To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Lauren Lum 547-1933
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Rainwater Catchment Rebate and Streamflow Enhancement Pilot Project
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute an agreement with Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District for Rainwater Catchment Rebate and Streamflow Enhancement Pilot Project in the not-to-exceed amount of $57,500 (Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District is paying Sonoma County Water Agency) in a form approved by County Counsel. Agreement terminates March 31, 2025.
B) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute an agreement with the City of Healdsburg for Rainwater Catchment Rebate through North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan through December 31, 2024 in a form approved by County Counsel. Pass-through grant funds not to exceed $30,000.
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Executive Summary:
This multi‐partner pilot project, funded in part by a $420,324 North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Grant, seeks to promote water conservation, provide alternatives to extractive water sources, enhance streamflow for wildlife, and foster water use awareness throughout Sonoma County's North Coast region. The project will pilot a standardized and cost‐effective rebate program for small‐scale rainwater catchment systems, which will build capacity among both local landscapers and homeowners to design and install rainwater catchment systems.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
With the North Coast facing extended droughts, less predictable weather patterns, and increasingly catastrophic weather events threatening water supply infrastructure, more localized household‐level water security is an increasingly critical aspect of climate change resiliency.
Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District in collaboration with Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water), Sonoma Resource Conservation District, City of Healdsburg, and the non‐profit Daily Acts Organization (Partners), was awarded a $420,324 grant through the North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Program. The grant will fund development and implementation of a pilot rebate and training program to promote household‐level water storage through rainwater catchment. This grant-funded program will build upon the Partners’ current success in fostering community water conservation, security, and awareness.
Partners will assist rebate program applicants with onsite project scoping, system design, implementation oversight, and system verification and monitoring, with rebates provided on a tiered, per‐gallon basis designed to incentivize both large and small systems. Partners anticipate facilitating construction of approximately 60 small (<2,500‐gallon) and 12 large (2,500‐10,000+ gallon) systems during this pilot phase.
Through the Sonoma‐Marin Saving Water Partnership, the Partners will also create and promote a training module through the Qualified Water‐Efficient Landscapers program, produced in both English and Spanish, and conduct four trainings to certify at least 30 licensed landscapers in rainwater catchment permitting, design, and installation. The training module will be widely transferable for similar efforts throughout the region and will continue to be offered for all 23 Professional Certifying Organizations that currently offer it.
A second workshop series led by the Daily Acts organization will target at least 40 participants, providing instruction, technical assistance, and education for residents and small businesses to install smaller systems on their own.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED
Agreement for Rainwater Catchment Rebate and Streamflow Enhancement Pilot Project
Under the proposed agreement, Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District will pay Sonoma Water to develop and implement a pilot rebate program, in partnership with the City of Healdsburg, for household rainwater catchment, and a training module for landscape professionals through the Qualified Water-Efficient Landscapers program.
Sonoma Water will use in-kind cost share to coordinate with Partners to promote the rebate program through website updates and community outreach events, and host a series of Qualified Water‐Efficient Landscapers certification workshops led by Daily Acts. Sonoma Water will invoice Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District for program services at the same rates Sonoma Water allocates to its internal projects and programs up to a maximum of $57,500; the term end date is March 31, 2025. Sonoma Water will provide $6,368 in cost-share.
Agreement for Rainwater Catchment Rebate through North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan
Under the proposed agreement, City of Healdsburg will assist rebate applicants with onsite project scoping, system design, implementation, system verification and monitoring, and will administer rebates.
The cost of services will not exceed $30,000; the term end date is December 31, 2024.
The agreements include two options for Sonoma Water to extend the agreements for a period of one year each by providing written notice to other parties thirty days in advance of the expiration date of the agreement and of the first extension option.
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment: Water Supply and Transmission System, Goal 1: Protect drinking water supply and promote water-use efficiency.
Funding the Rainwater Catchment Rebate Program will encourage water-use efficiency through development and implementation of household‐level water storage using rainwater catchment.
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 21-22 Adopted |
FY22-23 Projected |
FY 23-24 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$63,868 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$63,868 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
$57,500 |
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Fees/Other |
$6,368 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$63,868 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Budgeted amount of $63,868 is available from FY 2021/2022 appropriations for the Water Conservation Fund. No additional appropriation is required.
Offsetting revenue in the amount of $57,500 will come from a North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Grant awarded to Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, with $30,000 funding the City of Healdsburg’s rebate program and $27,500 funding Sonoma Water’s development and implementation of a pilot rebate program. Sonoma Water will provide $6,368 in cost-share from the Water Conservation Fund. The remaining grant amount of $362,824 will fund Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District’s rebate program, outreach, and grant administration.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
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Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
None
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None