HomeMy WebLinkAbout19H - CMUA AWARDREQUEST FOR
COUNCIL ACTION
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE:
MAY 2, 2017
TITLE:
CALIFORNIA MUNICIPAL UTILITIES
ASSOCIATION 2017 RESOURCE
EFFICIENCY & COMMUNITY SERVICE
AWARD
{STRATEGIC PLAN NO. 5, 2}
CITY VITNAGER
RECOMMENDED ACTION
CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY:
APPROVED
❑ As Recommended
❑ As Amended
❑ Ordinance on 1" Reading
❑ Ordinance on 2ntl Reading
❑ Implementing Resolution
❑ Set Public Hearing For_
CONTINUED TO
FILE NUMBER
Receive and file a California Municipal Utilities Association 2017 Resource Efficiency and
Community Service Award.
DISCUSSION
During the recent drought and mandated water conservation, the City of Santa Ana launched a
public awareness campaign called: "Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste It ". The campaign
aimed to improve account -level water use efficiency by coaching users on best practices.
Through various public outreach efforts, the City effectively conveyed the importance of
conservation. Water customers responded, meeting and exceeding the City's 12% conservation
target.
Each year, California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) recognizes the best public utilities in
California at its annual conference. Utilities submit applications for this honor in accordance with
CMUA guidelines (Exhibit 1). In recognition of the City's campaign and its outstanding results, the
City and, by extension, its water customers have received a 2017 Resource Efficiency &
Community Service Award from CMUA in the Water Programs category.
A memo to the City Council from the Water Resources Manager, Nabil Saba (Exhibit 2) and a
press release from CMUA (Exhibit 3), both describing the campaign and its results in greater
detail, are attached. With humility and gratitude, staff recommends Council receive and file this
award, expressing the City's sincere appreciation to CMUA for this recognition and to the
community for their overwhelming response.
19H -1
California Municipal Utilities Association 2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service Award
May 2, 2017
Page 2
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Approval of this item supports the City's efforts to meet Goal #5 - Community Health, Livability,
Engagement & Sustainability, Objective #2 (expand opportunities for conservation and
environmental sustainability).
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with this action.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
Fred Mousavipour
Executive Director
Public Works Agency
FM:NS
Exhibits: 1. CMUA Invitation Letter & Call for Nominations, dated January 23, 2017
2. Memo to Council, dated April 14, 2014
3. CMUA Press Release, dated March 30, 2017
19H -2
1-
California Municipal Utilities Association
915 L Street, Suite 1460 • Sacramento CA 95814 •916/326- 5800.916/326 -5810 fax • www.cmua.org
January 23, 2017
TO: CMUA Heads of Utilities
Your utility or agency is invited to submit an application for CMUA's 2017 Resource
Efficiency & Community Service Awards. Now in its 24th year, this program has
produced over 400 outstanding entries from across the state.
Award winners will be honored at CMUA's 85th Annual Conference, March 28 -30,
2017 in Carlsbad, California and will be prominently featured during the conference.
The competition is open to all CMUA members. Submission deadline is
February 17, 2017.
Please see the attached "Call for Nominations" form for category and criteria
requirements.
For additional information please contact Christine Chapman at 916/326 -5800
or by email at contact@cmua.org.
Application Deadline: February 17, 2017
Presentation of Awards: CMUA's 85th Annual Conference
Carlsbad, California s March 28 -30, 2017
an a M44,
RCI 4'i40too
California Municipal Utilities Association
915 L Street, Suite 1460 • Sacramento CA 95814.916/326 -5800 •916/326 -5810 fax • www.cmua.org
Call for Nominations
CRITERIA
1. A utility or agency may submit no more than three applications in total and
than one application per category.
2. A program can only be submitted in one category.
3. Programs for which applications are submitted must have been in effect and operating
for at least six months. If the program is no longer operating, the last month of
operation must be no longer than three years ago.
4. Each application form must be fully completed. Failure to do so will result in
disqualification.
5. Your submission will be judged solely on information provided in your application.
no more
CLASSIFICATIONS AND CATEGORIES
A total of nine awards, three in each of the following classifications: Larger Utility /Agency,
Medium Utility /Agency and Smaller Utility /Agency (see attached listing) are given in the
following categories:
• Energy Programs: Innovative and effective approaches in implementing renewable
energy resources, energy efficiency, demand reduction, research and development,
low income assistance, or greenhouse gas reduction strategies.
• Water Programs: Innovative and effective programs that implement practices
designed to save or efficiently use water resources, or greenhouse gas reduction
strategies.
• Community Service Programs: Innovative and effective approaches to serving
local community needs that do not fall in the above categories.
JUDGING
Judging panel is comprised of energy and water industry leaders including past award
winners. Judges to score on the following:
1. O rig inality /Creativity /I nnovativeness;
2. Promotion of efficient use of natural resources and /or serving local
community needs;
3. Broad applicability of benefits to other utilities (energy or water);
4. Benefits to consumers, ratepayers and /or community.
SUBMISSION
Submission of the completed application is by email only.
Send email to: contact @cmua.orq
,M1:11�11
r'
California Municipal Utilities Association
915 L Street, Suite 1460 • Sacramento CA 95814 • 916/326 - 5800.916/326 -5510 fax • www.cmua.org
2017 Resource Efficiency
& Community Resource Awards
Due date: February 22, 2017
Application
Award Categories
1. Energy Programs: Innovative and effective approaches in implementing
renewable energy resources, energy efficiency, demand reduction, research
and development, low income assistance, or greenhouse gas reduction
strategies.
2. Water Programs: Innovative and effective programs that implement practices
designed to save or efficiently use water resources, or greenhouse gas
reduction strategies.
3. Community Service Programs: Innovative and effective approaches to
serving local community needs that do not fall in the above categories.
Name of Utility City of Santa Ana, Water Resources Division
Address 220 S Daisy Avenue, Santa Ana, CA, 92703
Contact Person Nabil Saba
Phone 714 647 -3378
Fax
Email Address NSaba c( santa-ana.org
Program Title Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste It
Award Category Water Program (Small Water Utility /Agency)
clt;� Z-.i
Overview Description of Program
Recognizing the importance of indoor and outdoor conservation in managing the ongoing
drought and in establishing water efficiency for a sustainable future, the City of Santa Ana,
Water Resources Division launched an integrated water conservation campaign entitled
"Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste It."
The goal of the campaign was threefold: (1) to educate Santa Ana residents and businesses
about the drought and the importance of water conservation, (2) to inform residents and
business about the new water use restrictions mandated by the City to meet its 12% water
reduction target, and (3) to urge residents and businesses to do their part to conserve water.
The objective was to communicate to Santa Ana residents that saving water is easy and that
their participation can make a difference. The message to our audience stressed how simple
it is to adopt effective water- saving habits, and that saving every day can easily become way
of life.
The Water Resources Division used every possible channel for its outreach, ranging from
outdoor advertising, street pole banners lining main thoroughfares, and pull -up banners for
public areas and events to printed flyers, bill inserts and newsletters to a robust social media
campaign. The Water Resources Division even wrapped its community outreach vehicle with
"Every Drop Counts" campaign branding and designed special campaign t- shirts and yard
signs to pass out to residents at the 100+ community events it attended last year.
"Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste It" made a significant difference in awareness and
residents took the conservation message to heart. The Santa Ana community reduced its
water consumption, exceeded its target, and cut water use by 17 %. The City of Santa Ana
rated below the state average in residential gallons per capita. And, with the exception of City
of Fountain Valley, Santa Ana came in lower than all other water districts nearby.
197 " d V
2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service Awards - Application Page 2
Why was this activity undertaken?
Deepening drought conditions in California called for Governor Brown to issue an Executive
Order on April 1, 2015. The order was the first -ever statewide mandate that required water
utilities and agencies to slash water use by 25% (compared to 2013 levels) and increase
enforcement to prevent wasteful water use. As a result, the State Water Resources Control
Board (SWRCB) adopted an expanded emergency regulation and imposed a new round of
water conservation rules, including sharp restrictions on landscape watering as well as orders
to restaurants not to serve water to customers unless asked. These regulations were also
designed to safeguard the state's remaining water supplies.
While the City of Santa Ana had already reduced its water consumption by 13% since 2013,
the City adopted a Stage II Water Supply Shortage declaration and mandatory water use
restrictions to:
1, comply with these regulations,
2. meet its 12% target reduction, and
3. help extend existing supplies into the future.
Effectively communicating the need for water conservation and a permanent lifestyle change
in water efficiency was a significant task, given that the Santa Ana is a major metropolitan
area with nearly 350,000 residents, of which 78% are Hispanic.
A comprehensive outreach initiative to quickly educate consumers and businesses about
these new mandatory restrictions and ways they can save water was imperative.
How was the activity implemented?
The abundance of available research on water conservation issues and insights from past
projects was used to determine the campaign's messaging and audience. Furthermore, the
limited budget called for a more creative approach, such as leveraging community
partnerships and resources, as well as more efficient spending in order to make the largest
possible impact on Santa Ana's diverse population. Specific strategies were then established
to reach three primary targets: Santa Ana water residential customers, businesses, and
school age children and their families.
Key to the success of the campaign was a campaign steering committee comprised of
representatives from various city departments and agencies including the Arts & Cultural
Commission, Public Works, Water Resources, Parks & Recreation, Community Development
Agency, and the City Manager's Office. This committee was established to:
• build collaboration and support for the campaign,
• leverage internal resources, and
• increase communication.
A Water Forum was first held at the Santa Ana City Council Chambers with Councilman
Sarmiento, Water Resources Manager Nabil Saba and a representative from the Orange
County Water District, where residents were informed about the drought, new mandatory
water use restrictions, and ways they can conserve water.
4 14 T?
2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service Awards - Application Page 3
Following the Forum, the City of Santa Ana, Water Resources Division then launched its
campaign using multiple channels for its outreach, including traditional and social media
marketing, outdoor advertising, PSAs, media relations and events. Each blog post, water
saving tip, how -to article and announcement was consistently pushed out over multiple
channels including local press, Twitter, Facebook, the City website, electronic and print
newsletter as well as other collateral material.
Bill Inserts
A series of monthly bill inserts highlighting a new water conservation tip and rebate.
Print and Electronic Newsletter Articles
Editorial content focusing on the drought and conservation in "The Water Tower," the Water
Resources Division's newsletter publication, the City's "Santa Ana Green" newsletter, and the
City's email alerts (Nixie), which has approximately 3,000 subscribers. Electronic posts were
designed to engage people with the City via social media.
Social Media
A social media strategy was developed to support the drought/conservation campaign. The
strategy included:
• Establishing a unique tag #EveryDropCounts to be used in all social media posts to create
visibility for the City's outreach efforts.
• Repurposing articles and tips for the City's Facebook page.
• Launching an interactive contest about water conservation to create awareness and build
up followers.
• Developing a series of ads for Facebook to promote water saving tips and contests.
Pole Mounted Banners
Easy water - saving tips were highlighted on vinyl street pole banners and displayed along
several major thoroughfares in Santa Ana. Messaging for the campaign was designed across
a set of 2 -3 street pole banners to ensure the campaign was optimally visible for street traffic.
Pull -Up Banners
Various campaign pull -up banners were created and produced for use at community events
and city presentations.
Building Signage
Oversized banners with the campaign theme were created for select public buildings,
reservoir, and well sites near public parks in Santa Ana.
Outdoor Advertising
City of Santa Ana, Water Resources Division leveraged its existing contract to display free
public service announcements to display outdoor ads that incorporated campaign visuals and
messaging in bus shelters throughout Santa Ana. City of Santa Ana, Water Resources
Division also adapted the ad for LED billboards at Santa Ana College and the Santa Ana
Stadium, as well as message boards at Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) schools.
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2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service Awards - Application Page 4
Yard Sign Campaign
Mirroring the success of yard signs during political campaigns, yard signs were created to
increase visibility for the drought /conservation message and to encourage neighborly
competition among homeowners to reduce their water use. These signs were distributed
through the Water Resources Division's booth during community events and neighborhood
council meetings.
Community Events
City of Santa Ana, Water Resources Division participated in more than 100 events to educate
the community about water conservation. Various flyers promoting water - saving tips, the
Youth Poster Contest, and information about the drought were handed out, as well as other
water saving give- aways.
Outreach to School -Age Children
Recognizing the importance of educating school -age children about conservation, the City of
Santa Ana, Water Resources Division launched a Youth Poster Contest using the campaign
theme to teach wise water use. In conjunction with several community partners, the contest
was promoted through Santa Ana Unified School District, recreation centers and several
special events at Bowers Museum, The Discovery Cube OC and MainPlace.
Business Outreach:
To support Santa Ana businesses, Water Resources Division created a program for hotels
and restaurants and provided tent cards free of charge. The tent cards were designed to
educate patrons and guests about the drought, why drinking water is only available upon
request, and ways guests can help hotels conserve water by reducing their laundry. A sample
card along with a letter /order form was mailed to managers of approximately 900 restaurants
and 100+ hotels in Santa Ana.
Media Relations:
Media relations was an important component of the overall campaign in educating Santa Ana
residents about the drought and their responsibility in conserving water. In particular, the
City's role in reducing its water use as well as its outreach to Santa Ana residents was
communicated, reinforcing the City as a "partner" working together with the community. Press
releases were distributed to the press to announce the launch of the campaign, upcoming
events, new programs and contests.
INJ_�_Q%J
2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service Awards - Application Page 5
Describe the originality /creativity /innovativeness of this activity.
The Water Resources Division used creativity and innovation in its approach, messaging and
visual communications.
The Water Resources Division focused on reaching out to the Santa Ana community and
appealing to its culturally diverse background. It tailored the campaign with this diversity in
mind, where materials were created in multiple languages to ensure the campaign was
reaching the entire community, English and non - English speaking residents alike.
Representatives from the Water Resources Division, many who are bi- lingual, brought the
campaign to the community by visiting neighborhood association meetings, weekly Farmer's
Markets, the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration and many other community events.
The inclusion of community partners such as the Santa Ana Library, Parks & Recreation,
Public Works, Building and Planning Department, and community centers to leverage
resources enabled the City to maximize its budget, extend its reach, and increase its
effectiveness. The development of strategies such as the Youth Poster Contest that
educated, engaged, and incentivized children and their parents was particularly effective in
increasing engagement. The contest was an overwhelming success. More than 400 entries
from 24 schools in Santa Ana were submitted.
The campaign used consistently across multiple platforms the same visual components so
residents could quickly identify and understand the campaign message. Below is a sampling
of the campaign branding and components:
..:
dr&�
LET'S NOT WASTE IT
FC ounts
POLE BAN INIERS
WWII
2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service Awards - Application Page 6
TABLE-TOP EA ES
PULL-up
C
BANNERS
YARD SIGNS
"Will
Lose the Lawn!
Converting your
water - guzzling lawn to
a drought friendly garden
— makes perfect sense!
2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service Awards - Application Page 8
HOTEL TOWEL T ENT
LINEN CARDS
+, Helga Save
our ulster
.. For Every 9J.,r f vaster
r oat ze ned, three glasses
y of LVai.er ate saeerl
dk
w.=
UP ,I �
G "u6 t rth Ir t ',ery ar
it »IC Iwt sup A', Ly usbip
,,,001 more thsn one*.
_ WhenweriiokeydurJmdtm <wet
Loav6q this c��td 01) your
change the Sheets whe�
you make my bed'
char+9 `ynurshrtCrS rhnt nup,mR
Thank you for helping us do
our part to conserve
wW W:SANTA- ANAARG
RE TAU RANT
TENTS
2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service Awards - Application Page 9
Describe how this activity promotes the efficient use of natural resources
and /or serves local community needs.
During drought conditions, water conservation is key to meeting customers' demand for
water. This campaign, which resulted in reduced water use, enabled the Water Resources
Division to meet customer demand — avoiding any kind of rationing —and supply sufficient
water for the entire community. Furthermore, anytime a consumer opens the faucet, it's more
than water that's flowing. According to the California Energy Commission, up to 28% of
residential electricity goes to water - related uses. Wise water use such as washing full loads
of laundry and dishes, and taking shorter showers, helps residents save energy. It also helps
reduce the City's demand on the power grid since it is pumping and moving less water. Water
conservation helps preserve our natural resources and reduces our carbon footprint.
Describe and quantify, if possible, the actual or anticipated benefits as a
result of the activity to customers, ratepayers, and /or the community.
Water conservation and efficiency is central to Santa Ana's long -term sustainability as a
municipal water provider. The "Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste It" campaign was highly
successful in rallying the community to do its part and save water. Santa Ana water
customers reduced their usage by 17 %, exceeding the City's state - mandated target by 5 %.
This is the most important metric we used in evaluating the effectiveness of our campaign.
Furthermore, residents learned ways to easily save water by modifying their everyday habits.
These newly acquired habits helped water customers avoid penalties and, in fact, saved
them an average of 15% on their water bills in 2016. Since the statewide mandate and new
water use restrictions were established, no violation warnings have been sent by the City,
which is a clear indication that customers heard the campaign message and remained in
compliance. Awareness and a focus on smart water use reinforces the importance of
environmental stewardship and will ensure we are all working towards building a more
sustainable future for California.
Describe how the benefits of this activity might be applicable to other
utilities /agencies.
Santa Ana's "Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste It" campaign has proven that a fully
integrated communications program can create quantifiable results in achieving reduced
water use throughout one's customer base. Other utilities and agencies can learn from and
build upon Santa Ana's experience in educating and incentivizing customers to save water.
W_AH T _i
April 14, 2017
TO: City Council
FROM: Nabil Saba, Water Resources Manager
RE: Santa Ana Water Conservation Campaign Wins Statewide Recognition
The City of Santa Ana Water Resources Division was recently presented with the California
Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) Resource Efficiency Award for our water conservation
campaign called "Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste It."
The California Municipal Utilities Association represents the common interests of a diverse
coalition of California's publicly owned utilities before statewide jurisdictional bodies and
provides a forum to develop and discuss statewide policy issues affecting its members. During
its annual conference each year, CMUA recognizes the best public utilities in California, and
Santa Ana's campaign was selected among all other utilities in our size category as the most
innovative and effective program designed to save water resources.
The panel of judges, comprised of energy and water industry leaders, scored Santa Ana's
program on:
1. Original ity /Creativity /I nnovativeness;
2. Promotion of efficient use of natural resources and /or serving local community needs;
3. Broad applicability of benefits to other utilities (energy or water); and
4. Benefits to consumers, ratepayers and /or community.
As you may know, "Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste It" was launched in response to the
City's adoption of mandatory water use restrictions in order to comply with the state's new
regulations and meet our 12% target reduction.
Effectively communicating the need for water conservation and a permanent lifestyle change in
water efficiency was a significant task, given our nearly 350,000 residents, of which 78% are
Hispanic. A comprehensive outreach initiative to quickly educate consumers and businesses
about these new mandatory restrictions and ways they can save water was imperative.
20 Civic Center Plaza, M -21 • Santa Ana, CA 92702
www.santa-ana.org
"W15
Page 2 of 2
The objective of our campaign was to communicate to Santa Ana residents that saving water
is easy and that their participation can make a difference. The message stressed how simple it
is to adopt effective water - saving habits, and that saving every day can easily become way of
life.
With the assistance of Straightline Communication, we took a strategic and integrated
approach to achieve our objectives. Our limited budget called for more creative tactics, such as
leveraging community partnerships and resources, as well as more efficient spending in order
to make the largest possible impact. Specific strategies were then established to reach three
primary targets: Santa Ana water residential customers, businesses, and school age children
and their families.
The "Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste It" campaign was highly successful in rallying the
community to do its part and save water. Santa Ana water customers reduced their usage by
17 %, exceeding our state - mandated target by 5 %. This is the most important metric we used
in evaluating the effectiveness of our campaign.
Residents learned ways to easily save water by modifying their everyday habits. These newly
acquired habits helped water customers avoid penalties and, in fact, saved them an average of
15% on their water bills in 2016. Since the statewide mandate and new water use restrictions
were established, no violation warnings have been sent by the City, which is a clear indication
that customers heard the campaign message and remained in compliance. Santa Ana rated
below the state average in residential gallons per capita and, with the exception of City of
Fountain Valley, we came in lower than all other water districts nearby.
We are proud to share this achievement with all of you, acknowledging that these types of
programs would not be possible without the support of the City Council.
20 Civic Center Plaza, M -21 • Santa Ana, CA 92702
www.santa - ana.org
1 SH EPt6
915 L STREET, SUITE 1460 • SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95814
(916) 326 -5800 a (916) 326 -5810 FAX. www.cmua.org
Press Release
City of Santa Ana Honored for Conservation Efforts
March 30, 2017
The City of Santa Ana has been awarded the 2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service
Award by the California Municipal Utilities Association. The City won the Best Water Program
for a Small Utility for its successful community program "Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste
It."
Recognizing the importance of indoor and outdoor conservation in managing the ongoing
drought and in establishing water efficiency for a sustainable future, the City of Santa Ana,
Water Resources Division launched an integrated water conservation campaign.
In addition to helping the City meet its 12% water reduction target, the campaign educated
Santa Ana residents and businesses about the drought and the importance of water
conservation along with urging customers to take action to conserve water. The message
stressed how simple it is to adopt effective water - saving habits, and that saving every day
can easily become a way of life.
The Water Resources Division used every possible channel for its outreach, ranging from
outdoor advertising, street light pole banners lining main thoroughfares, pull -up banners for
public areas and events, printed flyers, bill inserts and newsletters, and a robust social
media campaign. Materials were created in multiple languages to ensure the campaign
reached the entire community, both English and non - English speaking residents. Featured
activities included an educational Water Forum, a Youth Poster Contest and participation in
hundreds of community events.
"Every Drop Counts: Let's Not Waste It" made a significant difference in awareness about
conservation, the Santa Ana community. It also resulted in reduced community water
consumption by 17 %, exceeding its target and coming in below the state average in
residential per- capita water use.
The California Municipal Utilities Association is the statewide trade association of municipal water and power
utilities. CMUA members are not - for - profit utilities representing 70% of water delivered and 25% of electric
delivered in California.
EXHIBIT 1
Anon -prof( statewide assoc 1 t 9H 61ic1 a netl electric utilities and water agencies.
19H -18