HomeMy WebLinkAbout028141 ORD - 04/28/2009AN ORDINANCE
AMENDING SECTION 55-151(a), CODE OF ORDINANCES, CITY OF
CORPUS CHRISTI REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF THE 2009
CORPUS CHRISTI WATER CONSERVATION AND DROUGHT
CONTINGENCY PLAN; PROVIDING FOR SEVERANCE; AND
PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI,
TEXAS, THAT:
SECTION 1. Section 55-151(a), Code of Ordinances is revised to read as follows:
"Sec. 55-151. Water conservation and drought contingency plan.
"(a) The City of Corpus Christi Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan 2005
2009 dated April 26, 2005, as amended on November 15, 2005 28, 2009 a true copy
of which is on file in the office of the city secretary, is adopted, and shall be followed in
matters concerning water conservation, drought management, and water supply
enhancement programs."
SECTION 2. If for any reason any section, paragraph, subdivision, clause, phrase,
word or provision of this ordinance shall be held invalid or unconstitutional by final
judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, it shall not affect any other section,
paragraph, subdivision, clause, phrase, word, or provision of this ordinance, for it is the
definite intent of this City Council that every section, paragraph, subdivision, clause,
phrase, word or provision of this ordinance be given full force and effect for its purpose.
SECTION 3. Publication shall be made in the official publication of the City of Corpus
Christi as required by the City Charter of the City of Corpus Christi.
SECTION 4. That upon written request of the Mayor or five Council members, copy
attached, the City Council (1) finds and declares an emergency due to the need for
immediate action necessary for the efficient and effective administration of City affairs
and (2) suspends the Charter rule that requires consideration of and voting upon
ordinances at two regular meetings so that this ordinance is passed and takes effect
upon first reading as an emergency measure on this the 28th day of April, 2009.
028141
ATTEST:
Armando Chapa
City Secretary
APPROVED: This 17th day of April, 2009:
R. JIng
First Ass Stant Cit/Attorney
For City Attorney
THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI
%e ry Garr:
Mayor
2009 WATER CONSERVATION AND DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN 04102009
2
Corpus Christi, Texas
Arty of
,2009
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Corpus Christi, Texas
For the reasons set forth in the emergency clause of the foregoing ordinance an
emergency exists requiring suspension of the Charter rule as to consideration and
voting upon ordinances at two regular meetings: I/we, therefore, request that you
suspend said Charter rule and pass this ordinance finally on the date it is introduced, or
at the present meeting of the City Council.
Respectfully, Respectfully,
Witt L✓ AIL //
enry Garr
Mayor
Council Members
The above ordinance was passed by the following vote:
Henry Garrett
Melody Cooper
0
Larry Elizondo, Sr. �]_
Mike Hummell
Bill Kelly
Priscilla G. Leal
John E. Marez
Nelda Martinez
Michael McCutchon
028141
2009 WATER CONSERVATION AND DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN 04102009
City of Corpus Christi
Water Conservation and
Drought Contingency Plan
April 21, 2009
April 26, 2005
As amcndcd on Novcmbcr 15, 2005
Executive Summary 3
Chapter 1 Introduction 5
Chapter 2 Demand Profile, Targets, and Goals 8
2.1 Demand Profile 6
2.2 Goals 13
2.3 Utility Profile Survey 15
Chapter 3 Best Management Practices 16
3.1 Introduction 16
3.2 System Water Audit and Water Loss 16
3.3 Metering of All Connections 19
3.4 Water Conservation Pricing 20
3.5 Prohibition on Wasting Water 22
3.6 Conservation Coordinator 23
3.7 Public Information 25
3.8 School Education 27
3.9 Water -Wise Landscape Design and Conversion Program 29
3.10 Park Conservation 32
3.11 Reuse of Reclaimed Water 34
3.12 Plumbing Assistance 35
Chapter 4 Wholesale Customer Conservation 37
4.1 Summary 37
4.2 Wholesale Customer Targets and Goals 37
4.3 Metering, Monitoring, and Records Management 37
4.4 Leak Detection and Repair 37
4.5 Contractual Requirements 38
4.6 Targets and Goals 39
4.7 Reservoir System Operating Plan 40
Chapter 5 Drought Contingency Plan 41
5.1 Summary 41
5.2 Procedure - Implementation 41
5.3 Procedure - Notification 41
5.4 Plan Applicability 42
5.5 Enforcement 42
5.6 Emergency Criteria 42
5.7 Descriptions of Trigger Conditions 42
5.8 Target Goals 43
5.9 Wholesale Water Contracts 44
Glossary 45
Appendix A Utility Profile
Appendix B Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Ordinance
Appendix C Reservoir Operations Plan
Appendix D Water Rates
Appendix E Water Conservation Implementation Report
2
Executive Summary
The City of Corpus Christi has had a nationally recognized water conservation program for the
past 46 19 years. Beginning in 1988, thc City's Water Department assigned duties to a
per day in 1988 to 218 gallons per day in 2004. The City was first in the state to create a
Drought Contingency Plan in 1986 which served as a guide for state officials. Corpus Christi
understands the seriousness of maintaining an active water conservation and drought
contingency plan based on historic drought conditions.
all of thc provisions required in TAC Chapter 288 for municipal water providers, wholesale
providers, and for a drought contingency plan. The document is divided into chapters that
contain the major dements essential to each of the regulatory roquircments, and appendices
water rates, as well as the utility profile and reservoir operations plan. Since 1988, the City's
Water Department assigned duties to a conservation coordinator to develop outreach
programs. The building of the Xeriscape Learning Center and Design garden has set
precedence in commercial landscape ordinance requirements. Development of educational
programs such as Toby Globy Eco -Action, Major Rivers and the Learning to be Water Wise
programs are delivered to local classrooms. These efforts have resulted in measurable water
savings. Total water consumption per person has dropped from 259 gallons per day in 1988 to
233 gallons per day in 2008.
The City has also worked with its wholesale customers to promote water conservation and to
coordinate efforts during times of water shortage as during the mid-1990s and 2006. This
document contains all of the provisions required in Title 30, Texas Administrative Code
Chapter 288.2 for public water suppliers, wholesale providers, and for a drought contingency
plan. The document is divided into chapters that contain the major elements essential to each
of the regulatory requirements, and appendices that contain legal ordinances enacting the
Drought Contingency and Conservation Plan and water rates, as well as the utility profile and
reservoir operations plan.
Chapter One summarizes the reservoir operating systems that supply the City of Corpus
Christi and its wholesale customers with raw and treated water. Chapter Two presents the
demand profiles and quantifiable targets and goals for the City, indicating that water use is
tracked by customer class, and that the City has related its metered data to its conservation
aims. For example, the City's largest retail customer class is single-family residential at 89
percent of customers, while the largest customer class by consumption per connection is
industrial at 15 million gallons per month. The City projects a 1 percent per year drop in per
capita consumption over the next 10 years, and has a goal to keep system water loss below
10 percent.
Chapter Three includes the 1-0 11 conservation best management practices that make up the
City's Conservation Program. Mandatory elements, like metering, systems water audits, and
conservation pricing are addressed, as well as voluntary practices like park conservation and
water reuse. The City's conservation program is best known for its educational initiatives
3
including efforts which target both adults and children. The Xeriscape Learning Center and
Design Garden at the Museum of Science and History has attracted interest from horticultural
and conservation specialists from around the state and the nation, as well as serving as a
resource for school children and adults in Corpus Christi.
Chapter Four includes the provision addressing the wholesale customers, including a
summary of contractual requirements to conserve during water shortages, and targets and
goals section for wholesale customers. Chapter Five includes a summary of the drought plan
provisions which were enacted by ordinance in 2001, and the water use reduction targets for
the drought plan.
4
Chapter 1
Introduction
TheCityof Corpus Christi Water Department serves nearly 500,000 citizens of Corpus Christi
and the Coastal Bend. Its mission is to effectively manage the City's water supply, production,
and distribution system in order to meet water supply needs and to provide safe drinking water
that meets state and federal regulations; to review the design and construction of water
facilities to ensure the adequacy of the water system to meet projected growth requirements;
and to identify and meet consumer needs and expectations.
The City of Corpus Christi Water Department supplies water for municipal and industrial use in
a seven -county service area covering 140 square miles. Major raw water customers include
Alice Water Authority, Beeville Water Supply District, City of Mathis, San Patricio Municipal
Water District, Celanese, and Flint Hills Resources. Treated water customers include Nueces
County Water Improvement District No. 4 (Port Aransas), San Patricio Municipal Water
District, South Texas Water Authority, and the Violet Water Supply Corporation. The primary
supply of water comes from surface water resources. The Frio River supplies water to Choke
Canyon Reservoir. Lake Corpus Christi receives inflow from Choke Canyon Reservoir, the
Atascosa and the Nueces Rivers, all within the Nueces River Basin. Water drawn from Lake
Texana is pumped through the Mary Rhodes Pipeline and enters the 0. N. Stevens Water
Treatment Plant.
Lake Corpus Christi has a capacity of 242,241 acre-feet of water. Wesley Seale Dam was
dedicated April 26, 1958. Choke Canyon Reservoir has the capacity of 695,271 acre-feet of
water. The United States Bureau of Reclamation financed, designed, and built the reservoir,
which was dedicated on June 8, 1982. The City operates and maintains the facility.
During 1993 to 1996, Nueces River Basin stream flows were the lowest recorded — even
lower than the much -remembered 1950s Drought. The Regional Water Supply Task Force
determined that additional water resources were needed for the Coastal Bend. In 1993, the
City entered into a contract with the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority to purchase 41,840 acre-
feet of water per year. The City of Corpus Christi, along with the Nueces River Authority, the
Port of Corpus Christi and the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority worked together to deliver
water via a new pipeline from Lake Texana. The 101 -mile -long pipeline was named for the late
Mary Rhodes, mayor of Corpus Christi from 1991 to 1997, in recognition of her special
contribution to the development of water resources for the residents and industries of the
Coastal Bend. Water is pumped through a 64 -inch pipeline from Lake Texana near Edna,
Texas. The pipeline came on line in September 1998. Approximately 50 percent to 70 percent
of the water delivered to homes in Corpus Christi comes from Lake Texana.
Another Water Department function includes operation of the 0. N. Stevens Water Treatment
Plant. The City diverts raw water from the Nueces River and Lake Texana into the plant to be
treated to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) drinking water standards.
Water is drawn from the Nueces River, and passes through screens to remove large floating
objects. The water is pumped from the Nueces River to the treatment plant junction box, where
it is blended with Lake Texana water. From there, the water is treated to remove suspended
particles and disinfected for human consumption. Large master pumps help to distribute water
into the City and to its wholesale water customers.
Approximately 25 28 billion gallons of water are treated each year. The 0. N. Stevens Water
Treatment Plant has a rated capacity of 167 million gallons per day, well above the peak
5
summer demand of 98 110 million gallons per day. The Water Department operates five
pumping stations and four elevated storage tanks, and maintains 1,600 miles of pipeline.
The Water Department operates in full compliance with all state and federal requirements. The
Water Department also maintains a water laboratory and water maintenance activity that
oversees the repair and replacement of transmission and distribution service water lines.
To meet the demand of a growing community, the City has taken steps to assure a future
water supply. In 1999, the City purchased senior water rights to 35,000 acre-feet of water per
year in the Colorado River. This water will be transported to Corpus Christi via a pipeline that
will be constructed in the future from the Colorado River to the Mary Rhodes Pipeline at Lake
Texana.
The City has explored the feasibility of desalination — the process of removing salt from
i., e
seawater _ _ _ _ _ - - _ - - • ' _ ' _ .-,,,-2007thti
the state's regional water needs. The Padre Island Desalination Plant Feasibility Analysis and
Siting Plan studied the feasibility and costs of building a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination
facility (up to five million gallons per day (mgd)), increasing water storage at Padre Island, and
using a technology that stores water underground for future use known as aquifer storage and
recovery (ASR) in the Chicot Aquifer. The City also participated in a U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers feasibility study to assess the potential for desalination as a water supply source for
the region. This study was jointly sponsored by the San Antonio Water System, San Antonio
River Authority, and Guadalupe Blanco River Authority.
The Water Department has a long-standing commitment to promoting water conservation in
the community. Its public education and communications functions promote community
awareness of water resources, the importance of using water wisely, and techniques for
efficient use of water. The Department provides free water -related educational materials to
local school districts, public outreach, free water saving devices and an extensive year around
media campaign. The long-term focus of the Plan is to stretch existing and planned
expansions to the water systems by reducing per capita water consumption. Long-term
conservation programs include conservation pricing, residential and commercial, and
institutional water education designed to help customers reduce per capita water use by one
percent per year over the next decade. Increased usage of reuse water and aquifer storage
and recovery will also help manage the demand profile and use water more efficiently.
The service area of the City of Corpus Christi is located within the Coastal Bend, designated
as Region N Planning area, and the City has provided a copy of its Water Conservation Plan
to the Coastal Bend Regional Water Planning Group (RWPG). The Region N Planning Group
was initially appointed by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), under the authority of
Senate Bill 1, and includes representatives from 12 interests including the public, counties,
municipalities, industries, agriculture, the environment, small businesses, electric -generating
utilities, port authorities, river authorities, water districts, and water utilities from across the
region. This Plan is consistent with the City's role as a leader in water supply planning in
Region N, and meets the standards for water conservation planning in TAC Chapter 288. The
Water Department has coordinated with the RWPG through the following measures:
1. A City Council member sits on the planning group;
2. The City delivered the 2009 2005 Corpus Christi Water Conservation and Drought
6
Contingency Plan to the Region N Water Planning Group;
3. City staff members (in addition to RWPG representative) attend Planning Group
meetings on a regular basis;
4. City staff has made formal comments (at meetings and in writing) at various times
regarding issues with population and water demand projections and with selection of
water management strategies; and
5. The City has held numerous meetings with the RWPG consultant to address issues
related to Corpus Christi and the regional planning process.
Chapter 2
Demand Profile, Targets, and Goals
2.1 Demand Profile
The City of Corpus Christi serves both wholesale and retail customers. Of the wholesale
customers, five receive treated water, and six receive raw water from the City. Surface waters
from the Nueces and Frio Rivers are impounded in Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus
Christi, while water from the Navidad River is impounded in Lake Texana.
Of the 112,878 120,259 acre-feet of raw water withdrawn in 2904 2008, 26,397 21,441 acre-
feet, or 30.5 31.4 percent, was delivered to the four wholesale and two retail customers on the
Choke Canyon/Lake Corpus Christi (CCR/LCC) reservoir system, and 8,077 9,510 acre-feet
was delivered to one wholesale customer on the Lake Texana side. Raw water customers
include Alice Water Authority, Beeville Water Supply District, City of Mathis, San Patricio
Municipal Water District, Celanese, and Flint Hills Resources. San Patricio Municipal Water
District receives raw water from both the CCR/LCC system and Lake Texana. The remaining
78,102 82,916 acre-feet of raw water in 2004 2008 was delivered to the O. N. Stevens Water
Treatment Plant (WTP) for treatment and serves as retail and wholesale water supply of
potable water. Figure 1, Corpus Christi Water Source Flow Chart 2001 2008 as shown on the
following page, reflect the amounts of water delivered to major customers from the two
principle surface water sources, from raw water to the WTP, and then on to treated water
customers.
The overall water demand by the City of Corpus Christi Water Department customers in the
year 2001 2008 was 3678 37.0 billion gallons, including sales to wholesale treated and raw
water customers. In 2001 2008, 46.7 48.9 percent of the raw water entered the WTP from the
combined CCR/LCC system on the Nueces River. The remaining 53,3 51.1 percent of the raw
water was withdrawn from Lake Texana on the Navidad River. Of the 25.56 27.0 billion gallons
of raw water delivered to the O. N. Stevens WTP, 22.6 24 billion gallons were delivered to
wholesale and retail customers.
8
Figure 1
CHOKE CANYON
RESERVOIR
LAKE CORPUS
CHRISTI
Corpus Christi, Texas
Water Source Flow Chart for 2008
(Million Gallons)
Alice 2,245
Beeville 982
Mathis 250
Celanese 470
Flint Hills Resources 1,613
San Patricio MWD 3,509
Corpus Christi 13,459
Total 22,528
leiSr LAKE
TEXANA
San Patricio MWD Raw 3,099
Corpus Christi 14,008
Total 17,107
Raw Water Entering O. N. Stevens WTP 27,467
Treated Water Leaving O. N. Stevens WTP 23,979
UBO Billed Water Consumption 25,347
Naval Air Station
NCWCID #4
San Patricio MWD -Treated
South Texas Water Authority
Violet Water Supply Corp.
Corpus Christi
Total
342
474
1,072
507
58
22,894
25,347
9
Retail industrial and single-family residential customers were the two highest demand sectors
in 2004 2008 for treated water at 38 36 percent and 26 29 percent respectively (see Figure 2,
2001 2008 Treated Water Use by Customer Class (wholesale customers included)). They
were followed by commercial customers at 22 21 percent and wholesale customers at 9 8
percent. City and State accounts, which include City parks, municipal buildings and State
highway irrigation, represent 4 1 percent of overall consumption. Multi -family accounts
represented approximately 4 5 percent of demand. Multi -family accounts include residential
accounts with up to four housing units per meter. Apartments, condominiums, and domiciles
with five or more units per meter are included in the commercial demand segment.
Figure 2
2008 Treated Water Use by Customer Class
(Wholesale Included)
Wholesale
City/State
1%
Residential
29%
Industrial
36%
Commercial
21%
Multi -Family
5%
10
Figure 3, 2004 2008 Connections by Type (Retail Only), shows the breakdown of retail treated
water customers by connection. In 2004 2008 the City served an average of 81,811 87,277
connections per month. The figure indicates that residential accounts represent the largest
number of accounts at 88:9 89 percent of all retail connections. Commercial customers
account for the next largest number of customers at 8,6 9 percent of all accounts. City and
State accounts represent 1,3 1 percent of all connections; and industrial accounts with 31
connections were less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the total. Wholesale customers represent
far less than 1 percent of connections, and are not included in Figure 3.
Figure 3
2008 Connections, by Type (Retail Only)
■ Single Family
89%
■ Single Family
■ Multi -family
I] Commercial
CI Government
■ Industrial
2001 Connections, by Typo
• Multi -family
O Commercial 1%
OGovernment 9%
1%
• Industrial
0%
Industrial 0.0%
11
System Efficiency
The Water Department summary showed an unaccounted for water rate of 877 9 percent in
2004 2008 and an avcragc of 5.1 perccnt ovcr thc past fivc y aro. The City's unaccounted for
water rates are kept below 10 percent through an aggressive leak detection and repair
program, timely meter testing and replacement, tracking of system pressures, and water use
for construction and other purposes. Detailed descriptions of water loss reduction efforts are
found in Chapter 3.
Seasonal Demand
The City's demand profile shows the summer peaks typical of Texas cities. Summer demand
has averaged 2.52 2.3 billion gallons per month for thc past fivc y aro (for the period of 2005
to 2008) as compared to 2.5 billion gallons (for the period of 2000 to 2004) for a
difference of 2.4 million gallons. Gver--a--similac-time-peciecl, The winter average demand
was approximately 1.88 billion gallons per month (Figure 4, Total Pumping 2000 2001). Single -
decreased slightly from 1.89 to 1.76 billion
gallons (Figure 4, Total Pumping 2000-20081. When viewed as a function of tho ratio of
winter time average to summer timo p ak, in 2004, wholcsalo customers, city and ctatc
the winter average. The cumulative wintor/summcr avorage was 1.34. Also discernible in
Figure 4 is a reduction in thc average summer/winter ratio from 1.50 in 2000 to 1.28 in 2001;
2000 to 2.1 bgm in 2004. A reduction in winter average from 1.9 billion gallons per month
to 1.7 was seen in 2008. Average summer time peak dropped from 2.5 bgm to 2.3 bgm
when comparing the periods of 2000 to 2004 and 2005 to 2008. This reduction can be
attributed to the combined effects rainfall events has had on reduced irrigation usages; and
public education over the past several years.
12
Figure 4
Billion Gallons
2.4
2.3
2.2
2.1
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.7
1.6
1.5
Total Treated Water Delivered from
0. N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant, 2000-2008
1 =E
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
ti (♦ M E
II
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
Monthly Pumping—A—Average Peak Monthly Winter Average
Source: Surface Water Monthly operating reports; TNRCC Form No. 0102c (1/05/09).
2.2 Goals
The City of Corpus Christi water conservation plan focuses on two efficiency goals. The first
and most immediate goal is to reduce summertime peak pumping. The second goal is to
reduce overall per capita consumption over the next several decades by 1 percent per year
from the City's consumption of 259 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) in 1988. The goals are
designed to assist the City with challenges to water supply constraints due to weather, and to
ensure that the system is run with the optimum efficiency. The City carefully balances revenue
needs and conservation programming to ensure that the system is fiscally sound.
The City has a long history of progressive regional water resource planning. In keeping with
that tradition, and to ensure that future generations will have adequate water supplies, the City
will promote water conservation as an alternative water supply. Conserving existing supplies is
less expensive and has less environmental impact than attempting to build new reservoirs. In
order to reduce per capita demand over the next several decades, the City has embarked on a
water conservation program designed to educate citizens on the benefits of efficiency, and to
provide incentives for reduced water use through changes in behavior and installation of water
saving devices.
The City must maintain a balance between conservation and water quality based on the
requirement to flush the City's 2,000 dead-end main fire hydrants annually to comply
with TCEQ requirements.
Table 2, Water Consumption Goals, shows recent gpcd consumption and the goal of 1 percent
per year reduction over the next 10 years based upon the City's pre -conservation consumption
13
rates. Actual consumption indicates that thc City is -ahead of the -1 percent reduction -per year
-
Force. Actual consumption for 2008 indicates that the City qpcd at 233. The projected
gpcd target goals are shown at 5 and 10 year increments as required by House Bill 2660.
These targets and goals have been updated as part of the 2009 Water Conservation Plan. The
reduction—in Per capita consumption is a result of a combination of conservation efforts,
including public education and behavioral water use patterns and restrictions on outdoor
water -use, implemented as part of the City's conservation plan and weather patterns.
Table 2
1
Water Consumption Goals Based on Gallons Per Capita Per Day (gpcd)
Actual
Target Goals
Year
1988
2004
2006
2008
Annual 15 810 Year Goals
2008 1 2013 1 2018
Total gpcd 2
259
218
243
233
234 1 223 1 212
1
Wholesale customers are excluded.
2
Total gpcd represents total volume of raw water entering the 0. N. Stevens Wa er Treatment Plant, excluding water sold to
treated wholesale water customers, divided by population of 297,467, divided by 365 days.
The City's gallon per capita per day (gpcd) consumption is higher than most Texas
cities based on the large volume users such as refineries that consume 40 percent of
treated water. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recommends a minimum
one percent reduction in per capita use per year.
In addition to traditional water conservation methods that focus on changes in customer
consumption patterns, the Water Department plans to promote demand management
techniques that provide the most efficient use of water resources. Demand management
programs will be investigated in the next planning time frame to include reuse, aquifer storage
and recovery, and conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources.
Current efforts in reducing water losses focus on a percentage of unaccounted-for water, or
the difference between billed water consumption and total water production. The City's goal is
to keep the water loss rate below 10 percent. In 2004 2008 the City's water loss was 84 9
percent.
In future years, as the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) provides more guidance, and
procedures, The City has completed a water system audit for the year ending 2008. The
document was developed based on the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) guidelines
and with the use of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) water system audit
procedures. The City's goal is to keep the water loss rate below 10 porcent. In 2004, thc City'c
wator Ions was 8.7 percent. In future years, as the Texas Wator Development Board (TWDB)
, The City will evaluate moving to the leakage index
method articulated in the System Water Audit and Loss Best Management Practice (BMP)
identified in Chapter 3.
14
2.3 Utility Profile Survey
A detailed summary of the City's water and wastewater systems is included in Appendix A.
The survey includes the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality — Water
Conservation Implementation Report including the City of Corpus Christi Utility Profile.
15
Chapter 3
Best Management Practices
3.1 Introduction
Water consumption in the City of Corpus Christi is driven by a wide variety of domestic,
commercial, industrial, and institutional needs. Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been
developed to improve water use efficiency for the City of Corpus Christi Water Department and
for programs to assist the City's water customers in efficient water use. Ten BMPs have been
implemented as part of the City's ongoing water conservation effort, which began in 1988. The
BMPs are described briefly in the next paragraph, and in greater detail in the remaining
sections of this chapter. Each BMP has five sections; description, implementation, schedule,
documentation, and water savings information. A new BMP has been added: Plumbing
Assistance.
The System Water Audits and Water Loss BMP allow the Water Department to reliably track
water uses and provide the information to address unnecessary water and revenue losses.
The Metering of All New Connections and Retrofit of Existing Connections BMP have been
established to create equity among customers, reduce water waste, and reduce flows to
wastewater facilities. The Water Conservation Pricing BMP is designed to discourage the
waste of water while assuring the fiscal obligations of the system are met.
Additionally, the City has initiated an Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) Program to
accurately record usage and integrate data into our billing system. More than 65
percent of the City's water meters have been installed with the innovative technology,
benefiting the city with improved meter accuracy.
The Water Conservation Pricing BMP is designed to discourage the waste of water while
assuring the fiscal obligations of the system are met. The Prohibition on Wasting Water BMP is
aimed at customers who continue to waste water despite Water Department efforts to educate
customers to reduce waste of water. The Conservation Coordinator BMP provides an effective
method of ensuring that the City's water conservation programs are well administered and
effective.
The Public Information BMP affects water consumption through changes in behavior as
customers learn about water resources, the wise use of water, and the conservation program.
The Water -Wise Landscape Design Program BMP saves water through the installation of
water -wise landscape materials supplemented with subsequent education to ensure efficient
irrigation of the new landscapes. The Park Conservation BMP will save water through the
implementation of regulations in existing BMPs and use of reclaimed water in the City's two
golf courses, two large City-wide parks, five recreation centers, several decorative fountains,
nine public swimming pools, and more than 200 neighborhood parks.
3.2 System Water Audit and Water Loss
A. Description
The City of Corpus Christi performs a regular estimate of system water efficiency by
comparing water delivered to the treatment plant, potable water produced, and water sold. In
16
accordance with the requirements of House Bill 3338, the City will increase the level of detail
of water -use accounting by adding several categories of water -use tracking over the next year.
The Water Department already tracks numerous leak detection and repair activities and is able
to evaluate its success using the asset management software to compile and track work
orders. Potential refinements for the future will include: leak repair summaries, average
pressures, meter accuracy test, meter change -out summary, permitted fire hydrant use, and
other records that may be kept on water theft and unmetered uses such as street cleaning.
The City's top-down water audit, using existing records and some estimation, will provide a
more detailed overall picture of water losses within the next calendar year, and will be
maintained annually thereafter.
B. Implementation
A working group will be formed with representatives from the following work areas:
management, distribution, operations, production, customer service, finance, and
conservation. Each of these work areas has an essential role to play in implementing this
BMP. Initially, the working group will focus on gathering relevant data and identifying current
practices listed below in Step 1 that form the basis for the top-down audit.
Step 1. The top-down audit will be performed using readily available information
compiled annually in the Water Department's response to the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality's Utility Profile; with the worksheets provided by the TWDB's
water planning division in response to HB 3338; and with plans to incorporate methods
recommended by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in the M36 Water
Audit and Leak Detection Manual update.
Step 2. The second step of the audit, the bottom-up approach, will involve a more
detailed review of utility policies and practices that affect water losses. This review will
be performed at least once every five years per the requirements of HB 3338. The
Water Department will be able to better incorporate information from utility practices
including leak reporting, whether by customers or by City staff, and repairing. Systems
pressure tracking, especially analysis of high-end users' effects on systems pressures,
will be accomplished through the use of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA) technology. The Water Department will also explore methods for developing
better estimates of water use by the fire department and for line flushing and street
cleaning. The City will also evaluate night flow and zonal analysis to better estimate
leakage; analyze leakage repair records for length of time from reporting to repair of the
leak; and analyze pressure throughout the system. The installation of Automatic Meter
Readers (AMR) meters will facilitate this effort.
Using the AWWA M36 Water Audits and Leak Detection Manual recommended methodology,
the City will review and consider incorporating the relevant elements in the water loss control
program. Potential elements of the future Water Loss Program will be evaluated including:
1. Using a water loss modeling program;
2. Metering individual pressure zones;
3. Establishing district metering areas (DMA) and measuring daily, weekly, or monthly
flows with portable or permanently installed metering equipment;
17
4. Continuous or intermittent night -flow measurement;
5. Reducing repair time on leaks; and
6. Limiting surges in pressure.
To reduce the potential for leaks on the service lines between the main and the meter, all new
construction is required to use Type K copper tubing and a single compression fitting. No
splices are allowed in these lines.
C. Schedule
Initial elements to reduce water losses and account for water use and loss were implemented
in 1970s.
1. The Water Department will gather the necessary information for conducting the top-
down audit, develop the procedures, and complete the audit by May 1, 2006 2008.
2. The Water Department will review the new M36 manual and begin implementing the
bottom-up refinements indicated by the TWDB's new guidelines for water audits before
March 31, 2007 2009.
3. After such review, the Water Department will propose new water audit standards
based upon keeping real water losses below a specific percentage or to achieve an
infrastructure leakage index (ILI) below 3.
4. A bottom-up audit will be performed no less than once every five years; and more
often if the internal water audit standard is not achieved.
D. Documentation
To track this BMP, the Department will collect and maintain the following documentation:
1. A copy of each annual system audit, the ILI and percentage losses for each year, and
a list of actions taken in response to audit recommendations;
2. Annual leak detection and repair report, including number and sizes of leaks
repaired;
3. Number of customer service line leaks identified and actions taken to repair these
leaks;
4. Pressure reduction actions taken, if any; and
5. Estimated annual revenue increased through reducing apparent losses.
E. Determination of Water Savings
Potential water savings are an integral part of the system water audit process and will be
contained in the audit report. Based on the results of the audit, goals will be set for reducing
losses. Documentation is maintained through the City's Maximo software.
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3.3 Metering of All Connections
A. Description
The purpose of this BMP is to ensure that all aspects of meter installation, replacement testing,
and repair are managed optimally for water use efficiency. The City has fully implemented this
BMP.
The meter program has several elements:
1. Required metering of all connections.
2. A policy for installation of adequate, proper -sized meters as determined by a
customer's current water use patterns.
3. Direct utility metering of each duplex, triplex, and four-plex unit, whether each is on
its own separate lot or there are multiple buildings on a single commercial lot.
4. Metering of all utility and publicly owned facilities.
5. Use of construction meters and access keys to account for water used in new
construction.
m
6. Implementation of the State requirements in HB 2404, passed by the 77 Legislature
Regular Session and implemented through Texas Water Code 13.502, which requires
all new apartments be either directly metered by the utility or submetered by the owner.
7. Annual testing and maintenance of all meters larger than two inches. Regular
replacement of five -eighth- and three -quarter -inch meters in service for 15 years of
service.
8. An accounting of water savings and revenue gains through the implementation of the
Water Department's meter repair and replacement procedures.
9. An accounting of water savings and revenue gains through the implementation of the
Water Department's meter repair and replacement procedures.
B. Implementation
The Water Department ensures the high quality of metering is maintained through the regular
review of metered data and revision of metering policies to ensure that the maximum amount
of water consumption is accounted for.
The City will continue to conduct a meter repair and replacement procedures following the
methodology and frequency currently recommended in industry practices and recommended
by the AWWA. This includes:
1. Maintaining a proactive meter -testing program, and repair identified meters; and
2. Notifying customers when it appears that leaks exist on the customer's side of the
meter.
C. Schedule
The City has already implemented this BMP, and continues to maintain the practice on an
ongoing basis.
19
D. Documentation
To track the effectiveness of the Metering BMP the Water Department gathers the following
documentation:
1. Copy of meter installation guidelines based upon customer usage levels;
2. Copy of meter repair and replacement policy;
3. Records of number and size of meters repaired annually;
4. Report on the method used to determine meter replacement and testing intervals for
each meter size; and
5. Estimate of water savings achieved through meter repair and replacement program.
E. Determination of Water Savings
Each year the Water Department will estimate its annual water saving from the BMP. Savings
can be estimated based upon a statistical sample analyzed as part of the meter repair and
replacement program.
The City maintains a meter replacement policy based upon a customer's concern on the
accuracy of the meter. Records of meters replaced annually are maintained through the
City's Maximo software. Meter replacement takes dominance over meter repair due to
the cost of repairing old meters. With the conversion of standard meters to automated
meter reading (AMR), the City has improved efficiency to purge old meters and
eliminate water loss. The determination of water savings is difficult to assess.
3.4 Water Conservation Pricing
A. Description
The City has an increasing block rate structure for residential customers. A copy of the current
water rate structure is attached as Appendix D. The basic rate structure is designed to recover
the cost of providing service and billing for water, storm water and wastewater service based
on actual metered water use. The rates include a consumption charge based upon actual
gallons metered so that increasing water consumption results in a larger bill for the customer.
Conservation such as an increasing block structure helps to decrease water use by targeting
the highest use rates with highest prices.
B. Implementation
A utility rate study, as prepared by HDR Consultants, was completed in 2008 creating a
new rate structure for all customer classes, but specifically eliminated the declining rate
structure for industrial accounts. The existing increasing block for residents will -be was
retained and additional conservation pricing structures will be examined, such as the following:
1. Seasonal rates to reduce peak demands during summer months.
2. Increasing block rates for other customer classes. Rates for single-family residential
and other customer classes may be set differently to reflect the different demand
patterns of the classes.
3. Restructuring of commercial rate structure to an increasing block rate.
20
PUBLISHER'S AFFIDAVIT
State of Texas } CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI
County of Nueces } Ad # 5901586
PO #
Before me, the undersigned, a Notary Public, this day personally came
JENNIFER HOBBS, who being first duly sworn, according to law, says that she
is LEGAL SALES REPRESENTITIVE AND EMPLOYEE OF THE PUBLISHER,
namely, the Corpus Christi Caller -Times, a daily newspaper published at
Corpus Christi in said City and State, generally circulated in Aransas, Bee,
Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak,
Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria and Webb Counties, and that the
publication of, NOTICE OF PASSAGE OF ORDI NANCE NO. 0281 which the
annexed is a true copy, was inserted in the Corpus Christi Caller -Times on the
5/4/2009, 5/4/2009.
$ 90.93
LEG ES REPRESENTIVE
1Time(s)
On this WM-daY of 2 U U (I certify that e attached document
is a true and an exact co y m dei publisher.
GWENN J. MEDINA
MY COMMISSION EXPIRES
August 2,2012
Ise anis
Public, State of Texas
• Monday • May 4, 2009
NOTICE OF
PASSAGE OF ORDI-
NANCE NO. 028141
Ordinance amending
Section 55-151(a),
Code of Ordinances,
City of Corpus Christi,
regarding the adoption
of the 2009 Corpus
Christi Water Conser-
vation and Drought
Contingency Plan;
Iproviding for publica-
tion. This ordinance
was passed and ap-
proved by the City
Council of the City of
Corpus Christi on April
28, 2009.
/s/ Armando Chapa
City Secretary
City of Corpus Christi