Seattle Public Utilities

Policy

1. PURPOSE

This policy provides guidance on the approach Seattle Public Utilities will take in meeting water demands during extremely low water supply conditions while ensuring adequate stream flow for fish habitat.

2. POLICY

Plan to meet full water demands of "people and fish" under all but the most extreme or unusual conditions, when demands can only be partially met.

A. Take into account reductions in demand resulting from demand management when forecasting water demands for people.

B. In forecasting water demands for fish, include water that is needed to meet regulatory requirements and provisions of legal agreements, and maintaining healthy ecosystems based on best available science that prove beneficial in a triple-bottom line analysis.

C. Use a 98% engineering planning standard for determining longterm yield from water supplies, which differs from the approach used for evaluating available supplies on a year-to-year basis.

D. Include operational requirements associated with flood management, as well as increments in supply related to conjunctive use of SPU supply sources, when determining long-term yield.

E. As understanding of regional climate change and variability advances, continue to factor it into long-range demand and supply analysis.

F. Maintain a contingency plan that guides utility and customer actions during low water conditions in a way that strives to minimize impacts to people and fish.

G. Maintain backup supplies as a tool for managing supply in years with unusually low water conditions.