Voluntary Water Conservation Plan

There may be times when unusually warm and dry weather prevents AWWU from meeting the water demands for 32,000 customers south of Tudor Road due to existing limitations of AWWU’s water transmission system. As past experience has shown, diminished water supplies for residents south of Tudor have periodically occurred in months of May, June and July.

• Conservation Tips For The Kitchen
• Conservation Tips For Using Water In & Around The Yard
• Indoor Household Water Conservation Tips

With the Voluntary Water Conservation Plan, the Mayor, following consultation with AWWU, would declare a public water shortage as the situation warrants. AWWU would then be granted the authority to implement one or more of the Water Rationing Stages, as detailed below, and begin an orderly and equitable reduction in water consumption for customers south of Tudor. Water rationing would remain in effect until cancelled by AWWU.

The Mayor will be consulted by AWWU before any public announcement is made to advance water rationing to a next stage level.

The water rationing does not have to begin at Stage 1 and the stages do not have to progress in numerical order. This provides AWWU with the greatest amount of flexibility and the ability to match restrictions with current conditions.

Exclusions to rationing water will be granted by the AWWU General Manager on a case-by-case basis for essential life, health and safety purposes.

Definitions

• AWWU Water Customer: Defined as a specific billed account number and not the number of people residing in a residence or employed at a business.

• Non-Potable Water: Water derived from sources other than the Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility. Examples include water condensed from the atmosphere, collected from rain or snow, or from a private well.

• Water: Any water treated by Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility.

• Street Address: The location of service address found on a customer’s utility bill.

• Reclaimed Water: Water reclaimed or recycled after a non-restricted use. Examples of such non-restricted uses include cooling, washing, and shower/bath water.

Water Rationing Stages

Stage I:

• All AWWU water customers and water users of a defined area of AWWU’s distribution and transmission system will be requested to voluntarily conserve their use of water.

Stage II:

• Restricts outdoor watering to odd or even days based on the customer’s street address. Addresses that end in an odd digit may water on odd dates only. Addresses that end in an even digit may water on even dates only.

• Prohibits the continuation of lawn watering when water begins to pool or run off the lawn into ditches, gutters and storm drains. This includes water runoff when watering trees, shrubs, gardens, and bedding plants. Washing or hosing down sidewalks, driveways and streets is also prohibited. This does not apply to municipal street-sweeping equipment.

• Prohibits the use of water to wash vehicles, except at car wash establishments. Car washes for “Fund-raising" are prohibited.

Provisions for new lawns:

• For the first 14 days after the lawn is seeded, the lawn is to be kept moist at all times. The lawn may be watered several times a day.

• For the next 60 days, lawns may be watered up to twice a day until ground is sufficiently moist.

• After 60 days, the even/odd schedule will apply.

• Reclaimed or Non-Potable Water may be used without restrictions.

Provisions for new and existing trees and shrubs:

• New trees or shrubs and existing trees and shrubs - May through June, each plant may be watered daily, up to two hours per plant per day.

• New trees or shrubs – July through end of season, each plant may be watered daily, up to two hours per plant per day.

• Existing trees or shrubs – July through end of season, may be watered every 2-3 days, weather dependent, up to two hours per plant per day.

Penalties:

AWWU believes Stage III or IV, as outlined below, should not be necessary unless AWWU experiences a catastrophic failure within its water distribution and transmission system. AWWU felt it prudent to include such a plan in the unlikely event the Voluntary Water Conservation Plan must be escalated to a higher level.

A violation shall result in a letter from AWWU to the Customer stating they are not in compliance with the Voluntary Water Conservation Program.

Stage III:

Includes Stage II restrictions and these additional restrictions.

• Outdoor watering is restricted to once every five days between the hours of 6 am to 9 am and 7 pm to 10 pm:

• Water application rates shall not exceed one inch per watering day.

• Prohibits the continuation of watering lawns, trees, shrubs, gardens, or other outdoor plants when water pools or runs into ditches, gutters and storm drains.

Provisions for new lawns

• For the first 14 days after the lawn is seeded, the lawn is to be kept moist at all times. The lawn may be watered several times a day.

• For the next 60 days, lawns may be watered daily.

• Prohibits the introduction of water into any private or semi-private pool, pond, or fountain of any size. This does not apply to public pools.

• Prohibits the use of hydrant meters for watering new lawns, dust control, settling backfill, or other construction purposes. Hydrant meters already in place will be removed by AWWU Field Service.

• Reclaimed or Non-Potable Water may be used without restriction.

Provisions for new and existing trees and shrubs:

• New trees or shrubs and existing trees and shrubs - May through June, each plant may be watered thoroughly daily, two hours per plant per day.

• New trees or shrubs – July through end of season, each plant may be watered thoroughly daily, two hours per plant per day.

• Existing trees or shrubs – July through end of season, may be water every 2-3 days, weather dependent. A thorough watering (minimum 2 hours/day/plant) is still required.

Stage IV:

Includes Stage III restrictions and these additional restrictions.

• Prohibits all outdoor watering of lawns, trees, shrubs, flowerbeds and vegetable gardens.

Exceptions:

• Recently planted trees and shrubs, less than four years old, and new seeding or sod, less than one year old, may be watered once per week with an application rate not to exceed 1 inch per week. This prohibition shall continue until Stage IV restrictions are lifted.

• Existing outdoor flower and vegetable gardens may be watered once per week, provided that drip irrigation or soaker hoses are used and the application rate does not exceed 1 inch per week.

• Reclaimed or Non-Potable Water may be used without restriction.

Penalties:

• A violation shall result in a letter from AWWU to the Customer stating they are not in compliance with the Voluntary Water Conservation Program.

Complaint Review Procedure

A.Oral Complaints

Oral complaints, in person or by telephone, are a preliminary step which will initiate the Utility to investigate the complaint and orally respond back to the complainant within ten (10) working days. If the customer is not satisfied with the Utility's resolution, the customer will then be advised to file a formal written complaint addressed to the General Manager, specifying the details of the complaint.

B. Written Complaints/Correspondence

The Utility shall respond to each written customer complaint, billing dispute or other customer correspondence within ten (10) working days of its receipt. In its written response, the Utility shall state that a customer not satisfied with the response may file a complaint with the RCA under 3 AAC 48.120 or 3 AAC 48.130. If a customer fails to file a complaint with the RCA within twenty (20) working days of the postmark date of the Utility response, the Utility will deem the complaint to have been resolved to the customer's satisfaction.

Appeal and Adjustment

Any Customer may file an appeal with AWWU’s General Manager. The General Manager may grant an adjustment to the Appellant based on the following criteria:

• Residential or other Appellant’s may provide additional information to justify the need for additional water usage. The granting of additional water shall be on a case-by-case basis and based on providing sufficient water to meet essential life, health and safety needs.

• Any person who, in making an application to AWWU for an adjustment in water usage, intentionally provides false or incorrect information shall automatically have their requests denied.

Reduction In Flow Of Water To Any Customer

AWWU’s General Manager is authorized, after giving notice and an opportunity for a hearing, to reduce the flow of water to any Customer determined to be using water in any manner not in accordance with the water ration plan. Cause for said reduction may include, but is not limited to, issuing three or more notices of violation. The degree of reduction in flow, up to and including shutting off all water, shall be determined on a case-by-case basis.