06-03-11 BPU RPT 10 - Laserfiche WebLink

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W A T E R E N E R G Y L I F I RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES Board Memorandum PUS LIC UTILITIES BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: June 3, 2011 ITEM NO: 10 SUBJECT; CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SMART IRRIGATION PROGRAM ISSUE: That the Board of Public Utilities consider approval of the creation and implementation of the Smart Irrigation Program (SIP), a multi-year Smart Irrigation Controller and High-Efficiency Sprinkler Nozzle Direct installation Program. RECOMMENDATIONS: That the Board of Public Utilities recommend that the City Council- 1. Approve the Smart Irrigation Program; 2. Approve funding in the amount of up to $200,000 for Fiscal Year 2011-12 and inclusion in the budget for the following two (2) fiscal years; and 3. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to make any minor, non-substantive changes necessary to implement this Program. BACKGROUND: In November 2009, the Governor and State Legislature approved a comprehensive water package that set ambitious water conservation policy and goals. Included in this package, Senate Bill SBX7-7 mandates urban water suppliers lower per capita water usage 20% by the year 2020. Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) currently offers a variety of water conservation rebate programs for high efficiency toilets, high efficiency clothes washers, weather-based irrigation controllers, high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles, artificial turf and water wise landscaping. In an effort to achieve the mandated goal of 20% per capita water savings by 2020, RPU staff recommends implementation of the Smart Irrigation Program, a multi- year Smart Irrigation Controller and High-Efficiency Sprinkler Nozzle Direct installation Program. It is anticipated that the Smart Irrigation Program would actively target high outdoor water-using RPU residential and commercial water customers and then phase-in over several years customers who use lesser amounts of water. Utility analyses have shown that over 50% of overall daily water use in Riverside is directly attributed to landscape irrigation. Through a concentrated effort to target high water- use customers with directly installed smart irrigation controllers and high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles, the City can save millions of gallons of water a year and work toward achieving mandated conservation goals. The cost of the program will be established by analyzing the number of controllers and sprinkler nozzles installed and the potential water savings by each customer, Smart controllers use factors such as soil and plant type, local weather data, and historical weather patterns to automatically schedule irrigation for a landscape. They have been proven to save as much as 25% of the water applied by conventional controllers while high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles have been proven to save up to 1,200 gallons of water a year per head.