11-19-10 BPU RPT 11 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

W ' Y C Y 1 V ' -! 4 y ! 1 1 RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES Board Memorandum P U B L I C U T I I T T I F i BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: November 19, 2010 ITEM NO: 11 SUBJECT: PRECISION LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION NOZZLE DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM UPDATE ISSUE: Based on the results of the Precision Landscape Irrigation Nozzle Distribution Pilot Program, additional funding is needed to support the annual program that will begin March 1, 2011. RECOMMENDATIONS: That the Board of Public Utilities recommend that the City Council: 1. Approve additional funding in the amount of $150,040 from the Water Conservation and Reclamation Surcharge U n-prog ram med Funds for the 2010-11 Precision Landscape Irrigation Nozzle Distribution Program; and 2. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to increase change orders for the Precision Landscape Irrigation Nozzle Distribution Program for FY 2010-11 no more than $150,000 per vendor with the total amount not to exceed $250,000. BACKGROUND: In November 2009, the Governor and State Legislature approved a comprehensive water package that sets ambitious water conservation policy. Included within the package, SB 7 mandates urban water suppliers to lower per capita water usage 20% by the year 2020. RPU offers water conservation rebates to its customers and implemented the Precision Landscape Irrigation Nozzle Program to its program list in order to facilitate Riverside's compliance with the law. The Precision Series spray nozzles are proven to provide up to 20%water savings per head without adjusting controllers or run times. City of Riverside residents and businesses who apply for the Program can use the rinkleriNozz es.con•, website to obtain a voucher for free Precision Irrigation Nozzles. Precision TM series spray nozzles are a patented technology and the sole property of The Toro Company, a Riverside-based international irrigation company. Nozzles are available through Toro's existing authorized distribution retail channels within the City of Riverside. These locations include Ewing Irrigation, John Deere Landscapes, and Bonnett Irrigation, Western Municipal Water District (WMWD) is an active partner in the program, thus opening it to all residents and businesses within City of Riverside boundaries. Program caps are set at 25 nozzles per residential customer and 100 nozzles per commercial customer. On March 16, 2010, the City Council approved The Precision Landscape Irrigation Nozzle Pilot Program and multi-year conservation rebate program for Riverside residential and commercial customers. The Program began July 1, 2010. Due to its overwhelming success, funding was depleted after only three weeks and the pilot program ended on July 21, 2010. In those three weeks, over 42,000 nozzles were distributed to approxima}ely 1,500 locations in Riverside, which equates to an estimated water savings of 300 million gallons over the next five years.