02-07-2022 Council Work Session Packet

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WS — Item 6 WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT Work Session Item No. 6 Date: February 7, 2022 To: City Council From: Andy Nelson, Environmental Coordinator Re: Smart Irrigation Controller Program Background In our area, over 60% of water usage for a typical home is used for outdoor irrigation during the growing season. Of that water use, roughly 50% is wasted on overwatering, evaporation, and non -target watering. One of the most impactful and easy to implement options to improve our water conservation efforts in the City involves increasing the efficiency of outdoor irrigation. Smart irrigation controllers have been found to reduce water use by up to 50%. If smart irrigation controllers were installed at all addresses currently connected to municipal water, it could lead to a 20% savings on yearly water pumped in the entire City. The smart irrigation controller program was last discussed at the March 1", 2021 Work Session. After Council approval at that meeting, the City purchased 100 Rachio 3 smart irrigation controllers. This first order of controllers sold out in about three months. Staff is monitoring water usage data for the properties that have installed smart controllers. 2021 was an exceptionally dry year which led to increased irrigation demand city-wide. This may also have impacted the usage data that was gathered, making the benefits of the controllers less clear. Additional data will be needed in the coming years to gage the benefit of the controllers at individual addresses. As part of the City's water conservation efforts, staff is proposing to continue the smart irrigation controller program by purchasing 110 Rachio 3 controllers. $20,000 was budgeted for this program in the 2022 Water Utility budget. Program Details: 1. The City will purchase 110 controllers at $179.99 each using money from the Water Utility Fund. 2. These controllers will be available to residents on a first -come first -served basis at the discounted rate of $45.00 each (25% of the cost).