Transcript SETTLEMENT GUIDELINES FOR CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE …

PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY
CONSERVATION
Water Conservation Workgroup Objectives
For Public Water Suppliers
• Consistent conservation requirements
• Flexible implementation
• Incentives to promote conservation
• Appropriate level of effort
• Common per capita methods among districts
• Common uses for each method
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Water Conservation Rule Development Concepts
• Accommodate abilities of all size utilities.
• Recognition of past conservation.
• Goal-based conservation plans to achieve costeffective water savings.
• Consistent format for conservation plans.
• Increased permit duration for conservation.
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Water Conservation Rule Development Benefits
• Common statewide framework for public
water supply conservation requirements.
• Conservation measures will be appropriate to
the public supply service area.
• Past conservation accomplishments are
recognized.
• Permit extensions based on water savings will
accelerate conservation improvements.
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Proposed Framework
Education
No
Required to Meter
and Report Water
Use
Education and
Standard Measures
Under
Yes
Screening Level Per
Capita
Over
*
Plan must meet any specific rule requirements of WUCA or
recovery/prevention strategy.
Education,
Standard Measures
and Develop and
Implement a Goal-based
Water Conservation
Plan*
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Conservation Education Component
• Education element is a basic requirement for
all public water supply use class permittees.
• Level of education and/or outreach effort will
be commensurate with size of permit.
• Examples include bill inserts, informative
billing, mail-outs, media/communication
efforts, public workshops, in-school
education, etc.
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Conservation Standard Measures
For All Utilities Required to Meter End Users
• Per capita water use tracking.
• Annual water loss summary and corrective
plan for excessive losses.
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Conservation Goal-based Plan
For Public Water Suppliers Above Screening
Per Capita:
• Develop goal-based plan
• A goal-based water conservation program is a
longer-term water use reduction program that
has a specified numerical water use target
expressed in per capita use.
• A well-designed goal-based water conservation
program can help a utility meet future water
supply demands without building new facilities.
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Goal Based Plan – Cont.
• Specific per capita goal(s) based on end
user class characteristics.
• Goals can be based on uniform gross or
residential per capita as appropriate.
• Public water supplier selects Best
Management Practices and measures to
achieve goals.
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Incentives to Promote Conservation
• Permit term extensions based on demand reduction
due to conservation.
• Extension allows utility to delay renewal by the amount
of time it will take to “grow into” the water saved.
• Any utility can opt to do a goal-based plan to obtain
permit extension.
• Priority consideration for WMD funding assistance for
utilities implementing a goal-based plan.
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Screening Per Capita Concept
• Screening per capita is a value which triggers
additional conservation measures (a goal-based
conservation plan).
• Screening per capita is not the utility goal.
• Per capita calculation based on 2008 DEP/WMD
uniform residential method.
• Method is different than previously used in permitting.
• Screening per capita will be stringent, but achievable.
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Uniform Residential Per Capita
Utility Service Area Finished Water Used By Dwelling Units
Utility Service Area Residential Population
Where:
Utility Service Area Finished Water Used by Dwelling Units is the
sum of all finished water used by all dwelling units served by a
utility, and
Utility Service Area Residential Population =
Number of dwelling units served, multiplied by an estimate of
persons per household
Guidance on Per Capita Water Use: Uniform Definitions and Performance Measures
March 3, 2008
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Draft Language for Applicant’s Handbook
In order to incentivize conservation of water, if
actual water use is less than permitted water use
due to implementation of water conservation
measures, the permit shall not be modified by the
District during the term of the permit to reduce
the permitted allocation by the conserved
amount.
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Issues for Feedback – PWS Framework
• What factors should be considered to determine if
goal-based plan is acceptable?
• What amount of water loss should trigger a
corrective plan?
• What is an appropriate residential screening per
capita to trigger development of a goal-based
plan?
• How should the permit extension (incentive) be
structured?
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PWS Permit Extension Strawman
• Extension may be requested 10 years into
the permit, or no sooner that 5 years prior
to permit expiration.
• Quantity of saved water must be
documented.
• Based on current demand projections,
permit is extended to allow growth into
the saved water.
• Total extension not to exceed 10 years.
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Issues for Feedback – PWS Incentives
• If service area is built out, is permit
extension a meaningful incentive?
• If public water supplier already meeting
screening goal (but service area still
growing), how can past performance be
rewarded since additional water savings
are limited?
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AGRICULTURAL WATER
CONSERVATION
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Agricultural Conservation Objectives
• A rule that is equitable among agricultural
producers and to other water use sectors.
• A rule that does not put an undue financial
burden on Florida agricultural producers
or put them at a competitive disadvantage.
• A rule that results in improved water use
efficiency and water resource protection.
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Agricultural Conservation Considerations
• Agriculture and public water supply are the
two largest uses of water in Florida
• Potential for agricultural conservation is
high.
• Implementation costs can be substantial and
costs cannot be passed on to customers
(commodity prices are market driven).
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Current Status of Ag Conservation
• Considerable progress has been made through
irrigation system technological advances and retrofits
that improve efficiency, implementation of Best
Management Practices, and permit requirements.
• Water is currently allocated based on the applicant
meeting efficiency standards for the irrigation system
used and the crop type being grown.
• More stringent efficiency requirements are already in
place in resource limited areas.
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Agricultural Conservation Options
There are three basic conservation options:
• Achieve the highest efficiency possible, for
the type of irrigation system being used.
• Improve irrigation system management.
• Best Management Practices for land/crop
management to promote efficient use of
water.
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Rule Concepts
• Current mandatory requirements will be made
more consistent among the districts.
• Methodologies for allocating water will be
standardized (Water Demand Work Group).
• Incentives will be developed to encourage
conservation beyond mandatory requirements
(Conservation Work Group).
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Issues for Feedback - General Concept
• Is the voluntary, incentive-based approach
for further improving water use efficiency
adequate, or are there appropriate
additional mandatory requirements that
should be considered?
• If there are appropriate additional
mandatory requirements, what are they
and how should they be implemented?
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Potential Ag Conservation Incentives
• Longer term permits for the most efficient irrigation
systems.
• Permit extensions for system improvements – saved
water could be maintained if needed, for such cases as
increased planting or intensity of use.
• Reduced reporting requirements for already efficient
systems.
• Exemption from irrigation restrictions for certified
highly efficient systems.
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Issues for Feedback - Incentives
• Are the incentives listed appropriate?
• Would these incentives effectively
promote improved conservation?
• Are there other incentives that would
promote improved conservation either
through improved system efficiency,
improved operation, or implementation of
Best Management Practices?
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Issues for Feedback – Incentives – Cont.
• The proposed incentive concepts are
aimed at irrigation efficiency.
• Agriculture includes livestock and
aquaculture production as well.
• Are the incentives adaptable to these other
industries?
• Are there other industry-specific
incentives we should consider?
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