this historic drought. In March, we hit 43 percent. However it has not come with out its challenges. For example: Until our recent rate restructure, customers bills included a drought surcharge. There have been impacts to private property landscape investments Our urban forest has been stressed Business costs have increased, for example contractors must use RW for construction water which requires additional travel time to obtain this resource.

WHAT WORKED? Being close to Folsom Lake Watering day restrictions Water waste calls and enforcement It was a cumulative effect and not any one strategy or program worked on their own. Being close to Folsom helped in terms of media. Changing from no watering days to two in the summer and one in the winter forced many to cut their use. Our enforcement efforts have increased significantly.

Maurice Chaney mchaney@roseville.ca.us 916-774-5539 QUESTIONS? Maurice Chaney mchaney@roseville.ca.us 916-774-5539