AGENDA. Environmental Committee Meeting. Thursday, March 29, :30 p.m. City Council Chambers 3800 Laverne Avenue North. A.

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1 Our Mission is to Provide Quality Public Services in a Fiscally Responsible Manner While Preserving the City s Open Space Character Environmental Committee Meeting Thursday, March 29, :30 p.m. City Council Chambers 3800 Laverne Avenue North AGENDA A. Call to Order B. Minutes-February 26, 2018 C. Pat Dean Subsurface irrigation systems presentation D. Chris Larson, SEH Water efficiency study presentation E. Next Meeting-TBD F. Adjourn

2 City of Lake Elmo Environmental Committee Meeting Minutes of February 26, 2018 COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Brenda Jo Carlson, Tedi Carlson, Scott Drommerhausen, and Dominic Travis COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT: Beverly Schwalbach STAFF PRESENT: City Administrator Kristina Handt and Assistant City Administrator Jake Foster Call to Order By Chair Carlson at 5:33pm Minutes - November 27, 2017 Motion by Brenda Jo Carlson, seconded by Committee Member Drommerhausen to approve the minutes from the November 27, 2017 meeting. Motion carried 4-0. Arbor Day 2018 Assistant City Administrator Foster described past Arbor Day tree giveaways and stated that the even should run similarly in He also added that volunteers from the committee would be needed in a similar capacity as previous years. Various committee members volunteered to help with the tree pickup, event setup, and staffing during the event. Water conservation Assistant City Administrator Foster introduced the current issues facing the City relating to water conservation and water efficiency. City Administrator Handt further described implications of the White Bear Lake lawsuit and a recent study Lake Elmo took part in, and how they would impact Lake Elmo. Discussion took place as to what the committee s involvement might be, and what would be the next steps. Vice Chair Carlson asked City Administrator Handt if they could explore other areas of irrigation to propose to residents, and what they might be. Committee Member Travis suggested the committee take an educational approach to water conservation and efficiency within the City. He also added that it would be good for the committee to educate themselves on these issues further. Motion by Committee Member Travis, seconded by Vice Chair Carlson to make an organized approach to educating the committee members so they can figure out how to best help the community on this issue. Motion carried 4-0.

3 Chair Carlson asked if part of this motion could include having a presentation from SEH, to which Foster affirmed. Additional discussion took place relating to the committee s role, and how they could better educate themselves and Lake Elmo residents. The committee agreed that a presentation from SEH would be helpful. Hagberg s recognition Foster summarized and clarified the process for recognizing local businesses, organizations, and individuals for environmentally friendly practices. Hagberg s County Market had been identified by Chair Carlson as a potential business for the committee to recommend for recognition. Chair Carlson provided the following details as to why they would be worthy of recognition: Use of non-bleached butcher paper Use of biodegradable sandwich containers Use of compostable soup containers Installation/use of closed case/energy-efficient refrigerators Upgraded LED lighting Focus on more service at the meat counter rather than pre-packaged orders that create waste A brief general discussion took place regarding Hagberg s merits and the items outlined by Chair Carlson. Motion by Vice Chair Carlson, seconded by Committee Member Drommerhausen to recommend to Council that Hagberg s be recognized for engaging in environmentally-friendly practices. Motion carried 4-0. Recycling center visit(s) Both Chair Carlson and Foster provided an update on scheduling recycling center tours to which neither had made progress. They agreed that future visits could be brought to the committee should they be able to schedule them. Next Meeting Monday, March 26, 2018 at 5:30pm Committee members asked that presentations be made at the next meeting to aid in the education of the committee relating to water conservation and efficiency if possible. Meeting adjourned at 6:14pm Respectfully Submitted, Jake Foster

4 Water Efficiency Study Executive Summary Washington County Municipal Water Coalition Washington County, Minnesota SEH No January 31, 2018

5 About this Report Executive Summary The Washington County Municipal Water Coalition recognizes that water supply planning is an integral component of long-term regional and local comprehensive planning. The Coalition has undertaken projects to provide a base of technical information needed to make sound water supply decisions. This report executive summary summarizes the result of work for the Washington County Municipal Water Coalition Water Efficiency Study. The Washington County Municipal Water Coalition includes the cities of Bayport, Cottage Grove, Lake Elmo, Newport, Oakdale, Oak Park Heights, Stillwater, Saint Paul Park, and Woodbury. The Washington County Municipal Water Coalition retained Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) to complete this study of water efficiency practices. This assessment has been carried out with input from, and engagement with stakeholders, including community public water utilities, through a technical advisory committee (TAC). This group continues to meet regularly to discuss the study along with other water supply topics of importance to group members. Partial funding for this project was provided through the Clean Water Fund. Recommended Citation Executive Summary, Washington County Municipal Water Coalition Water Efficiency Study, Prepared by Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc., St. Paul, MN.

6 Executive Summary The primary source of drinking water in southern Washington County is groundwater from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer. Concerns with groundwater use in the region include areas of contamination, interference with surface waters, and potential aquifer drawdown due to increased future demands. It is possible that groundwater may not be able to meet all of the future drinking water demands. The Washington County Municipal Water Coalition (Coalition) consists of interested community stakeholders engaged to address the long-term sustainability of water supplies within the area. The Coalition includes the communities of Bayport, Cottage Grove, Lake Elmo, Newport, Oakdale, Oak Park Heights, Stillwater, Saint Paul Park, and Woodbury. The Coalition, with the assistance of Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) and Washington County, led this study to evaluate opportunities for water efficiency within the Coalition communities. In 2016, MCES, working with the communities of the Coalition, led the Water Supply Feasibility Assessment to examine feasibility of approaches to meet future water demands of the Coalition. The approaches focused on adding new sources of water including reusing water from pollution containment wells, new surface water treatment plants, connecting to Saint Paul Regional Water Services, and drilling new wells. The 2016 Feasibility Assessment provided the Coalition with concept level costs and considerations for various water supply approaches. The 2016 Feasibility Assessment primarily looked at alternatives to meet increased demand (supply side alternatives) and only provided a cursory review of water efficiency opportunities. ES-1

7 Objective The Coalition communities have expressed a desire to explore the potential to implement water efficiency practices in order to reduce groundwater use before it becomes necessary to find new water supply sources at significant expense. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the water demand reduction potential of communities in the Coalition by using water more efficiently. The study evaluates opportunities for improved water efficiency in the following areas: Landscape irrigation Indoor water use (toilets, faucets, showerheads, clothes washing machines) Industrial and Commercial water use Distribution system metering and non-revenue water Landscape Irrigation Efficiency Opportunities An analysis of water use patterns in the Coalition communities indicated that an additional 2.2 billion gallons (equivalent to 6 million gallons per day for an entire year) of water is used in the summer above winter water use. This is referred to as non-essential water use. The primary component of the non-essential water use is landscape irrigation. A major opportunity for water efficiency is to install smart controllers on the irrigation systems. Most existing irrigation systems use clock-based controllers. A smart controller is an electronic device that monitors environmental factors in order to operate an irrigation system to optimize water consumption. A recent study conducted by the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) determined that smart controllers can reduce water demand by up to 50% over clock-based controllers. This water efficiency study determined the following: If half of the existing residential irrigation systems in the coalition installed smart controllers and achieved 30% water savings: Water demand is reduced by 250 million gallons a year Residents save $500,000 annually on utility bills Indoor Water Efficiency Opportunities Water efficiency opportunities also exist to reduce indoor water usage. These include water efficient toilets, shower heads, faucets, and washing machines. WaterSense Toilets According to US EPA, 24 percent of the average American household s indoor water use is from toilet flushing. In 1994, the U.S. Environmental Policy Act of 1992 went into effect mandating maximum water consumption for toilets at 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf). By replacing standard toilets in homes constructed prior to 1994 with WaterSense labeled toilets, a 63 percent savings in water can be realized per flush. Installing WaterSense toilets can reduce water use by 10,500 gallons and save a household $60 per year in utility bills WaterSense Shower Head EPA estimates 20 percent of the average American household s water use is from showers. Standard shower heads use 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) of water. WaterSense labeled shower heads use no more than 2.0 gpm of water. Installing WaterSense shower heads can reduce water use by 2,700 gallons and save a household $65 per year in utility bills. WaterSense Faucets EPA estimates that 19 percent of the average American household s water use is from faucets. Standard faucets use 2.2 gpm of water. WaterSense labeled faucets use no more than 1.5 gpm of water. Installing WaterSense faucets can reduce water use by 700 gallons and save a household $17 per year in utility bills. Municipalities save over $100,000 in operation and maintenance (O&M) costs a year ES-2

8 Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Efficiency Opportunities EnergyStar Clothes Washing Machines EPA estimates that approximately 17 percent of indoor water use in the average American household is from clothes washing machines. The average American family washes about 300 loads of laundry each year. EnergyStar rated machines can help residents reduce water and energy costs by using up to 45 percent less water and 25 percent less energy compared to standard machines. Installing EnergyStar washing machines can reduce annual water use by 3,000 gallons and save a household $67 per year in utility bills. Overall Indoor Water Efficiency Opportunity This study determined the following: If half of the existing homes in the Coalition communities constructed prior to 1990 installed water efficient toilets, shower heads, faucets and washing machines: Water demand is reduced by approximately 250 million gallons a year Residents save $3,000,000 annually on utility bills The same irrigation and indoor efficiency opportunities that exist for residential properties also exist for commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities. In addition to those opportunities, commercial and industrial customers have water efficiency opportunities that are specific to their type of facility. Non-Revenue Water Non-revenue water is the amount of water not delivered to paying customers. There are a number of sources of nonrevenue water including: leaks in the distribution system, metering inaccuracies, water used in parks, ice skating rinks, hydrant flushing, etc. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources considers an acceptable amount of non-revenue water to be less than 10%. The total annual non-revenue water for the Coalition is approximately 230 million gallons. At $2.00 per 1,000 gallons, the value of this water is approximately $460,000. Community Profiles Profiles identifying each Coalition community s overall water use patterns, potential savings for residents and utilities, and water efficiency opportunities specific to the individual community are presented below. Municipalities save over $100,000 in operation and maintenance (O&M) costs ES-3

9 Bayport All Uses 119 Residential Use 73 Total Annual Use, million gallons 103 Non-Revenue Water 6% Non-Residential Use 39% Water Use Profile: Bayport is a smaller community with older homes and relatively low growth expected. Bayport has higher industrial water use and lower irrigation water use. Median Home Age: 1960s Essential Water Use: 76% Non-Essential Use 24% Peak to Winter Use Ratio gal/person/day 89 gal/person/day WATER EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY OF BAYPORT 27% 12% 61% Commercial Use Industrial Use Significant opportunities for residential indoor water efficiency. Water efficient indoor fixtures could save 9 million gallons of water per year. Total savings for residents: $110,000 per year Utility O&M Savings: $3,700 Partner with industrial customers to encourage water efficiency. Relatively low irrigation efficiency opportunity; however, smart controllers are still very effective. Cottage Grove Water Use Profile: Cottage Grove is the second largest community in the Coalition and is expected to grow by an additional 35% by the year Although Cottage Grove is a growing suburb, they have a relatively high percentage of homes constructed prior to % 9% All Uses 90 Median Home Age: 1980s Non-Essential Use 34% Residential Use 80 Essential Water Use: 66% Peak to Winter Use Ratio 4.3 Total Annual Use, million gallons 1, gal/person/day 89% Non-Revenue Water 11% Non-Residential Use 11% 53 gal/person/day Institutional Use Commercial Use WATER EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE Significant opportunities for residential indoor water efficiency. Smart irrigation controllers could save 57 million gallons of water per year. Perform water audit to identify causes of non-revenue water. Water efficient indoor fixtures could save 55 million gallons of water per year. Total savings for residents: $780,000 per year Utility O&M Savings: $47,000 ES-4

10 Lake Elmo Water Use Profile: Lake Elmo is a medium sized community where many of its residents are not on the municipal water systems. Some areas on the municipal water system are newer and are experiencing very rapid growth. The high non-essential water use and peak to winter ratio is due to establishing sod in new developments. 24% All Uses 110 Median Home Age: 1990s Non-Essential Use 52% Residential Use 81 Total Annual Use, million gallons 165 Non-Revenue Water 2% Non-Residential Use 24% Essential Water Use: 48% Peak to Winter Use Ratio gal/person/day 57 gal/person/day 76% Commercial Use WATER EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY OF LAKE ELMO Significant opportunities for residential irrigation and indoor water efficiency. Smart irrigation controllers could save 5 million gallons of water per year. Partner with commercial and institutional properties to encourage water efficiency. Water efficient indoor fixtures could save 4 million gallons of water per year. Total savings for residents: $60,000 per year Utility O&M Savings: $47,000 Newport Water Use Profile: Newport is a smaller community with older homes and relatively low growth is expected. Newport s overall water use is very low. All Uses 76 Residential Use 45 Median Home Age: 1960s Essential Water Use: 87% Non-Essential Use 13% Peak to Winter Use Ratio % Total Annual Use, million gallons gal/person/day 61% Non-Revenue Water 10% Non-Residential Use 39% 65 gal/person/day Commercial Use WATER EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY OF NEWPORT Significant opportunities for indoor water efficiency. Water efficient indoor fixtures could save 12 million gallons of water per year. Total savings for residents: $143,000 per year Utility O&M Savings: $5,000 Perform water audit to identify causes of non-revenue water. Partner with commercial and institutional properties to encourage water efficiency. ES-5

11 Oak Park Heights Water Use Profile: Oak Park Heights is a smaller community with relatively little growth expected. Oak Park Heights has very low non-essential water usage. A significant portion of Oak Park Heights water usage is commercial/institutional. All Uses 125 Residential Use 71 Median Home Age: 1990s Essential Water Use: 88% Non-Essential Use 12% Peak to Winter Use Ratio % Total Annual Use, million gallons gal/person/day 57% Non-Revenue Water 13% Non-Residential Use 43% 107 gal/person/day Commercial Use WATER EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS Oak Park Heights highest potential for water efficiency is likely commercial/institutional. Perform water audit to identify causes of nonrevenue water. Opportunities exist for indoor water efficiency. Water efficient indoor fixtures could save 6 million gallons of water per year. Total savings for residents: $75,000 per year Utility O&M Savings: $2,500 Oakdale Water Use Profile: Oakdale is one of the larger Coalition communities, is relatively mature, and is not expected to grow significantly. Oakdale s overall water use is moderate. 1% 20% All Uses 90 Median Home Age: 1980s Non-Essential Use 25% Residential Use 75 Total Annual Use, million gallons 937 Non-Revenue Water 3% Non-Residential Use 21% Essential Water Use: 75% Peak to Winter Use Ratio gal/person/day 67 gal/person/day 79% Commercial Use Industrial Use WATER EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY OF OAKDALE Significant opportunities for indoor water efficiency and smart irrigation controllers. Partner with commercial and institutional properties to encourage water efficiency. Water efficient indoor fixtures could save 47 million gallons of water per year. Smart irrigation controllers could save 29 million gallons of water per year. Total savings for residents: $630,000 per year Utility O&M Savings: $32,000 ES-6

12 Saint Paul Park Water Use Profile: Saint Paul Park is a smaller community with older homes and relatively low growth is expected. Saint Paul Park has higher industrial use and their non-essential water use is very low. 5% All Uses 85 Residential Use 60 Total Annual Use, million gallons 179 Non-Revenue Water 8% Non-Residential Use 24% Median Home Age: 1960s Essential Water Use: 92% Non-Essential Use 8% Peak to Winter Use Ratio gal/person/day 78 gal/person/day 19% 76% Commercial Use Industrial Use WATER EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY OF SAINT PAUL PARK Significant opportunities for indoor water efficiency. Water efficient indoor fixtures could save 15 million gallons of water per year. Total savings for residents: $182,000 per year Utility O&M Savings: $6,000 Partner with industrial properties to encourage water efficiency. Perform water audit to identify causes of nonrevenue water. Stillwater Water Use Profile: Stillwater is one of the larger Coalition communities, is relatively mature, and is not expected to grow significantly. Stillwater s overall water use is moderate. All Uses 111 Residential Use 81 Total Annual Use, million gallons 738 Non-Revenue Water 1% Non-Residential Use 27% Median Home Age: 1960s Essential Water Use: 75% Non-Essential Use 32% Peak to Winter Use Ratio gal/person/day 76 gal/person/day 19% 8% 73% Commercial Use Residential Use Institutional Use WATER EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY OF STILLWATER Significant opportunities for indoor water efficiency and smart irrigation controllers. Water efficient indoor fixtures could save 50 million gallons of water per year. Smart irrigation controllers could save 26 million gallons of water per year. Total savings for residents: $660,000 per year Utility O&M Savings: $32,000 ES-7

13 Woodbury Water Use Profile: Woodbury is the largest community in the Coalition and is expected to grow by an additional 34% by the year Woodbury is a newer community 6% and has high residential and commercial irrigation water use. 17% All Uses 114 Median Home Age: 1990s Non-Essential Use 42% Residential Use 96 Total Annual Use, million gallons 2,755 Essential Water Use: 58% Peak to Winter Use Ratio gal/person/day 77% Non-Revenue Water 1% Non-Residential Use 23% 65 gal/person/day Commercial Non-Irrigation Commercial Irrigation WATER EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY OF WOODBURY Significant opportunities for residential irrigation water efficiency and moderate opportunities for indoor water efficiency Smart irrigation controllers could save 128 million gallons of water per year. Continue to partner with commercial businesses and homeowners associations to install smart irrigation controllers. Commercial and HOA irrigation accounts for over 200 million gallons of water use per year in Woodbury. Water efficient indoor fixtures could save 50 million gallons of water per year. Total savings for residents: $870,000 per year Utility O&M Savings: $74,000 per year ES-8

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