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Committee flags water-supply capacity, drought grant research and land-acquisition options
Summary
Members raised long-term water-supply and wastewater-treatment capacity concerns, reported outreach to drought-grant administrators for recent funded-project examples, and discussed reserves or CPA funds for possible land acquisition to protect supply.
Committee members devoted substantial time to water-supply and drought issues, including grant research, meter projects, and long-range capacity planning.
Committee member (S6) said she searched the state grant program website and "emailed the 2 people in charge of the grant program, someone Patel, Puri Purvi Patel, and somebody else" to request lists of projects funded by the drought resiliency and water efficiency grant program. She said the city is preparing to submit an application to identify potential future drought impacts to the public water supply and asked staff to share any relevant project lists when available.
The group also received a brief update on the water meters project (Staff member (S4)): it is moving forward and will be rolled out to homes over the next few years. Members discussed resident bill abatements that sometimes reflect landscaping-related high usage and suggested communications and incentives (rain barrels, drought-tolerant plant lists) to reduce consumption.
On long-range capacity, Planner-like Committee member (S3) urged the committee to flag thresholds for how much additional development the existing water system and aquifer can support, and to consider land-acquisition or conservation options to secure supply. Members noted about $1,000,000 in reserves that could be used as matching funds and discussed the limitations of that funding against rising land prices. The committee agreed to continue monitoring grant responses and coordinate with the mayor's water-supply ad hoc and finance staff.
