04-24-2017 BPU RPT 08 - Laserfiche WebLink

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W A I= R h N h R L Y I. I F F PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES Board Memorandum DATE: APRIL 24, 2017 ITEM NO: 8 SUBJECT: STATE OF CALIFORNIA WATER DROUGHT UPDATE ISSUE: Receive and file the State of California Water Drought Update. RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Public Utilities receive and file the State of California Water Drought Update. BACKGROUND: In April 2015, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. declared a State of Emergency, due to extended drought conditions, and called for a statewide 25% reduction in urban water use in 2015 to reduce the impact to the State's water resources. In implementing the Governor's Order, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) required Riverside to conserve 28% of its urban water use relative to 2013 for the period between June 2015 and February 2016. In response, the City Council implemented Stage 3 of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan. In February 2016, the SWRCB modified Riverside's conservation standard to 25%. In April 2016, the SWRCB revised the regulations to allow water agencies to self -certify their water conservation standard depending on their water supply condition over the next three years. Based on these guidelines, the City Council self -certified to a zero conservation standard (relative to 2013) and rescinded Stage 3 of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan. From June 2015 to present, Riverside Residents have reduced water use by 20% as compared to the water usage in 2013 as shown in the attached figure. In May 2016, Executive Order B-37-16 (Executive Order) was issued, which directed five State Agencies to develop measures to establish long-term urban water conservation (efficiency) standards and to develop improved state and local planning processes in anticipation of more frequent and severe droughts. The agencies were designated Executive Order Agencies (EO Agencies) and include the Department of Water Resources, the SWRCB, the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the California Energy Commission. In response, the EO Agencies are developing new water efficiency standards. Rather than measuring water savings as a percentage reduction from a chosen baseline, the new regulations will take into account the unique climatic, demographic and land -use characteristics of each urban water agency's service area. The goal is to provide a conservation/efficiency framework that is more durable and applies more equitably and uniformly across the enormous variations in local conditions in California. Over the next 3 years the EO Agencies will develop and rollout the entire suite of conservation measures and requirements to comply with the Executive Order; and, local agencies will be required to be in full compliance by 2025. DISCUSSION: To date, the SWRCB has extended the Emergency Drought Regulations until May 2017. This action has little impact to RPU as the Utility is currently in compliance with the emergency regulations, the Utility