Presentation to the Green Scene

San Diegos Water Supply Is it Sustainable?

Public Utilities Department Briefing
Cathleen Pieroni, Principal Water Resources Specialist
January 10, 2013

What does Water Supply Sustainability mean to San Diego?

Living within our water means? Living within our water and energy means? Having enough reliable water supplies to meet present and future water demands? Minimal negative impacts to the environment?

San Diego Americas Finest City

Average of 267 days/year are mostly sunny Semi arid or Mediterranean Climate Average is less than 12 inches of rain annually Wettest year was 1941 with 24.93 inches Driest year was 1953 with 3.23 inches

San Diegos Limited Rainfall

Diminishing Sierra Snowpack

% Remaining, Relative to 1961-1990

(Hanemann et al., 2004)

CITY OF SAN DIEGOS WATER SUPPLIES

SEVEN YEAR HISTORICAL AVERAGE FY 2005 - 2012 Recycled Water 2.80% Groundwater 0.10%

Conservation 13.1%

Local Surface Water 7.30%

Imported Water

76.8%

Living Within Our Water Means

City of San Diegos Historic Direct Water Use Statistics
1,400,000

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

Population Growth
600,000

400,000

200,000

Water Use in Acre-Feet

0

Living Within Our Water Means

City of San Diegos Historic Direct Water Use Statistics

Gallon Per Capita Per Day

250 200 150 100 50 0 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2012

195 175

189 156 172 157 133 126

City of San Diegos Long-Range Water Resources Plan (2012)

Relation to Other Planning Work

LRWRP
Strategic planning Conceptual analysis Examines tradeoffs between alternatives Develops overall targets for supply & demand-side programs

UWMP
Required by State every five years Compares supplies and demands under normal & dry years Summarizes conservation & drought management

Master Plans and Studies

Facilities plans for water & recycled water Groundwater management plans & studies

CIP
Identified projects for near-term implementation
Detailed cost and schedule information

Long-Range Water Resources Planning Process

What is the 2012 LRWRP?

High-level strategy for Citys water resources Evaluates water supply and demand-side options against multiple planning objectives Takes a long-range viewpoint, through year 2035 Addresses risk and uncertainty of future conditions

Projected 2035 Supply Mix

Under Critically Dry Conditions

2012 LRWRP Planning Process

An open, participatory planning Stakeholder driven process The evaluation process relied on engineering expertise past technical studies water demand forecasting simulation models & decision tools

Stakeholders
Don Billings
Independent Rates Oversight Committee

Irene Stallard-Rodriguez
Independent Rates Oversight Committee

Gordon Hess, P.E.

San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

Yen Tu
City-10 Representative

Sean Karafin
San Diego County Taxpayers Association

Gail Welch
Independent Rates Oversight Committee

Mike McSweeney
Building Industry Association of San Diego

Daniel Wery
San Diego Section of the American Planning Association

Jim Peugh
Independent Rates Oversight Committee

Jill Witkowski
San Diego Coastkeeper

Glen Schmidt
Schmidt Design Group, Inc.

2012 LRWRP Objectives

(defined in Stakeholder Meeting #1)

Evaluate Portfolios

Common Elements in Top Portfolios

(Stakeholder Committee Meeting #3 & #4)

San Diegos Potential New Local Supply: Water Purification

Upstream Wastewater Discharges

www.purewatersd.org

Water Purification: a proven technology

Orange County, California, 2008

Fairfax County, Virginia, 1982

www.purewatersd.org

www.purewatersd.org

A look inside

The Water Purification Process

24

Demonstration Project Concept

Sustainability Benefits of Water Purification

Local Supply
Living within our water means

Uses Less Energy than Imported Water

Living within our water and energy means

Could provide a significant amount of the City of San Diegos future water supplies
Having enough reliable water supplies to meet present and future water demands

Beneficial to the Environment

WWW.SDWATERSUPPLY.COM

Friends of Infrastructure
BIOCOM Building Industry Association of San Diego Building Owners and Managers Association, San Diego Chapter Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation Empower San Diego Endangered Habitats League Environmental Health Coalition Friends of Infrastructure Industrial Environmental Association National Association of Industrial and Office Properties San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council San Diego Audubon Society San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation San Diego Coastkeeper San Diego County Apartment Association San Diego County Taxpayers Association San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce San Diego River Park Foundation Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Chapter Sustainability Alliance of Southern California Utility Consumers Action Network

Questions?