To: Boards of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency, Occidental, Russian River, and Sonoma Valley County Sanitation Districts
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency, Occidental, Russian River, and Sonoma Valley County Sanitation Districts
Staff Name and Phone Number: Brian Lee / 547-1918
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): First, Second, Fourth, and Fifth
Title:
Title
Water-Use Efficiency Assessment and Retrofit Program
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
In an ongoing effort to implement water-use efficiency strategies to reduce wastewater inflows at their wastewater treatment facilities and reduce indoor potable water-use:
Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager, acting on behalf of Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, and Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, to execute an agreement with Richard Heath and Associates, Inc. for water-use efficiency assessment and correction through December 1, 2021, in the not-to-exceed amount of $85,000. (First, Second, Fourth, and Fifth Districts)
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Executive Summary:
The work under this agreement will enable Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water), Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, and Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (collectively Sonoma Water) to develop a water-use efficiency program by expanding the existing Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Energy Savings Assistance Program (ESA), which will include additional water-use efficiency measures aimed at efficiently reaching low-income residents in Sonoma Water’s service areas to reduce wastewater inflows at wastewater treatment facilities and to reduce indoor potable water use.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
The PG&E ESA program was developed to assist low-income customers in making energy efficiency upgrades and learn about sustainable energy usage practices. ESA is now available throughout PG&E’s service area, including Sonoma County. Currently, ESA is helping PG&E customers to conserve both energy and hot water; however, water-use efficiency has not been the focus of this program.
PG&E has selected Richard Heath and Associates (Consultant) as the sole contractor to design and implement ESA in its service area. Sonoma Water will develop water-use efficiency components to be incorporated into the existing PG&E ESA program to provide a comprehensive energy and water efficiency program. In implementing water-use efficiency components in coordination with the existing PG&E ESA program, Sonoma Water will gain access to pre-screened, low-income residential homes, and avoid the costs of running an independent program such as outreach and marketing, income qualification screening, appointment scheduling, and travel to participating homes. Therefore, Sonoma Water will use this consultant for this work.
Sonoma Water’s Water-Use Efficiency Program (WUE) provides education, outreach, incentives, and, in some cases, high-efficiency fixtures within Sonoma County that conform to best practices for water conservation and efficiency.
Sonoma Water seeks to develop a collaborative Water Coordination Program in conjunction with ESA, which will expand the scope of ESA to provide additional water-use efficiency measures such as water-use assessment, toilet leak detection, education, and water efficient fixture and/or appliance retrofits to ESA participants in Sonoma Water’s service area.
By expanding on the existing ESA program, Sonoma Water is able to reach customers who are already interested in making efficiency improvements, difficult to reach due to barriers such as language, receptivity and logistics, low-income verified by PG&E, and in need of assistance in reducing their utility bills.
South Park County Sanitation District (Third Supervisorial District) does not have a Water-Use Efficiency Program through Sonoma Water as it would be duplicative of City of Santa Rosa’s Water-Use Efficiency Program. The City of Santa Rosa provides potable water service in the area; therefore, Sonoma Water’s WUE Program is not available or funded for that District.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED
Under this proposed Agreement, Consultant will design and implement a Water Coordination Program in coordination with Sonoma Water, verify ESA program participant eligibility for Water Coordination Program, perform water-use assessments, provide education on water and wastewater topics, install water efficient retrofits in eligible homes, and compile detailed quarterly reports of program activities. The Water Coordination Program will reach approximately 300 households in Sonoma Water service areas and retrofit approximately 100 high-efficiency toilets and 15 high-efficiency clothes washers.
The cost of services will not exceed $85,000; the term end date is December 1, 2021.
Prior Board Actions:
N/A
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
85,000 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
85,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
85,000 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
85,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Budgeted amount of $85,000 is available from FY 2019/2020 appropriations for Occidental, Russian River, and Sonoma Valley County Sanitation Districts’ Operations Funds, and for the Airport/Larkfield/Wikiup, Geyserville, and Penngrove Sanitation Zones’ Operations Funds. The actual expenditures will vary per fund according to participation in the WCP within each service area. The revenue source for the Districts and Zones is rate-payer annual sewer service charges.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Agreement with Richard Heath & Associates, Inc.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None