Fall 2006 - Winter 2007 California Water Conservation News

7/31/2019 Fall 2006 - Winter 2007 California Water Conservation News

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Water Conservation News Fall 2006/Winter 2007

Department o Water Resources Ofce o Water Use Efciency and Transers

waterconservationnewsIn this issue...

Landscaping Act of 2006:A New Start....................................1

MEASURE: Senate BillNo. 1347........................................2

Advantages of a Complete UrbanWater Management.......................3

Selenium Mass Balance andModeling........................................3

DWR Awards Prop 50 DesalGrants............................................4

Recycled Water Production & UseGets Additional GovernmentSupport.........................................4

CIMIS - New Stations Added toNetwork.........................................5

California Urban WaterCouncil..........................................6Council Celebrates 15thAnniversary!........................................ ..6

Numerous BMPs Under Revision........6

Residential New TechnologiesDVD Available!..................... .................6

Online BMP: DocumentConservation Programs.......................7

Lining Canal Project AchievesGoals.............................................8

Building sustainability, reliability, and accountability through efficient water u

Landscaping Act of 2006:A New Start

By Simon Eching and Kent Frame

On Sept. 28, Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneg-ger signed Assembly Bill 1881 creating theWater Conservation in Landscaping Act of2006. The act requires the Department ofWater Resources, among other things, toupdate a model Water Efcient Landscapeordinance for possible adoption by localgovernments.

In 1975, DWR created an Urban Water

Conservation program in the Water Con-servation Ofce (now called the Ofceof Water Use Efciency and Transfers orOWUET). It began a land-scape water conservationproject. One of the rst ac-tions was to sponsor severaldemonstration gardens, withthe rst one in Sacramentoin 1976. In 1979, DWR alsopublished Bulletin 209, Plantsfor California Landscapes. Thepublication provided information on water

efcient plants suitable for California dryclimate. It was later replaced by the WaterUse Classication of Landscape Species.

By 1984, pilot projects were beginningto demonstrate the effectiveness of land-scape water conservation. These includeda Landscape Water Audits project, andan economic analysis of the costs andbenets of reducing water use on existingresidential landscapes, new residentiallandscapes, and large turf areas .

By 1990, California was in a fourthconsecutive year of drought. On Sept. 20,1990, Gov. Pete Wilson signed AssemblyBill 325 creating the Water Conservation inLandscaping Act of 1990. This bill requiredDWR by February 1, 1991, to appoint anadvisory task force to work with the de-partment in drafting a model ordinance forwater efcient landscaping . After holdingpublic hearings, and based on recommen-dations of the task force, DWR adoptedthe model ordinance in 1992.

By January 1993, local agencies wereeither to adopt a local water efcientlandscape ordinance, adopt the statemodel ordinance for water efcient land-scaping or state why the ordinance wasnot necessary.

In 2001, a report by Western Policy Re-search concluded that nearly 90 percent ofnew development between 1992 and 1999

took place in jurisdictions of agencies thathad adopted an ordinance for water ef-cient landscaping. But researchers found

deciencies in the 1990 act. Theyfound there was lack of edu-

cation about the ordinance,maintenance contractorsrarely irrigated accurately,and maintenance was the

weakest link in design, in-stallation, and maintenancechain. Partly because of that

report, Assembly Bill 2717 was proposed.

Gov. Gray Davis signed Assembly Bill2717 in 2004. It asked the California UrbanWater Conservation Council to convene astakeholder task force comprised of publicand private agencies. The task force wasto evaluate and recommend proposalsto improve the efciency of water use inurban irrigated landscapes. The bill alsorecommended that DWR form a stake-holder group to study adjusting the evapo-transpiration (ET) factor as a part of themodel ordinance. The task force adopteda comprehensive set of 43 recommenda-tions to update the model ordinance ofthe Landscaping Act of 1990.

The recently signed Water Conserva-tion in Landscaping Act (AB 1881 Laird,Chapter 559, Statutes of 2006) includessome of those recommendations by theCUWCC Landscape Taskforce (AB 2717).The act requires DWR to update themodel ordinance in accordance with therecommendations of AB 2717 Task Force

SeeLandscaping Acton Page 8

Correction:The article "MEASURE: Senate Bill

No. 1347" (page 2) was mistakenly

attributed to Baryohay Davidoff in

the print version of this newsletter.

The correct author, Kathleen

Buchnoff, is credited in this version.


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IntroductionSenate Bill No. 1347, introduced by

Senator Mike Machado during the 2006session, was recently passed by theLegislature and signed by Gov. ArnoldSchwarzenegger. This bill amended andadded sections of Article 9.7 of the Healthand Safety Code on the operation of so-lar evaporators, as part of an IntegratedOn-farm Drainage Management (IFDM)system.

The solar evaporator is the nal com-ponent of the IFDM system to evaporateall drainage water and isolate the salt. The

IFDM system was developed to improvedrainage and reduce salt accumulationin the soils. Implementation of IFDMtechnology has demonstrated the cultiva-tion of higher value crops and increasedyields through soil improvement of salt-laden lands. The IFDM system is a viablealternative for landowners who may notchoose to participate in a voluntary landretirement program for drainage-impactedlands. The system also has been imple-mented to eliminate discharge of agricul-tural drainage water to evaporation ponds.

Amendmentsand Additions

This bill expands the installation andoperation of solar evaporators from in-dividual farmers to also include publiclyorganized land-based agencies, such as ir-rigation districts or resource conservationdistricts. The bill deleted the deadline ofApril 1, 2003, for the state boards adop-tion of emergency regulations for a solarevaporator. Also deleted was the January1, 2008, sunset date on provisions that al -

lowed a California Regional Water Quality

Control Board to authorize the operationof a solar evaporator. The deletion of sun-

set date extends this authority indenitely.The bill revised the denition of certainterms and information that a person isrequired to provide to the Regional Board.In addition, revisions were made to thetimeframes and procedures for the Re-gional Board to approve or disapprove ei-ther a notice of intent (NOI) application ora notice of authority to operate (NAO) toconstruct and operate a solar evaporator.

Monitoring and SaltManagement

RequirementsA change was made for monitoring data

to be submitted by the operator to the Re-gional Board. Instead of submitting yearlydata, the operator will now submit dataeach April and October. The operator willcollect water ow and water quality da-ta every two months and groundwatermonitoring twice a year. Depending onthe characterization of the constituents,the board can either reduce or increasethe data collection schedule. The lawcovers several requirements for salt man-agement, including a plan to manage thecollection and removal of evaporate saltfrom the solar evaporator.

Benefts

This legislation is of interest to DWRbecause of the departments involvementwith agricultural drainage issues, speci-cally Integrated Drainage Management(IDM). In cooperation with Red RockRanch (RRR) and the WRCD, DWR devel-oped a solar evaporator pilot project ormodule at RRR. For over three years,

MEASURE:Senate Bill No. 1347

By Kathleen Buchnoff

Ofce of Water Use Efciency and Transfers

Mission StatementThe Ofce of Water Use Efciency and Transfers (OWUET) provides support for

the stewardship of Californias water resources and energy efcient use of water.This ofce is responsible for water use efciency planning and coordination.Our services include technical and nancial assistance, information collection

and dissemination, resources evaluation, and implementation.

Water Conservation News provides inor-mation on water use efciency develop-ments. This ree newsletter is publishedsemi-annually by the Caliornia Depart-ment o Water Resources, Ofce o WaterUse Efciency and Transers.

Subscriptions: I you want to receive thisnewsletter, send your name and address to:Department o Water ResourcesBulletins and Reports

Attention: Mailing List Coordinator

P.O. Box 942836Sacramento, CA 94236-0001(916) 653-1097

Water Conservation News is available on-line: www.owue.water.ca.gov/news/news.cfm

For more inormation about DWRswater use efciency programs call:Water Use Efciency and Transfers Ofce(916) 651-9236Manucher Alemi,Acting Chie(916) 651-7051

VacantData Services and Program Development(916) 651-9662Fawzi Karajeh

Water Recycling and Desalination(916) 651-9669

David ToddTechnical Assistance and Outreach(916) 651-7027Simon EchingProgram Development(916) 651-9667Baryohay Davidoff

Agricultural Council Support(916) 651-9666Kent FrameCIMIS(916) 651-7030

Water use efciency inormation is alsoavailable rom DWR district sta:X. Tito CervantesNorthern District2440 Main StreetRed Blu, CA 96080-2398(530) 529-7389

Ed MorrisCentral District3251 S StreetSacramento, CA 95816-7017(916) 227-7578David ScruggsSan Joaquin District3374 E. Shields AvenueFresno, CA 93726-6990(559) 230-3322David InouyeSouthern District770 Fairmont AvenueGlendale, CA 91203-1035(818) 543-4600

We welcome any comments, suggestions,and story ideas; please send them to:Water Conservation News

Editorial StaffDepartment o Water ResourcesOfce o Water Use Efciency andTransersP. O. Box 942836Sacramento, CA 94236-0001

E-mail: [email protected]: (916) 651-9606Fax: (916) 651-9607

DWR does not endorse any of the businesses orconsulting rms mentioned in this newsletter,

since there may be others that offer the same orsimilar services.

See MeasureonPage 8


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Advantages of a Complete UrbanWater Management Plan

By David Todd

Urban water suppliers are requiredto update their plansat least once everyve years on or beforeDecember 31 in yearsending in ve and zero.

Approximately 455 urban water supplierswere required to le 2005 Urban WaterManagement Plans, and of those, 325 (71percent) led an Urban Water Manage-ment Plan. About 46 percent of the planswere led after December 31, 2005. As ofOctober 23, 2006, the Department of Wa-ter Resources had completed its review of

about 100 plans.Agencies subject to the Urban WaterManagement Planning Act must haveadopted a complete plan that meets therequirements of the law and submittedit to DWR to be eligible for drought as-sistance or funds received through DWR.DWR staff reviews Urban Water Manage-

Selenium Mass Balance and ModelingBy Karen Dulik and Jose Faria

ment Plans to determine whether they arecomplete and consistent with Water CodeSection 10631. Department staff notiesurban water suppliers of the review resultswith a letter. In addition, the recently re-leased Proposition 50 Water Use EfciencyProposal Solicitation Package includescriteria for UWMP submittal.

During the 2005 UWMP cycle, DWRstaff have found some of the plans incom-plete and suppliers will have to revisethem. Each revision will lengthen the timerequired for the review. So suppliers plan-ning to submit grant applications should

le as early as possible to allow time forreview and any necessary revisions. It willhelp ensure they have a complete UWMPand are eligible to receive future grants orloans.

DWR provides help for urban watersuppliers to meet the requirements of the

act. Staff provides information on how toprepare water management plans, startwater conservation programs, and under-stand the requirements of the act. TheDWR Ofce of Water Use Efciency andTransfers updated its UWMP Worksheetsand Demand Management Measure Work-sheets for the 2005 UWMPs. They areposted on the DWR Ofce of Water UseEfciency and Transfers Web site at: www.owue.water.ca.gov. Copies of UWMPs thathave been identied as complete are post-ed on the Web site at:www.owue.water.ca.gov/urbanplan/uwmp.uwmp.cfm.

Please contact David Todd at 916-651-7027 [email protected], or ChrissFakunding at 916-651-9673 or [email protected], if you have questions regard-ing the Urban Water Management Plan-ning Act.

In 1996, the Safe, Clean, Reliable Wa-

ter Supply Act (Proposition 204) in part,established a process for using designatedagricultural drainage water managementfunds. The Department of Water Re-sources (DWR) developed a managementprogram. The goal of the program is to de-velop methods of using and concentratingsalts and reducing trace element contami-nants in the states subsurface agriculturaldrainage water.

In 2003, researchers from the Uni-versity of California, Davis, and the U.S.Department of Agriculture were awardedProposition 204 funding for a SeleniumMass Balance in Agricultural EvaporationBasins Study. The researchers focusedtheir research on Tulare Lake DrainageDistrict (TLDD) evaporation basins. TheTLDD basins are in the 95,000-hectareTLDD boundaries in the southern SanJoaquin Valley. About 79,800 hectaresin TLDD are farmed and about 11,400hectares of the farmed land is underlain

by tile drains to alleviate waterlogging and

salinity. Growers discharge drainage waterinto collector drains maintained by TLDD.This water is conveyed to three terminalevaporation basins: 107-hectare NorthEvaporation Basin, 449-hectare HaciendaEvaporation Basin, and 726-hectare SouthEvaporation Basin.

The basins attract a variety of shore-birds and waterfowl and provide foragingand nesting habitat. A study from 1985 to1991 found elevated levels of selenium inbird tissue and eggs. During this period,egg losses on the TLDD evaporation ba-sins were due to predation and seleniumexposure. To compensate for bird losses,TLDD was required to provide compensa-tion habitat. The 124-hectare compensa-tion area provides foraging areas, predatorprotection, and better water quality.

Dr. Kenneth Tanji and Suduan Gaodid the Selenium Mass Balance Study onTLDDs South Evaporation Basin (SEB)from September 2003 to October 2006.

The project objectives:

develop a mass balance onwater and selenium (Se)within the cells of the SEBmodify, extend, and vali-date the existing seleniumwetland model (Chow andothers, 2004) for applica-tion to evaporation basinsacquire model input data, parameters,and coefcients from past and ongoingevaporation basin activities

The SEB is high in soil salinity and is

underlain by poor quality groundwater.There is no surface discharge of the drain-age water. The only losses are due toseepage or evaporation. For the purposesof this study, the basin was divided into 10cells and the drainage water was sequen-tially pumped through them. Monitoringincluded measuring drainage inows intothe SEB and between cells, and determin-ing selenium speciation and associated

See SeleniumonPage 7


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Recycled Water Production and UseGets Additional Government Support

By Fawzi Karajeh

On September 28, Gov. Arnold Schwar-zenegger signed AB 371 (Goldberg) intolaw as the Water Recycling Act of 2006. Itseeks to increase the availability and use of

recycled water and is expected to help thestate meet its goal of recycling one millionacre-feet of water per year by 2010.

The act calls upon various state agen-cies, including the State Department ofHealth Services, the Department of WaterResources, the State Water Resources Con-trol Board, and the nine California regionalwater quality control boards, to take ap-propriate steps to implement the recom-mendations from the 2003 Recycled Water

Task Force:www.owue.water.ca.gov/recycle/docs/TaskForceReport.htm .

The act also requires the Departmentof General Services and the California

Department of Transportation (Caltrans)to install piping appropriate for recycledwater use in any of their landscape irriga-tion projects if they are notied by a re-cycled water producer that within 10 yearsrecycled water will be provided for thoseprojects. The new law also requires theDepartment of Water Resources (DWR)to adopt and submit to the Building Stan-dards Commission a state version of Ap-

pendix J of the Uniform Plumbing Code.This will ensure proper design standardsto safely plumb buildings for both potableand recycled waters.

The Department of Water Resourceswill implement AB 371 depending on avail-ability of funds. DWR will make earnestefforts to involve various stakeholdersincluding planners, regulators, water agen-cies, cities and counties, water recyclingindustry, environmental groups, and oth-ers to provide them with an opportunityto help implement the relevant provisionsof the act.

The funds will be used by local agen-cies, water districts, academic and researchinstitutions for construction, demonstra-tion projects, research and development,and feasibility studies to increase thedevelopment of new water supplies usingwater desalination technologies.

The awarded desalination projectsare in the San Francisco Bay Area and inMonterey, Orange, and Ventura counties.Pilot projects in Long Beach, Los Angeles,Contra Costa, Kern, and Imperial countiesare among those that will receive fundsunder this cycle of the desalination grantprogram. Research activities at the Law-

rence Livermore National Laboratory, theUniversity of California, Los Angeles, andthe Colorado School of Mines are includedin the awarded projects, as are feasibilitystudies by agencies in San Luis Obispo andSan Diego counties.

Funding for the projects is availablethrough Proposition 50, the Water Secu-rity, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal andBeach Protection Act passed by votersin 2002. Chapter 6(a) of Proposition 50(Water Code Section 79545(a)) authorizedDWR to administer a $50 million desalina-

tion grant program. The grant programaims to assist local public agencies with

the development of new local potable wa-ter supplies by building feasible brackishwater and ocean water desalination proj-ects and help advance water desalinationtechnology. This is the second round offunding under this grant program.

In March 2006, DWR received 49eligible applications. The total fundsrequested by these applications amountto approximately $57.5 million while thetotal cost of the 49 proposed projects is$543.5 million. The $21.5 available mil-lion under the second desalination grantcycle will be used at 50 percent cost shareto fund 24 of these projects. About $11

million of the available funds will supportocean and bay water desalination-relatedprojects and $10.5 million will supportbrackish water desalination-related proj-ects. The awarded grants, amounting toabout 19 percent of the total cost of theselected projects, were matched by appli-cants local share of about $90.5 million.

Desalination Review Panels wereformed to help the state review the ap-plications. The panels, with membersrepresenting local, state, and federal agen-cies and other stakeholders, evaluated the

proposals using the criteria establishedfor the grant program.

This year s grants of $21.5 millionand the last year s grants of $24.75million to local agencies, academic, and re-

search institutions support seven construc-tion projects, 15 demonstration projects,14 research and development projects,and 12 feasibility studies to develop newwater supplies using water desalinationtechnologies.

A complete list of the awarded projectsand other related information:www.owue.water.ca.gov/recycle/index.cfm

For questions, contact Fawzi Karajeh ofDWRs Water Recycling and DesalinationBranch at 916-651-9669 or [email protected].

DWR Awards Prop 50 Desal GrantsBy Fawzi Karajeh

Advances in desalination technologies, such as re-verse osmosis, are helping to generate new potablewater to California


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BILL NUMBER: AB 371 CHAPTEREDINTRODUCED BY

Assembly Member GoldbergOn FEBRUARY 11, 2005

And Signed by Governor Schwarzenegger

On September 28, 2006

An act to add Sections 13555.5 and 13557 to the Water Code, relating to water.THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:SECTION 1.This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Water Recycling Act of 2006.SECTION 2.(a) The Legislature hereby nds and declares that the Recycled Water Task Force was convened pursuant to Section 13578 of the Water Code and evalu-

ated the current framework of state and local rules, regulations, ordinances, and permits to identify the opportunities for, and obstacles or disincentives to,increasing the safe use of recycled water.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that state agencies, including the State Department of Health Services, the Department of Water Resources, the StateWater Resources Control Board, and the nine California regional water quality control boards, take appropriate steps to implement the recommendationsfrom the Recycled Water Task Force by enacting the Water Recycling Act of 2006, as a means to help the state meet its goal of recycling 1,000,000 acre-feet ofwater per year by 2010 in accordance with Section 13577 of the Water Code.

SECTION 3. Section 13555.5 is added to the Water Code, to read:13555.5.(a) If a recycled water producer determines that within10 years the recycled water producer proposes to provide recycled water for use for state landscape irrigation that meets all of the conditions set forth in

Section 13550, the recycled water producer shall so notify the Department of Transportation and the Department of General Services, and shall identify inthe notice the area that is eligible to receive the recycled water, and the necessary infrastructure that the recycled water producer or the retail water supplierproposes to provide, to facilitate delivery of the recycled water.

(b) If notice has been provided pursuant to subdivision (a), all pipe installed by the Department of Transportation or the Department of General Servicesfor landscape irrigation within the identied area shall be of the type necessary to meet the requirements of Section 116815 of the Health and Safety Codeand applicable regulations.

SECTION 4. Section 13557 is added to the Water Code, to read:13557.

(a) On or before July 1, 2008, the department, in consultation with the State Department of Health Services, shall adopt and submit to the CaliforniaBuilding Standards Commission regulations to establish a state version of Appendix J of the Uniform Plumbing Code adopted by the International Associa-tion of Plumbing and Mechanical Ofcials to provide design standards to safely plumb buildings with both potable and recycled water systems.

(b) The department shall adopt regulations pursuant to subdivision(a) only if the Legislature appropriates funds for that purpose.

New Stations Added to Network

The California Irrigation Manage-

ment Information System (CIMIS) hasadded four new weather stations toits network since it reported ve new ad-ditions in a prior issue ofWater Conserva-tion News.

This brings the total active CIMISstations to 131, with historical data stillavailable at 70 inactive stations. The latterare stations that have been disconnectedfrom the network for various reasons andare not collecting data any longer. Weanticipate a few more stations will soon beadded to the network. The four new addi-tions are:

Indio 2 (#200). The Indio 2 CIMISstation was installed on May 16, 2006,and is in the city of Indio in CoachellaValley, Riverside County. It has replaced

the Indio station (#162), which wasdisconnected from the network inFebruary 2006. The geographic coor-dinates of the new Indio 2 station are33.75o North latitude and 116.26o Westlongitude, with an elevation of 40 feetabove sea level. The station stands onreference grass surface and therefore isreferred to as a reference evapotranspi-ration (ETo) station.UC-Andrade (#201). The UC-An-drade station is in the Imperial-MexicaliValley a desert type environmentthat is being irrigated to grow olives,

grapes, a variety of truck crops, wheat,oats, corn, alfalfa, and other eld crops.It was installed on January 1, 2006,and is owned by UABC. Its geographiccoordinates are 32.49o North latitudeand 115.04o West longitude, with an

elevation of 120 feet above sea level.It stands in the middle of a 200-foot X200-foot alfalfa surface and thereforereports ETo.Nipomo (#202). The Nipomo sta-tion was installed on January 27, 2006,in the southwestern portion of SanLuis Obispo County in a mixed urbanand agricultural setting. The station isowned by the county and is at 35.03oNorth latitude and 120.56o West lon-gitude at 255 feet elevation above sealevel. Well-maintained turf grass is thereference surface on which the station

stands and therefore it is an ETo station.Alpaugh (#203). The Alpaugh stationwas installed on January 11, 2006, on alarge farming operation in Tulare Coun-ty. The station was installed on a turf

See CIMISonPage 8


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californiaurbanwaterconservationcouncil

Council Celebrates15th Anniversary!

Its hard to believe thatit was really 15 years agothat 100 organizationsstood on the steps of theState Capitol on a windyDecember morning to signa landmark agreement onurban water conservation. Born out of thecontentious Bay-Delta hearings, the agree-ment the Memorandum of Understand-ing Regarding Urban Water Conservationin California became the rst full con-

sensus partnership in the United States onwater conservation issues. Now 378 mem-bers strong, the Council continues to workcooperatively to achieve water conserva-tion benets statewide. We have grownfrom a small band of dedicated volunteersto a multi-million dollar organization serv-ing the needs of a diverse membership.

A celebration is planned for the eve-ning of Wednesday, December 13, 2006, atthe California Science Center in Los Ange-les, immediately following the Councilsplenary meeting. A gala dinner with a

commemorative program will take place.All are invited. The cost is $40 per person,and you must have reservations. Pleasecontact the Council ofce for details at916-552-5885, extension 10.

Numerous BMPsunder Revision

In 1997, the Best Management Practices(BMPs) underwent a major revision. Sincethen, small changes have been made, anda new high-efciency clothes washer BMP

was adopted. But as time goes on, all ofthe BMPs are beginning to show their age,so revisions are necessary to nearly all ofthem.

The following BMPs are in variousstages of review and reconstruction:

BMP 1, Residential Water Surveys:This BMP will sunset in 2007. A newoutdoor residential BMP is being con-sidered in its place (BMP 15).

BMP 2, Residential PlumbingRetrot: Because of the sunsetting

of BMP 1, various indoor components(toilet appers, leaks, etc.) will nowneed to be embedded in BMP 2. Theissue of how to determine showerheadsaturation will also be reconsidered.BMP 3, System Water Audits, LeakDetection and Repair: This BMP isundergoing a complete overhaul tomake it consistent with new worldwidemethods for evaluating and managingsystem water loss.BMP 4, Metering: Because of legisla-tion enacted to require metering ofall customers in California, this BMPis being revised to recognize thosenew requirements and to set best per-formance benchmarks for new meterinstallation and maintenance.BMP 5, Large Landscape Conserva-tion: The AB 2717 Landscape TaskForce recommended that the Councilrevise the ET adjustment factor from100 percent to 80 percent. That revi-sion is under consideration as part ofthe follow-up implementation required

by the recently enacted AB 1881.BMP 6, High Efciency ClothesWashers: Revised in 2004 to dovetailwith the new clothes-washer standardsadopted by the California Energy Com-mission, this BMP needs to be extend-ed for a longer period.BMP 11, Conservation Pricing: TheAB 2717 Landscape Task Force recom-mended that the Council revise BMP 11to be more specic about the amountof revenue that should be collectedfrom a volumetric charge. That revision

is under consideration as part of thefollow-up implementation required bythe recently enacted AB 1881.BMP 13, Water Waste Prohibition:The AB 2717 Landscape Task Forcerecommended that the Council reviseBMP 13 to strengthen the prohibitionson overspray and runoff and to requireenforcement of those prohibitions.

That revision is under consideration aspart of the follow-up implementation

required by the recently enacted AB1881.BMP 14, Residential ULFT Replace-ment: With market availability ofhigh-efciency toilets at 1.3 gallons perush, it no longer makes sense to havea BMP encouraging replacement of toi-lets to 1.6 gallons, when the 1.6 toilet isalready required by federal law. Underconsideration is whether to revise BMP14 to instead incentivize the more ef-cient models.Performance Track: In addition tothe above BMP revisions, the Council isconsidering adopting a policy for a sep-arate option for a performance track,where a water agency can choose itsown method of achieving water savingsand substitute those savings for any orall of the quantiable BMPs. The detailsare being developed.The Council conducts a full consensus

process for considering these BMP revi-sions. If you would like to be on one of thecommittees working on these revisions,

please call Karl Kurka at the Council ofceat 916-552-5885, extension 17.

ResidentialNew TechnologiesDVD Available!

Are you interested in learning aboutnew products and programs to help youragency save water? Want to visit exhibithalls to look at the latest technologies butsimply dont have the time? Well, you


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urban water management plan.In addition, there are other ad-

vantages to using the CouncilsBMP Reporting database:

The reports led by wateragencies can be automatical-ly aggregated into statewidetotals of water conservationactivity. These summaries are viewedby the State Water Resources ControlBoard, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation,and other state and federal agencies.The reports are tied to a separate sav-ings estimation model that will provide

your agency with technically-support-able estimates of water conservationprogram savings. The savings numbersare also automatically rolled up intostatewide summaries.Because the Councils BMP Reportingdatabase is publicly viewable, all ofyour water agency activities are easy foryour customers to see and the Web siteresults provide documentation of yourimplementation efforts.The BMP Reporting database providesautomatic calculation of compliance,

called Coverage Reports, that canhelp a water agency meet its commit-ments to BMPs or DMMs.

So if your water agency is not alreadya member of the Council and able to usethis online reporting tool, please considerjoining. For further information on mem-bership in the Council, [email protected] or visit the member-

ship section atwww.cuwcc.org.

are in luck. The Council has assembledinteresting speakers on a wide variety of

residential conservation programs andcompiled their presentations for you ona DVD. The DVD is interactive, allowingthe user to choose scenes of speakers orscenes of vendors. The production qual-ity of the DVD is excellent, and not yourusual talking head visual. The speakerswere chosen for their nationally-recog-nized expertise, programs, and products.Both indoor and outdoor residential wateruse is covered in the carefully edited 136minutes of video.

The DVD is available for purchasefrom the Council for only $28.95, whichincludes tax, shipping and handling. Pur-chases can be made online at the CouncilsWeb site Publications page atwww.cuwcc.org. Or you can contact the Council ofceat 916-552-5885, extension 10.

Dont forget that we also have a newlyrevised Practical Plumbing Handbook. Ithas been one of our best sellers, geared tohelping the average homeowner under-stand their water efcient products, howto maintain them properly and how to x

common leaks and other plumbing prob-lems in the home.Council members may order the book-

lets at the discounted price of $1.50 each.The non-member price is $2.50 each. Bulkorders will include shipping and handling.Order by emailing [email protected].

In 2005, your agency likely had tole an Urban Water Management Plan,required of any water supplier of 3,000or more connections or delivering 3,000or more acre-feet of water per year. Ifyou led that plan as was required underSection 10631 of the Water Code, youalready know that there are reporting

requirements on demand managementmeasures in the law. These demandmanagement measures, or DMMs, parallelthe California Urban Water ConservationCouncils Best Management Practices(BMPs).

If you are a member of the Council,you have the ability to le electronicreports on the Councils Web site. Thoseelectronic reports are the easiest way todocument your conservation program ac-tivity. The Urban Water Management Plan-ning Act allows any water agency to simply

reference these reports in fulllment ofthe requirement for reporting on theDMMs. The online BMP Reports are dueby December 1 of each even-numberedyear. Thus, BMP reports for the scal years2004-2005 and 2005-2006 are due.

Although the online BMP reports mayappear complex, lling out the reports isstill far less work than preparing detailednarrative summaries of the DMMs for your

Online BMP:Document

ConservationPrograms

By Mary Ann Dickinson

water quality indicators in the water andunderlying sediments. Brine shrimp (Ar-temia spp.) were harvested from Cells 9and 10.

Water quality testing showed that alongthe water ow pathway, reduced forms ofselenium continued to increase in concen-tration. There was greater sediment sele-nium accumulation in Cell 1 than in Cell 9,and the largest fraction of selenium in the

sediments was elemental and organic.

The UC Davis Dynamic Lake Model-WaterQuality program was used to model the sys-tem. Water depth, salinity, and temperature

were simulated for each cell. The modeledvalues for temperature, salinity, and depthwere largely validated by the actual datafrom the cells. Mass balance studies basedon modeling results showed selenium waslost to volatilization, seepage, and brineshrimp harvest, in that order.

This project shows promise in the area

of modeling systems, giving some predic-tive power regarding water quality in com-plex systems. It also may have possibleapplications for dealing with selenium ac-cumulation and other water quality issues.The researchers recommend performingfuture studies for directly measuring sele-nium losses and sediment proles. Futuremodeling should include an analysis ofbiomass effects for improved results.

californiaurbanwaterconservationcouncil

SELENIUMFrom Page 3


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MEASUREFrom Page 2several methods of operation were tested at

various stages to optimize the operation ofthe pilot module. Data collected during thepilot demonstration were used to developplans and specications for a full capacityfarm-scale solar evaporator. The research,development, and demonstration of IFDMhas advanced the science, technology, andbenets to water managers, individual grow-ers and political leaders throughout the

San Joaquin Valley by providing a practicalexample of integrated farming and engineer-ing methods to protect the quality of rivers,surface and groundwater resources, soilsand the environment.

Senate Bill 1347 received the support ofthe WRCD, Community Alliance with FamilyFarmers, and Association of California Water

Agencies. The bill text documents and chap-tered version can be viewed atwww.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html.

CIMIS From Page 5area that is surrounded by alfalfa in alldirections. The station is owned by theU.S. Bureau of Land Management andis at 35.86o North latitude and 119.50o

West longitude at an elevation of 210 feetabove sea level.

Because of their locations, Indio 2, UC-Andrade, and Nipomo have cell phoneswhereas Alpaugh uses a land line for com-

munication. CIMIS favors the use of landlines over cell phones because of commu-nication problems with the cell phones insome areas of the State.

If interested in having a CIMIS station inyour area, please contact CIMIS representa-tive in your district for more information.The CIMIS staff list and contact informationis at:wwwcimis.water.ca.gov/cimis/welcome-Staff.jsp.

WATER CONSERVATION NEWSP. O. Box 942836Sacramento, CA 94236-0001

This newsletter is printed on recycled paper.

STATE

OF CALIFORN

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Address Correction Requested

LANDSCAPING ACT From Page 1

The Lost Hills Water District receivedtwo of DWRs Water Use Efciency Propo-sition 50 grants to line two separate canals

in the district. Lost Hills WD got a $246,000grant to line 1.1 miles of Canal 7N and$559,00 to line 3 miles of Canal 4S and Nwith a geomembrane liner.

Ponding tests showed potential sav-ings of 95 acre-feet per year from Canal7N, which was being lost to shallow salinegroundwater. Out of those savings comes24 acre-feet per year in drainage reductionfrom the district. In Canal 4S and N, Lost

Hills WD expects to 250 acre-feet per yearof water, and reduce drainage by 188 acre-feet per year. Lost Hills WD spent $327,000

in match money on the two projects.Lost Hills WD received its contract

from DWR in January 2006. By February,Lost Hills WD bid and contracted out thegeomembrane lining. Construction canalcleaning, surveying, grading, and prepara-tion got under way in February. On Feb-ruary 21, Lost Hills WD held a Canal LiningEducational Tour for water district employ-

Lining Canal Project Achieves GoalsBy Baryohay Davidoff

ees throughout the San Joaquin Valley;10 people showed up to tour the partiallycompleted canal and learn about canal lin-

ing. Work was completed in early March2006. During construction, Lost Hills WDemployees were trained on the materials,methods and equipment to maintain thegeomembrane lining.

The district nished construction earlyand under budget. Lost Hill is in process oflining additional 3-mile segment of canalwith the remaining funds.

Lined Water Drainage Prop 50 Total Grant GrantCanal Saved Reductions to Date

Service Area 7 North 1.1 mi 95 AF 24 AF $121,06 AF $307,200 $245,760 $230,018

Service Area 4 3 mi 250 AF 188 AF $99.07 AF $745,520 $559,140 $495,334

no later than January 1, 2009. The WaterConservation in Landscaping Act of 2006 alsorequires the Energy Commission, in consul-tation with DWR, to adopt, by regulation,performance standards and labeling require-ments for landscape irrigation equipment,including irrigation controllers, moisturesensors, emission devices, and valves to re-duce the wasteful, uneconomic, inefcient,or unnecessary consumption of energy or

water.The new landscaping act requires DWR,

not later than January 31, 2011, to prepareand submit a report to the Legislature aboutthe status of water efcient landscape or-dinances adopted by local agencies. DWR

will develop the updated model ordinancethrough the rule-making process.

The task for updating the water efcientlandscape model ordinance is the respon-sibility of OWUET. If you have questions,please contact Kent Frame at 916-651-7030.

By Baryohay Davidoff and Megan Fidell

Documents

Fall 2006 - Winter 2007 California Water Conservation News