217th
DRAFT Report to / Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
30 May 2006 / le 30 mai 2006
Submitted by/Soumis par : R.T. LeclairR.G. Hewitt
A/cting
Deputy City Manager / A/Directeurrice municipale
adjointe par
interim
Public Works & Services
/ Services et Travaux publics
Utility Services Branch /Services publics
City Wide |
Ref N°: ACS |
SUBJECT: |
Water Efficiency PLAN: PHASE i
(2007 –2009) |
OBJET: |
PLAN DE VALORISATION DE L’EAU : PHASE 1 (2007 - 2009) |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Planning and Environment
Committee recommend Council approve:
1. The 3-year Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I (2007-2009) that consists of the following elements:
a) A financial-based
Incentives Program;
b) A Waterwise Promotional
Campaign;
c) A City Facilities Retrofit
Program;
d) Annual monitoring and
assessment of program effectiveness; and
e) Annual reporting of
program results to Council.
2. Inclusion of capital funds in
the Draft 2007 Budget to enable implementation of the Water Efficiency
Plan: Phase I, as set out herein.
3. Accept for information Annex B
– Evaluation of the 2005 Summer
Waterwise Campaign.
RECOMMENDATIONS DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l’urbanisme
et de l’environnement recommande au Conseil d’approuver :
1. Le Plan de valorisation de
l’eau : Phase I (2007-2009) sur trois ans qui comporte les éléments
suivants :
a) un programme d’encouragement de
nature financière;
b) une campagne publicitaire Éconeau;
c) un programme de réaménagement des
installations de la Ville;
d) une surveillance et une évaluation
annuelles de l’efficacité du programme; et
e) des rapports annuels sur les
résultats du programme soumis au Conseil.
2. L’inclusion des fonds pour
dépenses en capital dans le budget préliminaire de 2007 afin de permettre la
mise en œuvre du Plan de valorisation de
l'eau : Phase I, tel que décrit aux présentes.
3. D’accepter à titre d’information l’annexe B – Évaluation de la campagne estivale
Économisez l’eau de 2005.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In May 2005, Council adopted a 10-year Water
Efficiency Strategy. The Strategy
(refer to Annex A) sets out specific goals, objectives and targets, and a three
phase approach for their achievement.
The purpose of this report is to report back to
Council on the results of the 2005 Summer Waterwise Campaign, highlighting
key changes to be implemented in 2006; and to present for approval a Water Efficiency Plan for implementation
of Phase I of the Strategy.
Annex
B, attached to this report is an evaluation of the 2005 Summer Waterwise Campaign. In
short, public survey and water production data appear to indicate that the
communication campaign is effective.
Variations in summer weather play a significant role in outdoor water
use, therefore, only over time will staff be able to correlate reductions in
water use with the campaign. However,
both 2004 and 2005 demonstrated lower than usual maximum day usage, both of
which were well within our target range, particularly given the rainfall and
temperatures experienced.[1]
Phase
I of the Water Efficiency Strategy, which covers the period 2007-2009,
targets consumers who are sensitive to the water efficiency message, as well as
those with something to gain, such as High Volume Users (HVU). The intent of Phase I is to
focus on publicl
be education,
and promotion based, and a
program of include rebates
and similar financial incentives and continued targeting
of outdoor water use.
Phase II of the
Strategy (2009-2012)
targets targets those less sensitive to the
water efficiency message but but
who are still considered likely to implement it with regulatory
encouragement. During this phase, a
regulatory by-law would be developed and implemented that restricts
water use, while maintaining
thethe educational
and incentives
elements of Phase I continue to be provided..
Phase III of
the Strategy (2013-2014) , the final phase of the ten-year
strategy, will target consumers who have not adopted the water efficiency
message. Financial disincentives would
be employed to recover the costs of serving inefficient consumers, and provide
a strong incentive to improve water efficiency.
This report sets out a Plan for Phase I implementation. Specifically, it recommends the following:
An Incentive Program that would:
· Make available, through water bill inserts and other promotional means, a $75.00 rebate to residents that purchase and install a City-approved 6-litre water efficient toilet, with appropriate verification procedure;
· Make available, free of charge to residents (1 kit per property or unit), water efficiency kits consisting of a water efficient showerhead, one (1) or more faucet aerators and a toilet displacement bag;
· Stage implementation of a High Volume User subsidy program consisting of two elements:
o Subsidies for pre-approved retrofits (e.g. toilet replacements); and
o Subsidies for the retrofit of process equipment to become more water efficient (e.g. water chillers). Both programs would have a maximum limit of $10,000 per application; and
· Pilot a water timer distribution and efficacy study in District Meter Areas (established under the Water Loss Control Strategy) to determine the potential benefits of their full scale promotion and subsidy.
A Waterwise Promotion Campaign that would:
· Promote efficient use of water outdoors, targeting lawn and garden watering;
· Promote efficient use of water indoors, including distribution of information regarding the water efficiency kit and toilet rebate programs;
· Promote the High Volume User subsidy program; and
· Promote water efficiency success stories undertaken within or by the City.
A City Facilities Retrofit Program consisting of new capital funds allocated to Real Property Assessment Management (RPAM) for the purpose of undertaking water efficient retrofits at City facilities in the amount of $100,000 per year, 2007-2009 inclusive. Projects would be undertaken to a) demonstrate the City’s commitment to water efficiency; b) demonstrate and promote various water efficient measures funded under the Incentive Program; and c) measure and report on the cost savings associated with implementing water efficient measures.
Annual Monitoring and Assessment to determine program efficacy and to identify opportunities for improvement. Performance measures will be established for each element of the Plan and included in annual reports.
Annual Reporting to Council to facilitate open and transparent review of the program.
Allocation of $1.87M to enable implementation of the above, of which $1.57M would be paid from the Water Reserve Fund, and $300,000 would be paid from the City-wide Reserve Fund (for implementation of the City Facilities Retrofit Program).
The above Plan was developed based upon interviews with a selection of Ottawa High Volume Users (HVU) and a survey of residents. Based upon the results of that research, staff believes that the program elements recommended herein represent the best opportunities for support and implementation by Ottawa residents and businesses.
RÉSUMÉ
En mai 2005, le Conseil a adopté une Stratégie de valorisation de l'eau
étalée sur 10 ans. La stratégie (se référer à l'annexe A) comporte des buts et
objectifs précis, ainsi qu'une approche en trois phases pour leur réalisation.
L'objet de ce rapport est de faire rapport au Conseil concernant les résultats
de la Campagne estivale Économisez l’eau
de 2005, en mettant l’accent sur les changements clés devant être implantés
en 2006; et de présenter à des fins d'approbation un Plan de valorisation de l'eau afin de mettre en œuvre la phase I de
la stratégie.
L’annexe B, jointe à ce rapport, est une
évaluation de la Campagne estivale
Économisez l’eau de 2005. En gros, les données relatives à l’enquête auprès
du public et la production d’eau semblent indiquer que la campagne de
communication est efficace. Les conditions météorologiques variables pendant
l’été jouent un rôle significatif relativement à l’utilisation d’eau à
l’extérieur; c’est pourquoi, le personnel ne pourra établir de corrélations
entre les réductions de l’utilisation de l’eau et la campagne qu’avec le temps.
Toutefois, au cours des années 2004 et 2005, l’utilisation maximale journalière
a été inférieure à la normale. Dans les deux cas, la valeur se situait à
l’intérieur de l’écart visé, notamment en raison de la pluviosité et des
températures qu’ont connues ces deux années.[2]
La phase I de la Stratégie de valorisation de l’eau, qui couvre la période
2007-2009, vise les consommateurs qui sont sensibilisés au message de
valorisation de l’eau, ainsi que ceux qui peuvent bénéficier d’une telle
stratégie, tels que les utilisateurs à demande élevée (UDÉ). L’objectif de la
phase I est de mettre l’accent sur l’information du public, un programme
d’encouragement financier et les mesures qui visent l’utilisation de l’eau à
l’extérieur.
La phase II de la stratégie (2009-2012) vise les personnes qui sont moins
sensibilisées au message de valorisation de l’eau mais qui devraient néanmoins
le mettre en œuvre en présence d’incitatifs réglementaires. Au cours de cette
étape, un règlement serait élaboré et mis en œuvre qui limite l’utilisation de
l’eau, alors que les éléments éducatifs et incitatifs de la phase I
continueraient d’être fournis.
La phase III de la stratégie (2013-2014), la dernière étape de la stratégie
sur dix ans, visera les consommateurs qui n’ont pas encore adopté le message de
valorisation de l’eau. Des mesures financières de dissuasion seraient employées
pour récupérer les coûts encourus pour servir les consommateurs inefficaces, et
pour servir d’incitation à améliorer la valorisation de l’eau.
Ce rapport présente un plan pour la mise en œuvre de la Phase I. Plus
précisément, il recommande ce qui suit :
Un programme d’encouragement qui :
·
Permettrait,
par le bais d’encarts inclus dans la facture de consommation d’eau et d’autres
moyens publicitaires, aux résidents qui achètent et installent une toilette de 6
litres à faible consommation d’eau et approuvée par la Ville, de bénéficier
d’un rabais de 75,00 $, assujetti à une procédure de vérification
appropriée;
·
Offrirait
gratuitement aux résidents (1 trousse par propriété ou unité), des trousses de
valorisation de l’eau comportant une pomme de douche à faible consommation
d’eau, un (1) ou plusieurs aérateurs de robinet et un sac de déplacement pour
toilette;
·
Mettrait en
place un programme de subventions pour utilisateurs à demande élevée qui
comporterait deux éléments :
o
Subventions
pour les modifications préapprouvées (par ex., remplacements de toilettes); et
o
Subventions
pour la modification d’équipement de procédé afin qu’il consomme moins d’eau
(par ex., refroidisseurs d’eau). Les deux programmes bénéficieraient d’un
maximum de 10 000 $ par application; et
·
Testerait
une étude sur la distribution et l’efficacité de régulateurs d’eau dans les
secteurs de district avec lecture de compteurs (créés selon la Stratégie de contrôle des pertes en eau)
afin de déterminer les avantages potentiels liés à leur promotion à grande
échelle et leur subvention.
Une Campagne publicitaire Éconeau
qui :
·
Encouragerait
l’économie d’eau à l’extérieur, visant l’arrosage des pelouses et des jardins;
·
Encouragerait
l’économie d’eau à l’intérieur, incluant la distribution d’information
concernant la trousse de valorisation de l’eau et les programmes de rabais pour
les toilettes;
·
Appuierait
le programme de subventions pour utilisateurs à demande élevée; et
·
Présenterait
des expériences réussies en matière de valorisation de l’eau entreprises dans
ou par la Ville.
Un Programme
de réaménagement des installations de la Ville, qui consiste en de nouveaux fonds pour dépenses en capital alloués à
Gestion des biens immobiliers (GBI) et destinés à l’installation de dispositifs
économiseurs d’eau aux installations de la Ville, au montant de 100 000 $
par année, pour la période de 2007 à 2009 inclusivement. Les projets seraient
entrepris afin de a) démontrer l’engagement de la Ville envers la valorisation
de l’eau; b) démontrer et promouvoir les diverses mesures d’économie d’eau
financées en vertu du Programme d’encouragement; et c) mesurer et faire rapport
sur les économies de coûts liées à la mise en œuvre de mesures d’économie
d’eau.
Surveillance et évaluation annuelles afin de
d’évaluer l’efficacité du programme et de déterminer les opportunités
d’amélioration. Des mesures de rendement seront établies pour chacun des
éléments du plan et incluses dans les rapports annuels.
Rapports annuels soumis au Conseil afin
de permettre une évaluation objective et transparente du programme.
Allocation de 1,87 M$ afin de
permettre la mise en œuvre de ce qui précède, desquels 1,57 M$
proviendraient du Fonds d'approvisionnement en eau, et 300 000 $ du
Fonds de réserve panmunicipal (pour la mise en œuvre du Programme de
réaménagement des installations de la Ville).
L’élaboration du Plan décrit ci-dessus fut basée sur des entrevues avec
certains utilisateurs à demande élevée (UDÉ) d’Ottawa et une enquête menée
auprès de résidents. En fonction des résultats de cette recherche, le personnel
est d'avis que les éléments du programme recommandés aux présentes représentent
les meilleures opportunités de soutien et de mise en œuvre par les résidents et
les entreprises d’Ottawa.
BACKGROUND
In December 2004, the Province adopted the Water Taking & Transfer Regulation[3] under the Ontario Water Resources Act that requires, amongst other things, that municipalities demonstrate “that water conservation is being implemented or is proposed to be implemented in accordance with the best management standards and practices for (the municipal) sector.”
At the time the Regulation was passed, the City was in the process of developing a 10-year Water Efficiency Strategy, which was adopted by Council on 27 April 2005. The Strategy sets out specific goals, objectives and targets, and a three phase approach for their achievement. This Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I (2007-2009) sets out the implementation plan for Phase I of the Strategy, and will enable the City to meet its obligations under the Provincial regulations.
The Strategy
reflects Council’s commitment to water conservation as expressed in Ottawa
20/20, the Environmental Strategy, and the 2003 Infrastructure
Master Plan, which states that
the City will:
Identify priority initiatives through development and maintenance of
a Water Efficiency Strategy indicating the goals, objectives, costs, benefits
and best value for the broadest range of total demand planning initiative
including consideration of the values of:
·
Education and awareness programs;
·
City led plumbing fixture subsidy
programs; and
·
Unaccounted for water initiatives.
The City has developed a two-prong approach to water conservation. The 2005 Water Efficiency Strategy and
this Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I
(2007-2009) target demand or consumption matters through promotion
and institution of measures that facilitate more efficient use by
consumers. In February 2006, staff
presented to Planning & Environment Committee a Water Loss Control
Strategy that sets out activities being carried out to deal with supply issues
such as Active Leak Control, Pressure Management, the
Speed and Quality of Repairs and Pipeline
Asset Management. Table 12 lists key
supply-side and demand-side management initiatives currently undertaken by the
City for the purpose of increasing the efficient use of water treated and
produced.
The purpose of the Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I presented in this report is to enhance demand side
initiatives where they can have a meaningful impact on the integrity, cost, and
efficiency of the water system, while promoting responsible use.
Table 1 |
|
||
Supply-side
Management Activities |
|
Demand-side
Management Activities |
|
Production
§
Regular
maintenance of production and distribution flow metering §
Installation of
water meters on major internal treatment plant demands Distribution
§
Watermain
Rehabilitation and Replacement program §
Leak Detection
Strategy including District Metering Initiative §
Accounting of
all water usage, metered or unmetered
§
|
Education &
Incentives
§
Summer 2006 Water Wise Education Program §
Water
efficiency brochures available at municipal offices, exhibits/fairs §
Distribution
and sale of water efficient fixtures at fairs/exhibits. §
Information
provided on web site. Regulation
§
Existing Water
By-law allows for implementation of watering bans during droughts, and
restricts the use of once-through water-cooled chillers. §
Provincial Plumbing
Code requires installation of water efficient fixtures/toilets in new
homes, such as 6-litre toilets. Billing §
100% metered
service |
||
Adoption of a water efficiency plan has been contemplated for several
years. Accordingly, the current water
rate structure includes an allowance for implementation of water efficiency
programs. The staff report that
accompanied the 2005 Water Efficiency Strategy identified a 10-year
budget of $5.5M. The following Water
Efficiency Plan: Phase I, which
covers the first three years of the Strategy, is valued at $2.27M. [4]
The 2005 Water Efficiency Strategy states that Phase I:
“Targets
consumers who are sensitive to the water efficiency message, as well as those
with something to gain, such as residential High Volume Users (HVU). The campaign will
focus on publicl
be education,
and and promotion based, and a
program of include rebates
and similar financial incentives
that may include rebates on
water efficient items, and assistance with the cost of water
audits and fixture
retrofits. The strategy
will also continue to target
outdoor water use, which is one of the driving forces behind demand for greater
water infrastructure.”.
This 3-year Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I was developed through analysis of past and on-going City initiatives, review of municipal and utility programs in place in Ontario and elsewhere, customer surveys designed to determine consumer preferences and potential uptake rates, and a cost-benefit evaluation of alternative measures. Specifically, 30 people, representing a cross-section of Ottawa HVUs were interviewed; and 400 households were surveyed regarding their attitudes and potential purchasing preferences as they pertained to potential incentive programs that might be offered by the City.[5] On this basis, staff is confident that the approach recommended herein should meet with success. That said, on-going monitoring, assessment and adjustments will be needed to ensure program success.
The Executive Summary to the Business Plan that supports this approach is contained in Annex 3.
The Plan consists of the following elements:
· A financial-based Incentive Program targeting residents and High Volume Users (HVU);
· A Waterwise Promotional Campaign that addresses both outdoor and indoor water efficiency;
· A City Facilities Retrofit Program that invests in the replacement of inefficient water fixtures and upgrade of City infrastructure that will yield significant savings while providing leadership and demonstrating the importance and value of water efficiency;
· Annual Monitoring & Assessment, to enable critical review and changes to program elements in a timely manner; and
· Annual Reporting, to Council regarding progress towards targets established by the Water Efficiency Strategy.
The following sections set out the details of
each component of the Phase I Water Efficiency Plan. Note, three years of funding is requested because incentive programs take time
to promote and implement, and are more effective if they extend over a period
of time that allows a cross-section of the public to participate as the opportunity
presents. For example, most people will
only replace their toilets when they fail or during a renovation. Only a percentage of Ottawa households
renovate their bathrooms each year and only some of those would be interested
in replacing toilets. Therefore, it is
desirable to offer the Toilet Rebate over a period of years.
Over 50% of water consumption is attributable to just five percent (5%)
of the City’s water meters (i.e. a relatively few number of customers known as
High Volume Users (HVU). These
consumers have a tremendous impact on demand
and c. Similarly, the City’s residential users, which
account for over 90% of the City’s water meters and 71% of water billedonsist
of large institutional,
commercial and industrial facilities,
as well as high-density residential developments.
Medium and low-density
residential customers also
have ,
can have a
significant impact on the system , particularly
as
consumption byas they
account for most of the balance of water consumption,
and contribute
to peak demand (outdoor water use, which
impacts system design and operations[6].)
The City needs to address water consumption by both of these
groups: HVU, and low-medium density
residences. The programs that follow
target one or the other group, and allow for a balanced distribution of
incentive dollars between them.[7]
To stave off expansion of water infrastructure the City must create capacity for growth by encouraging existing customers to use less. High Volume Users (HVU) account for greater than 50% of the water consumed in the City. They comprise large office and retail complexes, hospitals, high-density residential buildings, water using industries and universities to name a few.
Based upon a review of existing HVU incentive programs in place in other jurisdictions, as well as interviews with local HVU customers, a two-prong approach has been developed for this group. Both programs would offer water customers[8] a subsidy to implement changes in fixtures or water-using processes that yield a sustained and measurable reduction in water consumption.
· Fixture Replacement Program: Many applicants will propose replacement of items such as toilets and showerheads, which have well-documented and known savings. Applicants would be required to submit to a water audit prior to program implementation to verify the need for the proposed changes, and then would be reimbursed a portion of their costs following completion and verification of the retrofits. Terms, conditions and rebate limits will be developed covering a set of commonly implemented fixture replacements.
· Process Upgrade Program: Some customers have mechanical or other processes that consume large amounts of water unnecessarily and inefficiently. To qualify under this program, applicants will be required to submit a proposal that outlines the proposed change in process and an estimate of water to be saved. The City would then reimburse the customer a portion of their costs based upon actual water saved per meter readings.
It is recommended that applicants be
limited to a total subsidy of $10,000, and subject to various requirements that
ensure equitable distribution of funds amongst HVU.
These HVU programs will also help the City to achieve its energy conservation objectives. Staff will explore opportunities to integrate this program with or leverage other resources related to building retrofit programs. At this time, staff recommend that approximately 30% of the annual Plan budget[9] be allocated to the HVU Program Incentive Programs.[10] Based upon survey results, we anticipate that this would enable approximately 15 HVU projects to be completed each year.
Toilets account for approximately 30% of the water consumed in the
average home. They offer a tremendous
opportunity for water savings, which is why in 1996 the Province of Ontario
mandated that all new housing construction install water efficient 6-litre
toilets. The City is already seeing the
benefits of that Regulation, as increases in demand are less than population
growth and reflect a drop in historical trends. The proposed incentive rebate would be designed to help people
living in older homes to bring their facilities up to standard.[11]
Depending upon the style, toilets range in price from $100 to $900,
however, price does not necessarily correspond to quality or efficiency. In 2005, the Canadian Water & Wastewater
Association (CWWA) lead a research project that evaluated the performance of a
variety of low-flow toilets due to reported problems with several on the
market.[12] The results of that study have been
instrumental not only in directing municipalities and consumers to better
toilets, but also in raising awareness amongst manufacturers of problems with some
toilets that did not score well.
Therefore, staff propose to prescribe a selection of toilets that will
qualify for this program, providing sufficient range that consumers should be
able to easily access the toilets at local distributors[13].
Survey results indicate that a $75.00 rebate would be sufficient to
entice many to purchase a water efficient toilet. Based upon the experience of other municipalities, it is quite
possible that demand for the rebate will outstrip the annual budget allocated
to this component of the Plan. At this
time, staff recommend that 20% of the annual Plan budget[14]
be allocated to the Toilet Rebate Program.[15] At this rate, approximately 1300 toilets can
be replaced per year. While this
change-out rate is not anticipated to effect measurable changes to City
infrastructure in the short-term, it will make noticeable differences in
household water bills and demonstrate the value of water efficiency.
Many municipalities distribute or offer for sale water efficiency kits containing a selection of the following: water efficient showerheads, faucet aerators, toilet displacement bags, toilet leak detection dye tablets, shower flow-rate bags, hose or tap washers, water timers and rain gauges. The City has distributed outdoor and indoor efficiency kits on a pilot basis, but never on a city wide basis, and currently only sells the limited kits remaining from pilot projects at special events.
The objective of this element of the Plan is to make indoor water efficiency kits broadly available to single, semi and row houses, but more importantly, to have them installed and operating in peoples’ homes. Research indicates that many people who receive or purchase these kits do not actually install the devices provided. However, because our survey and experience shows that not all residents will permit someone to enter into their homes to install these fixtures, that two delivery mechanisms are required.
These kits would be made available to both urban and rural residents, regardless of whether they have a City water metered service. Water efficiency and the associated energy savings are valuable to all City households, and will help to manage use of Ottawa’s ground water sources per the proposed Clean Water Act.[16]
It is proposed the kits (valued at <$10 each) be made available for pick-up free-of-charge, at Client Service Centres, and on a door-to-door basis by one of three mechanisms: a) City water meter staff making service visits; b) through a partnership with another major utility operating in the City; or c) under contract to a vendor offering social marketing services. Staff is currently reviewing the three service delivery options and will implement the most cost-effective method.
It is recommended that approximately 10% of annual Plan budget[17] be allocated to the purchase and distribution of these kits.
Water irrigation timers enable residents to better regulate when and how much they water their lawns, gardens and trees. Specifically, they allow people to turn on a sprinkler before leaving for work knowing it will turn off automatically while they are away (e.g. 0.5-1.0 hours—the average time required to deliver 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Alternatively, they can do slow-drip nighttime watering of young trees knowing it will turn off after a fixed period of time.
The purpose of this pilot would be to determine how effective a combined incentive and education program could be in achieving measurable changes in when and how much water a community uses. The City is planning to establish District Meter Areas (DMAs) in several locations to help identify and address system leaks. These same DMAs could be used to measure the difference between DMAs using irrigation timers versus those that do not.
If water timers can be demonstrated to effect measurable changes in when and how much people use water in the summer, staff will develop a program to encourage or facilitate their wide-spread use. It is proposed that approximately 4% of the annual Plan budget[18] be allocated to this pilot.
A broad based communication strategy is required to
ensure consistency in messaging, coordinated delivery and overall continuity
with the City’s communication strategy for delivery of environmental
initiatives. The two campaigns
and pilot campaigns
discussed above target specific user groups and require tailored
communication tools within the context of an overall campaign. However,.
a
broad based communication strategy is required to ensure consistency in
messaging, coordinated delivery, and overall continuity with the City’s
communication strategy for delivery of environmental initiatives. A communication strategy will
be developed that ensures the
aboveproper integration of the various communication
elements, while giving consideration to how the Water Efficiency Program
will be expanded over time, and how long-term messaging may evolve as a
result. Lessons learned from the past
two summer campaigns will be applied to future promotional activities. Approximately 15% of the annual Plan budget[19]
will be spent on promotional activities.
City
Facilities Retrofit Program
The objectives of the City Facilities Retrofit Program are the following:
· To demonstrate the City’s commitment to water efficiency;
· To promote various water efficient measures offered under the Incentive Program by showcasing them in City buildings; and
· To measure and report on the cost savings associated with implementing water efficient measures.
Real Property Asset Management (RPAM) and Utility Services Branch are reviewing projects that would yield high levels of water savings, while helping to demonstrate the City’s commitment to become water efficient. Two initiatives discussed to date are the following:
· Install proximity sensor-activated urinals at Lansdowne Park. The facilities at Lansdowne have been an issue of concern for sometime, most recently during the 2005 Rolling Stones concert. In 2007, the City is to host the Under 20 World Cup of Soccer event at Lansdowne Park and the World Junior Hockey event at the Civic Centre. This work would profile the City’s commitment to water efficiency to residents and visitors alike. RPAM estimates a payback period of less than 4 years, with long-term operational savings.
· Replace all inefficient showerheads at city recreational facilities with water efficient units. Thousands of Ottawa residents use these facilities everyday, consuming thousands of litres of water and MW of electricity in hot water production. Replacement of these units would be visible to residents across the City, and allow them to “test the quality” of water efficient showerheads, which we will be encouraging them to use in their own homes.
Opportunities for water efficiency exist at many other City facilities and could be expanded over time to include Library, OC Transpo and Ottawa Housing Corporation buildings.
As a major consumer of water in Ottawa, and to demonstrate leadership on this issue, it is recommended that the City allocate to RPAM $100,000 per year for three years in new capital, for the express purpose of undertaking water efficient initiatives at RPAM managed facilities for the duration of this Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I. Furthermore, it is recommended that RPAM report on program results through the Water Efficiency Plan annual reports to Council.
For the past two years, the City has undertaken follow-up surveys following the Summer Waterwise campaigns to determine what impact, if any, the program is having. It is through a combination of public polling and monitoring of water production rates that we will be able to determine, over time, the success of this program. Staff recommends continuation of this approach, as it has been useful in identifying the following:
a) What communication tools work best;
b) What messages are most effective;
c) Who our messaging should target; and
d) How we should change the program to be more effective.
On-going program monitoring and assessment is needed to ensure that
initiatives are properly designed and carried out, modified as needed to
maximize their effectiveness and discontinued if no longer necessary or
ineffective. City staff can do a
considerable amount of monitoring and measurement in-house through the analysis
of water, billing, and weather data.
However, annual investments will be required to track how the public is
receiving, interpreting and acting on the water efficiency campaigns, and in
measuring changes in demand in the system (i.e. using District Metered Areas)
so that we can monitor overall program effectiveness. Monitoring Theobjectives
for 2005 are the following:
·
Assess the
effectiveness of the 2005
summerannual summer
Water Wise Education C
campaigns;
·
Assess potential
support and uptake for a Residential & HVU Incentives Campaign;
·
Identify key
benchmarks, and establish performance indicators for the Water Efficiency
Program.
Because of the importance of monitoring and assessing program effectiveness, we recommend that up to 10% of the dollars allocated for implementation of the Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I be dedicated to these activities.
Annual reports will be produced and presented to Council outlining the results of each year’s program and describing any recommended modifications for the following year. Depending upon program results, staff may suggest accelerating or postponing implementation of a subsequent phase, and adjustments in dollar allocations to achieve the greatest benefit. Annex B, which reports on the results of the 2005 Summer Waterwise Campaign, illustrates the type of reporting that Council can expect.
TRoadside billboards will be placed at several new
locations along major roads and interchanges throughout the City, in an effort
to capture commuters travelling home to suburban areas. The ten billboards installed last year
remain serviceable and are being stored for reuse in 2005;
§The
advertisements that were developed and published in community newspapers during
the 2004 campaign will be improved to be clearer, and will run in community
newspapers bi-weekly from May through to the end of August;
§In
order to ensure that the 2005 campaign has strong coverage over the entire
City, the 2004 radio advertisements and television interstitial will again be
aired, focused during the months of May and June, with some modifications to
improve messaging;
§Small
colour posters will be developed and hung at the City’s thirty-three Public
Libraries and seven Client Service Centres, as well as at all City offices; and
§Bill
inserts will be used again. Last year’s inserts were printed in a single colour
format. It is felt that full colour
inserts would stand out more and be more effective at delivering the
message. The difference in cost for the
quantities required is $600. Since the
additional cost of producing the inserts in colour is relatively small, it is
felt that this extra production cost is justifiable and will help staff to
determine the cost effectiveness of the tool for future years. (Approximately
1 in 6 remembered the inserts from the 2004 campaign. Our
target would be
to increase this to 1 in 3.)
CONSULTATION /
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
This initiative implements the policies and objectives of Ottawa
20/20, the Infrastructure Master Plan and the Environmental Strategy,
all of which have undergone extensive public consultation.
This Water
Efficiency Plan: Phase I
was developed using customer surveys and interviews designed to determine
consumer preferences and potential uptake rates. As well, background
documents were provided to the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC), and
staff met with members of their Water Issues Committee in May 2006 to review
draft recommendations. Representatives
of the Water Issues Committee were supportive of the direction recommended by
staff, but questioned why the City was not moving forward with regulatory and
financial tools. It was explained that
those tools would be implemented, if required, during implementation of Phases
II and III of the Water Efficiency Strategy.
At the time that this report was finalized, staff was scheduled to
present final recommendations to the EAC as a whole on 9 June 2006. Any recommendations emanating from the EAC
meeting will be tabled with this report at Planning & Environment
Committee.
This report was circulated for review to Planning and Growth Management,
Real Property Asset Management, Corporate
Communications and various groups within Public Works
and Services..
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
As noted previously, adoption of a water efficiency plan has been
contemplated for several years.
Accordingly, the current water rate structure includes an allowance for
implementation of water efficiency programs.
The staff report that accompanied the 2005 Water Efficiency Strategy
identified a 10-year budget of $5.5M. Table 2 presents the proposed budget for
implementation of the Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I for the next three years.
Table 2: Budget Requirements for Implementation of
the
Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I
Element |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
Total |
1.
Incentives, Pilot, Promotion &
Monitoring/Reporting |
$610,000 |
$680,000 |
$680,000 |
$1.97M |
2.
City Facilities Retrofit Program |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$300,000 |
Total |
$710,000 |
$780,000 |
$780,000 |
$2.27M |
Of the $1.97M required for item 1., $400,000
is currently available and has been approved in Internal Order 900206 – Water
Efficiency. Therefore, implementation
of this Plan requires a further $1.57M as follows: $210,000 in 2007, $680,000
in 2008, and $680,000 in 2009. Monies
for Item 1 will come from the Water Reserve Fund.
Item 2, City Facilities Retrofit Program,
requires $100,000 per year for 2007, 2008, and 2009 from the city wide Reserve
Fund, with authority to create a new Internal Order.
It is proposed that these funds be identified
in the Draft 2007 Budget.
The objectives of the ten-year Water
Efficiency Strategy, this Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I (2007-2009), and the initiatives
contained herein are all in support of the environmental goals and objectives
set out in City planning documents and, if successful, will have a positive
impact on Ottawa’s natural and built environment.
Water efficiency also benefits residents
serviced by a well. Rural homeowners
and businesses will realize savings in energy costs associated with the pumping
and treatment of their well water, and in related chemical costs. A City-widecity wide communication campaign will target both
the urban and rural communities of Ottawa.
Note, only establishments with City water metered services will be
eligible for funding under the HVU incentive programs.
ANNEX A:
City of Ottawa Water Efficiency Strategy
ANNEX B:
Evaluation of the 2005 Summer Waterwise Campaign
§
PWS to commence
implementation of the three-year Water Efficiency Plan: Phase I (2007-2009).
§
PWS to work with
RPAM to commence implementation of the City Facilities Retrofit Program.
§
FSU to include
the following in the Draft 2007 Budget to enable implementation of the Water
Efficiency Plan: Phase I:
o
$1.57M over
2007-2009 from the Water Reserve Fund.
o
$300,000 over
2007-2009 from the City-wide Capital Reserve Fund.
ANNEX A
WATER
EFFICIENCY STRATEGY
|
|
Introduction
As a result of
current policy directives contained in Ottawa 20/20 and supporting documents (Infrastructure
Master Plan and Environmental Strategy), the consulting firm, a firm Canadian
Water Services was retained in 2003 to assess a broad range of efficiency
measures and their potential impact on demand.
This 10-year Water
Efficiency Strategy was developed using the cost-benefit
analysis contained in the consultant report, a review of past initiatives,
consideration of other municipal programs and assessment of local conditions.
Goals |
· To defer capital costs for expansion of the City’s water infrastructure through efficient use of the water supply by residents, businesses and institutions. · To reduce wasteful use of water—a non-renewable resource. |
Objectives |
· To inform water consumers of the need for water efficiency and how to become water efficient through the use of education programs, popular media and demonstration projects; · To influence water consumers to reduce consumption, and alter consumptive patterns through partnership initiatives, rebates and other financial incentives; and ·
To direct water consumers to
change consumption patterns through judicious
use of regulatory and financial tools |
Phasing
A three-phase ten-year
strategy is proposed to achieve the above objectives,
as
summarized in Table 3.
.
Phase I (2005-2008) targets consumers who are
sensitive to the water efficiency message, as well as those with something to
gain, such as residential High Volume Users (HVU). The campaign will focus on publicl
be education,
and and promotion based, and a
program of include rebates
and similar financial incentives
that may include rebates on
water efficient items, and assistance with the cost of water
audits and fixture
retrofits. The strategy
will also continue to target
outdoor water use, which is one of the driving forces behind demand for greater
water infrastructure..
Phase II (2009-2012)
targets targets those less sensitive to the
water efficiency message but but
who are still considered likely to implement it with regulatory
encouragement. During this phase, a
regulatory by-law would be developed and implemented that restricts
water use, while maintaining
thethe educational
and incentives
elements of Phase I continue to be provided..
Phase III (2013-2014) , the final phase of the ten-year
strategy, will target consumers who have not adopted the water efficiency
message. Financial disincentives would
be employed to recover the costs of serving inefficient consumers, and provide a
strong incentive to improve water efficiency.
Annual reports will be produced and presented to Council outlining the results of each year’s program and describing the plan for the following year. Depending upon program results, staff may suggest accelerating or postponing implementation of a subsequent phase.
Targets
Figure 1 illustrates the potential impact that wWater
efficiency measures can have a
significant impact on long-term growth in average day and maximum day water
production at the two purification plants. Our target will be to reduce
max day production at
the two plants
byachieve
the 25% level
by the end of 2008, and the
by 50% level
by the end of 20144.
These
targets The
25% and 50% targets roughly correspond to the production rates at the two water purification plants identified
in Table 42.
Source: P&GM, T&IPD, IPU.
Table
|
|||
|
Phase
I – 2008 |
Phase
II - 2012 |
Phase III - 2014
|
|
613 |
69 |
7
|
|
565 |
|
|
If
the above targets are met, the City will
could save approximately $15 million[20]
in life cycle costs for water infrastructure
over the next 25 years. These savings
exclude the potential savings that may also be realized at wastewater pumping
stations and treatment facilities, and the cumulative savings that may be
realized through continued implementation of supply-side management
initiatives. Because it can take
several years to effect significant change in demand patterns, the capital
works to be deferred are infrastructure scheduled for construction 10-15 years
hence.
Progress towards these targets will be measured annually and reported to Committee and Council. Note that these projections are based upon best estimates of population and employment growth, and may change over time. Any such changes will be reported annually, along with their potential impact on the program’s success.
ANNEX B
Evaluation of the 2005
Summer Waterwise Campaign
Unchecked, water consumption will grow with population growth. In terms of summer outdoor water use, this can lead to tremendous demands on the distribution system. For the past two summers, the City has implemented a Summer Waterwise Campaign to help mitigate growth in Maximum Day Demand. Figure 1[21] illustrates how we are tracking towards achievement of the targets set out in the Water Efficiency Strategy.
Figure 1: Max Day Demand – Actuals versus Targets
Outdoor water demand is closely tied to summer temperature and precipitation conditions. Therefore, while Figure 1 indicates a significant drop in demand in 2004 and 2005 from previous years, it would be premature to attribute this change to the Summer Waterwise campaigns, particularly as progress towards the communication targets set for 2006 has been difficult (refer to Table 1). The challenge will be to achieve the same degree of conservation in warmer summers with less and less frequent rainfall.
Table 1:
Summer Waterwise Communication Targets |
|||
Target (measured by public survey) |
2004 Actual |
2005 Actual |
2006 Target |
Remember the
campaign |
30% |
31% |
60% |
Awareness of lawn
watering requirements |
44% |
32% |
90% |
Households watering
once or less per week |
78% |
75% |
80% |
That
said, a survey of 701 households conducted
by The Corporate Research Group in September 2005 indicates that the campaign
had some measure of success. Key
findings include:
·
Over
80% of respondents indicated that water conservation is important, and/or a
willingness to alter lawn watering practices.
§
One
in three surveyed remembered the
campaign—i.e.
good
program recognition;
·
Approximately
32% who remembered the campaign stated that they altered their lawn watering
practices and/or had reduced water use in other areas of their homes as a
result of the campaign;
·
When
asked whether “the campaign was a good thing to do”, 70% answered a positive
“4” or “5” on a scale of 1 to 5, with an additional 16% answering “3”—i.e. 86%
of those who remembered the campaign felt it had merit; and
·
The
quality of the campaign was rated a positive “4” or “5” on a scale of 1 to 5 by
43% of those remembering the campaign, and “3” by an additional 28%—i.e. over
71% of respondents felt the campaign was
generally well designedrequires
some
improvement., but generally was well designed.
The above results indicate that Ottawa residents:
· Are sensitive to the issue of water efficiency;
· Are largely willing to alter their lawn watering habits;
· Are changing their behaviours as a result of the campaign where they feel comfortable doing so; and
· Will benefit from continued reinforcement of the message: “No more than 1” (2.5 cm) per week, including rainfall”.
With the expansion of the Waterwise Campaign to include indoor water use
and the incentive programs recommended herein, the Summer Waterwise campaign is
being redesigned to enable its integration with a year-round campaign. The campaign will continue to use billboards
and radio ads, which have proven very effective in previous years, with
modified messaging and graphics to be more eye-catching and clear.
[1] A Summer Waterwise Campaign was undertaken in 2004 as well as 2005. A report presented to Council in May 2005 presented the results of the 2004 campaign. Survey responses indicate comparable results in most areas for both years, e.g. approximately 1 in 3 respondents remembered the campaign.
[2] Une Campagne
estivale Économisez l’eau fut entreprise en 2004 ainsi qu’en 2005. Un
rapport soumis au Conseil en mai 2005 a présenté les résultats de la campagne
de 2004. La participation à l’enquête indique des résultats comparables dans la
plupart des secteurs pour les deux années, c.-à-d. une personne interrogée sur
trois s’est souvenue de la campagne.
[3] Ont. Reg. 387/04
[4] The water rate does not allow for implementation of the City Facilities Retrofit Program since the monies will be used for plumbing changes, not City water works. $300,000 is, therefore, required from non-rate supported sources to meet the Phase I budget.
[5] The household survey was conducted by Cullbridge Marketing and Communications. Results of the survey are considered accurate within plus or minus 4.9%, 95 times out of 100.
[6] In 2005, 188,528 customer accounts were billed for consumption of 93Mm3 of water. Over half of total consumption was attributable to less than 10,000 accounts (i.e. approx. 5% of water accounts); with the top 200 users (i.e. less than 1% of customer accounts) consuming over 15% of all water billed in 2005. The top 200 users consumed 36,300m3 or more during 2005. By comparison, single detached homes generally consume 350-600m3 per year. However, well over 50% of all customer accounts are individual household services, therefore, the cumulative impact of residential use is great.
[7] The exact dollars to be allocated to each program will be determined based upon tendered bids. Therefore, actual costs may vary somewhat from the percentages quoted for each program.
[8] The HVU programs would only be available to those with City water metered services.
[9] Percentage of Plan Budget, excluding the City Facilities Retrofit Program.
[10] Dollar allocations to this and all other Plan elements will be evaluated annually based upon program uptake and public response.
[11] This rebate would be made available to both urban and rural residents, regardless of whether they have a City water metered service.
[12] The City contributed $5000 towards the CWWA initiative along with several other municipalities.
[13] Major distributors will be given advance notice of the toilets that will qualify under the program.
[14] Percentage of Plan Budget, excluding the City Facilities Retrofit Program.
[15] Dollar allocations to this and all other Plan elements will be evaluated annually based upon program uptake and public response.
[16] The proposed Clean Water Act, 2005, Bill 43, was introduced in the Legislature on 5 December 2005 and, if adopted, will require municipalities and conservation authorities to implement a host of measures to protect all drinking water sources.
[17] Percentage of Plan Budget, excluding the City Facilities Retrofit Program.
[18] Percentage of Plan budget, excluding the City Facilities Retrofit Program.
[19] Percentage of Plan budget, excluding the City Facilities Retrofit Program.
[20] Projected savings as identified in 3W Pump Station Study and Functional Design, 2004
[21] Source: Drinking Water Services, Autorep-corrected (TR).