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Home My WebLink AboutWater Quality Committee 3.3.22Water, Wastewater, Storm Drains, Street Sweeping, Streetlights, Oil & Gas UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Mark Vukojevic, Director Presentation to Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee March 3, 2022 UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Today’s Presentation • Overview of Utilities Dept. • Overview of Water Conservation Ordinance • Utilities Responsibilities related to the Committee • Tour of Utilities Dept. Facilities Community Quiz What percentage of the City’s water supply comes from groundwater? A.) 75 % B.) 25 % Utilities Department Community Quiz How many gallons does the average home use in a month? A.) 1,000 gallons B.) 5,000 gallons C.) 7,500 gallons Utilities Department Community Quiz Utilities Department UTILITIES DEPARTMENT UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Master Plans & the CIP UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Water Water Production Division • On-call and 24-hour emergency service • Groundwater Wells • Reservoirs • Pumping and Pressurizing • Transmission System • Fire Fighting Support • Disinfection • Water Quality Testing & Public Health • Computer, Monitoring and Control System: SCADA OCWD Groundwater Basin Utilities Department UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Water Maintenance & Repair Division • On-call and 24-hour emergency service • Valve & Fire Hydrant Maintenance • Valve & Fire Hydrant Replacements • Water Main Repairs & Replacements • Service Line Repairs & Replacements • Meter Valve Replacements • Air Vac Replacements • Emergencies UTILITIES DEPARTMENT • Field Customer Service • Water Meters & Boxes • NEW AMI Digital Water Meters • Meter Reading • Water Conservation & Use Efficiency • Leak Detection • Permit Inspections • Underground Utility Marking {Protection} • Requests from residents/plumbers Water Water Meter Division Wastewater (Sewer) Division Responsibilities: • SEWER SPILL PREVENTION • Sewer Line Cleaning/Jetting/Rooting - 18Month, Annual, Quarterly & Monthly Routes • Repairing mainlines and sewer laterals • Pump Station Maintenance & Repairs • Regulatory Compliance • Emergency Response, Customer Service, Plumber calls UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Master Plans & the CIP UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Storm Drains (General Fund) • Protecting Harbor Water Quality • 87 miles of Storm Drains/channels/ditches • 3,268 catch basins cleaned annually • 23 inline large trash capture devices • 400+ catch basin trash capture devices • 300 annual tons of trash removed • Repairs to storm drain pipes, catch basins & ditches • Customer Service – car key recovery from catch basins- a frequent occurrence UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Tide Valves (General Fund) • 89 tide valves, (daily turning) • 0 number of permanent pump stations • 40 mobile storm pumps • 12 valves are electrically operated Lack of space & power outage realities Automation is not foolproof • Maintenance of all pumps & equipment • Tide valve maintenance during very low tides • Forecasted Rain + Predicted High Tides • Force multiply a staff of 7 to make 30-40 “pumpers” Street Sweeping (General Fund) • Residential Weekly • Commercial, Parking Lots, Boardwalk, 2-3/week • Contracted Service - New (2020) 10-year street sweeping contract with new street sweepers, 5 Street Sweepers every day! - 700 miles a week - 3800 tons a year • Alleys – every 2 weeks, New (2021) 5-year contract • City Sweeper is the backup & for emergencies • Customer Service intensive with questions, requests, special postings/sweepings • Enforcement through Police Dept. - Payments through Finance Dept. UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Graffiti Removal (General Fund) • Contracted Service (prevailing wage) • 5 days a week, contracted service + Summer Spikes + Special Callouts • Graffiti - 350+ locations removed, each location is documented, logged and reported to the County system • Customer Service – phone, website & app • Graffiti is removed with: - chemical removers - painted over & color matched - pressure washing • Stickers are growing nuisance… UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Streetlights (General Fund) • 6,950 Street lights (includes street, bollards, parking lots, beaches & city facilities) • 95% of all lights are now LED, conversions by staff • 2 circuits of 5000 High Voltage streetlights remain • 2 City Staff Electricians + Contracted Assistance (as needed) + Contracted Assistance (knockdowns) • Customer Service – phone, website & app • Quarterly night-time drive-by inspection of all city lights • 30 City Emergency Generators; maintained; + air quality regs • Street Light knockdowns - 2018 (20), 2019 (19), 2020 (15), 2021 (24): Cost recovery is important UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Utilities Department Oil & Gas (Tidelands Fund) • 16 Oil Wells, producing 19,000 barrels/year • Crude Oil is sold and Natural Gas sent to Hoag • Horizontally Drilled in the 1950s • City Operated since 1981 • 4 wells are currently offline UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Old City Landfill Newport Terrace Community (Environmental Fund) • 1950s-1960s former City Dump • 1972 Sold to a developer • City shares 50/50 responsibility with Home Owners Association • Managed/Monitored by City Staff • Contracted Resources used • Landfill gas control system - Extraction, pumping and treatment - Alarm system - Emergency call outs • Regulatory Compliance – State and County • System Repairs and Improvements UTILITIES DEPARTMENT • Governor Declaration, 15% voluntary reduction … • Orange County/So. California was well positioned with water stored • Current Water Use: ~15,000 Acre Feet, AF (yr2021) • Past Water Use: ~20,000 AF (yr2000, high use year) ~16,000 AF (yr2013, pre-drought) ~13,000 AF (yr2016, drought) • Likely Future – Drought conditions and restrictions • Need to update the City’s Water Conservation Ordinance Utilities Department CURRENT DROUGHT SITUATION BACKGROUND Water Conservation Ordinance Prohibition Items, (urban runoff reduction): • No irrigation of more than fifteen (15) minutes watering per station • No irrigation that causes excessive runoff • No washing down of hard surfaces • No excessive water leaks • No watering during and after a rain event • Car washing with a self-closing shut off nozzle BACKGROUND Utilities Department POLICY DISCUSSION – ALLOCATION METHODOLOGY Two likely methods in allocating water: • Historical use: based on prior water use during the billing period • Existing Code Or • Water budget = Indoor + Outdoor Calcs • Indoor needs • Assume 4 people per household, 55 gallons per day = 9 HCF, (6,700gals) • Outdoor budget measures landscape area and weather conditions • City has detailed irrigation areas and weather data Utilities Department • Allocating water based on historical water use: • Easier to understand • Can reward high water users and • can penalize low water users • Appeals expected • Allocating water on a budget standard (indoor + outdoor) • More difficult to administer; takes time to understand • Creates a consistent standard all customers are compared to • Appeals expected Utilities Department POLICY DISCUSSION – WATER ALLOCATION METHOD? POLICY DISCUSSION – ENFORCEMENT OF EXCESS CONSUMPTION During a declared drought stage what is the Education & Enforcement Plan? • General Public Education and outreach • Direct customer notifications, emails and utility bills • Customer online portal for their water use information • Standard Code Enforcement Process: certified mail • One formal warning (Notice of Violation) • Then infraction penalties i.e. $100, $200, $500 • Appeals process if needed Utilities Department POLICY DISCUSSION – ENFORCEMENT OF EXCESS CONSUMPTION NEXT STEPS • Receive policy guidance from City Council • Staff & Consultant will conduct water use analysis • Finalize Report and submit draft Water Conservation Ordinance for City Council approval in spring of 2022. Utilities Department UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Committee’s Purpose & Responsibilities (abbreviated) • Support and strengthen existing regulations to protect water quality in the bay and ocean • Improve water quality in the bay and ocean • Tidelands Infrastructure Capital Plan Sea Level rise Sand replenishment Projects affecting beaches and tidelands • Educate the watershed’s population about the value of Newport Bay and ocean • Advise on matters referred by City Council UTILITIES DEPARTMENT Utilities Dept. responsibilities related to the Committee Protecting and improving water quality: • Street Sweeping • Catch basin cleaning • Sewer maintenance/cleaning to prevent sewer spills • Water conservation related to reducing urban runoff/overwatering • Important goal is to protect ocean/harbor water quality Closing: Thank you for the opportunity to present Your Utilities Department: • Water • Wastewater • Storm Drains & Tide Valves • Street Sweeping & Graffiti • Streetlights • Oil & Gas • Former Landfill UTILITIES DEPARTMENT