Pasadena Could Lift Level 2 Water Supply Shortage Plan by April

As the State’s water shortage eases, Pasadena could lift its current Level 2 Water Supply Shortage Plan and shift to a Level 1 implementation by April 1, if a recommendation from the City Manager’s Office to that effect is approved before the end of March.

The recommendation will be introduced Tuesday, March 14, when the City Council’s Municipal Services Committee holds its regular meeting. In an Agenda Report, Pasadena Water and Power Interim General Manager Gurcharan Bawa indicated the recommendation could be decided by the City Council during its March 27 regular meeting.

“At this time, staff recommends a moderate easing of irrigation restrictions by adopting the Level 1 Water Supply Shortage effective April 1, 2017,” Bawa said in the report.

A Level 1 Water Supply Shortage plan restricts outdoor watering to three days per week from April 1 to October 31, as opposed to only two days per week under Level 2. Level 1 will also mean filling or refilling ornamental lakes or ponds will be allowed, Bawa said.

Pasadena has been operating under a Level 2 Water Supply Shortage plan since June 1, 2015 due to the ongoing drought. PWP says from June 2015 until the present, their customers have been able to conserve water at unprecedented levels and maintained cumulative water savings ranging from 20 to 23 percent, compared to 2013 benchmark.

Aside from recommending a lifting of Level 2 restrictions, PWP will also recommend that the City Council, through the Municipal Services Committee, adopt a water conservation target of 20 percent compared to 2013 water use levels.

At the same time, PWP said it will be recommending that additional water shortage measures adopted by the City Council in June 2015 remain in effect. These include requiring all master-metered multifamily properties to install water-efficient shower heads and aerators, prohibiting the irrigation of turf within 48 hours following rain, and prohibiting the washing down of hard or paved surfaces using potable water – except where necessary to alleviate safety or sanitation hazards.

On February 27, the City Council passed on second reading an amendment incorporating these measures into the City’s permanent Water Waste Prohibitions and Water Supply Shortage Plans Ordinance.

Bawa said the City could spend about $30,000 for outreach costs to ensure the community is aware of the shift to a Level 1 Water Shortage Plan. Funding will come from existing appropriations in the Water Operating Fund, Bawa explained.

Also on Tuesday, the Municipal Services Committee will discuss a recommendation from the City’s Department of Transportation for the City Council to adopt a resolution that will adopt the New Street Design Guide for Pasadena. The Guide will become the implementation mechanism for the City’s Complete Streets Policy.

City Transportation Director Frederick Dock said the draft for the New Street Design Guide has gone through a series of joint workshop community meetings in January and February, and has been unanimously supported by the Transportation Advisory Commission.

Dock said comments received from the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition have been incorporated into the Street Design Guide. The Transportation Department also presented the draft to the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and the Playhouse District Design and Physical Enhancement Committee.

The Municipal Services Committee meeting on Tuesday starts at 4 p.m. at the Council Chambers at Pasadena City Hall.