5.6.
Public Works Committee
- Meeting Date:
- 09/17/2019
- By:
- Bruce Westby, Engineering/Public Works
Title:
Recommend City Council Approval of Water Efficiency Grant Application
Purpose/Background:
The Metropolitan Council is offering grants from $2,000 to $50,000 to municipal water suppliers to help increase water efficiency by lowering the cost for residents to purchase and install products that reduce water use including toilets, washing machines, and irrigation sprinklers and controllers.
Municipalities may use grant funds to fund rebates to residents who replace inefficient water-using devices with approved devices that use substantially less water, or for irrigation system audits. The Metropolitan Council administered a water efficiency grant program during the 2015 - 2017 biennium using $500,000 from the Clean Water Fund, which yielded an estimated total savings of 52 million gallons of water per year.
This grant program requires that products be labeled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program or, in the case of washing machines, by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star program. Grant funds can only be used for appliance replacement, not for first-time purchases for new developments.
Municipalities are responsible for developing and operating their own rebate programs. The grant funds will cover 75% of program costs, with a required 25% local match of which residents must pay a portion of the cost for any device or water use audit they purchase.
Grant applications will be accepted through September 30, 2019. Required application information includes:
Municipalities may use grant funds to fund rebates to residents who replace inefficient water-using devices with approved devices that use substantially less water, or for irrigation system audits. The Metropolitan Council administered a water efficiency grant program during the 2015 - 2017 biennium using $500,000 from the Clean Water Fund, which yielded an estimated total savings of 52 million gallons of water per year.
This grant program requires that products be labeled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program or, in the case of washing machines, by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star program. Grant funds can only be used for appliance replacement, not for first-time purchases for new developments.
Municipalities are responsible for developing and operating their own rebate programs. The grant funds will cover 75% of program costs, with a required 25% local match of which residents must pay a portion of the cost for any device or water use audit they purchase.
Grant applications will be accepted through September 30, 2019. Required application information includes:
- Rebate or grant program design and work plan
- Proposed examples of communications to property owners
- Requested total grant amount
- Estimated annual amount of water saved by the applying municipality
- Details about the program and the grant application.
Timeframe:
Staff estimates 10 minutes will be needed to present this case and address questions.
Observations/Alternatives:
This grant funding opportunity seems to be a perfect fit for the City of Ramsey for several reasons.
The Environmental Policy Board's (EPB) 2017 - 2019 Work Plan includes a tactic to "Extend the longevity of drinking water supply by reducing demand on groundwater" and specifies as a key outcome, the development of incentives and/or programs to promote water conservation. If successful in obtaining grant funds, the funds could be used to purchase smart controllers and/or soil moisture sensors that could be available for existing water customers that have older, in-ground irrigation systems without these technologies. The EPB discussed this grant program on August 19th and supported an application. Attached is a copy of the draft EPB meeting minutes.
This grant could help the City to significantly reduce peak demand on our municipal water supply system during summer months, which would allow the City to run fewer wells in the summer thereby reducing manganese concentrations. This could also allow the City to delay or even omit the installation of new water supply wells in the future.
The City partnered with the Metropolitan Council on their 2018 Water Efficiency Potential project. This partnership essentially focused on how Ramsey could maximize economic benefits from various residential-based water conservation efforts. Having just recently completed that project should help Ramsey score well on an application for the Water Efficiency Grant Program.
City Staff attended an informational workshop on this grant program at the end of August. If the Committee supports applying for this grant, Staff would use what was learned at the workshop to develop the framework for an incentive and/or rebate program, which could then be presented to the City Council for authorization to submit the grant application and supporting information by September 30, 2019.
Alternatives:
Alternative #1: Motion to recommend City Council approval of a Water Efficiency Grant application.
Alternative #2: Motion of other.
The Environmental Policy Board's (EPB) 2017 - 2019 Work Plan includes a tactic to "Extend the longevity of drinking water supply by reducing demand on groundwater" and specifies as a key outcome, the development of incentives and/or programs to promote water conservation. If successful in obtaining grant funds, the funds could be used to purchase smart controllers and/or soil moisture sensors that could be available for existing water customers that have older, in-ground irrigation systems without these technologies. The EPB discussed this grant program on August 19th and supported an application. Attached is a copy of the draft EPB meeting minutes.
This grant could help the City to significantly reduce peak demand on our municipal water supply system during summer months, which would allow the City to run fewer wells in the summer thereby reducing manganese concentrations. This could also allow the City to delay or even omit the installation of new water supply wells in the future.
The City partnered with the Metropolitan Council on their 2018 Water Efficiency Potential project. This partnership essentially focused on how Ramsey could maximize economic benefits from various residential-based water conservation efforts. Having just recently completed that project should help Ramsey score well on an application for the Water Efficiency Grant Program.
City Staff attended an informational workshop on this grant program at the end of August. If the Committee supports applying for this grant, Staff would use what was learned at the workshop to develop the framework for an incentive and/or rebate program, which could then be presented to the City Council for authorization to submit the grant application and supporting information by September 30, 2019.
Alternatives:
Alternative #1: Motion to recommend City Council approval of a Water Efficiency Grant application.
Alternative #2: Motion of other.
Funding Source:
There is a twenty-five percent (25%) required local match if awarded grant funding. Staff would propose that this come from the City's water enterprise fund, with a portion being reimbursed by payments from residents for any device or water use audit they purchase.
Recommendation:
Staff recommends alternative #1.
Action:
Motion to recommend City Council approval of a Water Efficiency Grant application.
Attachments
Form Review
| Inbox | Reviewed By | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Grant Riemer | Grant Riemer | 09/12/2019 11:21 AM |
| Kurt Ulrich | Kurt Ulrich | 09/12/2019 03:13 PM |
- Form Started By:
- Bruce Westby
- Started On:
- 09/12/2019 09:51 AM
- Final Approval Date:
- 09/12/2019