Agenda Packets - 2007/06/04 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item No. 2C Meeting Date: June 4, 2007 Type of Business: WK WK: Work Session; PH: Public Hearing; CA: Consent Agenda; CB: Council Business City Administrator Review _______ City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Michael Schnur, Lead Utility Operator Item Title/Subject: Water Conservation – Sprinkling / Irrigation Policy Background: The City currently has an odd/even watering policy. It allows customers to water their grass on odd numbered days for odd numbered addresses and even days for even numbered addresses. This policy has served the City well in the past, but has become outdated. Discussion: The City is subject to an annual permit fee from the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) for all water pumped by the City. This fee is on a prorated scale of: Over 500 million gallons= $7.50 / million gallons 451 to 500 million gallons= $7.00 / million gallons 401 to 450 million gallons= $6.50 / million gallons and so on Last year the City of Mounds View pumped just over 501 million gallons. The DNR also just started a summer surcharge program in 2005. Which is “A surcharge of $20 per million gallons will be applied to the volume of water used in each of the months of June, July, and August that exceeds the volume of water used in January of each year. The summer surcharge applies to municipal water use, irrigation of golf courses and landscape irrigation. This is a surcharge in addition to the regular fee rate based on the yearly total volume used.” In 2006 the summer surcharge was $2,040.00. However, there has been a heightened awareness of environmental issues and an increased desire to conserve natural resources that could be addressed in the City’s watering policy. During the high demand months there are times when the water supply is diminished to low levels. The City needs to supply adequate water levels for everyday in home usages and fire protection. These efforts are compromised when all residents do not follow the lawn watering restrictions. The City is also restricted on when it can pump water because of an energy savings program.