Agenda - 03-02-2006-7b - Laserfiche WebLink

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A key objective is to pursue conservation measures that are acceptable to and cost- effective for current and future customers. Improved Water Use Efficiency Is Part of the Answer With effective planning, existing water conservation technologies can support increased development densities with little or no net increase in water service demands. By reducing expected water use by 25 percent, a given volume of water can accommodate .3.3 percent more units, where a "unit" may be a dwelling unit, plumbing fixture, square foot of developed area - or any other wait to which a rate of water use can be assigned. Let's assume, for example, that each unit of a 50-unit multi-family residential project uses 100 gallons of water per day (gpd), for a total of 5,000 gpd, If water use is reduced by 25 percent (to 75 gpd per unit), the same 5,000 gallons of water can support a total of 67 units rather than ,just 50, representing a "density increase" of 33 percent with no net increase in the projected water needs. Greater or lesser improvements in water efficiency could accommodate greater or lesser density increases. Such efficiency improvements (conservation) are achievable through existing and readily available technologies. If desired, marry of these can be implemented through development review and approval procedures that already exist locally, Examples include: • Rainwater "harvesting" for non-potable uses, such as irrigation or toilet flushing, • Specifications for drought tolerant and sustainable landscaping and/or irrigation system design. • Requirements for effective ultra-low flow (high efficiency) plumbing fixtures that are more efficient than required under the National Energy Policy Act of 199?. • Required retrofit of older plumbing fixtures to high efficiency fixtures upon resale or redevelopment of existing properties (may need enabling legislation). • Individual metering or sub-metering of new multi-family construction, • Requirements to extend or connect to OWASA's reclaimed water system, where such service becomes available, • Other conservation management practices, as may be appropriate Mazzy of these and other water efjzciencar measures can be implemented through e.;ristizzg Town and County review and approval procedures -both at the administrative and policy level - without the need for local ordinance changes or new enabling legislation. OWASA is ready and willing to provide tecTvzical assistance to the Towns and County if they choose to move in this direction. Additionally, we will consider the feasibilit)r of adoptizzg "watez° use e~ciezzcy stazzdards of service"for new developments that will be sewed by OWASA. 04t~ASA -Water mzd Seiner Cnpnciry /mplicatio»s of7ncreased Development Densiry~ Page l 1 of ? l