HomeMy WebLinkAbout15- Element BozemanProposal_Final
PROPOSAL TO THE CITY OF BOZEMAN
2015 DROUGHT
MANAGEMENT PLAN
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED BY
ELEMENT Water Consulting
P.O. Box 140785
Denver, CO 80214
303.481.2365
www.elementwaterinc.com
September 8, 2015
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
PAGE 1
I. UNDERSTANDING AND PROJECT APPROACH
Drought is created by a deficiency in water supply over an
extended period of time, resulting in a water shortage.
Rarely predictable, droughts often arrive with very little
warning and once in a drought, it is never certain when it
will end. Climate change is projected to increase the
frequency and severity of heat waves, droughts, and
wildfires, adding further uncertainty.
The City of Bozeman (“COB”) has unique water assets
with a finite water supply, inevitably facing dry periods
that can last years. The City is growing both in population
and in economic opportunity, and it is essential that it
ensure there is sufficient water to meet community needs
now and into the indefinite future. COB clearly
recognizes the importance of planning for uncertainty associated with drought and climate change.
Providing a reliable water supply requires preparing for water shortages and the most efficient and cost-
effective programs result from planning in advance. Preparing a Drought Management Plan is a critical
step toward minimizing the adverse impacts from drought by identifying drought indicators and
specifying response actions that should be taken.
COB completed an Integrated Water Resources Plan (IWRP) in 2013,1 which helps guide its water
management policies and practices. The IWRP found that a future water supply shortage (water balance
gap) could occur in the 30 to 50 year planning period under moderate and high growth projections, and
it recommends initiating a water conservation program to help address the potential future gap. The
IWRP also includes some suggested drought response actions, providing a foundation upon which to
build a Drought Management Plan. Conservation, water supply, and drought management planning are
the pillars of water resiliency.
The COB 2015 Drought Management Plan will specifically address how COB will recognize droughts in
the early stages, identify vulnerabilities, and develop mitigation and response actions to reduce
potential impacts from future drought. The Plan will also create an operational and administrative
framework for implementing the Plan, declaring drought stages, and updating the Plan into the future.
The core challenges of this project relate to uncertainty. ELEMENT Water Consulting, teaming with
WaterDM (the ELEMENT Team), is eager to assist COB in defining water supply objectives which will
guide the long-term water management strategies to prepare for and respond to this uncertainty.
Developing strategies for water supply management, customer demand management, and internal
utility operations are all necessary in sustaining a drought-resilient system.
The ELEMENT Team works with water providers across the United States to evaluate water demands
and supplies, prepare water demand management plans, and develop innovative solutions to address
uncertainty such as drought. We specialize in the core skills needed to assist COB in developing its first
1 City of Bozeman Integrated Water Resources Plan, 2013. Available at:
https://www.bozeman.net/Smarty/media/Public_Works/Water%20Conservation/pdf/IWRP-Bozeman.pdf
Source: http://deq.mt.gov/ClimateChange/
NaturalResources/Water/Drought.mcpx
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
PAGE 2
Drought Management Plan, and positioning COB for future monitoring and actions needed to respond
to varying levels of drought into the future. Additional recommendations on the approach are provided
below.
II. PROPOSED WORK PLAN
The fundamental approach of the ELEMENT Team is to:
Work with the COB to establish clear objectives for the Drought Management Plan.
Apply our experience in assessing historic drought and vulnerability to establish drought
indicators and a staged response plan with monitoring and on-going assessment.
Provide an implementation plan that leaves COB prepared for drought management.
The preliminary scope of work included in the RFP includes a six-step planning and implementation
process, which are included as the Plan Development Task below. Recommendations for each planning
step, along with a project management and report task, are provided below.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION
This task will extend throughout the duration of the project and is critical to its overall success of the
project. Close communication, regular project meetings, and rigorous project management are essential
for a successful project. We recommend at least three project meetings, including a kickoff meeting,
mid-project, and draft plan review. We are also available to assist with stakeholder meetings and council
presentations as needed. Regular day-to-day communication will be conducted via telephone, email,
and we have had great success in using web conferencing to communicate remotely on technical issues
with clients as far as the east coast – allowing different parties to simultaneously view the same chart or
table of data.
PLAN DEVELOPMENT
The Request for Proposal included six elements for the
2015 Drought Management Plan, and a preliminary
scope of work that follows these elements. We provide
information on our project approach under each task
below. Additionally, we recommend that an initial task
be added to address the stakeholder process and to
develop objectives and principles that will inform the
staged drought response actions (Figure 1). A Drought
Management Team (DMT) should be formed at the
onset, with involvement in preparing the Plan, and will
ultimately oversee implementation of the Plan. It will
likely include some combination of the city manager,
director of public works, finance director, conservation
manager, water utility clerk, and communications/
customer services. It is also common for drought
planning to include a public stakeholder process, which
may be implemented through an advisory committee. COB may have already initiated this process,
otherwise we will work with COB to determine what is most appropriate for this project.
•Form Drought Management Team
•Determine Stakeholder & Public Processes
•Define Objectives & Principles
DEFINE PLAN OBJECTIVES (recommended)
•Assess Historic Drought Impact
•Assess Future Vulnerability
•Develop Mitigation and Response Strategies
•Define Drought Stages, Triggers, & Response Targets
PERFORM ASSESSMENT (RFP Tasks 1 -4)
•Monitoring Drought Indicators
•Drought Declaration, Staged Response, and Enforcement
•Revenue Impacts
•Monitoring Plan Effectiveness, Review, and Update
IMPLEMENTATION (RFP Tasks 1, 5, 6)
Figure 1. Recommended Planning Approach.
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
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Along with forming the DMT, an initial critical step is to define the Plan objectives and principles. Most
often, drought management plans prioritize health and safety and essential indoor uses, but each
community has a unique set of goals, values, and local economic drivers when it comes to prioritizing
supply for outdoor uses, businesses, new construction, etc. COB may have sufficient information from
the IWRP to define objectives; the ELEMENT Team will work with COB to prepare a clear set of
objectives that will be used in developing the mitigation and response strategies.
While Figure 1 provides a slightly modified list and sequence of tasks that we’d like to discuss with COB
based on our experience preparing similar plans, for this proposal, we have provided our understanding
and approach within the draft task list provided in the RFP.
Task 1: Drought Monitoring
Throughout the planning process, the ELEMENT Team will work with COB staff to establish a data and
information monitoring framework for establishing current drought status and the probability of
drought in the near future. This will include identifying metrics and triggers that define the stages of
drought in Bozeman.
Much of the information needed for this task was compiled and analyzed as part of the 2013 IWRP and
it is likely that other data are routinely collected and analyzed under other planning processes. We will
review these with COB staff to identify data sources, gaps, and develop methods for ongoing drought-
related data collection and analysis.
Data management is critical as COB must regularly evaluate water supply and demand conditions both
prior to and particularly during a drought to determine if additional response actions are needed. The
ELEMENT Team recommends developing a drought-planning database to track critical metrics and data
and will coordinate with COB on the development of this tool. Drought conditions change frequently. By
tracking the ongoing supply and demand impacts, before and during drought, the City will be able to
adapt and adjust the drought
response strategy as needed to meet
changing conditions on-the-
ground. A proactive, data and
metrics-focused approach is
essential to ensure sufficient water
supply and minimize costly reactive
drought responses.
A variety of indicators and triggers
will be considered in developing the
drought stages for COB. After
reviewing the data and conducting
the vulnerability assessment in Task
2, the ELEMENT Team will work with
COB staff to establish a basis for
identifying drought indicators that
are used to identify trigger points,
which inform when to move
Figure 2. Example Drought Indicator and Response Stages used by Denver
Water (Source: 2014 Denver Water Drought Response Plan).
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
PAGE 4
between stages. It is common to use three to five drought stages. The initial plan included in the IWRP
includes 3 Tiers, based upon a combination of demands, the US Drought Monitor declaration,
streamflow, and weather forecasts. In predominantly surface water supplied systems that rely on
significant regulating storage, reservoir water levels often provide a good indication of drought status.
As shown in Figure 2, the reservoir level becomes the threshold for declaring different levels of drought.
Given that COB’s mountain stream water supply is supplemented by Middle Creek Reservoir, storage
level may become part of the drought indicator for Bozeman.
Information gleaned from Task 2 will also be important for developing drought stages, corresponding
trigger points, response actions and targets. It is critical that these be clearly defined and documented,
as there is often pressure to delay in declaring a higher drought stage.2 The parameters used to
determine the trigger points need to be assessed frequently and be made readily available to decision
makers in a timely manner. This is further addressed in Task 5 below.
Task 2: Vulnerability Assessment
How vulnerable is COB to drought? In this task, the ELEMENT Team will review the real risks and
potential impacts drought poses to critical City resources. This thorough vulnerability assessment will
help guide development of response and mitigation actions.
This task includes a review of prior water supply reliability planning efforts and potential drought
impacts. The water shortage scenarios prepared for the IWRP will be reviewed and expanded, as
needed, to reflect the reliable yield under a repeat of the worst historical drought with an adjustment
for future uncertainty and variability associated with climate change. A review of the current COB water
supply and the firm yield analyses completed for the IWRP will be used to create a reasonable definition
of the amount of acceptable quality water that will likely be available in a typical year and under drought
and climate change impacts, as well as the indicators for each condition. A review of historical monthly
water use data for each customer class over the past five years or more will be used to establish the
normal monthly and seasonal water demands. Some additional analysis of the raw data may be needed,
if not previously prepared, such as an investigation of the relationship between outdoor water use for
landscaping, irrigated area, and precipitation. The ELEMENT Team regularly prepares similar analyses for
water demand and supply planning, and we are experts in analyzing and interpreting this type of
information.
This step also includes an evaluation of historic drought mitigation measures, response strategies, and
their effectiveness, which are often invaluable for future planning.
Task 3: Mitigation Actions
This task will identify, evaluate, and prioritize the actions needed to develop long-term resiliency to
drought. Drought mitigation is a long-term strategy involving actions implemented prior to a drought to
avoid and/or reduce potential future drought impacts and it is one of the best courses of action for
increasing resiliency. Some strategies serve as both mitigation and response (see Table 1), and the
2 American Water Works Association, 2011. Drought Preparedness and Response, M60 Manual of Water Supply Practices.
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
PAGE 5
distinction between them depends
on the timing and how COB intends
to implement the actions.3 The
more COB invests in mitigation
actions, the less harsh the response
actions will be. The future water
balance gap should also become
smaller through the effectiveness of
the mitigation measures.
Through the IWRP planning
process, it was determined that
water conservation should be the cornerstone of the City’s water management program. Conservation
strategies that result in an ongoing reduction in water demand can provide long-term drought
mitigation benefits and are often the most cost-effective mitigation alternative. The conservation
program was intended to focus on improving the efficiency of the distribution system (e.g. water loss
control), encouraging non-potable irrigation, and instituting regulatory measures to encourage water-
use efficiency in new development. The ELEMENT Team has significant experience in assisting water
utilities with water loss audits and in developing programs to improve urban landscaping practices to
use water more efficiently. Often justified by the avoided costs, long-term demand reductions are often
supported through conservation-oriented water rates and pricing.4
The IWRP concluded that Bozeman should also work to expand its supply by acquiring additional water
rights, optimizing the use of existing water rights, expanding storage, and developing a new well field.
Such activities should also include drought- and conservation-related customer outreach and a public
education and awareness strategy.
Fundamentally, drought resiliency can only be obtained through a supply increase, decrease in
demands, and reduction of losses. Our team will identify steps in all three areas and perform a cost-
benefit analysis to identify the best value for COB.5 This should incorporate drought pricing and a
strategy for reduced revenue loss.
Task 4: Response Actions
Once in a drought, clear and effective response actions must be taken to ensure sufficient water supply
is available to meet critical needs. This task will define a clear set of well-understood and readily
implementable drought response actions that can be expeditiously put into place. The ELEMENT Team
will work with COB staff to identify and screen demand-side and supply-side drought response measures
for each drought stage. Screening will include prior experience and results, technical feasibility,
projected amount of water supply savings, cost effectiveness, impacts to the community and businesses,
public acceptance, emergency response, and any other objectives identified related to water quality
3 Colorado Water Conservation Board, 2010. Municipal Drought Management Plan Guidance Document.
4 Alliance for Water Efficiency, 2014. Considerations for Drought Planning in a Changing World.
5 Water Research Foundation, 2015. Drought Management in a Changing Climate: Using Cost-Benefit Analyses to Assist Drinking
Water Utilities, Web Report #4546.
Table 1. Examples of Mitigation and Response Strategies.
MITIGATION AND REPSONSE STRATEGIES
LONG-TERM
MITIGATION
SHORT-TERM
RESPONSE
Build new facilities to enhance supplies X
Enforce outdoor water use restrictions X
Increase use of recycled/reclaimed water X X
Improve accuracy of runoff and water supply forecasts X
Install water saving fixtures, toilets, and/or appliances X
Repair leaks in water distribution system X X
Require car washes to install water recycling technology X X
Reduce street cleaning X
Reduce water distribution system pressure X
Withdraw from drought reserves X
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
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concerns, environmental sensitivity, etc.
As shown in Table 2, a “watch” stage
often includes voluntary conservation
with the next stage moving into more
intensive public outreach and mandatory
restrictions (that should be supported by
the City’s operating rules and municipal
code), taking into account the objectives
defined initially. These response
measures will describe the actions
necessary for the City and customers to
take to reduce water demand and
enhance water supplies during each
individual drought stage, and the
corresponding response targets that can
be used to monitor effectiveness. A
public drought education plan will be
included such as using press releases to
bring drought to the attention of
customers.
Task 5: Operational and Administrative Framework
Before and during a drought, the roles and responsibilities of COB officials, staff, and citizens in taking
responsive actions must be clearly established. Advance planning for operational and administrative
functions during a drought is a frequently over-looked/under-emphasized aspect of the planning
process, which can lead to costly delays in implementation at critical moments. The ELEMENT Team
understands the importance of creating a clear and effective operational framework within the COB to
enact the provision of the Drought Management Plan and through this task, will prepare a blueprint for
internal City action before, during, and after a drought. Based on the experience of water utilities that
have been through drought, the establishment of an internal DMT to coordinate the overall response is
essential. The DMT begins work before a drought is declared, reviewing detailed information on
weather forecast conditions and other drought indicators, supply, operations, customer questions,
enforcement and more.
The framework developed in this task will identify the key members of the DMT as well as the
responsible party for each action necessary to monitor and respond to drought, along with a
communications plan which lays out the series of actions to implement from the onset through the
recovery from a drought. The City Manager will ultimately be responsible for making recommendations
for declaring drought and the corresponding drought stage to the City Council; the DMT helps ensure
that COB shares information as quickly as possible and acts on any steps needed to assure smooth
operations. An example would be if the City found it needed to educate customers in a service area
about a main break repair process, or if the City found unusual operations and usage patterns for the
level of restrictions - which might be a tip to strengthen both education and enforcement in that area.
Key internal utility operations during a drought include: information sharing; coordination between
water resources, conservation, and customer service staff; emergency operations; distribution and
collection; water quality; legal; and public relations.
Table 2. Example Response Actions Used by Denver Water
(Source: 2014 Denver Water Drought Response Plan).
Drought
Watch
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
(Customer
Outreach)
(Mandatory
Restrictions)
(Ban on
Lawn
Watering)
(Rationing)
Turf grass
Maximum of
three
days/week of
customer’s
choice.
Maximum of
three
days/week of
customer’s
choice.
Two days/week
per mandatory
schedule based
on customer
class and
address.
No watering
allowed.
No watering
allowed.
New seed
and sod
Allowed with
exemption sign
for
establishment.
Allowed with
exemption
sign for
establishment.
Allowed with
exemption sign
for
establishment.
No watering
allowed.
No watering
allowed.
New
plantings Allowed Allowed Allowed Not allowed Not allowed
Denver
Water sod
replacement
program
Allowed Allowed
No installations
from June
through August.Not allowed Not allowed
Element Normal
Outdoor watering and irrigation
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
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Implementation of the drought management plan will require an action plan for: preparing a drought
declaration protocol; implementation and enforcement of the staged drought response program;
revenue planning; and monitoring of the drought response effort. Ordinances and billing rate structures
may need to be updated.
Task 6: Plan Update Process
A drought is not a static event and the Drought Management Plan should not be a static document but
instead must include a process for continual evaluation and improvement. This task will establish a
formal processes to monitor, evaluate, and update the Plan. Future updates may include changes to
drought indicators, triggers, and stages, as COB gains more experience through monitoring and updating
its supply and demand projections. The Bureau of Reclamation projects that climate change could
increase temperature by 5 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit during the 21st century, reduce mean annual basin
runoff by as much as 9.7%, and increase the trend of moisture falling as rain instead of snow.6 These
models are continuously being updated and downscaled to better understand local impacts. Supply and
demand projections and drought monitoring will become more sophisticated as refined information
regarding climate change impacts becomes available in the upcoming years.
FINAL PLAN
The information from the Plan Development Task will be used to prepare the 2015 COB Drought
Management Plan. The ELEMENT Team will provide a draft plan outline to COB in advance for feedback
prior to preparing the Plan. We have budgeted for 2 sets of revisions prior to the public review process,
one revision to incorporate public comments, and a final revision to incorporate City Council comments.
The ELEMENT Team can assist COB in establishing and completing the required public review process
and can be available to attend stakeholder, decision maker, and public meetings in support of the Plan
upon request.
SCHEDULE AND BUDGET
The ELEMENT Team will work diligently to ensure that this project is completed on time and within the
negotiated budget, and that the final products fully meet or exceed the expectations of the COB. The
ELEMENT Team is available and prepared to begin work on this project immediately upon acceptance of
this proposal and execution of an agreeable contract.
We recommend a project kickoff meeting within the first week of the project, at which time the goals,
objectives, DMT, and other stakeholder processes will be identified. While no dataset is ever complete
or perfect, the availability and quality of data will control the critical path of the project schedule.
Therefore, we will provide the COB a list of data needs prior to being under contract to facilitate having
a productive kickoff meeting. We will quickly identify any data gaps and produce a data completion plan.
The ELEMENT Team has successful experience using this approach in numerous projects. We have also
had great success working with clients in similar efforts both face-to-face and through web/
teleconferencing. We will identify the most effective communication methods with the COB during the
kickoff meeting, and begin setting subtask deadlines to ensure the project stays on task and within
budget.
6 Bureau of Reclamation, 2011. Missouri River Basin Report Fact Sheet.
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
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We estimate this
project will take
approximately six
months to
complete,
depending on the
stakeholder
review process, if
the COB is able to
provide the data
required for the Plan within the first couple weeks of October. If work commences in early October, it
will be completed no later than March 31, 2016. Table 3 provides a sample schedule.
Our proposal meets the requirements set out in the RFP and our team is committed to completing this
project for a price of $50,195 (see Table 4). This estimate is based on our current understanding of the
project and our proposed approach. We look forward to further discussing this approach with the COB,
and potentially refining our scope and cost proposal based upon further input, depending on the
stakeholder and public review process. As small businesses that specialize in these exact services, the
ELEMENT Water and WaterDM team bring you the expertise and flexibility to complete the project to
your satisfaction within the budget.
Table 4. Proposed Project Costs.
TASK
PERSON HOURS
TOTAL $
AMOUNT
Courtney
($165/hr)
Welsh
($130/hr)
Mayer
($175/hr)
Project Management & Admin. 32 6 10 $7,810 Plan Development Task 1: Drought Monitoring 24 40 2 $9,510
Task 2: Vulnerability Assessment 8 16 12 $5,500
Task 3: Mitigation Actions 6 10 16 $5,090
Task 4: Response Actions 16 20 8 $6,640
Task 5: Operational & Admin Framework 12 8 2 $3,370
Task 6: Plan Update Process 6 12 1 $2,725
Prepare Final Plan 20 40 6 $9,550
TOTAL 124 152 57 $50,195
Table 5. Workload Projection (Staff Hours).
ITEM 4th QTR, 2015 1st QTR, 2016
Total 1560 1560
Workload 1092 780
Availability 468 780
As identified in Table 5, we have availability to complete the project and could even complete it within
the next few months based on the hours scoped in Table 4, however the planning process will likely
require a longer schedule.
Task 1: Drought Monitoring
Task 2: Vulnerability Assessment
Task 3: Mitigation Actions
Task 4: Response Actions
Task 5: Operational & Admin Framework
Task 6: Plan Update Process
Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16TASK
Plan DevelopmentProject Management & Admin.
Prepare Final Plan Draft Plan ReviewFinal Draft ReviewFinal Plan AdoptionTable 3. Proposed Project Schedule.
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
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COB STAFF INVOLVEMENT
A drought plan provides the framework for an ongoing process that will be used by COB staff to
implement routine monitoring, make determinations about moving to different drought stages, and
provide guidance for engaging stakeholders. It is important that the COB be closely involved in creating
the Plan, and empowered to implement the Plan without heavy reliance on consultants. Our objective is
to focus interactions with COB staff on critical input and decision points, which we will achieve by being
highly organized and prepared in our requests for COB resources through use of data request forms and
regular project status reports. The majority of COB staff time will be involved in the project meetings,
providing input on the drought triggers and stages, providing feedback on the recommended mitigation
and response actions, and reviewing the draft report. It is difficult to project the number of hours until
we better understand the utility structure, but we are committed to consolidating requests from staff so
that their involvement is as efficient as possible.
PRIOR WORK HISTORY
Our team members are experts at assessing water supplies, forecasting urban demands, and performing
scenario based planning assessments. We are well prepared to develop and incorporate supply and
demand forecasts that include impacts from future variability caused by drought and climate change,
and to identify and evaluate adaptive strategies. Additional information on our prior work history is
included in Section IV below.
III. QUALIFICATIONS OF KEY INDIVIDUALS
ELEMENT Water Consulting is partnering with WaterDM to provide a
uniquely qualified team of technical experts who have successfully
provided innovative water conservation/demand management, water
supply, and drought planning services to public and private entities for
over two decades. Our team is comprised of professionals highly
qualified in all of the disciplines needed to prepare COB’s Drought
Management Plan. We have worked together on numerous projects
and have a proven ability to accomplish challenging tasks effectively.
ELEMENT will be the prime consultant, with WaterDM contractually functioning as the sub-consultant to
ELEMENT and this relationship will be seamless for the project. Beorn Courtney, P.E. of ELEMENT will be
the Project Manager, responsible for directing and coordinating all work on the project as well as
providing technical contributions. She is a highly skilled project manager supported by an exceptional
team including Matthew Welsh, P.H. of ELEMENT and Peter Mayer, P.E. of WaterDM, both of whom
specialize in water supply and demand planning. A brief overview of each team members’ qualifications
and capabilities are presented below, with a more detailed description included in the resumes provided
at the end of this proposal.
Beorn Courtney, P.E. has a broad range of integrated water resources planning experience including
supply and demand management, water rights investigations, consumptive use and river basin
modeling, and the nexus between water and land use planning. She is skilled at program
management, working with stakeholders, and developing strategies to prepare for uncertainty.
Source: Municipal Drought Management
Plan Guidance Document, CWCB (2010).
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
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Matthew Welsh, P.H. has surface and ground water resources experience in Colorado, Nebraska,
Wyoming, and Oregon. He excels at data management, performing water availability evaluations,
and providing quality control for complex analyses. Matt will apply these skills to developing the
drought indicators, triggers, stages, and response actions.
Peter Mayer P.E. is an internationally recognized expert in water demand research and analysis,
demand forecasting, and demand management who has worked with utilities across the North
America. He will support the project in the areas of water demand management and drought
response, benefit-cost analysis, and developing drought mitigation and response actions.
Our team has been partnering on water management research and planning projects for over 18 years
and Beorn and Peter recently completed the Water Conservation Strategies section of the Colorado
Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) together in 2011. The Team is currently working on an
evaluation for the City of Arvada, Colorado that entails projecting future water demand under various
build-out conditions and evaluating the yield of the City’s water supplies to meet future demand
through a significant drought period with potential for climate change. These projects are described in
more detail in Section IV below.
The following is a brief overview of other relevant projects completed for a variety of utility sizes,
geographical settings, and unique situations such as influences from transient populations (e.g. tourism)
and industry like snowmaking.
Roaring Fork, Colorado. ELEMENT and WaterDM developed four municipal water efficiency plans
for providers and a regional water efficiency plan for the Roaring Fork watershed. This project is the
first of its kind, creating regional collaboration to reduce municipal demands and improve resiliency.
City of Walsenburg, Colorado. ELEMENT staff have provided services to the City of Walsenburg for
over 15 years, including water rights accounting for a system of five reservoirs. Water supply and
drought monitoring updates are regularly provided to the City for operational/revenue decisions.
Animas-La Plata, Colorado. ELEMENT provides services to the Animas-La Plata Op., Maintenance &
Replacement Assoc. which operates of an off-channel reservoir with tribal, state, federal, and local
interests. Services include modeling supply conditions and yields under varying future conditions.
Hilton Head PSD, South Carolina. ELEMENT and WaterDM prepared a water demand management
plan for the Hilton Head Public Service District. Demand management measures focused on
reducing potable irrigation demands and improving the efficiency of the distribution system. An
economic analysis evaluated the deferred costs and net value of selected efficiency measures.
NYC Water Board. ELEMENT and WaterDM are preparing demand management plans for wholesale
customers served by the New York City Water Board. A primary objective is to reduce 2019
demands by at least 5% in advance of infrastructure upgrades with potential supply interruptions.
Dominion Water and Sanitation District. ELEMENT staff have provided services to Dominion for
over 10 years as it creates water supply, wastewater, and stormwater management systems for a
3,400 acre master-planned community. Services include creating water demand management
specifications, water budgets, rates and tap fees, and a non-potable water reuse plan.
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
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IV. REFERENCES AND EXAMPLES OF WORK PRODUCED
The following two projects provide examples of work the ELEMENT Team personnel assigned to the COB
Drought Management Plan have completed together within the past five years under similar contracts
as the COB Drought Management Plan. We strongly encourage you to contact our references for these
and any of our other projects, as we find that our strong client working relationships are an important
aspect of our successes in providing exceptional technical products.
WATER SUPPLY AND DEMAND STUDY
City of Arvada, Colorado
Mr. Jim Sullivan, PE
Director of Utilities
720.898.7760
jim-s@arvada.org
The ELEMENT and WaterDM team is finalizing
an evaluation for the City of Arvada that
projects future water demand under various
build-out conditions and evaluates the yield of
the City’s water supplies to meet future
demand through a significant drought period.
An additional objective is to evaluate the
potential variability in supply and demand
conditions in response to climate change.
To accomplish the Study objectives, a scenario-based planning and analysis approach was implemented,
enabling a range of possible water supply and demand futures to be explored. Colorado’s Draft Water
Plan and other planning studies such as the Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study
encourage a scenario planning approach when investigating uncertainties in future supplies and
demands. This process includes identifying the key driving forces, separately analyzing impacts on
supplies and demands, then combining scenarios and ultimately preparing strategies to prepare for the
range of possible futures.
The project included a significant data collection and review effort, a rigorous analysis and assessment
of Arvada’s water supply and demands, and a set of recommendations to update Arvada’s water supply
and demand planning tools.
MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL CONSERVATION STRATEGIES FOR SWSI
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Ms. Rebecca Mitchell Ms. Veva Deheza
CWCB Section Chief Deputy Director , NOAA/NIDIS (former CWCB Section Chief)
303.866.3441x3217 303.497.3431
rebecca.mitchell@state.co.us veva.deheza@noaa.gov 156615811596161116261641165616711686170117161731174617611776179118061821183618511866188118961911192619411956197119862001Reconstructed Streamflow (AF/yr)Using reconstructed streamflow data from tree-ring models provides
a larger window into the past and an opportunity to assess a longer
period of hydrologic variability than is available through more recent
gaged records.
CITY OF BOZEMAN PROPOSAL FOR 2015 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
PAGE 12
Beorn Courtney and Peter Mayer prepared water
demand forecasts for the urban sectors across
Colorado as part of Colorado’s Statewide Water Supply
Initiative (SWSI) 2010, prepared for the Colorado
Water Conservation Board (CWCB). Components of
these forecasts have been integrated into Colorado’s
Draft Water Plan, the Basin Implementation Plan
process, and utilized by the Interbasin Compact
Committee to broaden the dialog about water. An
economic analysis was included, representing the cost
for utilities to implement the various municipal and
industrial conservation strategies. The team assisted the CWCB in stakeholder outreach and addressing
input received through a technical advisory committee, stakeholder, and public review processes. Our
team was recently selected as part of the consultant team to prepare the SWSI 2016 update to develop
demand and supply forecasts for Colorado that include impacts from future variability caused by
drought and climate change, and to identify and evaluate adaptive strategies.
Our team has a notable history of working for the CWCB on other water demand, conservation, and
drought planning efforts including the Colorado Best Practices Guidebook for Municipal Water
Conservation, numerous CWCB-approved water conservation plans, Guidelines for water use reporting,
reviewing other states’ drought planning efforts, and providing recommendations for Colorado’s
Drought Toolbox.
V. NON-DISCRIMINATION AFFIRMATION FORM
VI. RESUMES (attached)
ELEMENT Water Consulting, Inc.
ELEMENT Water Consulting, Inc.
Indoor
Residential
, 33%
Indoor Non-
Residential,
22%
Outdoor Single-Family
Residential, 17%
Outdoor
Multi-Family
Residential,
2%
Outdoor Non-
Residential,
13%
Water Loss,
13%
Medium Water Saving Strategy
Excerpt from SWSI 2010 Report.
PAGE 13
PROFILE
Beorn is a licensed professional engineer with 19 years of experience in a broad
range of water resources planning and policy topics including integrated water
resources planning, water conservation and demand management planning,
water rights investigations, hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, consumptive use
and river basin modeling, environmental permitting, and the nexus between
water and land use planning.
She is skilled at developing and maintaining client relationships, providing
technical services and oversight, engaging stakeholders, and providing program
management including large multi-disciplined team coordination. Beorn has
served as project manager for a variety of state, municipal, and private clients.
She has provided expert witness testimony in water court and briefings to the
Colorado legislature regarding innovative water demand management and
supply strategies.
She is a leader in implementing innovative and practical solutions for water
resource challenges as evidenced by her involvement in Colorado’s first
rainwater harvesting pilot program and in using supply and demand
management strategies to support resilient water systems that are prepared for
future uncertainty.
REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS
City of Arvada Water Supply and Demand Analysis (ongoing)
Integrated Water Resources Planning for Dominion Water and
Sanitation District (ongoing)
Water Demand Management Planning for Sterling Ranch (ongoing)
Water Rights Engineering for Animas La-Plata Operation, Maintenance
& Replacement Association (ongoing)
Water Rights Engineering for City of Walsenburg Water Rights
(ongoing)
Municipal Water Efficiency Plans for Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, and
Glenwood Springs (2015)
Roaring Fork Regional Water Efficiency Plan (2015)
Colorado’s Guidelines for Reporting of Water Use and Conservation Data
(2012)
2010 Municipal and Industrial Water Conservation Strategies for Colorado’s
Statewide Water Supply Initiative (2011)
Colorado’s Guidelines for the Rainwater Harvesting Pilot Project Program
(2010)
Recommendations to support the Colorado Water Conservation Board
Drought Toolbox (2009)
Beorn Courtney, P.E.
President
Water Resources Engineer
ELEMENT Water Consulting
www.elementwaterinc.com
PUBLICATIONS
SWSI 2010 Municipal and Industrial
Water Conservation Strategies. Prepared
for the Colorado Water Conservation
Board, by Aquacraft, Inc. with
Headwaters Corporation.
Holistic Approach to Sustainable Water
Management in Northwest Douglas
County. Prepared for the Colorado Water
Conservation Board, et al. by Leonard
Rice Engineers, Inc. with Meurer and
Associates and Ryley Carlock &
Applewhite.
PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT
AWRA Colorado Section
Scholarship Committee
CO Foundation for Water Education
Water Leaders Program
CO Water Conservation Board
Water Conservation Technical Advisory
Group
Colorado WaterWise Council
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION
Professional Engineer
State of Colorado Number 35810
2001
M.S., Water Resources Engineering
University of Colorado at Boulder
1996—1997
B.S., Chemical Engineering
University of Colorado at Boulder
1991—1995
PAGE 14
PROFILE
Mr. Welsh is a certified professional hydrologist with expertise in western water
rights, water supply, and water efficiency planning. He has extensive experience
with water conservation and efficiency planning, including municipal supply and
demand planning under climate change and drought conditions, water efficiency
planning with demand management, and the integration of land use and water
resources issues for project scales ranging from regional initiatives to smaller
land development. Mr. Welsh has extensive experience with surface and ground
water rights in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Oregon, and appreciates the
complexities of water issues in Montana from a brief period spent residing in the
state. Surface water hydrology expertise includes runoff and availability analyses,
historical use evaluations for change of use applications, and quantifying transfer
potential. Groundwater expertise includes modeling of lagged depletions from
well pumping and aquifer evaluations including groundwater recharge and
aquifer storage and recovery projects.
REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS
City of Arvada, Colorado Water Supply and Demand Analysis
Applying scenario planning to provide water supply and demand
projections under a variety of potential future drought and climate
conditions. Determining water supply yields under historical drought
periods dating back to the 1500s using reconstructed streamflow records.
Updating the City’s water supply planning model to reflect droughts of
varying duration and intensity and coupling supply and demand forecasts
to assess the potential for supply shortages.
City of Walsenburg, Colorado
Provide a variety of water consulting services as related to the City’s water
rights portfolio, including technical support of water rights applications and
substitute water supply plans. Ongoing services include historical use analyses
for change of use cases, negotiating with objectors, water rights accounting,
and monitoring drought and supply conditions.
Sterling Ranch/Dominion Water and Sanitation District
Provide water efficiency and rainwater harvesting consulting services to
assist with the implementation of the integrated water resources plan.
Services include developing the water demand management program,
builder specifications, outdoor water budgets, and conservation-oriented
water rates and tap fees. Provide water supply planning services related to
raw water, rainwater harvesting, wastewater, and reuse operations,
including cost-benefit analyses of infrastructure options.
Town of Castle Rock, Colorado Water and Land Use Planning
Worked with private landowners, landscape architects, and Town
planning/utilities departments to create new mechanisms for incentivizing
residential and commercial demand management within land use plans for
new developments. Water efficiency measures and programs supported
reduced water dedication requirements and fees for two projects.
PUBLICATIONS
Causes of Post-Fire Runoff and Erosion:
the Roles of Soil Water Repellency,
Surface Cover, and Soil Sealing, 2009
(co-author). Soil Science Society of
America Journal 73(4): 1393-1407.
Sediment Production and Delivery from
Forest Roads and Off-Highway Vehicle
Trails, 2008. MS Thesis, Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, CO.
PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT
Colorado Ground Water
Association
Former Director, Secretary, and
Membership Chair
AWRA, Colorado Section
Colorado Water Wise Council
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION
Professional Hydrologist
American Institute of Hydrology
No. 11-H-3014
2011
M.S., Watershed Science
Colorado State University, Ft. Collins
2005—2007
Outstanding Graduate Student in
Watershed Science Award
B.S., Environmental Studies
Geology & Business minors
University of Oregon, Eugene
1998—2002
Cum Laude & Dept. Honors
Matthew Welsh, P.H.
Associate
Hydrologist
ELEMENT Water Consulting
www.elementwaterinc.com
PAGE 15
PROFILE
Peter Mayer, Principal and Founder of WaterDM, is a
professional engineer who has dedicated his career to
advancing the science of water efficiency and demand
management. For more than 20 years Peter’s work has
focused on studying urban water use patterns, water
demand forecasting, water loss control, evaluating
water conservation measures and programs, preparing
water conservation plans and conducting water supply
and demand scenario analysis. Since 2001 Peter has
edited an online water efficiency newsletter for the
Alliance for Water Efficiency and AWWA.
Peter chaired the subcommittee that prepared the new 3rd edition of
AWWA’s M22 Sizing of Water Service Lines and Meters manual. He is a four
time winner of “Best Paper” awards from the AWWA Journal and ASCE.
In 2013, Peter founded WaterDM – Water Demand Management, a
consulting firm focused on working with utilities to develop conservation
planning, drought response, water budgets, and information systems
designed to educate and inform water utilities and customers alike.
WaterDM’s clients include: the New York City Water Board, Hilton Head
PSD, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and the Cities of Greeley,
Louisville, Fort Collins, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and Basalt.
SELECTED PROJECTS
NYC Regional Conservation Planning, NYC Water Board, (2014-present)
Hilton Head PSD Water Demand Management Study (2015)
City of Arvada Water Supply and Demand Study (2014 – present)
Roaring Fork Regional Conservation Planning, CWCB, (2014-2015)
Senior Technical Advisor, Web Content Manager, Alliance for Water
Efficiency (2007-present)
Residential End Uses of Water Study Update, Water Research
Foundation (2010-2015)
Best Practices Guide for Colorado Water Conservation (2010)
Evaluation of California Weather-Based “Smart” Irrigation Controller
Programs (2005-2009)
Water Conservation: Customer Behavior and Effective Communications
(2006 – 2009)
Water Budgets and Rate Structures – Innovative Management Tools
(2006)
National Multiple Family Submetering and Allocation Billing Program
Study, (2002-2004)
Commercial and Institutional End Uses of Water, AWWARF (1998-2000)
Residential End Uses of Water Study, AWWARF, (1996-1999)
Peter Mayer, P.E.
Principal
WaterDM
1339 Hawthorn Ave.
Boulder, CO 80304
720-318-4232
peter.mayer@waterdm.com
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Mayer, P.W. et. al. 2014. Conservation Efforts
Limit Rate Increases for Colorado Utility.
Journal of the American Water Works
Association. April 2014, 106:4. Denver,
Colorado.
Suero F., P.W. Mayer, and D. Rosenberg.
2012. Estimating and Verifying United States
Households’ Potential to Conserve Water.
Journal of Water Resources Planning and
Management. 138(3), 299–306.
Mayer, P.W., et. al. 2010. Improving Urban
Irrigation Efficiency By Using Weather-Based
“Smart” Controllers. Journal of the American
Water Works Association. February 2010.
Vol. 102, No. 2.
Mayer, P.W. et. al. 2008. Water Budgets and
Rate Structures: Innovative Management
Tools. Journal of the American Water Works
Association. May 2008. Vol. 100, No. 5.
Mayer, P.W., et. al. 2006. Third-party Billing
of Multifamily Customers Presents New
Challenges to Water Providers. Journal
AWWA. August 2006, Vol. 98, No. 8.
Mayer, P.W., et. al. 1999. Residential End
Uses of Water. American Water Works
Association Research Foundation, Denver,
Colorado.
AFFILIATIONS
American Water Works Association
American Water Resources Assoc.
Alliance for Water Efficiency
American Society of Civil Engineers
EDUCATION
Master of Science, 1995, University of
Colorado, Boulder.
Bachelor of Arts, 1986, Oberlin College.