REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF BOARD GOVERNED COUNTY SERVICE AREAS
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 26, 2021
FROM
BRENDON BIGGS, Director, Department of Public Works - Special Districts
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Application to the United States Bureau of Reclamation for 2022 WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant Funding
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of County Service Area 70 (CSA 70) - Zone W-3 (Hacienda Heights), CSA 70 - Zone J (Oak Hills), CSA 70 - Zone W-4 (Pioneertown), CSA 70 - Zone F (Morongo Valley), and CSA 70 - Zone CG (Cedar Glen):
1. Approve submittal of grant application to the United States Bureau of Reclamation requesting 2022 WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant funding in the amount of $543,120 for the installation and/or replacement of water meters and related meter reading/data capturing equipment, with the grant requiring an equivalent local match funding amount.
2. Adopt resolution designating the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer or Director of the Department of Public Works - Special Districts, on behalf of the County Service Areas, to execute all documents and non-substantive amendments for this grant application, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Chief Executive Officer or Director of the Department of Public Works - Special Districts to transmit all documents and amendments in relation to this grant application to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Brendon Biggs, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost), rather the match will be provided from a combination of In-Kind match and District Reserves. The San Bernardino County Department of Public Works - Special Districts, Water and Sanitation Division (Department) is seeking federal funding of $543,120 under the WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant Program to assist the five water districts identified in the Recommendation section (Districts) with the cost of installing/replacing water meters. This grant opportunity from the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau of Reclamation) does require a corresponding local match of $543,120 that results in a total amount of $1,086,240 towards the project.
The local match amount would be accomplished by the Districts through the following combination of District Reserves and In-Kind staffing and resources:
• Purchase of water meters - $141,040.
• Use of existing Department staff and vehicles to install/replace the meters - $317,802.
• Other in-kind services - $64,028.
• Contract services - $20,250.
If this grant is ultimately awarded, the Department will return to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for acceptance of the grant funds and approval of any needed budget adjustments.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department oversees the management, operations, and maintenance of various County Service Areas for water services. Residents and business within these County Service Areas (specifically Hacienda Heights, Oak Hills, Pioneertown, Morongo Valley, and Cedar Glen) are facing water conservation concerns due to the age and reliability of existing meters. These meters currently provide inaccurate readings and must be replaced to fully support new technology and ensure water efficiency. Accordingly, the Department has been pursuing funding assistance to help pay for meter installation and replacement costs, as well as related software that will allow for automatic remote readings by staff and customers. Department staff currently reads municipal meters manually, which is inefficient and consumes valuable staff time.
Through the 2022 WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant Program, the Bureau of Reclamation is providing 50/50 cost share funding to water districts for projects that conserve and use water more efficiently; increase the production of hydropower; mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict; or accomplish other benefits that contribute to water supply reliability in the western United States. Projects are selected through a competitive process and the focus is on projects that can be completed within three years.
The Department did a thorough cost analysis and determined that the installation of new meters is the most cost-effective way to measure water deliveries, detect continuous usage, and encourage water conservation. The Department also determined that requesting WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant funding for this purpose would be appropriate. The estimated completion date for replacement of the old meters and installation of the new meters is December 31, 2023.
PROCUREMENT
The Department plans to install/replace approximately 1,400 water meters for the Districts. The vast majority of the installations/replacements will be done by Department staff. However, installation of the larger water meters, which is a small percentage of the overall project, will be accomplished through a contractor. The Department will obtain competitive bids for this work.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 14, 2021; Finance (Tom Forster, Administrative Analyst, 387-4635) on October 15, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on October 15, 2021.