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

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water audits for large landscapes research, development and studies of new water saving technologies advertising and outreach campaigns community outreach and education programs advocacy for legislation, codes, and standards that lead to increased water savings Current Status and Results of Metropolitan’s Conservation Programs Since 1990, Metropolitan has invested $824 million in conservation rebates that have resulted in a cumulative savings of 3.27 million acre-feet of water. These investments include $450 million in turf removal and other rebates during the last drought which resulted in 175 million square feet of lawn turf removed. During fiscal year 2020, 1.06 million acre-feet of water is estimated to have been conserved. This annual total includes Metropolitan’s Conservation Credits Program; code-based conservation achieved through Metropolitan-sponsored legislation; building plumbing codes and ordinances; reduced consumption resulting from changes in water pricing; and pre-1990 device retrofits. Infeasibility of Accounting Regional Investments in Reduced Reliance Below the Regional Level The accounting of regional investments that contribute to reduced reliance on supplies from the Delta watershed is straightforward to calculate and report at the regional aggregate level. However, any similar accounting is infeasible for the individual member agencies or their customers. As described above, the region (through Metropolitan) makes significant investments in projects, programs and other resources that reduce reliance on the Delta. In fact, all of Metropolitan’s investments in Colorado River supplies, groundwater and surface storage, local resources development and demand management measures that reduce reliance on the Delta are collectively funded by revenues generated from the member agencies through rates and charges. Metropolitan’s revenues cannot be matched to the demands or supply production history of an individual agency, or consistently across the agencies within the service area. Each project or program funded by the region has a different online date, useful life, incentive rate and structure, and production schedule. It is infeasible to account for all these things over the life of each project or program and provide a nexus to each member agency’s contributions to Metropolitan’s revenue stream over time. Accounting at the regional level allows for the incorporation of the local supplies and water use efficiency programs done by member agencies and their customers through both the regional programs and through their own specific local programs. As shown above, despite the infeasibility of accounting reduced Delta reliance below the regional level, Metropolitan’s member agencies and their customers have together made substantial contributions to the region’s reduced reliance. References http://www.mwdh2o.com/WhoWeAre/Board/Board-Meeting/Board%20Archives/2017/12- Dec/Reports/064863458.pdf http://www.mwdh2o.com/PDF_About_Your_Water/Annual_Achievement_Report.pdf http://www.mwdh2o.com/WhoWeAre/Board/Board-Meeting/Board%20Archives/2016/12- Dec/Reports/064845868.pdf http://www.mwdh2o.com/WhoWeAre/Board/Board-Meeting/Board%20Archives/2012/05%20- %20May/Letters/064774100.pdf http://www.mwdh2o.com/WhoWeAre/Board/Board-Meeting/Board%20Archives/2020/10%20- %20Oct/Letters/10132020%20BOD%209-3%20B-L.pdf http://www.mwdh2o.com/WhoWeAre/Board/Board-Meeting/Board%20Archives/2001/10- October/Letters/003909849.pdf