City of San Antonio - File #: 14-1018

• File #: 14-1018
• Type: City Code Amendments
• In control: City Council A Session
• On agenda: 5/29/2014
• Posting Language: An Ordinance authorizing updates to Chapter 34 of the City Code to impose a drought surcharge to District Special Project Water customers during designation of Stage IV of the City’s Drought Management regulations, and certain revisions to water use restrictions in the Drought Management regulations applicable to all San Antonio Water System and District Special Project Customers. [Ben Gorzell, Chief Financial Officer; Troy Elliott, Director, Finance]

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
5/29/2014	1	City Council A Session	adopted	Pass

DEPARTMENT: Finance


DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott


COUNCIL DISTRICT(S) IMPACTED: City Wide


SUBJECT: Updates to Chapter 34 Regarding Drought Restrictions


SUMMARY

San Antonio Water System (SAWS) requests City Council approval of updates to Chapter 34 of the City Code in order to modify the time of use provisions under Stage I drought restrictions and apply the drought surcharge provision under Stage IV drought restrictions to the District Special Project (DSP), the former Bexar Metropolitan Water District.


BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Under Chapter 34, SAWS has the ability to assess a drought surcharge to residential, residential irrigation and non-residential irrigation customers during extreme cases of drought. The purpose of the drought surcharge is to discourage discretionary water consumption by customers during Stage IV drought restrictions.

In January 2012, SAWS assumed control of the former Bexar Metropolitan Water District utility, now referred to as the DSP. DSP customers are currently charged for water under the old BexarMet approved rate schedules. These rate schedules did not provide for any drought surcharge. The proposed changes to Chapter 34 would extend the application of the drought surcharge to DSP customers. Any drought surcharge assessed during Stage IV drought restrictions would now apply to DSP customers in the same manner that it currently applies to SAWS customers.

Under the proposed amendments, the drought surcharge would continue to apply to SAWS residential, residential irrigation and non-residential irrigation customers. Additionally, the drought surcharge would apply to DSP residential customers and any DSP customer with a separate irrigation meter. The drought surcharge rate is the current highest, inside-the-city limits (ICL) SAWS volumetric water rate. The rate that currently meets this criteria is the Irrigation Seasonal ICL fourth tier rate of $0.4764 per 100 gallons. The application of the...