HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7207 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7207 p.1
July 28, 1987
oFSORr To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Subject: WATER CONSERVA71ON PLAN
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As a result of State legislation passed during the last two sessions virtually every new approval
for water and wastewater permits, grants, loans and planning studies requires that local
governments prepare and submit a Water Conservation Plan to the appropriate State
agency -- either the Texas Water Commission (TWC) or the Texas Water Development Board
(TWDB). Recently the Tarrant County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 requested
its customers, including Fort Worth, to submit information which has been used to prepare a
water supply conservation plan as a requirement of a TWDB water quality planning grant for
the West Fork of the Trinity.
In order for the Water Department to proceed on an orderly basis for State - mandated submittals,
the staff has prepared a proposed Water Conservation Plan for City Council consideration. The
proposed water conservation plan reflects positive steps with several goals:
1. To stabilize the average daily per capita use at 200 gallons per day by the
year 2000.
2. To maintain and enhance the quality of the raw water supply.
3. To use internal programs designed to minimize water loss such as replacement
of corroded water mains, leak detection, and metering.
4. To reduce peak demands experienced during summer months.
5. To continue and expand the public education program.
The staff believes that the proposed water conservation plan meets the state guidelines including
a drought contingency component with staged, escalating water use restrictions.
For any water conservation plan to be effective for our area, the staff believes that it should
concentrate on programs which have the greatest potential economic pay back to the water
utility and ultimately the consumer. One such promising effort is related to seasonal irrigation
requirements. Fort Worth area consumers require substantially more water during some summer
days, as much as twice the annual daily average, to support lawns and landscaping. The costs
associated with the capital investments necessary to support such widely fluctuating demands
are substantial, and efforts to encourage long term moderating load factor trends could result
in decreased future capital investments. Primarily due to these potential long term savings,
the staff recommends a public education effort aimed at those water use activities where
decreased consumption will not necessarily be synonymous with perceived decreased service
and benefits, as might be the case for mandatory water use restrictions and other regulatory
type approaches.
A key element in the goal of stabilizing per capita water use in the Southwestern United States
has been the promotion of alternative, less water intensive, landscaping. Several cities in Texas
including Arlington, Austin, El Paso and San Antonio have chosen as a cornerstone of their water
conservation efforts the encouragement of drought tolerant landscaping also referred to as
Xeriscape. The Xeriscape program began in 1980 with the Denver water utility and has spread
throughout the Southwest. Soon its headquarters will be moved from Denver to Austin because
Texas now has more registered Xeriscape programs than Colorado.
L ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7207 p.2
'r,T f 04,a July 28, 1987
Opf To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
0001,
X Subject: WATER CONSERVATION PLAN
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Texas A & M University has abandoned its "Texscapell program, which had similar goals as the
"Xeriscape" program, in favor of Xeriscape. The university will be making available literature
designed for the public and will be conducting additional research on Xeriscape principles.
In Fort Worth a Xeriscape Demonstration Garden has been initiated at the Rolling Hills Water
Treatment Plant. While the east side of the demonstration garden has been completed, the
west side has received only some rough grading and sidewalk improvements. The remaining
work includes additional site preparation, installation of the irrigation system and planting.
Completion of the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden will allow the conservation plan to target
a critical water conservation goal, the reduction of peak demands, and will allow the public
education effort to continue to gain momentum.
Approval of the Water Conservation Plan is requested by means of the Water Conservation
Resolution on today's agenda. Approval for funding of the various programs will be included
in the budget process or by means of specific project approvals such as with the completion
of the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. Unless otherwise directed, the staff will utilize the
approved Water Conservation Plan in subsequent applications with the State.
,-)-Douglas Harman
City Manager
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ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS