SUBJECT: General Business
Title
A Resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Erie Adopting an Updated Water Efficiency Plan and an Updated Drought and Water Supply Shortage Plan
Body
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PRESENTER: Tyler Kesler, Sustainability & Water Conservation Specialist
Todd Fessenden, Public Works Director
Courtney Black, INTERA
TIME ESTIMATE: 20 minutes
only required for non-consent items
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Adopt the Resolution adopting the updated Water Efficiency Plan and Drought and Water Supply Shortage Plan
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
Water efficiency planning is necessary for Erie to meet long-term water supply needs. Additionally, water efficiency planning, drought planning, and water supply reliability planning are interrelated with land use decisions. Furthermore, the State requires* these planning efforts to be integrated.
With this in mind, in July 2019, the Town contracted with INTERA to help update the Town’s Water Efficiency Plan and Drought and Water Supply Shortage Plan. The Water Efficiency Plan is an update to Erie’s 2014 Water Conservation Plan and is Erie’s third State-approved Water Efficiency Plan. Simultaneously, Erie began its first update to the 2015 Drought and Water Supply Shortage Plan, capitalizing on new ideas, updated information and weather data available, the experience of staff, and guidance from industry experts and Town partners.
INTERA held seven official workshops and numerous additional meetings with Erie staff over the last year and a half. These workshops along with hundreds of hours spent by staff gathering and synthesizing data provided most of the information for both plan updates. Once the final draft was created, the Town coordinated a 30-day review process, including a Q&A session on March 22, where the public, Town staff, external stakeholders, and elected officials had opportunities to learn about and comment on the plans.
The Drought and Water Supply Shortage Plan proactively prepares Erie for drought and provides a framework to respond to a water shortage. The Water Efficiency Plan provides the foundational components of Erie’s water efficiency programs. Both plans play a critical role in ensuring sustainable and reliable water supplies for the Town.
The major updates to the current plans include:
§ A thorough review of historical water use data since the last Water Efficiency Plan and an update to Erie’s water efficiency goals; “10 in 10” is the mantra (10% savings in 10 years).
§ An evaluation of Erie’s historical water efficiency efforts and identification of new water efficiency activities to accomplish in the next 7 years. This includes new activities to integrate water efficiency and land use planning.
§ New guiding principles for developing communication strategies and activities on water efficiency considering new staff and divisions since the last plan update.
§ An update of Erie’s drought and water supply shortage planning objectives, operating principles, and water use priorities.
§ A refined version of Erie’s four drought and water supply shortage stages since the last drought activation in 2012.
§ An update of Erie’s drought and water supply shortage response (summarized in Tables E-1 and E-2).
§ Additional drought mitigation measures (e.g., Well Project) that improve Erie’s resiliency to drought and water shortages.
§ Creation of a Response Team at the onset of droughts/water shortages consisting of designated Erie staff from different departments to help coordinate the response.
The plans were developed to State guidelines, approved by the State pending Erie Board of Trustee approval, and both plans meet the State statute for developing a State approved water conservation plan every 7 years. Upon adoption, Erie will receive $60,000 in Colorado Water Conservation Board grant monies to reimburse Town funding for both plan updates.
*The Colorado’s Water Conservation Act of 2004 (HB04-1365) requires all covered entities (retail water providers that sell 2,000 acre-feet (AF) or more on an annual basis) to have a state approved water efficiency plan containing certain required minimum plan elements described in the CWCB’s Water Efficiency Plan Guidelines.
In 2010, the Colorado General Assembly adopted HB10-1051 which requires covered entities to report, on an annual basis, water use and conservation data to be used for statewide water supply planning. This bill also directed the CWCB to adopt guidelines regarding the reporting of water use and conservation data by covered entities (Guidelines), and to report to the legislature regarding the Guidelines.
Board Priority(s) Addressed:
ü Attractive Community Amenities
ü Engaged and Diverse Community
ü Prosperous Economy
ü Well-Maintained Transportation Infrastructure
ü Small Town Feel
ü Safe and Healthy Community
ü Effective Governance
ü Environmentally Sustainable
ü Fiscally Responsible
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. Water Efficiency Plan
3. Drought and Water Supply Shortage Plan