Title
Consider and take action on an ordinance amending Chapter 114 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City, entitled “Utilities” by repealing Article VI entitled “Drought Contingency Plan” and incorporating an updated plan (Director of Public Works)
Background:
Should this ordinance be approved, it will amend the City’s 2012 Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) and coincides with the Mandated 2019 update of the City’s Water Conservation Plan (WCP). In 2012 the DCP was amended to include suggested improvements based on best practices and lesson learned from the drought of 2011. These changes were needed to address known distribution system deficiencies. Since that time the City embarked in an aggressive and comprehensive Capital Improvement Program that addressed prior system deficiencies and provided significant improvements to system operation redundancy. The proposed changes restore the more generalized language versus prior language meant to address specific distribution system issues from the past.
State law requires that the City have such a plan, which is intended to protect the City’s water supply and ensure that critical water needs are met in case of drought or other circumstances that may disrupt the normal availability of the City’s water supplies. The significant proposed changes to the DCP include:
• Increase DCP Stages from three to four as follows:
o Stage 1 (Voluntary) - Residential and non-residential customers requested to voluntarily limit outdoor watering between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., voluntarily limited to twice per week on their trash days and encouraged to follow conservation-based actions, noted in DCP
o Stage 2 (Mandatory) - Prohibit residential and non-residential outdoor watering between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., limited to twice per week on customers’ trash days (Figure 2, Page 17 in DCP), limits non-essential water usage
o Stage 3 (Mandatory Severe) - Prohibit residential and non-residential outdoor watering between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., limited to once per week on designated days (Figure 3, Page 19 in DCP), limits non-essential water usage
o Stage 4 (Emergency) - All landscape irrigation and non-essential water use is prohibited
• Prescribed irrigation days aligned with solid waste collection zones - Twice per week watering (Ref. Figure 1 and Figure 2); Once per week watering (Ref. Figure 3)
• Changes allowable watering times on prescribed days to: 12:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to midnight
• Stage initiation triggers have been revised as follows: (current surface water capacity 25.044 MGD)
o Stage 1 (Voluntary) - Total daily water demand exceeds 75 percent of available contracted surface water sources for three (3) consecutive days; or
Total daily water demand exceeds 85 percent of available contracted surface water sources on a single day
o Stage 2 (Mandatory) - Total daily water demand exceeds 85 percent of available contracted surface water sources for three (3) consecutive days; or
Total daily water demand exceeds 95 percent of available contracted surface water sources on a single day
o Stage 3 (Mandatory Severe) - Total daily water demand exceeds 90 percent of available contracted surface water sources for three (3) consecutive days; or
Total daily water demand exceeds 98 percent of available contracted surface water sources on a single day
o Stage 4 (Emergency) - Total daily water demand exceeds 95 percent of available contracted surface water sources for three (3) consecutive days; or
The system pressure falls below 35 psi on any single occasion
• All Stages terminate when initiation conditions no longer prevail for a period of seven (7) days; or water supply shortage has ended
• Changes person responsible for initiating and terminating DCP Stages from Director of Public Works or his/her official designee to City Manager or his/her official designee
• Overall language was improved and consolidated to simplify interpretation of DCP
• Allows City Manager or his/her official designee discretionary flexibility to initiate or terminate stages based on weather related influences, water distribution and supply deficiencies, and other unforeseen circumstances
• Continues to allow watering with attended hand-held hose with positive shut-off device at any time except for Stage 4 Emergency Status
Attachments:
1. Data Sheet
2. Proposed Ordinance
3. 2019 Drought Contingency and Water Emergency Management Plan
FUNDING
{X} NOT APPLICABLE
STRATEGIC PLANNING
{X} Addresses Strategic Planning Critical Success Factor #1: Develop and Maintain City Infrastructure