HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-2046 - Adopting a Drought Response Plan......'
CITY OF MARYSVILLE
Marysville,Washington
RESOLUTION NO.JO'f-fo
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF MARYSVILLE ADOPTING A
DROUGHT RESPONSE PLAN.
WHEREAS,on March 14,2001 Governor Locke declared a drought
emergency;and
WHEREAS,Marysville Municipal Code Chapter 14.08 provides
for use restrictions in the event of a water shortage;and
WHEREAS,pursuant to Marysville Municipal Code Chapter
14.08.020,the Mayor is authorized to implement certain programs
for the restriction of water use;and
WHEREAS,the Marysville Public Works Department has
developed and recommended approval of a Drought Response Plan;
and
WHEREAS,it is in the public interest that the City of
Marysville be prepared to systematically take action in the event
of a water shortage;NOW,THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MARYSVILLE
that the attached Drought Response Plan dated October 8,2001 be
and the same is hereby adopted.
~PASSED by the City Council and APPROVED by the Mayor this
gv~day of October,2001.
MAYOR
CITY OF MARYSVILLE
By DA~~.~-,--=-==,---
Attest:
CITY CLERK
Approved as to form:
ByA~cG...)~Y
GRANT K.WEED,CITY ATTORNEY
RESOLUTION
/wpf/mv/drought.res
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CITY OF MARYSVILLE
2001 DROUGHT RESPONSE PLAN
(10-a-Ol)
OBJECTIVE
In orderto conserve the available water supply and protectthe integrity of its water
system,with particular regard for domestic water use,sanitation and fire protection,and
to protect and preserve public health,welfare,and safety and minimize the adverse
impacts of water supply shortage or water supply emergency conditions,the Cityof
Marysville hereby adopts the following Drought Response Plan (DRP).
It is importantthat the Cityof Marysville initiatethis Drought Contingency Plan to
manage available water resources and ensure that sufficient water is available to
maintain water pressure,fire fighting supply,drinking and sanitation requirements.
OVERVIEW
Droughts are naturally occurring but unpredictable weather events of varying frequency,
duration and severity.In the Marysville Water Service Area (MWSA),there is a low
probability of a multi-yeardrought,but unusual weather events can cause short-term
shortages by affecting the annual refill and draw-down of the Everett Spada Reservoir
and the Marysville Well sites.This can occur in one or more of the following ways:
o A dry fall and/or winter can disruptthe refill cycle which normally replenishes the
Spada Reservoir andthe Stillaguamish River.
o A less than normal winter snow pack can limit the volume of flowsfrom snowmelt
in the spring to refill Spada Reservoir and can lowerthe ground water supply at
the various city well sites.
o Unusually warm and dry spring weather can cause an early melting of the
snowpack and an early filling and draw-down of Spada Reservoir.
o Unusually warm anddry summer weather can significantly increase peak summer
season demands and the draw-down Spada reservoir and can effect the ground
water supply at other locations.
These same scenarios can affect the Stillaguamish Ranney Well located on the
Stillaguamish River near Arlington andthe Edward Springs Reservoir near Lakewood.
Both depend on a ground water supply to provide adequate water north of 128 th in
Marysville.
The DRP identifies the range of demand reduction actions that are available and defines
the mechanism(s)by which decisions will be made during a drought event.Since each
drought situation has unique characteristics,the DRP cannot address all scenarios,or all
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of the supply and demand management actions that might be appropriate to a given
situation.As a result,the DRP isa general framework of actions that will be tailored to
meetthe specific needs of drought-related supply situation.
In addition to meeting the needs of the City and its water customers,the DRP is
designed to achieve the goal of providing an adequate quantityof highquality water
throughouta drought event.
DATA NEEDS
The DRP provides a blueprint for managing a drought situation to forestall a worsening
drought-related supply condition.Forthe DRP to be effective,it is critical to establish a
channel of clear,timely,and specific information onthe supply conditions earlyin the
process.At a minimum,this information should include:
•Regular updates on the level of Spada Reservoir and the groundwater supply at
Edward Springs,the Ranney Well siteor other City water sources.
•Weather and precipitation forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center and
Northwest River Forecast Center.
• Water demand forecasts identifying normal consumption levels and projected
consumption patterns based on historical data for previous drought periods.
COORDINATION
The Cityof Everett water supply system provides waterto the majority of Snohomish
County through contracts with wholesale water customers,or purveyors.The Cityof
Marysville provides waterfrom two major sites north of 128th Ave.Given this
relationship,drought management actions mustbe implemented throughoutthe water
purveyors area of responsibility to be effective.Regionally consistent actions are
importantfor a number of reasons:
• A unified message and approach is easier to communicate to the public and easier
for the public to understand.
•Public supportand cooperation is likely to be higher if drought management
actions are equitable throughoutthe purveyors area of responsibility.
•It is easier to forecast and manage demand if drought management actions are
consistent throughoutthe region.
DRP STAGES
Data from otherwater utilities that have faced drought situations indicates that
customers preferthe opportunity to meet targeted demand reductions through voluntary
actions before mandatory restrictions areput in place.As a result,the DRP provides a
four-stage approach to dealing with a drought event.Each stage provides an
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increasingly aggressive setof actions that will be implemented asdrought conditions
become more severe.
The four stages of the DRP include a varietyof communications,internal operating
adjustments,and supply and demand management strategies.These stages are
characterized as follows:
•Advisorv Stage - The public is informed that a water shortage may occur and is
encouraged to use water wisely.
•Voluntarv Stage -This stage relies on voluntary cooperation to meet demand-
reduction goals.During this stage,the City and its purveyors will implement
supply-side actions and recommend voluntary actions for their retail customers.
•Mandatorv Stage -During this stage,the Oty and its purveyors will implement
more aggressive supply-side actions and will limit or prohibit certain retail water
use activities.
•Emergency Stage -If supply conditions worsen and the mandatory stage does
not meetthe required demand reduction,this stage will establish emergency
restrictions,which may include rate surcharges.
Recommendations for implementing the four stages of the DRP will be made to the
City's Public Works Director by a Drought Advisory Committee which will be formed,if
neded,at the direction of the Public Works Director.The Drought Advisory Committee
will be composed of:
• two (2)representatives from the City's Public Works Department,
•one (1)representative from the Oty's Parks Department,
•one (1)representative from the City's Facilities Department,
•one (1)representative from the City's Administration Group,
STAGE 1 -ADVISORY
The Advisory Stage will be triggered by two primary conditions:
•Spada Reservoir storage is less than80 percent of normal operating capacity as of
April 1,dueto exceptionally low precipitation,and/or carryover storage from the
previous year.
• The snowpack and inflows that feed Spada Reservoir are less than 80 percent of
normal levels as of April 1.
The Advisory Stage will focus on external communications.The City will inform
wholesale and retail customers that the potential exists for afuture water shortage.
This message will include the following basic elements:
•There is a lowerthan normal supply of waterin the Spada reservoir or City well
sites.
•The conditions may return to normal,but it istoo early to tell.
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•If the conditions don't improve,additional steps may have to be taken to reduce
water consumption.
•Customers are encouraged to use water wisely to avoid the possibility of more
stringent actions.
In addition to advising customers aboutthe potential of water shortage,the Advisory
Stage will prompta number of actions:
•The Drought Advisory Committee may be assembled to monitorthe situation and
assign responsibilities.
•Data collection (e.g.,stream flows,snowpack conditions,weather forecasts,
reservoir levels well sounding levels)and computer modeling of projected supply,
demand and storage will be intensified.
• TheCitywill develop a fact sheet that outlines the water situation for water
system customer service staff throughout the MWSA.
•Planning and preparation for the Voluntary Stage will be initiated including an
assessment of staffing impacts,training needs,and communication strategies.
•The Citymay consider the need for a rate surcharge to promote water
conservation.
STAGE 2 -VOLUNTARY
The Voluntary Stage will be triggered by two primary conditions:
•Spada Reservoir storage is not projected to beat standard operating capacity as
of June 1,due to an exceptionally low snowpack,precipitation,and/or carryover
storage from the previous year.
•Spada Reservoir storage and predicted inflows are at, or below,75 percent of
normal levels and indicate the need for a more systematic response to the water
supply situation.
• Oty Well sites drop below 75 percent of normal levels.
The Voluntary Stage will bea call to action.The City should inform wholesale and retail
customers that water supply conditions have not improved and that their help is needed
to reduce water consumption.This message will include the following elements:
• The water supply in Spada reservoir continues to belowerthan normal and
ground water supply sounding show a significant decline.
•There is a reasonable probability that the conditions will not return to normal.
•Water purveyors in the MWSA are taking steps to limit water use.
•Customers are encouraged to voluntarily reduce demand to avoid the need for
morestringent actions in the future.
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In the Voluntary Stage,the City and its purveyors will implement a number of water-
saving steps and will ask retail customers to limit certain specific water-related activities.
These actions are shown in Figure 1:
FIGURE 1:Stage 2 Voluntary Actions
City/Purveyor Actions Retail Customer Actions
• Limitall non-essential domestic •Limitall non-essential domestic
uses of water uses of water
•Limit landscape irrigation around •Limitcar washing,driveway
public facilities.cleaning,and pressure washing.
•Limit irrigation of parks and •Limit irrigation of residential
median/gateway areas.gardens and lawns.
•Limitstreet washing and other •Limit irrigation of golf fairways and
non-essential services cemeteries.
• Limitthe frequency of water •Limit recreational uses of water.
system flushing activities.
In addition to promoting voluntary water conservation,the Voluntary Stage may prompt
a number of other actions:
•The Drought Advisory Committee will begin meeting ona regular basis to
coordinate internai and external actions.
•Systematic communications should be established with elected officials
throughoutthe EWSA.
• A communications plan will be developed and implemented to keep customers
informed aboutthe water situation,promote conservation strategies,and
encourage behavioral changes.
•Watering (irrigation)guidelines will be established and communicated to the City's
wholesale and retail customers.
•Planning and preparation for the Mandatory Stage will be initiated including an
assessment of staffing impacts,training needs,and communication strategies.
• The City and/or its purveyors may implement a rate surcharge to promote water
conservation.
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STAGE 3 -MANDATORY
The Mayor of the Cityof Marysville will authorize progressing to Mandatory Stage based
on the recommendations of the Drought Advisory Committee.This will be triggered by
two primary conditions:
•Supply conditions have become progressively more serious,this trend is expected
to continue or worsen,and the goals established in the Voluntary Stage have not
been achieved.
•Supply modeling indicates that demand levels mustbe reduced by specific,
quantifiable levels to avoid serious impacts on the abilityto meet essential water
needs in the future.Supply modeling indicates that expected demands maynot
bemet if this trend continues
The Mandatory Stage will identify specific water conservation actions customers are
required to take. The Citywill informits wholesale and retail customers that voluntary
actions have not been successful and that restrictions mustbe imposed to address the
water shortage situation.This message will include the following elements:
• Thewater supply in Spada reservoir and/or City wells are lowerthan normal and
is unlikely to return to normal conditions.
• Thevoluntary approach has not resulted in the necessary savings.
• Water purveyors in the MWSA are instituting water restrictions to ensure that
thereis an adequate supply throughout the duration of the shortage period.
•Customers are instructed to eliminate certain water-use activities to avoid more
stringent measures in the future.
•Water purveyors will be implementing an enforcement plan to monitorwater use
and address violations.
In the Mandatory Stage,the City and its purveyors will eliminate all non-essential uses
of water and will ask retail customers to eliminate avarietyof water-related activities.
These actions are shown in Figure 2:
FIGURE 2:Stage 3 Mandatory Actions
City/Purveyor Actions
•Eliminate all non-essential services
and uses of water
•Eliminate landscape irrigation
around public facilities.
•Eliminate irrigation of parks and
median/gateway areas.
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Retail Customer Actions
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•Eliminate non-essential system •Eliminate irrigation of golf fairways
flushing activities.and cemeteries.
•Eliminate non-essential sewer •Eliminate all recreational uses of
flushing activities.water.
•Restrict Fire Department training •Reduce commercial uses of water
activities.to prescribed levels.
•Limit water sales outside the •Reduce process water usage to
normal service area prescribed levels.
..In addition to prescriblnq mandatory conservation actions,the Mandatory Stage will
prompta numberof other actions:
• Water purveyors in the MWSA will be assigned a percent reduction goal they are
required to achieve.
• A communications plan will be developed and implemented to inform customers
about the severity of the water situation and to publicize the restrictions.
•An enforcement plan will be developed that defines the enforcement
mechanism(s),identifies staffing and management of the enforcement process,
and defines procedures for dealing with violators.
• A policy will be developed for granting water restriction exemptions that identifies
the exemption criteria,an application procedure,and the
evaluation/determination process.
•Planning and preparation for the Emergency Stage will be initiated including an
assessment of staffing impacts,training needs,and communication strategies.
STAGE 4 -EMERGENCY
The likelihood of the Emergency Stage is extremely remote andno drought-related
emergency has occurred in the historyof the City.The Emergency Stage identifies
actions that will be taken only when a shortage of waterfor public health and safetyis
imminent.This stage is characterized by two things.First,increasingly stringent
restrictions will be established and enforced.Second,significant rate surcharges maybe
implemented to reduce consumption.
TheCitywill inform its wholesale and retail customers that all previous actions have not
been successful and that emergency restrictions mustbe imposed to address the water
shortage.This message will include the following elements:
• Thewater shortage problem is severe and has become a public emergency.
• All non-essential uses of water mustbe eliminated.
•Taste andodorwaterquality problems may occur dueto system-wide reductions
of water consumption and system flushing.
• Water pressure problems may occur throughout the water system.
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•There will be increased enforcement of the water-use restrictions and violators
will be fined.
•The City and/or purveyors may implement a rate surcharge.
Given the unique nature of the Emergency Stage,a list of actions will be developed by
the Drought Advisory Committee based onthe characteristics of the water shortage
event.
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