Minutes of the Work Session of April 10, 2023
Extracted text (via pymupdf)
30675 characters
Meeting Minutes
City Council Work Session
April 10, 2023 | 4:00 p.m.
Council Chambers Conference Room
88 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Kevin Hartke at 4:00 p.m.
Roll Call
Council Attendance
Appointee Attendance
Mayor Kevin Hartke
Josh Wright, City Manager
Vice Mayor Matt Orlando
Kelly Schwab, City Attorney
Councilmember OD Harris
Dana DeLong, City Clerk
Councilmember Mark Stewart
Councilmember Christine Ellis
Councilmember Jane Poston
Councilmember Angel Encinas
Staff in Attendance
Andy Bass, Deputy City Manager
Tadd Wille, Assistant City Manager
Dawn Lang, Deputy City Manager, Chief Financial Officer
Matt Burdick, Communications and Public Affairs Director
John Knudson, Public Works & Utilities Director
Simone Kjolsrud, Water Resources Manager
Melissa Quillard, Mayor & Council Communications Manager
Discussion
1.
Discussion and Presentation of Chandler Water Resources and Drought Preparedness
MAYOR HARTKE called for a staff presentation.
JOSHUA WRIGHT, City Manager, introduced the discussion item.
Page 2 of 16
SIMONE KJOLSRUD, Water Resources Manager, presented the following presentation.
• Chandler Water Resources & Drought Preparedness
• Strategic Framework Direction
o Sustainability and Technology
Embrace sustainable and global technology advancements by leading in the
sustainability of water infrastructure and conservation.
• Agenda
o Chandler’s Water Supplies
o Salt and Verde Update
o Colorado River Update
o Challenges Ahead
o Chandler’s Unique Preparations
o Current Actions
o Next Steps
• Where Does Our Water Come from?
o Surface Water
Salt and Verde Rivers (SRP)
Colorado River (CAP)
Roosevelt Water Conservation District (RWCD)
o Groundwater
Underground Aquifer
o Reclaimed Water
Treated Wastewater
• Chandlers’ Water Supplies
• Chandler Water Delivery Map
• Salt and Verde River Watersheds
o Chandler’s primary water supply comes from the Salt and Verde Rivers, stored in SRP
reservoirs.
o SRP reservoirs are currently 100% full
• Salt and Verde Snowpack
o Historic year: 2023 second deepest snowpack in 30 years!
Reservoirs 100% full as of 3/22. Verde system spills as spring runoff increases.
• SRP Spill Operations
o Salt and Verde spill releases began March 2, 2023 and continue through April
Horseshoe Dam-Verde River
Bartlett- Dam- Verde River
• Colorado River System
o The Colorado River supplies approximately 37% of Chandler’s average annual
drinking water
• Colorado River Allocations
o Upper Basin: Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
o Lower Basin: Arizona, California, Nevada
Page 3 of 16
MAYOR HARTKE asked what argument is being made by upper states for retaining water in
Flaming Gorge and where are those reservoirs.
MS. KJOLSRUD said there are several reservoirs managed by Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP)
which are managed by the Bureau of Reclamation. These Upper Basin reservoirs feed Lake Powell,
using the water in these reservoirs they are managing the water elevation at Glen Canyon Dam to
protect the hydropower generation turbines. Some upper states want to keep the water and the
Bureau of Reclamation wants to release it, that is part of a whole negotiation.
VIDE MAYOR ORLANDO asked if Lake Pleasant receives a portion of Arizona’s water runoff.
MS. KJOLSRUD said it does, but it is managed by different water rights, some West Valley cities
have rights to that water, but it is not part of the Colorado River (CAP).
VICE MAYOR ORLANDO asked if that is why Lake Pleasant is not included in this discussion.
MS. KJOLSRUD said that is correct.
MS. KJOLSRUD continued the presentation.
• Central Arizona Project Canal
o Colorado River is pumped 800 vertical ft. into a 7-mile tunnel near Lake Havasu
o CAP Engineering: 14 pumps lift 3,000 ft. total
o CAP Storage: Lake Pleasant
o CAP Canal: 336 miles
o Delivery Supply: 1.5 million acre-feet
• Colorado River
o Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) for 2023 is 152% of the 30-yr average.
• Groundwater Supplies
o Chandler will access groundwater and stored water during surface water shortages
o 35 wells provide redundancy (73 MGD)
32 active wells
3 new wells
2 future well sites reserved
o Decades of well maintenance and careful planning
• Chandler Reclaimed Water
o Infrastructure planning started in the 1980’s
o Reclaimed system offers a new water supply, reducing demand for drinking water
supplies
o Distribution system delivers to over 360 direct use customers (~30,000 AF per year)
HOA’s, Golf Courses, Parks & Schools
Commercial and industrial users
Page 4 of 16
Gila River Indian community-agricultural users
Aquifer Recharge Facilities
VICE MAYOR ORLANDO asked if the reclaimed water infrastructure could be increased.
MS. KJOLSRUD said yes.
VICE MAYOR ORLANDO asked if it is cost effective at this time.
MS. KJOLSRUD said the infrastructure is there and it will naturally grow in time in accordance with
the expanding need.
VICE MAYOR ORLANDO asked if the infrastructure was ready to scale up if need be.
MS. KJOLSRUD said some of it is ready at this time, but it depends on what the extra reclaimed
water was used for, direct delivery to customers or exchange with Gila River Indian Community
(GRIC).
VICE MAYOR ORLANDO asked if the exchange is of greater benefit at this time.
MS. KJOLSRUD said it is more beneficial for both parties.
MS. KJOLSRUD continued the presentation.
• Chandler Reclaimed Water Delivery Area
• Future Challenges
o The frequency and magnitude of shortages may be greater than previously
anticipated
o Colorado River Shortage- Adapting to a future with less Colorado River water.
o Regional Partnerships- Provide infrastructure flexibility to access new water supplies
o Sustainable Aquifer Management- Increased regional groundwater pumping.
o Cost of Service- Increased raw water costs and decreased revenue (impacts to rate
model).
o Demand Management- Shifting away from water intensive landscapes, demand may
become less responsive to incentive programs.
o Water Quality- Adapting to shortage may require new treatment technologies.
COUNCILMEMBER POSTON asked if there is a governmental limit of Ground Water Pumping.
MS. KJOLSRUD said the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) has customized a specific
plan for Chandler, which is a little higher because stormwater is contained within the city, does
not have river run off and is used to recharge the aquifer. Each city has a specified safe yield pump
volume.
Page 5 of 16
COUNCILMEMBER POSTON asked what Chandler’s safe yield pump volume is.
MS. KJOLSRUD said it is 6.7%.
MAYOR HARTKE asked how other cities will be able to manage the diminishing water from CAP if
they have a smaller allowance of groundwater pumping.
MS. KJOLSRUD said the standard state issued incidental recharge volume is 4% for cities that have
not proven they collect all rainwater, store it within the city and use it to recharge the aquifer.
Individual cities can also pump water from underground storage facilities in which they have
stored unused water from CAP.
MAYOR HARTKE asked if storing water can create the issue of having paper water in comparison
to wet water when determining how much the cities can take.
MS. KJOLSRUD said that long term storage water is sometimes referred to as paper water but in
general it is real water that is sent back to the aquifer. The challenge is if it is not recovered from
the same place that it was stored.
MAYOR HARTKE said it is possible to have a piece of paper that says you have water, and the water
is not available.
MS. KJOLSRUD said it is important to collect water from the place that you stored it.
COUNCILMEMBER STEWART asked if other cities could pull from the same aquifer as Chandler
and can that effect future availability.
MS. KJOLSRUD said there are two different sub basins that cover the Phoenix area. West Salt River
Valley sub-basin and the East Salt River Valley sub-basin. Chandler is in the East sub-basin. Peoria,
Glendale, Avondale, and Goodyear are all pulling from the West sub-basin, which is a separate
aquifer. The sub-basins come from the same source which will be impacted if every jurisdiction
started pumping from it simultaneously. Therefore, it is important to collect water from where it
is stored for conservation of the aquifer.
COUNCILMEMBER STEWART asked if water that has been stored underground could theoretically
not be available for use at later time.
MS. KJOLSRUD said yes and no, the state does a great job at managing groundwater supply. The
1980’s groundwater management act in statute tasked ADWR with ensuring that the amount of
water stored would be sufficient to the amount allocated. ADWR provides groundwater models
Page 6 of 16
and they handle long term storage credits. If water is insufficient for a requested long term storage
credit, ADWR will not provide a paper credit. That is a consumer protection built in.
MAYOR HARTKE asked about a discrepancy in the 100-year water supply report for West Valley
and Buckeye water credits.
MS. KJOLSRUD said Buckeye is a little different from a city that is designated. Chandler has a
designation of assured water supply. Chandler completed a rigorous application process to be a
designated municipal water supplier. Information must be provided to ADWR to prove they have
enough water supplies for 100-years of their future projected demand. Most Phoenix area cities
have a designation of assured water supply, Buckeye does not.
MAYOR HARTKE asked why Buckeye has not completed this process yet.
MS. KJOLSRUD said they are still working on securing surface water supplies, in order to have a
designation of assured water supply you must prove renewable supplies, which cannot be solely
groundwater. Buckeye does not currently have sufficient surface water supplies to serve 100 years
of their future projected demand, but they are working on it.
MS. KJOLSRUD continued the presentation.
• Surface Water Shortages
o Shortage: it is not a matter of if….it is a matter of when!
2022- First ever Colorado River shortage declared. Tier 1 Shortage
2023- Tier 2 Shortage (3% reduction)
2024- Tier 3 Shortage (18% reduction)
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked if Chandler is currently experiencing a shortage of physical
water.
MS. KJOLSRUD said there was a tiny shortage for 2023. It only reduced the CAP for Chandler by
3%.
MAYOR HARTKE asked if it only impacted 1% of Chandler’s water supply.
MS. KJOLSRUD said taking in consideration Chandler’s whole water portfolio, it is less than a 1%
cut to total water supplies. For 2024 a tier 3 shortage is expected but an update from ADWR will
not be available until August. There is a chance that a larger reduction may be made for CAP to
protect critical infrastructure. If the current guidelines stay in place there will be an 18% reduction
from CAP which is manageable by Chandler’s supply and demand gap. The water that would be
converted to long term storage credits would be used to cover the difference.
Page 7 of 16
COUNCILMEMBER STEWART asked why such a large increase in water demand is projected, if the
graph is just Chandler’s numbers and what part does agriculture play.
MS. KJOLSRUD said the graph is only for municipal water supplies. Agricultural water users within
Chandler might be using either historic Salt and Verde Rivers (SRP) irrigation rights or Roosevelt
Water Conservation District (RWCD) rights. This water would be outside of Chandler’s calculations
for water supply and demand. Typically, agriculture does not use municipal water.
COUNCILMEMBER STEWART said there is a 10% increase of water usage over the next three to
four years.
MS. KJOLSRUD said roughly.
COUNCILMEMBER STEWART asked if that was from build out.
MS. KJOLSRUD said it is from new users coming online, build out will not be reached by 2026 but
the increase will continue to go up until reaching build out.
COUNCILMEMBER ENCINAS asked at what point would the CAP water reduction be
unmanageable.
MS. KJOLSRUD said Chandler is very fortunate with having access to multiple sources of alternative
water supplies. There are several categories of water that are stored in SRP reservoirs. Different
supplies of water have different rules and Chandler could call on those water supplies if the
reduction became too severe. Chandler was one of five cities that invested in raising the height of
Roosevelt Dam and has rights to water that would have been spilled. Chandler also has long term
storage credits up to the amount of 450,000-acre feet of water underground.
MAYOR HARTKE said Roosevelt Dam is full this year so Chandler has water.
MS. KJOLSRUD said yes, they call that space from raising the dam NCS (New Conservation Space)
water and it is completely full. That credit is about 25,000-acre feet.
VICE MAYOR ORLANDO asked if the NCS water is being claimed and pumped directly into the
ground to be stored.
MS. KJOLSRUD said a little is stored every year underground to prevent loss from evaporation. A
portion is kept in the reservoir so wet water can be sent directly to the treatment plant.
MS. KJOLSRUD continued the presentation.
• System Conditions and Reliability
Page 8 of 16
o Salt and Verde reservoirs recover quickly after dry years. Total system storage is
highly variable year-to-year, but very reliable long-term.
o Colorado River storage has been declining over the past 25 years and is less reliable
long-term.
• What makes Chandler unique?
o Chandler is uniquely positioned to adapt to changes in water resource availability
Diverse Supplies – Chandler has secured multiple sources of water
Water Recycling & Reuse – 100% of reclaimed water is exchanged, used
directly, reducing demand on drinking water supplies
Decades of infrastructure investments
• 1 Interconnected water distribution system, with flexibility to deliver
multiple water sources to anywhere in Chandler
• 2 surface water treatment plants (access to SRP and CAP canals)
• 35 City drinking water wells provide 100% back-up supply
• 3 Water Reclamation Facilities – Every drop is treated and reused!
• 6 Recharge facilities to store water in underground aquifers
• 35 City Wells – 73 MGD Capacity
o (13.3 MGD used in 2022)
Groundwater Levels in Chandler
• Groundwater monitoring began in 2004
• 32 active wells with monitor stations (at well sites)
o 3 new wells in-progress
o 2 future well sites secured
• 94% of current well sites show rising water levels (or no change)
• Historic Water Rights Acquisition
o City Council approved an innovative partnership agreement with the Gila River Indian
Community (GRIC) to lease and exchange water
2016- Water Rights Acquisition
• $43 million to acquire long-term rights to additional Colorado River
water
Four interrelated agreements
• 1. 100-Yr Reclaimed water exchange for CAP water
• 2. 100-Yr Lease for CAP water
• 3. Long-term Storage Credit (LTSC) Purchase
• 4. Contributed funds (well development)
Gila River Indian Community Goals
• Expand GRIC agricultural development with Chandler’s reclaimed water
• Generate revenue to address rising CAP costs
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked why the 100-year lease for CAP water was required if Chandler
has multiple resources for water supplies.
Page 9 of 16
MS. KJOLSRUD said when the lease was negotiated, leadership looked at the current water
supplies and projected growth and determined there was an inadequate supply for build out and
future demands. The innovative agreement and partnership with GRIC significantly increase
Chandler’s access to CAP. Prior to that agreement there was insufficient water rights and now
there is.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked if the agreement entered was because Chandler did not have
enough water and without this agreement Chandler would have less water.
MS. KJOLSRUD said a lot less. This was envisioned to be a long term 100-year agreement and that
is important because it is a huge component of Chandler’s assured designation of water supplies.
Without these water rights there would be an insufficient amount of renewable water to meet the
100-year demands.
MAYOR HARTKE asked if the tier 3 is declared and there is a further reduction does this agreement
impact that or is this water already configured into the 18% projected reduction from CAP.
MS. KJOLSRUD said this is a very important water supply for GRIC. For every acre-foot provided by
Chandler, 80% of that value is exchanged with their CAP supply. The rates for getting water from
Chandler is a much better value than from CAP. GRIC does not have the proper infrastructure to
receive the water from CAP. Ms. Kjolsrud said there would be no value in them reducing the supply
of CAP to Chandler.
MAYOR HARTKE asked if the projected reduction of CAP allowances of 18% would be considered
separate from this water.
MS. KJOLSRUD said the estimated 18% includes the assumed exchange with GRIC. A shortage
would affect the amount of 100-year lease CAP, some long-term storage credits, but the reclaimed
exchange was not anticipated as a shortage.
COUNCILMEMBER STEWART asked if water supply allocations include county islands that
Chandler has overlays for.
MS. KJOLSRUD said it is very detailed process, but most of the county islands that are assumed to
be annexed in the next 50-100 years there is water planned for. That may not include some county
island areas that are not planned to be annexed. Each one was considered in the allocation plan.
COUNCILMEMBER STEWART asked if there is opportunity for GRIC to have an aquifer recharging
plant or a joint operated facility on their land with Chandler.
Page 10 of 16
MS. KJOLSRUD said tribes operate differently than the city, they are sovereign entities and do not
fall under state legislation. There are differences in regulations. GRIC could have a recharging
station but a joint operated facility may not be an option.
MS. KJOLSRUD continued the presentation.
• Planned for Growth
o Careful long-term planning had positioned Chandler well for economic growth
General Plan- lays out a vision for future growth
Utility Master Plan-ensures adequate infrastructure to meet the demands of
future growth
Water Supply Acquisition- planned for water supply & demand during normal
years, and shortage years
Water policy- Staff continues to monitor water policy discussions with
potential impacts to Chandler’s water
• Allocation Policy Purpose
o Links Water Resource Planning to City’s Strategic Goals
o Provides better coordination among city departments
• Allocation Policy- Impact
o Tier 1
Base allocation
• Sufficient water for most projects
o Tier 2
Quality of Life Allocation
• New user needs more water
• Allocated by City’s Water Resource Mgmt. Strategy
o Tier 3
Market Based Allocation
• New user purchases a new 100-year water supply
COUNCILMEMBER STEWART asked if a user wanted to change their zoning from industrial to high
density housing, would council need to approve them being moved to a tier 2 allocation.
MS. KJOLSRUD said the water allocation policy only applies to non-residential uses.
VICE MAYOR ORLANDO asked if an industrial parcel that is designated industrial, is changing to
residential, would the water allocation apply in that scenario.
MS. SCHWAB said there is a large discussion with this regarding legal issues and suggested this
part of the discussion be tabled at this time.
MS. KJOLSRUD continued the presentation.
• What are we already doing?
Page 11 of 16
o Chandler has been preparing for surface water shortages for decades
Chandler Drought Plan & Team
Conservation education and rebate programs
Stormwater management and drywells
Aquifer Recharge (injection wells & basins)
Multi-years groundwater modeling effort
Tiered rate structure to encourage conservation
100-Year Assured Water Supply Designation
Large Landscape Irrigation Efficiency Program
Expanded messaging and public awareness campaigns
• Chandler’s Drought Plan
o Drought stages evaluate supply and implement additional conservation actions
• Chandler’s Programs
o Saved 109 million gallons*
o 4,813 Chandler students educated
o 320 Adults attended workshops
o 1,224 Residential Water Audits
o 88 Landscape Consultations
o 196 Conservation Rebates
• Chandler Conserves
o 25 years of declining water use- Chandler cares about conservation!
Chandler residents reduced water use by 20%
• 29 gallons per person daily
• 8.1 million gallons per day
• 9,073 acre-feet per year
• 111-2021 GPCD
MAYOR HARTKE asked if the reduction in water use accounts for the increase in population.
MS. KJOLSRUD said the numbers are only residential and looks at on average how much a
household is using. The highest amount of water is being used outdoors.
MAYOR HARTKE asked if we reduced water use by 20% and see an increase in population by 20%,
would the overall amount of water used be negated.
MS. KJOLSRUD it is the average water use per household, if the population increases and the
amount of water being used per person decreases, it does even each other out a little.
VICE MAYOR ORLANDO asked if these numbers include farms that use well water.
Page 12 of 16
MS. KJOLSRUD said this is only water served by municipal purposes. Farms are using different
water, raw water off an irrigation canal that has not been through a piece of Chandler’s
infrastructure.
VICE MAYOR ORLANDO said this is purely residential use.
MS. KJOLSRUD answered yes.
COUNCILMEMBER STEWART said Chandler residents have been doing great conserving water and
population growth was to account for the increase in water usage.
MS. KJOLSRUD said yes.
MS. KJOLSRUD continued the presentation.
•
Drought & Conservation Education
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked how the community can help with water conservation and where
information can be found on drought preparation.
MS. KJOLSUD said the web page chandleraz.gov/water contains information on drought
education. There are rebate plans for changing landscape to xeriscape and smart controllers. It
contains various tools to help Chandler residents decrease outside water use.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked how incentives are promoted.
MS. KJOLSRUD said a slide is coming with more information on promotion.
MS. KJOLSRUD continued the presentation.
• Groundwater Modeling
o Groundwater modeling – evaluated the local aquifer impacts of increased regional
groundwater pumping
o Two Scenarios-
1. Moderate Pumping Scenario
• (due to frequent Colorado River shortages)
2. High Pumping Scenario
• (due to severe and sustained Colorado River shortages)
o Recovery of Stored Water- Well depth sufficient to recover stored water under
sustained pumping
o Physical Availability – Local aquifer is deep and productive
• Tiered Rate Structure
o Tiered rates help to signal the value of water and encourage conservation
Tiered Structure
Page 13 of 16
• First tier water is used for essential needs and costs less than water
used in higher tiers for discretionary user
Efficiency
• Customers who use water more efficiently are rewarded with lower
rates
Regular Updates
• Rates reviewed every other year to keep pace with costs. Cost of Service
Study performed every five years.
• Conservation Public Awareness Campaigns
o Expanded messaging
Drought awareness
Landscape rebates
Outdoor water use tips
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked if this information is in a monthly newsletter and sent out in
utility bills.
MS. KJOLSRUD said information is supplied in utility bill inserts, City Scope and all available
avenues.
MS. KJOLSRUD continued the presentation.
• What’s Next?
o Recommended continued investment in water efficiency and regional partnerships
Chandler’s Drought Plan- Prepare to implement Stage Two
• Stormwater retention basins-convert grass to xeriscape design
• City Parks- Invest in irrigation efficiency tools and grass removal
• Water Operations- pressure analysis
• Cooling Towers Invest in water efficiency when replacement is needed
• Chandler online dashboard with key performance metrics
Regional Partnerships
• Bartlett Dam Modification Feasibility Study
• Roosevelt Flood Control Space Optimization
• SRP/CAP Interconnect Facility
Monitor Colorado River Shortage Negotiations
• Near-term proposals for emergency shortage reductions
• New Colorado River operating guidelines begin in 2027
• What’s Next? (cont.)
o Recommended new standards for outdoor landscaping and updated water rates and
policies
New Landscape Ordinance recommendations
• Prohibit ornamental grass in new commercial/industrial developments
and require water efficient technology for irrigation systems
Page 14 of 16
• Reduce allowable turf ration in landscapes areas and eliminate the
exemption for reclaimed water use
• Eliminate turf in stormwater retention basins
New Water Conservation Program Recommendations
• Increased funding for rebates, water audits and education programs
• Aggressively pursue WIFA conservation grant funds
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked that before some of these recommendations are brought to
council to proactively communicate and get feedback from Homeowners Associations (HOA) and
local communities.
MS. KJOLSRUD said an extensive effort will be made in outreach, starting with a month-long
process of gathering feedback, surveys and ensuring HOA contacts will receive that information.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS said 80% of Chandler communities are HOA and ensure they are
communicated with.
VICE MAYOR ORLANDO asked about rebates for commercial turf conversion.
MS. KJOLSRUD said that is included in some of the rebate programs, but currently not tailored
specifically for commercial business and HOA, that is something that will be updated. More
information will be coming in another slide.
MS. KJOLSRUD continued the presentation.
Water Rates
• Evaluate water rate changes and current rate tiers
Optimize Water Quality
• Invest in new water treatment technologies to maximize efficient and
strategic use of Chandler’s water resources
Update Water Allocation Policy
• Zoning changes that deviate from the water master plan
Messaging and Public Awareness Campaigns
• Spring campaign begins April 24th
• Drought Plan- Stage Two -
o Stage Two of Chandler’s Drought Plan includes reductions to municipal operations
Parks Irrigation Upgrades
• Baseline irrigation controllers
• Hiring two outside contractors for irrigation repairs
o (20 parks, 4 facilities, 14 fire stations, 6 right-of-way, 5 pools and
Paseo trail)
• Irrigation audits and water budgets
Page 15 of 16
o (Chuparosa, Desert Breeze, Espee, Folley, Nozomi, Pima,
Shawnee, Snedigar, Paseo Vista)
Turf reduction efforts
• 8-10 acres of turf conversion (grant funding required)
• Stormwater retention basins
• Regional Partnerships and Infrastructure
o New infrastructure projects and agreements provide additional flexibility
Bartlett Dam Modification
• Funding a feasible study which evaluates the potential to restore lost
capacity due to sedimentation and modify Bartlett Dam hight to
increase the available storage space
SRP/CAP Interconnect Facility
• Funding construction of an interconnect allows Chandler to deliver
water stored in the SRP system to our Santan Vista Water Treatment
Plant located adjacent to the CAP canal
Roosevelt Dam Flood Control Space
• Colorado River Basin Shortage Guidelines
o Overallocation and long-term drought have resulted in historic low reservoir
elevations and threaten critical infrastructure
2007 – Basin States & Mexico agree to shortage sharing guidelines (exp. 2026)
2019 – Basin States agree to the Drought Contingency Plan
2021 – Lower Basin 500+ Plan
2023 – Basin States Modeling Proposals
2024 – Possible Federal Action
2027 – New Operating Guidelines
• Conservation Rebate Programs
o Recommended new and updated water-wise rebate incentives
Residential Grass Removal
• Increase grass removal incentive from $0.20/sq. ft. $1/ sq. ft. removed
(current min. 1,000 sq. ft. – new min. 500 sq. ft.)
• Eliminate new home rebate program
o (lack of participation)
New Commercial Rebate (Multi-family, HOA, Commercial)
• New grass removal rebate – 25% of project, (up to $75,000) min. 5,000
sq. ft
• Non-functional grass removal – $3/sq. ft. (up to $25,000)
• Water Efficient Technology Rebate – 50% of the cost (up to $10,000)
• Smart Controller Rebate – 50% of the cost (up to $3,000)
• Questions?
MAYOR HARTKE asked if SRP raw irrigation water is used in some parks and does not enter
Chandler’s water considerations.
Page 16 of 16
MS. KJOLSRUD said some parks located in SRP member land have historic irrigation rights and
that is separate, but Chandler is trying to reduce all water use.
MAYOR HARTKE asked if SRP raw water is cheaper than tap water.
MS. KJOLSRUD said most of the cost of water is from treating it, raw water off the canal has not
been treated and is cheaper.
MAYOR HARTKE asked for an update on Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) which allows
residents to check their water in real time.
MS. KJOLSRUD said that is in progress, infrastructure is mostly in place, and currently staff is
working on updating billing system technology to be able to communicate with AMI.
Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 5:35 p.m.
ATTEST: _______________________
______________________________
City Clerk Mayor
Approval Date of Minutes: April 27, 2023
Certification
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Work
Session of the City Council of Chandler, Arizona, held on the 10th day of April 2023. I further certify
that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present.
DATED this _______ day of April, 2023.
__________________________
City Clerk