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Council approves water service for Embry‑Riddle student union, staff to discuss long‑term metering
Summary
Council approved WSA 24‑052, granting 11.33 acre‑feet per year of water service for a new Embry‑Riddle student union building; staff and council discussed master metering, submetering and potential conservation agreements.
The City Council voted Jan. 28 to approve water service application WSA 24‑052, a request submitted on behalf of Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University for a new student union building on the Prescott campus. Brian Reese, water resources/environmental services manager, told the council the city’s general engineering standards and the applicant’s demand analysis produced an estimated total demand of 11.33 acre‑feet per year for the building and associated landscaping.
Reese explained that the applicants’ civil engineer calculated the new building’s estimated use and subtracted demand from five existing campus buildings that will be removed; the net new demand figure for the project is roughly 9 acre‑feet per year for building uses, plus approximately 1.5 acre‑feet per year for landscaping, totaling 11.33 acre‑feet. The water issue subcommittee reviewed the application on Jan. 7 and recommended approval to the full council.
Councilmembers asked whether the campus has submeters for individual buildings and how the city would detect leaks or abnormal use. Reese said the campus is served by master meters and the university provided demand‑analysis figures to the city; the city’s utility billing would reflect changes at the master‑meter level. Public Works Director Gwen Rohitch said the Embry‑Riddle campus has two 6‑inch master meters in different locations and that the replacement of all city meters with the new AMI system is continuing in phases; large master meters were not in the first phase and are scheduled for later phases.
Councilmembers urged staff to pursue a long‑term conversation and possible water‑service agreement with Embry‑Riddle to address future master planning, conservation opportunities and submetering for new student housing. Reese and Rohitch said they have initiated discussions and will seek a sit‑down meeting to discuss the university’s multi‑building campus plan, conservation measures and potential submeters at the time of new construction.
Councilmember Roosing pointed out that submeters installed at construction are typically more cost‑effective than retrofits and encouraged early coordination. The council voted to approve WSA 24‑052; the motion was seconded and the vote was announced on the record as passing.
