Title
Memorandum of Understanding Among Denver Water, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and others to Commit to Further Water Conservation in the Colorado River Basin (Ordinance S-49112)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding by, and among, Colorado River Basin Municipal and Public Water Providers, including Denver Water, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and other water providers to commit to further water conservation measures.
Report
Summary
The Colorado River is in serious decline. In June 2022, the United States Bureau of Reclamation requested that Colorado River water users reduce their demand beginning in 2023. The request was for reduction in use by 2 to 4 million acre-feet in order to stop the declines in the two major reservoirs on the Colorado River, Lake Mead and Lake Powell. While there is no plan to accomplish that reduction to date, cities throughout the Western United States are signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), committing to take additional actions to increase water efficiency and conservation. These commitments include continuing and expanding water conservation programs, introducing a program to reduce non-functional turf grass by 30 percent, increasing water reuse and recycling programs, implementing best practices to accelerate efficiency strategies, and collaborating with other water users in the Colorado River basin to bring supply and demand into balance.
Phoenix has a proven history of water conservation, reducing per capita use by 30 percent over the last 30 years. The Phoenix City Council renewed that commitment to water efficiency in 2019 by adopting the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Water Conservation Committee to enhance or initiate 12 water conservation programs. Since that time, Phoenix has hired 5 additional staff members and started implementation of those recommendations. While municipal conservation alone cannot yield sufficient water savings to meet the request of the Bureau of Reclamation, this MOU offers Phoenix an opportunity to collaborate with other municipal water providers throughout the seven Colorado River basin states in sharing best practices and committing to improving water conservation efforts.
The MOU has an indefinite term, but staff anticipates significant action will be required in the next two years by the basin states or the Federal Government to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the Colorado River system.
Financial Impact
There are no specific financial impacts resulting from the MOU. It does not require a specific investment and the Water Services Department is already conducting many of the water conservation measures referred to in the MOU. Additional investments in water conservation will be forthcoming in the Water Services Department's annual budget.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is brought by Deputy City Manager Karen Peters and the Water Services Department.