Santa Monica Puts Creativity in Conservation

The developer of a six-story, 93,000-square-foot office building in Santa Monica was in danger of not getting his project approved because the building would exceed its daily limit on waste water by 1,858 gallons.

The problem was resolved when the developer, Search Builders Inc., agreed to replace old toilets at a school with new toilets that use less water, in effect offsetting the excess sewage discharged by the project.

Last year, the City Council adopted an ordinance requiring all construction to include low-flow toilets and shower heads. Now, as incentive to have the more efficient fixtures installed in all existing residences, the city is willing to pay property owners $100 per bathroom.

Those are just two innovative ways Santa Monica is trying to reduce water consumption at a time when the future of the state’s water supply is uncertain, and demand is overburdening the Los Angeles Hyperion Sewage Treatment Plant.

“Santa Monica has a water conservation ethic more than other communities,” said Ed Thornhill, water conservation manager for the Metropolitan Water District, which supplies water to 15 million people from Ventura to the Mexican border.

Says Santa Monica Mayor Dennis Zane: “I think it is fair to say that the city is taking the leadership in developing an environmental policy. We feel we have an obligation to do our share of addressing the problem of bay pollution. In our judgment, it is the right thing to do.”

Most cities in the Southland have some voluntary water conservation measures, most of which were first implemented during the 1977-78 drought. Some cities have even taken part in Metropolitan Water District pilot programs, including residential water audits and leak detection services.

Los Angeles, recognizing that the city’s construction boom was dumping too much sewage into the Hyperion treatment plant, last year made many emergency water conservation measures mandatory, including a ban on washing down sidewalks and driveways, forcing restaurants to serve water only on request and requiring property owners to fix leaky faucets and toilets.

The city also required the installation of low-flow shower heads and toilet-tank displacement devices in all homes. The shower heads and plastic bags for toilet tanks were distributed free to property owners.

Los Angeles also is limiting building permits to reduce development to about 30% of last year’s pace. The city has been unable to force surrounding cities that dump into Hyperion to adopt similar restrictions.

Santa Monica, which has led the nation with other innovative public policy matters such as rent control, hopes to go a step beyond Los Angeles.

Last week, the City Council made permanent most of its water conservation measures--many similar to those adopted by Los Angeles--and extended for another year its 1.36% limit on yearly sewage increases.

City officials are expected to come up with permanent restrictions within a year.

Meanwhile, they are looking for creative ways to allow development without overloading the sewage system.

Developments of more than 100,000 square feet must provide on-site water treatment facilities. Both the Water Garden and Colorado Place projects, office and retail complexes that each are over a million square feet, are building such facilities.

For smaller projects, city staff members have been looking for ways to offset new sewage by reducing the waste water of existing facilities.

Atossa Soltani, Santa Monica’s conservation coordinator, said the city recently was able to achieve that goal with Search Builders’ project.

Soltani said the builders of the Security Pacific Courtyard office project at Arizona Avenue and 4th Street paid about $30,000 to replace the toilets at Will Rogers School with low-flow models.

“In this particular case, the city has been reasonable,” said Todd Calish, vice president of design and construction for Search Builders. “It shows that it isn’t necessary to cut back on development to achieve a reduction in waste water uses.”

“This is one way developers can meet no-net sewage growth,” said Councilwoman Christine Reed. “This particular program works because not only do they get new fixtures, the schools save money with a lower water bill.

“I think we are making a conscious effort in the city to be a good example to our residents. My own personal view is that you can’t preach water conservation unless you have the wherewithal to address your personal practices and your municipal practices.”

On Tuesday, the City Council will consider spurring replacement of the water-guzzling toilets with low-flow toilets by providing financial incentives to owners of homes and apartment.

According to Metropolitan Water District estimates, 45% of all household water is flushed down toilets. Bathing accounts for another 30%.

Santa Monica’s goal is to retrofit bathroom fixtures in at least 25% of the 11,400 single-family homes and 36,500 multifamily households over five years. At the end of five years about 936 acre-feet of water could be saved annually--or about 835,200 gallons per day.

Toilets installed before 1981 use five to seven gallons per flush on average, and older shower heads consume an average of four to six gallons per minute. That compares with new ultra-low-flow toilets which use a maximum of 1.6 gallons per flush and low-flow shower heads that consume a maximum of three gallons per minute.

The program offers a $100 rebate for each bathroom retrofitted, but imposes a surcharge on customers’ water bills until all water-wasting bathroom fixtures are replaced. Beginning April 1, 1990, each homeowner who has not installed the new toilets will be charged $1 a month, and each apartment owner 65 cents per unit during the first year.

The surcharge may be adjusted in subsequent years depending on response to the program.

To promote the plan, the city would give away 1,000 free toilets on a first-come, first-serve basis (limit one toilet per property owner). The low-flow toilets retail from $99 to $250.

Tank dams, displacement bags and other water-reducing devices would not qualify as substitutions for the ultra low-flow toilets.

City officials estimate that homeowners can recoup their costs in 9 1/2 to 21 months, depending on whether the fixtures are installed by a plumber or a homeowner.

For apartment owners, the pay-back period ranges from nearly 11 months to two years.

The program, which would begin Oct. 1 if approved, is budgeted at nearly $2.9 million over five years.

The city would pay for the program from the surcharge, general water revenues and a grant from the Metropolitan Water District, the city’s major water supplier.

Marketing would include billing inserts, flyers, displays at plumbing and home-improvement stores, newspaper ads and radio announcements.

Recognizing that apartment owners may be reluctant to participate in the program because of the costs involved, officials would emphasize a reduction in water and sewer bills, a reduction in material costs with the rebates and free demonstrations and do-it-yourself installation training.

“We think the program will be successful,” said the Metropolitan Water District’s Thornhill. “We’re hoping other communities see how successful the program is in Santa Monica and will adopt it.”

Councilwoman Reed agrees.

“We are a population that values the ocean and the environment,” she said. “Our population wants to make the bay better. We would be hypocritical if we were not doing what we are doing.”