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3 <br />would be required as a condition of receiving OWASA water and/or sewer service. Such <br />standards could include requirements for use of "high efficiency" toilets, faucets, <br />showerheads, and other fixtures certified. <br />2. OWASA should require thaf, as a condition of continuing OWASA water and/or sewer <br />service, an existing service location must be in compliance with OWASA water use <br />efficiency standards and conditions of service upon change of ownership or use. <br />3. Local governments and OWASA should conduct water use audits and cost-effective <br />water conservation retrofit projects at local government-owned and managed <br />properties, this "leading by example." <br />4. The Towns, County, and OWASA should continue to incorporate and formalize our <br />collective commitments to state-of--the-art water use efficiency in the design of new <br />local government-owned and managed properties and, where practical and cost- <br />effective, in renovated local government owned and managed properties. <br />5. The Towns, County, and OWASA should develop sustainable landscape guidelines <br />and requirements to ensure that landscape and irrigation system design, installation <br />and ~ maintenance are more water efficient and environmentally-friendly than <br />traditional practices. Such measures could include limits on the amount of turf that can be <br />established on a given site and irrigated with OWASA-supplied potable water, as well as <br />requirements for- the placement and design of the irrigation systems. The use of harvested <br />rainwater and reclaimed water would be encouraged as alternatives to potable OWASA <br />water. <br />Recommended Longer-Term Actions (second phase) <br />1. The Towns and County should enact requirements for new development projects to <br />connect to OWASA's reclaimed water system when such service is available. <br />Requirements could mandate that existing irrigation systems served with OWASA potable <br />water must be connected to the reclaimed water system when and where available. A <br />requirement that potable water-based irrigation systems be converted to reclaimed water <br />service could be one of OWASA's proposed new conditions of service. <br />2. If necessary, the Towns, County, and OWASA should seek enabling authority to enact <br />a policy/provision that prohibits any restrictions via deed, covenant, Homeowners <br />Association rules, etc., that would limit a property owner's ability to implement <br />sustainable landscaping, rainwater harvesting, or other water conservation practices <br />otherwise permitted bylaw. <br />FINANCIAL. IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with receiving the <br />recommendations and adopting the resolution. However, all of the recommendations are <br />directed toward the reduction of the use of potable water. While there are costs associated with <br />the implementation of these initiatives, savings resulting from reduced water consumption are <br />expected to surpass any initial costs. <br />RECOMMENDATIONS: The Manager recommends that the Board receive the Collaborative <br />Water Conservation Strategies for Joint Consideration by Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange <br />County, approve and authorize the Chair to sign the attached resolution regarding general <br />