HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 67-21_2020 WSCP1_FINAL
2020 Urban Water
Management Plan
Public Draft
SEPTEMBER 2021 CITY OF MORRO BAY
City of Morro Bay ii Water Shortage Contingency Plan
CITY OF MORRO BAY
Water Shortage
Contingency Plan
SEPTEMBER 2021
Prepared by Water Systems Consulting, Inc.
City of Morro Bay i Water Shortage Contingency Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................................... ii
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................................... ii
Water Shortage Contingency Plan ............................................................................................................ 1-1
1.1 Water Supply Reliability Analysis ................................................................................................ 1-3
1.2 Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment ......................................................................... 1-3
1.2.1 Key Data Inputs and Evaluation Criteria ............................................................................. 1-3
1.2.2 Annual Assessment Procedures .............................................................................................. 1-6
1.3 Six Standard Water Shortage Levels .......................................................................................... 1-6
1.4 Shortage Response Actions ............................................................................................................. 1-8
1.4.1 Demand Reduction ................................................................................................................... 1-8
1.4.2 Supply Augmentation ........................................................................................................... 1-13
1.4.3 Operational Changes .......................................................................................................... 1-13
1.4.4 Additional Mandatory Restrictions .................................................................................... 1-13
1.4.5 Emergency Response Plan ................................................................................................... 1-14
1.4.6 Seismic Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan ................................................................... 1-14
1.4.7 Shortage Response Action Effectiveness ........................................................................... 1-15
1.5 Communication Protocols .............................................................................................................. 1-15
1.6 Compliance and Enforcement ...................................................................................................... 1-15
1.7 Legal Authorities ............................................................................................................................ 1-16
1.8 Financial Consequences of WSCP .............................................................................................. 1-16
1.9 Monitoring and Reporting ............................................................................................................ 1-17
1.10 WSCP Refinement Procedures .................................................................................................. 1-17
1.11 Special Water Feature Distinction ........................................................................................... 1-17
1.12 Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Availability ............................................................................ 1-18
1.13 Resources and References ......................................................................................................... 1-18
Attachment 1: Adoption Resolution ......................................................................................................... 1-19
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay ii Water Shortage Contingency Plan
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1-1: Table A Allocations that May Lead to a Shortage ............................................................ 1-5
Figure 1-2: Water Shortage Levels Crosswalk ....................................................................................... 1-8
LIST OF T ABLES
Table 1-1. Key Data Inputs for the Annual Assessment. ........................................................................ 1-5
Table 1-2. DWR 8-1 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Levels ......................................................... 1-7
Table 1-3. Estimated Savings by Shortage Level ................................................................................ 1-11
Table 1-4. DWR 8-3 Demand Reduction Actions ................................................................................. 1-12
1-1
Water Shortage Contingency
Plan
This Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) is a detailed plan for how the
City of Morro Bay (City) intends to predict and respond to foreseeable and
unforeseeable water shortages. A water shortage occurs when the water
supply is reduced to a level that cannot support typical demand at any given
time or reduction in demand is otherwise needed.
This WSCP is used to provide guidance to the City, staff, and the
public by identifying anticipated shortages and response actions to
allow for efficient management of any water shortage with
predictability and accountability. The WSCP is a detailed proposal
for how the City intends to act in the case of an actual water
shortage condition. This WSCP is not intended to provide absolute
direction but rather to provide options to manage water shortages.
Official water shortage declarations by the City may include any
combination of components described in this WSCP.
Water shortages can be triggered by a hydrologic limitation in
supply (i.e., a prolonged period of below normal precipitation),
limitations or failure of supply and treatment infrastructure,
compliance with State mandates for water use efficiency, or a
combination of conditions. Hydrologic or drought limitations tend to
develop and abate more slowly, whereas infrastructure failure tends
to happen quickly and relatively unpredictably. Water supplies may
be interrupted or reduced significantly in several ways, such as
during a drought that limits supplies, an earthquake that damages
water delivery or storage facilities, a regional power outage, or a
toxic spill that affects water quality.
IN THIS SECTION
• Water Supply
Reliability
• Annual Assessment
Procedures
• Shortage Levels
• Shortage Response
Actions
• Communication
Protocols
• Compliance,
Enforcement, and
Legal Authority
• Financial
Consequences
• Implementation
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-2 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
This WSCP describes the following:
Water Supply Reliability Analysis: Summarizes the City’s water supply analysis and reliability
and identifies the key issues that may trigger a shortage condition.
Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment Procedures: Describes the key data inputs,
evaluation criteria, and methodology for assessing the system’s reliability for the coming year
and the steps to formally declare any water shortage levels and response actions.
Six Standard Shortage Levels: Establishes water shortage levels to clearly identify and
prepare for shortages.
Shortage Response Actions: Describes the response actions that may be implemented or
considered for each level to reduce gaps between supply and demand as well as minimize
social and economic impacts to the community.
Communication Protocols: Describes communication protocols under each level to ensure
customers, the public, and local government agencies are informed of shortage conditions and
requirements.
Compliance and Enforcement: Defines compliance and enforcement actions available to
administer demand reductions.
Legal Authority: Lists the legal documents that grant the City the authority to declare a water
shortage and implement and enforce response actions.
Financial Consequences of WSCP Implementation: Describes the anticipated financial impact
of implementing water shortage levels and identifies mitigation strategies to offset financial
burdens.
Monitoring and Reporting: Summarizes the monitoring and reporting techniques to evaluate the
effectiveness of shortage response actions and overall WSCP implementation. Results are used
to determine if shortage response actions should be adjusted.
WSCP Refinement Procedures: Describes the factors that may trigger updates to the WSCP
and outlines how to complete an update.
Special Water Features Distinctions: Defines considerations and definitions for water use for
decorative features versus pools and spas.
Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Availability: Describes the WSCP adoption process, submittal,
and availability after each revision.
This WSCP was prepared in conjunction with the City’s 2020 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP)
(Water Systems Consulting Inc., August 2021) and is a standalone document that can be modified as
needed. This document is compliant with the California Water Code (CWC) Section 10632 and
incorporated guidance from the State of California Department of Water Resources (DWR) UWMP
Guidebook 2020 (Department of Water Resources, 2020) and the American Water Works Association
(AWWA) Manual of Water Supply Practices (M60) Drought Preparedness and Response (American
Water Works Association (AWWA), 2019).
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-3 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
1.1 Water Supply Reliability Analysis
This section is consistent with CWC Section 10632(a)(1) and describes the key findings of the water
supply reliability analysis conducted pursuant to CWC Section 10635, which is presented in Chapter 7
of the City’s 2020 UWMP. As part of the 2020 UWMP, water suppliers must perform long-term (2025-
2045) water service reliability assessment to evaluate reliability under normal, single dry year, and five-
year consecutive dry year periods and a short-term (2021-2025) Drought Risk Assessment (DRA) to
evaluate reliability under a five-year consecutive dry year period. Water supply reliability reflects the
City’s ability to meet the water needs of its customers with water supplies under varying conditions. The
analysis considers plausible hydrological and regulatory variability, infrastructure capacity, climate
conditions, and other factors that affect the City’s water supply and demand. The City expects to meet
demands under all water year scenarios while continuing to promote conservation.
The DRA analyzes historical data to allow the City to view patterns and more reliably determine if there
could be any water shortages within a given time frame. The DRA looks at historical consumption data
by customer class, populated from billing records, and historical supply data by source from production
reports. Next, future demand and supply estimates for the planning period are analyzed to determine if
there are any gaps between supply and demand. As mentioned above, the City does not anticipate a
supply shortage. The City is committed to promoting conservation and use of recycled water to
increase its supply portfolio, resiliency, and subsequent reliability as described in Chapter 7 of the 2020
UWMP.
1.2 Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment
As established by CWC Section 10632.1, urban water suppliers must conduct an Annual Water Supply
and Demand Assessment (Annual Assessment) and submit an Annual Water Shortage Assessment
Report to DWR beginning by July 1, 2022, and every year after. The Annual Assessment is an
evaluation of the short-term outlook for supplies and demands to determine whether the potential for a
supply shortage exists and whether there is a need to trigger a WSCP shortage level and response
actions to maintain supply reliability. The annual report should report the anticipated shortage level,
triggered shortage response actions, compliance and enforcement actions, and communication actions
that will be implemented to mitigate the shortage identified in the Annual Assessment.
1.2.1 Key Data Inputs and Evaluation Criteria
Declarations of water supply conditions will occur annually, or more frequently if conditions warrant it,
after evaluation by City staff and the approval by City Council at a public meeting. Such resolution will
be based on the current shortage situation, the amount of imported water available from the State
Water Project (SWP), and other inputs shown below. The respective water shortage condition dictates
the degree at which shortage response actions are implemented at any time in the City. Some of the
potential reasons to change stages are listed as follows:
• Advancement to subsequent stage
Emergency condition, such as failure of pumping equipment, etc., that requires a
percentage of water consumption reduction greater than that of the current stage.
Regulatory action that requires a percentage reduction or compliance with a water
consumption standard.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-4 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Failure to maintain target water consumption reduction goal of a given stage.
• Withdrawal to previous stage
Emergency condition has been decreased in severity or resolved, so that the previous target
goal may be utilized.
Regulatory action or standard has been resolved or modified.
Water consumption reductions have been above that necessary to meet target goals of the
current stage.
The City is responsible for supplying water for the health and safety needs of the community. If it
appears that the City may be unable to supply the demands and requirements of the water customers,
the City Council may declare a water supply shortage condition.
Key data inputs and their sources for the Annual Assessments are summarized in Table 8-1 and
described in detail in Section 1.2.2. Evaluation criteria that can be used to determine and declare
severity of supply shortages may include any, or combinations, of the following:
Historic rainfall: reflects changes to supply due to reduced imported SWP availability or
changes to water usage patterns influenced by weather
Existing infrastructure capabilities and plausible constraints: reflects limited production and
distribution capacity due to a variety of factors potentially including, but not limited to, man-
made or natural catastrophic events
Customer demands: reflects current year and one projected single dry year conditions for
comparison to available supplies
SWP Table A Allocation: reflects how much SWP water will be available to the City. Since
SWP is currently the main supply source for the City, the City may consider implementing a
shortage based on available SWP water. Figure 8-1 shows some scenarios in which the
City may want to consider implementing a shortage based on Table A Allocation
percentages in addition to consideration of available stored SWP water.
Stored SWP: Amount of stored SWP available to the City in the San Luis Reservoir reflects
an additional supply that can be used to meet demands.
State mandates: reflects State orders and mandatory compliance with water use efficiency
standards
Other locally applicable evaluation criteria as necessary
A shortage emergency may be declared when it is demonstrated that conditions threaten the ability to
provide water for public health, safety, and welfare of the community. Furthermore, compliance with
State mandates for water use efficiency can be declared during drought or in preparation for future
droughts, such as in response to the Governor’s drought declarations in the 2012-2016 drought with a
subsequent Executive Order B-37-16 and related legislation for Making Conservation a California Way
of Life.
Short-term and long-term supply shortages may be caused by constrained production capacity or
natural or man-made catastrophic emergencies and include, but are not limited to, the following events:
power outages, winter storms, wildfires, earthquakes, structural failures, contamination, and bomb
threats. These types of emergencies may limit the City’s immediate ability to provide adequate water
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-5 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
service to meet the requirements for human consumption, sanitation, and fire protection. Impacts of
such emergencies vary in duration; thus, consumption reduction measures and prohibitions may differ
for short-term and long-term shortages.
Table 1-1. Key Data Inputs for the Annual Assessment.
KEY DATA INPUT SOURCE
Rainfall Monthly rainfall data. Rainfall sources for the City include weather stations at the
Fire Station and WWTP.
SWP Allocation SWP allocation and storage data, input from the City’s staff.
Stored SWP SLOFCWCD, Stored SWP available to the City from the San Luis Reservoir.
Infrastructure capabilities
and plausible constraints
Production data, input from the City’s Water Division staff.
Customer demands Customer billing data, Water equivalency table, 2020 UWMP projections, input
from the City’s Water Division staff.
State mandates Executive Orders from the Governor, State Water Resources Control Board orders
and policies, input from the City’s Water Division staff.
Figure 1-1: Table A Allocations that May Lead to a Shortage
1081
901
721
540
360
180
407
407
407
407
407
407
2025 Demands, 1,334
Stage 1 , 1,272
Stage 2 , 1,128
Stage 3 , 1,001
Stage 4 , 666
Stage 5 , 659
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
30%25%20%15%10%5%Available Supply (AFY)Table A allocation %
Table A Allocation That May Lead to a Shortage
SWP Available GW Supply 2025 Demands Stage 1
Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-6 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
1.2.2 Annual Assessment Procedures
City staff will perform the Annual Assessment between May-June, or on a more frequent basis if
necessary. Steps to conduct the Annual Assessment are as follows:
1. Staff gather the key inputs, compile historical data, and analyze potential supply and demand
gaps.
2. Staff provide insight on demand trends, water supply conditions, and production capacity.
3. The Public Works Director is charged with submitting an annual water report to the City Council,
Public Works Advisory Board and Planning Commission; reviewing and approving the water
equivalency units required by individual projects; monitoring the water equivalency program
during each year; periodically updating the basis for a water equivalency unit and the water
equivalency table and adjusting them based on significant changes of water consumption by
land use type; and developing operating procedures for the administration of the water
equivalency program and allocating water equivalency units to projects established for the year,
in accordance with the water equivalency program.
4. The Public Works Director, based upon information from the annual water report will make
recommendations to the City Manager about the advancement, withdrawal, or termination of
water shortage levels and will provide reports on water supply and demand status as required.
At a minimum, an “Annual Water Report” will be made available to the Director and City Council
on an annual basis.
5. Based on water supply and water demand information, the City Council may order by resolution
that the appropriate water shortage stage be implemented or terminated in accordance with the
applicable provisions of this WSCP and the relevant provisions of the Morro Bay Municipal
Code, the Government Code, and the CWC. Findings and recommendations are presented to
the City Council.
6. The City Council will declare the level of shortage required at the implementation or termination
of each level and the declaration shall remain in effect until the City Council declares otherwise.
7. When a resolution of the City Council has been issued to change the water stage, the public will
be notified through publication of the resolution in the local newspaper, on the City’s website,
and in the billing statement.
8. The City will develop and/or implement appropriate communication protocols and applicable
response actions.
The Annual Assessment starts in 2022 with the first Annual Assessment Report due to DWR by July 1,
2022.
1.3 Six Standard Water Shortage Levels
This section is consistent with CWC Section 10632(a)(2) and describes the City’s water shortage
levels. New to the CWC, water suppliers must now adopt water shortage levels that equivalently
address six standard water shortage levels. Shortage levels indicate the gap between supply and
demand compared to normal year conditions. DWR standardized six shortage levels to provide a
consistent regional and statewide approach to measure water supply shortage conditions. The six
shortage levels correspond to 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-percent, and greater than 50 percent shortage
compared to the normal reliability conditions. However, a water supplier may use its own shortage
levels if a crosswalk is included relating its existing shortage levels to the six standard levels. The
crosswalk between the City’s five levels and the standard water shortage levels is shown in Figure 1-2.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-7 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Table 1-2 shows the City’s five stages and their representative shortages. As shown in Table 1-2, the
water shortage stages include consideration of water shortages up to a Stage 5 Shortage, an
Emergency Water Supply Shortage, which includes a greater than 50% shortage stage with a
corresponding water demand reduction objective of greater than 50 percent. Each stage includes a
water reduction objective, supply conditions and percent of normal water supply, which may vary based
on the nature of water supply emergency. The implementation of the plan is dependent on the cause,
severity, and anticipated duration of the water supply shortage. A combination of water conservation
measures, known as shortage response actions, would be used to reduce water usage in the event of
water shortages.
Table 1-2. DWR 8-1 Water Shortage Contingency Plan Levels
SHORTAGE
LEVEL
PERCENT SHORTAGE
RANGE1
SHORTAGE RESPONSE ACTIONS
1 Up to 5% Normal Water Supply Conditions
2 5 to 15% Moderately Restricted Water Supply Conditions: Required savings may be met
through a combination of quantifiable and unquantifiable actions. The City will
only implement measures to the extent necessary to mitigate a water shortage,
although estimates may indicate a greater savings is obtainable. It is anticipated
that some of the required savings will be met through quantifiable shortage
response actions and the remaining savings will be met through other actions,
including communication and outreach efforts. For a list of all specific shortage
response actions and their potential savings, please refer to Table 1-3.
3 15 to 25% Severely Restricted Water Supply Conditions: Required savings may be met
through a combination of quantifiable and unquantifiable actions. The City will
only implement measures to the extent necessary to mitigate a water shortage,
although estimates may indicate a greater savings is obtainable. It is anticipated
that some of the required savings will be met through quantifiable shortage
response actions and the remaining savings will be met through other actions,
including communication and outreach efforts. For a list of all specific shortage
response actions and their potential savings, please refer to Table 1-3.
4 25 to 50% Critical Water Supply Conditions: Required savings may be met through a
combination of quantifiable and unquantifiable actions. The City will only
implement measures to the extent necessary to mitigate a water shortage,
although estimates may indicate a greater savings is obtainable. It is anticipated
that some of the required savings will be met through quantifiable shortage
response actions and the remaining savings will be met through other actions,
including communication and outreach efforts. For a list of all specific shortage
response actions and their potential savings, please refer to Table 1-3.
5 50% or greater Emergency Water Supply Conditions: Required savings may be met through a
combination of quantifiable and unquantifiable actions. The City will only
implement measures to the extent necessary to mitigate a water shortage,
although estimates may indicate a greater savings is obtainable. It is anticipated
that some of the required savings will be met through quantifiable shortage
response actions and the remaining savings will be met through other actions,
including communication and outreach efforts. For a list of all specific shortage
response actions and their potential savings, please refer to Table 1-3.
1 One stage in the Water Shortage Contingency Plan must address a water shortage of greater than 50%.
NOTE: Percent supply reduction is based upon Morro Bay's 2015 UWMP
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-8 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Figure 1-2: Water Shortage Levels Crosswalk
1.4 Shortage Response Actions
This section is in accordance with CWC Section 10632(a)(4) and 10632.5(a) and describes the
response actions that may be implemented or considered for each level with emphasis to minimize
social and economic impacts to the community. The City expects to mitigate supply shortages through
a variety of response actions including demand reduction actions, supply augmentation, operational
changes, and mandatory prohibitions.
This WSCP identifies various actions to be considered by the City during water shortage conditions. In
the event of a water shortage, the City will evaluate the cause of the shortage to help inform which
response actions should be implemented. Depending on the nature of the water shortage, the City can
elect to implement a combination of response actions to mitigate the shortage and reduce gaps
between supply and demand. It should be noted that all actions listed for Level 1 apply to Level 2, 3, 4,
and 5. Likewise, Level 2 actions apply to Levels 3, 4, and 5, Level 3 actions apply to Level 4 and 5, and
Level 4 actions apply to Level 5. If necessary, the City may enact additional actions that are not listed in
this WSCP. The following section discusses the potential response actions for each of the City’s five
water supply shortage levels.
1.4.1 Demand Reduction
In order to reduce water demands during water shortage periods, the City Council can declare an
emergency by resolution and thereby authorize the implementation of the WSCP as outlined in the
municipal code. The resolution declares which of the five stages is enacted. The actions to be
undertaken during each stage include, but are not limited to, the following:
Stage 1 Normal Water Supply Conditions - The demand reduction actions for this stage include:
Outdoor water use for washing vehicles, boats, paved surfaces, buildings or other similar uses
shall be attended and have hand-controlled water devices, typically including spring-loaded
shutoff nozzles.
Outdoor irrigation resulting in excessive gutter runoff is prohibited.
Marinas and waterfront installations: all hoses shall have spring-loaded shutoff nozzles or
similar controlling devices.
Restaurants shall serve drinking water only in response to a specific request by the customer.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-9 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Newly planted landscaping or newly seeded lawns installed prior to the date these mandatory
conservation requirements are imposed may be temporarily exempted from the provisions of
subsection A2 of the City’s 13.04.345 Mandatory Water Conservation Requirements; provided,
the owner/tenant establishes documentation satisfactory to the city conclusively proving the
planting date. Any temporary exemption shall expire when the planting is sufficiently established
to survive without excessive gutter runoff. All other conservation measures remain applicable
during the temporary exemption.
Stage 2 Moderately Restricted Water Supply Conditions - Stage 2 includes actions undertaken in
Stage 1. The demand reduction actions for this stage include:
No water shall be used for cleaning driveways, patios parking lots, sidewalks, streets, or other
such uses except where necessary to protect the public health or safety.
Outdoor Irrigation.
o Outdoor irrigation is prohibited between the hours of ten a.m. and four p.m.
o All consumers are directed to use no more water than necessary to maintain
landscaping.
Restaurants shall serve drinking water only in response to a specific request by a customer.
Newly planted landscaping or newly seeded lawns installed prior to the date these mandatory
conservation requirements are imposed may be temporarily exempted from the provisions of
subsection B1 of the City’s 13.04.345 Mandatory Water Conservation Requirements; provided,
the owner/tenant establishes documentation satisfactory to the city conclusively proving the
planting date. Any temporary exemption shall expire when the planting is sufficiently established
to survive without excessive gutter runoff. All other conservation measures remain applicable
during the temporary exemption.
Stage 3 Severely Restricted Water Supply Conditions - Stage 3 includes all steps taken in prior
stages regarding allotments and mandatory conservation rules. The demand reduction actions for this
stage include:
Outdoor Water Use (Except Irrigation).
o Washing cars by use of a hose is prohibited. Use of a bucket is permitted subject to non-
wasteful applications.
Outdoor Irrigation.
o Irrigation of private and public landscaping, turf areas, and gardens is permitted at even-
numbered addresses only on Wednesdays and Sundays, and at odd-numbered
addresses only on Tuesdays and Saturdays. All consumers are directed to use no more
water than necessary to maintain landscaping.
o Newly planted landscaping or newly seeded lawns installed prior to the date these
mandatory conservation requirements are imposed may be temporarily exempted from
the provisions of subsection (C)(2)(b) of the City’s 13.04.345 Mandatory Water
Conservation Requirements; provided, the owner/tenant establishes documentation
satisfactory to the city conclusively proving the planting date. Any temporary exemption
shall expire when the planting is sufficiently established to survive with twice per week
watering. All other conservation measures remain applicable during the temporary
exemption.
Marinas and Waterfront Installations.
o Use of fresh water to wash down boats, docks, or other incidental activities is prohibited.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-10 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Emptying and refilling of swimming pools and commercial spas is prohibited except to prevent
structural damage and/or to comply with public health regulations.
Use of potable water for compaction or dust control purposes in construction activities is
prohibited.
Any dysfunctional water fixtures in public or commercial facilities shall be repaired within three
days of receipt of notification by the city.
All visitor-serving facilities in the city shall prominently display these mandatory water
conservation requirements for the benefit and education of visitors to the community. Such
display shall be done in a permanent vandal-resistant manner. Visitor-serving facilities shall
include, but not be limited to, all motels, restaurants, campgrounds, recreational vehicle parks,
mobile home parks, service stations, public restrooms, etc. The owners or managers of such
facilities shall distribute to all customers a printed handout or flyer describing these mandatory
water conservation requirements. Such handouts or flyers shall be provided to the owners or
managers of such facilities by the city free of charge.
Stage 4 Critical Water Supply Conditions - Stage 4 includes all steps taken in prior stages regarding
allotments and mandatory conservation. The demand reduction actions for this stage include:
Outdoor Water Use (Except Irrigation).
o Washing cars by use of a hose is prohibited. Use of a bucket is permitted subject to non-
wasteful applications.
Outdoor Irrigation.
o Irrigation of private and public landscaping, turf areas, and gardens is permitted at even-
numbered addresses only on Wednesdays and Sundays, and at odd-numbered
addresses only on Tuesdays and Saturdays. All consumers are directed to use no more
water than necessary to maintain landscaping.
o Newly planted landscaping or newly seeded lawns installed prior to the date these
mandatory conservation requirements are imposed may be temporarily exempted from
the provisions of subsection (C)(2)(b) of the City’s 13.04.345 Mandatory Water
Conservation Requirements; provided, the owner/tenant establishes documentation
satisfactory to the city conclusively proving the planting date. Any temporary exemption
shall expire when the planting is sufficiently established to survive with twice per week
watering. All other conservation measures remain applicable during the temporary
exemption.
Stage 5 Emergency Water Supply Conditions - Stage 5 includes all steps taken in prior stages
regarding allotments and mandatory conservation. The demand reduction actions for this stage include:
The City Council may impose water-rationing requirements as it deems appropriate with
Sections 13.04.330 and 13.04.340.
In the event of a water supply shortage, the City may implement voluntary and mandatory compliance
measures to induce water conservation. The City’s Municipal Code 13.04.345 includes prohibitions on
various wasteful water uses during a declared water supply shortage (Appendix I). Additionally, the
City may choose to utilize measures that are listed in Table 1-4 at various shortage levels.
Although it is difficult to estimate the volume of savings for each action, the City expects to meet
required reductions through a combination of response actions in conjunction with outreach and
communication efforts to the extent necessary to mitigate any impacts from a water shortage. The
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-11 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
estimated water savings potential summarized in Table 1-3 and Table 1-4 represent a range from
published industry references.
Table 1-3. Estimated Savings by Shortage Level
LEVEL
SUPPLY
CONDITION/SHORTAGE,
%
NORMAL SUPPLY,
AF
REQUIRED SAVINGS1,
AF
ESTIMATED SAVINGS
FROM QUANTIFIABLE
ACTIONS2, AF
ESTIMATED
SAVINGS FROM
UNQUANTIFIABLE
ACTIONS, AF
1 <5% 1,090 55 1 54
2 5-15% 1,090 164 3 161
3 15-25% 1,090 273 348 166
4 25-50% 1,090 545 374 171
5 >50% 1,090 556 374 182
1 Required savings may be met through a combination of quantifiable and unquantifiable actions. The City will only implement measures to the extent
necessary to mitigate a water shortage, although estimates may indicate a greater savings is obtainable. It is anticipated that required savings will be met
through quantifiable shortage response actions and through other unquantifiable actions, including outreach efforts.
2 Quantifiable savings are estimated based on various published sources and are provided as a guide. The degree of implementation of actions can vary in
each stage and can result in a wide range of savings. For a list of all the City’s specific shortage response actions and their maximum potential savings, refer
to Table 1-4.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-12 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Table 1-4. DWR 8-3 Demand Reduction Actions
SHORTAGE
LEVEL
DEMAND REDUCTION ACTIONS HOW MUCH IS THIS
GOING TO REDUCE
THE SHORTAGE GAP?
ADDITIONAL EXPLANATION
OR REFERENCE
PENALTY, CHARGE, OR
OTHER ENFORCEMENT
1 Expand Public Information
Campaign
No
1 Provide Rebates on Plumbing
Fixtures and Devices
No
1 Provide Rebates for Landscape
Irrigation Efficiency
No
1 Provide Rebates for Turf
Replacement
No
1 Other - Require automatic shut
of hoses
Yes
1 CII - Restaurants may only serve
water upon request
1 AFY Yes
1 Landscape - Restrict or prohibit
runoff from landscape irrigation
Yes
2 Landscape - Limit landscape
irrigation to specific times
2 AFY Watering shall not take place
between the hours of 10:00
am and 4:00 pm
Yes
2 Other - Prohibit use of potable
water for washing hard surfaces
Yes
3 Other - Prohibit vehicle washing
except at facilities using
recycled or recirculating water
Yes
3 Other - Prohibit use of potable
water for construction and dust
control
2 AFY Yes
3 Other water feature or
swimming pool restriction
Draining of pools or refilling
shall be done only for health
or safety reasons.
Yes
3 Landscape - Limit landscape
irrigation to specific days
266 AFY Yes
3 Other - Customers must repair
leaks, breaks, and malfunctions
in a timely manner
77 AFY Expeditious leak repair
(within 72 hrs)
Yes
4 Other - Customers must repair
leaks, breaks, and malfunctions
in a timely manner
26 AFY Expeditious leak repair
(within 24 hrs)
Yes
4 Implement or Modify Drought
Rate Structure or Surcharge
Yes
5 Implement or Modify Drought
Rate Structure or Surcharge
Yes
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-13 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
1.4.2 Supply Augmentation
Given the City’s sufficient supply, the City has no immediate plan to augment supply in response to
shortages. During dry years, the City can utilize stored SWP from the San Luis Reservoir as available
or extract additional groundwater as needed while abiding by any safe yield restrictions on the basin.
1.4.3 Operational Changes
During shortage conditions, operations may be affected by demand reduction responses. Operational
changes to address a short-term water shortage may be implemented based on the severity of the
reduction goal. The City will maximize its groundwater supply by implementing operational strategies
and demand reduction measures. As part of the Annual Assessment process, the City will consider
their operational procedures at the time of a shortage to identify changes that can be implemented to
address water shortage on a short-term basis, include but not limited to:
Expansion of public information campaign to educate and inform customers of the water
shortage emergency and required water savings
Water conservation newsletter and water conservation webpage both include updated water
information, water conservation tips, information about water conservation programs by the City
and other agencies.
Specify the days and/or hours during which water users may irrigate;
Require users to supply their own drinking and cooking water;
Hold all customers to specified maximum usages of water for each category of users;
Take any other action which the City Council deems necessary to protect the public health or
safety, prevent contamination of wells or other sources of water, or ensure an adequate water
supply;
Improve the efficiency of groundwater nitrate treatment by blending and/or matching the well
supply to the input capabilities of the RO system by fine tuning the pump output with the
installation of SCADA or installing a day tank ahead of the WTF.
1.4.4 Additional Mandatory Restrictions
In addition to the mandatory conservation and rationing measures imposed in Stages 1 through 5, the
City Council and the Public Works Director are authorized to take further actions including:
Limit irrigation to specified hours, or prohibit irrigation;
Prohibit the filling or refilling of swimming pools, hot tubs or spas.
Outdoor irrigation resulting in excessive runoff is prohibited
Using potable water for street washing is prohibited
Any use which results in excessive gutter runoff is prohibited
Washing boats, marinas, buildings and outdoor paved areas is prohibited
Emptying and refilling swimming pools and commercial spas is prohibited
The use of potable water for compaction, dust control and construction purposes is prohibited
Any water use that results in gutter runoff is prohibited
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-14 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
1.4.5 Emergency Response Plan
In 2021, the City will complete a Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA) and Emergency Response
Plan (ERP) in accordance with America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018. The purpose of the
RRA and ERP is to meet the AWIA compliance requirements and plan for long-term resilience of the
City’s infrastructure. The RRA will assess the City’s water system to identify critical assets and
processes that may be vulnerable to human and natural hazards, and to identify measures that can be
taken to reduce risk and enhance resilience from service disruption for the benefit of customers. The
RRA identifies and characterizes both infrastructure-specific and system-wide vulnerabilities and
threats and quantifies the consequences of disruption. The RRA also identifies various options (and
constraints) in addressing and mitigating risk. The RRA, in conjunction with the ERP, charts a course
for water system resilience. The RRA also provided various recommendations to increase reliability of
the City’s system. Since critical pieces of infrastructure and specific vulnerabilities are detailed in the
RRA and ERP, the contents of the document are confidential and for use by the City’s staff only.
However, the City can confirm that these plans meet the requirements set forth by AWIA and evaluate
seismic risks and mitigation actions to the City’s infrastructure.
In the event of a water shortage emergency resulting from equipment failure, power outage, or other
catastrophe the City may implement its five-stage plan for conservation, as described above, with either
voluntary or mandatory reductions depending on the severity of the shortage. For severe disasters
(Stage 5), mandatory water use reductions are specified.
A catastrophic supply interruption can occur when the City loses one or more of its main water supplies.
The likelihood of experiencing a simultaneous loss of more than one supply is low. For instance, local
power outages may limit use of groundwater, but the City has stand-by emergency generators to assist
in times of short-term power outages. If the available supply is insufficient to meet the demand and
water quality requirements, an emergency notification will be sent to all water customers, to inform
them of the condition. The message will include the expected duration of the condition, and restrictions
on water use for the duration of the condition. Additional actions which The City will implement during a
catastrophic interruption of water supply due to an earthquake are outlined below:
Assess the condition of the water supply system. Arrange to provide emergency water (e.g., use
of groundwater supplies in the event of non-availability of the SWP water).
Identify priorities including hospitals, schools, and other emergency operation centers.
Complete the damage assessment checklist for reservoirs, water treatment plants, wells and
boosters, system transmission and distribution.
Coordinate with fire district to identify immediate firefighting needs.
Determine any health hazard of the water supply and issue any notification to the customers, if
necessary.
Make arrangements to conduct bacteriological tests, in order to determine possible
contamination.
1.4.6 Seismic Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan
Disasters, such as earthquakes, can and will occur without notice. Refer to the 2019 San Luis Obispo
County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (Appendix J) Section 5.3.10 for Seismic Risk
Assessment and Section 7 for Mitigation Plan procedures.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-15 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
1.4.7 Shortage Response Action Effectiveness
The City determines the actual reduction in water use through metering. Data from production meters
and from customer usage meters is used to analyze the water conservation impacts during shortages.
Additionally, customers can track their usage as recorded on their monthly water bill.
Additionally, the City tracks actual reductions in water use based on the water shortage contingency
analysis, by monitoring system demands at each of the City’s five water tank sites using the
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. The SCADA system tracks current
production as well as tank levels giving information on demands. Water use analysis can be performed
on a daily and/or weekly basis depending on monitoring needs, and customer usage is analyzed
monthly.
Estimates of the effectiveness for actions have been included in Table 1-3. It is assumed that a given
required shortage to be addressed in each level can be met by quantifiable measures and the
remainder of shortage can be addressed by unquantifiable measures, both from Table 1-4, operations
changes and additional mandatory restrictions. It is expected that response actions effectiveness is
also a result of successful communication and outreach efforts.
1.5 Communication Protocols
This section is in accordance with CWC Section 10632(a)(5) and describes the communication
protocols and procedures to inform customers, the public, and state and local officials of any current or
predicted water shortages. When a shortage level is enacted or changed, a notice is sent to all water
customers in their water bill and the City’s website updated. Based on the severity of the shortage
condition, the City may also advertise on the local Channel 20 what the shortage conditions are and
ways to save water. The city website contains various brochures and links to ways water customers
can conserve water indoors and outdoors. When the City moves to severely restricted water supply
notices are provided containing the mandatory water restrictions to all visitor serving facilities. The
notice is to be displayed by the facility in a prominent area to educate Morro Bays visitors. The city has
an active Facebook and Nextdoor account and will provide water conservation messaging as deemed
necessary.
1.6 Compliance and Enforcement
The City’s WSCP enforces prohibitions and assesses penalties for prohibited water use violation as
described below:
If customer violates irrigation restrictions, the City shall turn off the customer’s water after giving
written notice to the customer;
If customer flagrantly wastes water, the City shall turn off the customer’s water after giving
written notice to the customer;
If customer fails to repair leaks within three days of notification, the City shall turn off the
customer’s water after giving written notice to the customer;
If limits to maximum usages of water are set and a customer violates that use, the customer
may be assessed a penalty of $3 per hundred cubic feet (hcf) of water used over the maximum.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-16 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
1.7 Legal Authorities
The City’s WSCP is found in the City’s municipal code of ordinances within Chapter 13.04 Water
Service and Rates. Within Chapter 13.04, Section VII Emergencies includes the four subsections which
comprise the City’s WSCP. The WSCP’s four subsections are detailed as:
Section 13.04.320 Determination of low water levels - Grants the City Council authority to
declare when a low water level condition exists.
Section 13.04.330 Council water conservation powers - Identifies the water conservation
powers of the City Council when it is deemed necessary to conserve water during low water
level periods.
Section 13.04.340 Public works director powers - Identifies the legal authority of the Public
Works Director to enforce water conservation measures if the City Council adopts a resolution
declaring a low water level or water system emergency.
Section 13.04.345 Mandatory water conservation requirements - Identifies the mandatory water
conservation requirements for the five increasing levels, or stages, of conservation as the City’s
water supplies are reduced during drought conditions.
Under State law, the City is authorized after declaration of a water shortage emergency to restrict the
water uses and to prohibit the waste or use of the City’s water during such periods for any purpose
other than domestic use, sanitation, fire protection or such other uses as may be determined by the City
Council.
The City shall coordinate with San Louis Obispo County, within which it provides water supply services,
for the possible proclamation of a local emergency, as defined in Section 8558 of the Government
Code.
1.8 Financial Consequences of WSCP
The majority of the operating costs for most water agencies are fixed rather than a function of the
amount of water sold. As a result, when significant conservation programs are undertaken, it is
frequently necessary to raise water rates because the revenue generated is based on lower total
consumption while the revenue required is basically fixed. In order to counteract the financial impact of
conservation, the City may institute Water Shortage Emergency Rates so that lower projected water
consumption would generate added revenue needed by the City.
The Water Shortage Emergency Rates are designed to help the water enterprise remain financially
stable during periods of emergency water shortages and reduced water sales. In 2015, the City Council
held a public hearing and approved Resolution No. 30-15, which adopts water rate increases and
establishes Water Shortage Emergency Rates.
The Water Shortage Emergency Rates help the City remain financially stable during periods of
emergency water shortages and reduced water sales. These rates apply to metered water use.
Pursuant to California law, any applied Water Shortage Emergency Rates will not exceed the City’s
cost of providing service. The City only implements Water Shortage Emergency Rates, as needed, to
support financial stability under a more-severe Stage 4 or Stage 5 water shortage emergency.
The City is also required, by agreement with Central Coast Water Authority, to maintain a financial
reserve of 25 percent of annual operating costs. There is no specific City policy authorizing the use of
such reserves for drought-related financial shortfalls.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-17 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
In the event Water Division funds were significantly affected by drought-related shortfalls, capital
projects could be delayed or an internal service loan from either the General Fund or Wastewater Fund
could be implemented. Internal service loan(s) would require Council approval.
1.9 Monitoring and Reporting
This section is in accordance with CWC Section 10632(a)(9) and describes the reporting requirements
and monitoring procedures to implement the WSCP and track and evaluate the response actions
effectives.
As described in Section 1.2, the City intends to track its supplies and project demands on an annual
basis, and if supply conditions described in Table 1-2 are projected, the City will enact their WSCP.
Monitoring demands is essential to ensure the WSCP response actions are adequately meeting
reductions and decreasing the supply/demand gap. This will help to analyze the effectiveness of the
WSCP or identify the need to activate additional response actions.
The water savings from implementation of the WSCP will be determined based on monthly production
reports which will be compared to the supply from prior months, the same period of the prior year, and/
or the allocation. At first, the cumulative consumption for the various sectors (e.g., residential,
commercial, etc.) will be evaluated for reaching the target demand reduction level. Then, if needed,
individual accounts will be monitored. Weather and other possible influences may be accounted for in
the evaluation.
1.10 WSCP Refinement Procedures
This section is consistent with CWC Section 10632 (a)(10). The WSCP is best prepared and
implemented as an adaptive management plan. The City will use results obtained from monitoring and
reporting procedures (described in Section 1.9) to evaluate any needs for revisions. The WSCP is
used to provide guidance to the Council, staff, and the public by identifying response actions to allow
for efficient management of any water shortage with predictability and accountability.
To maintain a useful and efficient standard of practice in water shortage conditions, the requirements,
criteria, and response actions need to be continually evaluated and improved upon to ensure that its
shortage risk tolerance is adequate, and the shortage response actions are effective and up to date
based on lessons learned from implementing the WSCP. Potential changes to the WSCP that would
warrant an update include, but are not limited to, any changes to shortage level triggers, changes to the
shortage level structure, and/or changes to the response actions. Any prospective changes to the
WSCP would need to be presented at a public hearing, staff would obtain any comments and City
Council would adopt the updated WSCP. The steps to formally amend the WSCP are discussed in
Section 1.12.
Potential refinements will be documented and integrated in the next WSCP update. If new response
actions are identified by staff or public, these could be advertised as voluntary actions until these are
formally adopted as mandatory.
1.11 Special Water Feature Distinction
The CWC Section 10623 (b) now requires that suppliers analyze and define water features that are
artificially supplied with water, including ponds, lakes, waterfalls, and fountains, separately from
swimming pools and spas, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 115921 of the Health and Safety
Code. Non-pool or non-spa water features may use or be able to use recycled water, whereas pools
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-18 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
and spas must use potable water for health and safety considerations so limitations to pools and spas
may require different considerations compared to non-pool or non-spa water features.
1.12 Plan Adoption, Submittal, and Availability
This section was completed pursuant to CWC Section 10632(a)(c). Because the WSCP is a standalone
document that can be updated as needed.
This 2020 WSCP was presented for adoption to the City Council at the October 12, 2021 Council
meeting. Notifications were sent to all necessary Cities, Counties, and Districts 60 days prior to the
October 12, 2021 public board meeting. To comply with the notice to the public, the City published
notices in the local newspaper two weeks in advance with 5 days between publications. Copies of the
60-day notices and public hearing newspaper notices are provided in Appendix B. The WSCP was also
made available in advance of the public hearing.
The WSCP was formally adopted on October 12, 2021 by the City Council through Resolution 21-XX,
included as Attachment 1. The WSCP was made available to all staff, customers, and any affected
cities, counties, or other members of the public at the City and online within 30 days of the adoption
date.
1.13 Resources and References
American Water Works Association (AWWA). (2019). Manual of Water Supply Practices, Drought
Preparedness and Response.
Department of Water Resources. (2020). Urban Water Management Plan Guidebook 2020.
Water Systems Consulting Inc. (August 2021). City of Morro Bay 2020 UWMP.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan Appendix G
City of Morro Bay 1-19 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Attachment 1: Adoption Resolution