The Truckee Donner PUD, through a series of four public workshops, has solidified strategies to comply with California Assembly Bill 2572 passed in late 2004, which requires water purveyors to bill all customers volumetrically, or by actual consumption, by 2025. Another in a long list of unfunded state mandates and coming with a potential price tag of $10 million for the District, AB 2572 is a follow up to SB 229 passed in 1991. Since then water suppliers have been required to install water meters, but not read them, on all new construction, equating to 4,880 in the TDPUD service area. Volumetric billing of these customers is mandated to begin even sooner, by 2010.
According to Steve Poncelet, PUD Public Information and Conservation Officer, ‘For the 2010 deadline…the District has no choice but to install the meter reading technology in 2008/2009 and begin studying customer usage data in order to propose a volumetric billing structure (for the 4,880 customers only) for the TDPUD Board to consider and act.’
For the remaining estimated 6,846 customers, the Board has chosen an expedited Water Meter Implementation Plan, which would have meters installed and equipped with automated reading technology by 2012.
Expedited implementation will come at a cost of $5.88 per customer per month for 15 years and a $9.6 million external loan for the PUD. While the costs and debt incurred are obvious negatives, a staff presentation noted that this plan will enhance conservation, increases customer service, maximize efficiency and provide uniform billing throughout the District by 2013.
Just how much is metering expected to positively affect conservation efforts? Industry studies typically cite reduction in water consumption of 10 to 20 percent once metering is in place. An added benefit would also be an estimated 10 percent reduction in the District’s electrical use for water pumping.
You can review the final draft of the Water Meter Implementation Plan on the PUD web site at: tdpud.org/pdf/WaterMetersImplPlan,7-23-08.pdf
The PUD also now offers live and archived meetings in streaming video. Go to: tdpud.org/index.php?cId=76
