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1�� <br />� <br />Public Works Department/Engineering <br />emo <br />To: Chris Miller, Finance Director <br />From: Duane Schwartz, Public Works Director <br />Date: 12/19/2012 <br />Re: Demand Reduction Measures to Meet Water Conservation Requirements <br />Minnesota Statutes, section 103G.291 requires public water suppliers to encourage water conservation <br />by employing demand reduction measures. This can be accomplished through a conservation program <br />that contains a conservation rate structure or a uniform rate structure that achieves demand reduction. <br />Demand reduction measures are well explained in the information from the Department of Natural <br />Resources I am attaching to this memo. <br />We are required to have an approved Water Conservation Plan as a part of our Comprehensive Plan. <br />This plan was approved as a part of the 2008 Comp Plan update. Our approved plan includes a <br />conservation rate structure and water conservation education efforts. The current conservation rate <br />structure was included at that time. <br />To get approval for a conservation program that would meet the regulator's requirements with a uniform <br />rate structure we would need to consider and implement the following additional demand reduction <br />measures: <br />-Lawn sprinkling regulations such as prohibiting during certain times of the day and odd/even <br />-Monthly Billing <br />- Home water audits <br />-Commercial water audits <br />We currently meet recommended measures in metering and leak detection programs. We will need to <br />demonstrate residential per capita consumption is <75 gallons per day and maximum to average day <br />usage is below 2.6. Our current residential per capita usage meets this requirement but we have <br />exceeded the 2.6 ratio on high demand days during drought periods. Our unaccounted water is under <br />the target goal. <br />If the City Council is apprehensive to implement additional conservation rate measures, I would <br />recommend we continue with the current conservation rate structure and monitor compliance with the <br />conservation goals for the metro area. If we demonstrate additional measures are needed we can <br />recommend action in a future year. <br />