04-13-20 Regular Meeting of the La Porte City Council (2)

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C. Retrofit PmgLarns' The City makes information available through its education program for plumbers and Customers to use when purchasing and installing plumbing fixtures, lawn watering equipment, or water using appliances, Information regarding retrofit devices such as low -flow shower heads or toilet dams that reduce water use by replacing or modifying existing fixtures or appliances should also be provided, Water Rate -Structures: A water conservation oriented rate structure usually takes the form of an increasing block rate, although continUOUSly increasing rate Structures, peak or seasonal load rates, excess use foes, and other rate forms can be used. The increasing block rate structure is the most commonly used water conservation rate structure. Separate rate structures are usually used for cornrnercial, institutional, and industrial custorners. The City of La Porte uses a form of increasing block rate structure, Water QonseLyjr7q Landscaping1 In order to reduce the demands placed on a water system by landscape watering, the city or utility should consider methods that either encourage, by education and information, or require, by code or ordinance, water conserving landscaping by residential customers and cornmerclal establishments engaged in the sale or installation of landscape plants or watering equipment. Because the City of La Porte is located on the Gulf Coast, it has a very high annual average rainfall. The need for outdoor watering is not as high as for arid climates. Agricultural land in the area is not irrigated. Although not made a specific section of the Conservation Plan, water conserving landscaping information will be made available through the Information/Education Section. 2. SUPPLY MANAGEMENTALTERNATIVES a. Universal Met ering: tering: All public water Supply utilities should master meter their water sources. In addition, all users, including the utility itself, should be metered. A regularly scheduled maintenance program of meter repair and replacement also needs to be established to ensure that proper metering is taking place. Metering and meter repair and replacement, can be used in conjunction with other programs such as leak detection and repair and, thereby, save significant quantities of water. All sales in the City of La Porte are metered. Currently, the City of La Porte has a regular meter repair and replacement program with production meters being tested yearly. b. Leak Detection and Repair: A continuous leak detection, [OCati,Dfl, and repair program can be an important part of a water conservation plan. Utility employees for the City of La Porte periodically check for leaks when reading meters and while performing regular maintenance. Major leaks are usually quickly detected by either city employees or customers and are repaired immediately, Soil in the area is generally clay and, therefore, leaks show up at the ground surface quite readily. Leak detection technology is also available in the form of electronic sonic devices, 5