Item 28 - Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan

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feet of recovered groundwater for municipal use. Since 1982, Metropolitan has invested $680 million to fund 85 recycled water projects and 27 groundwater recovery projects that have produced a cumulative total of about 4 million acre-feet. Conservation Programs Metropolitan’s regional conservation programs and approaches have a long history. Decades ago, Metropolitan recognized that demand management at the consumer level would be an important part of balancing regional supplies and demands. Water conservation efforts were seen as a way to reduce the need for imported supplies and offset the need to transport or store additional water into or within the Metropolitan service area. The actual conservation of water takes place at the retail consumer level. Regional conservation approaches have proven to be effective at reaching retail consumers throughout Metropolitan’s service area and successfully implementing water saving devices, programs and practices. Through the pooling of funding by Metropolitan’s member agencies, Metropolitan is able to engage in regional campaigns with wide-reaching impact. Regional investments in demand management programs, of which conservation is a key part along with local supply programs, benefit all member agencies regardless of project location. These programs help to increase regional water supply reliability, reduce demands for imported water supplies, decrease the burden on Metropolitan’s infrastructure, reduce system costs, and free up conveyance capacity to the benefit of all member agencies. Incentive-Based Conservation Programs Conservation Credits Program In 1988, Metropolitan’s Board approved the Water Conservation Credits Program (Credits Program). The Credits Program is similar in concept to the Local Projects Program (LPP). The purpose of the Credits Program is to encourage local water agencies to implement effective water conservation projects through the use of financial incentives. The Credits Program provides financial assistance for water conservation projects that reduce demands on Metropolitan’s imported water supplies and require Metropolitan’s assistance to be financially feasible. Initially, the Credits Program provided 50 percent of a member agency’s program cost, up to a maximum of $75 per acre-foot of estimated water savings. The $75 Base Conservation Rate was established based Metropolitan’s avoided cost of pumping SWP supplies. The Base Conservation Rate has been revisited by Metropolitan’s Board and revised twice since 1988, from $75 to $154 per acre-foot in 1990 and from $154 to $195 per acre-foot in 2005. In fiscal year 2020 Metropolitan processed more than 30,400 rebate applications totaling $18.9 million. Member Agency Administered Program Some member agencies also have unique programs within their service areas that provide local rebates that may differ from Metropolitan’s regional program. Metropolitan continues to support these local efforts through a member agency administered funding program that adheres to the same funding guidelines as the Credits Program. The Member Agency Administered Program allows member agencies to receive funding for local conservation efforts that supplement, but do not duplicate, the rebates offered through Metropolitan’s regional rebate program. Water Savings Incentive Program There are numerous commercial entities and industries within Metropolitan’s service area that pursue unique savings opportunities that do not fall within the general rebate programs that Metropolitan provides. In 2012, Metropolitan designed the Water Savings Incentive Program (WSIP) to target these unique commercial and industrial projects. In addition to rebates for devices, under this program, Metropolitan provides financial incentives to businesses and industries that created their own custom water efficiency projects. Qualifying custom projects can receive funding for permanent water efficiency changes that result in reduced potable demand. Non-Incentive Conservation Programs In addition to its incentive-based conservation programs, Metropolitan also undertakes additional efforts throughout its service area that help achieve water savings without the use of rebates. Metropolitan’s non-incentive conservation efforts include: residential and professional water efficient landscape training classes