2016-10-25_PWETC_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

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SF Homes: Avg Water Usage/Captured April - September 45 40 35 — 30 — 25 — 20 — 15 10 5 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 ■ Avg. Consumption (Gals.) ■ Avg. Rainfall (Gals.) 147 148 149 As the graph indicates, over the past eight years the average overall usage + captured volume of water 150 for single-family homes in the summertime ranged from 31,000 gallons per quarter to 39,000. 151 152 What is clearly evidenced by the data, summertime consumption patterns are directly influenced by 153 rainfall amounts. Clearly, customers reduced their summertime consumption during heavier rainfall 154 periods. Changes in water usage fees didn't seem to be afactor on how much water was used. Once again, 155 it appears that customers are making a conscious decision to maintain an established standard — in this 156 case a healthy lawn and garden while remaining mindful of the tenets of water conservation. The bottom 157 line is that single-family summertime water consumption has dropped by 29% since 2009. 158 159 Rate Comparisons 160 The graphs below depict a number of water and sewer rate comparisons with other peer communities. 161 For this analysis, peer communities include 1st ring suburbs that serve a population between 18,000 and 162 50,000, and which are not simply an extension of a larger entity's system (e.g. Maplewood is excluded 163 because they're part of St. Paul's system). This group was selected to try and approximate cities with 164 stand-alone systems with similar age of infrastructure which can have a significant influence on the cost 165 of water and sewer services. 166 167 It should be noted that broad comparisons only give a cursory look at how one community's rates 168 compares to another. One must also incorporate each City's individual philosophy in funding programs 169 and services. 170 171 For example, Roseville does NOT utilize assessments to pay for water or sewer infrastructure 172 replacements like many other cities do. Instead we fund infrastructure replacements 100% through the 173 rates. As a result, Roseville's water and sewer rates are inherently higher when compared to a City that 174 uses assessments to pay for improvements. Other influences on the rates include whether or not a 175 community softens its water before sending it on to customers, and the extent in which communities 176 charge higher rates to non-residential customers. 177 178 The following chart depicts the peer group comparison for combined water base rate and usage rate for 179 a single-family home that uses 15,000 gallons per quarter. Page 8 of 11