Ordinance 120532 Report
In 2001 the City of Seattle adopted Ordinance No. 120532, which is sometimes referred to as the Initiative 63 (I-63) Settlement Ordinance. It is intended to increase water conservation for the protection of the environment and to assist salmon recovery by increasing flows in fish-bearing creeks and rivers.
Noteworthy accomplishments from 2001 through 2010 include:
- Achieved additional water savings in excess of the required 12 million gallons per day (mgd) in the Seattle retail service area by accelerating conservation efforts;
- Reserved water for the “Environmental Block” by committing, through the 2006 Settlement Agreement with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, to leave 20 mgd of Seattle Public Utilities' (SPU) perfected water right in the Cedar River, in perpetuity; and
- Provided water conservation assistance to low-income households through the "Everyone Can Conserve Program," which benefitted 20,842 Seattle customers by reducing their water consumption and utility bills.
As shown in the 2010 report (pdf), SPU has satisfied all of the requirements of the Ordinance to date. However, there are some requirements that extend beyond 2010, most significantly the requirement for evaluation, implementation, tracking and reporting of cost-effective conservation measures. SPU plans on meeting these requirements as it satisfies the Washington State requirements for a Water Use Efficiency (WUE) program, which became effective in 2007.
The WUE requirements include evaluating conservation measures, setting conservation goals, implementing measures to meet the goals, and reporting on progress towards those goals. The WUE program evaluation and goals will be included in SPU’s Water System Plans, which are updated every six years, and through SPU’s Asset Management business case analyses, as needed. Annual reports of WUE goal progress are posted on the Washington State Department of Health website and must be reported to customers.
Annual reports
All reports are in PDF format.