Windsor investigates innovative water program
In the current economic climate, individuals and households aren’t the only ones looking to cut back on utility expenses. The Town of Windsor joins the effort to conserve both funds and resources– namely, water.
At last Wednesday’s town council meeting members voted to continue pursuing an innovative water savings model called Pay as you Save, or PAYS. While four other states have implemented the program, Windsor would be the first locality in California to do so and would serve as a pilot for the state.
The model encourages users to conserve water by offering financial incentives for using water-efficient appliances. Participants purchase the appliance at no up-front cost; the cost is instead added as a surcharge to the water bill. Even including the surcharge, the program guarantees the consumer the immediate benefit of a lower monthly water cost.
“This pilot would be great for our community,” said Debora Fudge, Vice Mayor. “You don’t have to be a homeowner to benefit, either. Anyone who pays a water bill in the Town of Windsor is eligible.”
Consumers may like the sound of lower utility bills and better water efficiency, but there’s something in it for the Town as well: lower water usage means potential demand reduction for both current and future consumers. Accordingly, the Town could spend less money developing water resources. The program would also eliminate most of the need for other toilet and washer rebate offers currently in place.
As another element of the long-term plan to reduce water usage, the Town is also considering adding a more expensive lawn conversion measure to encourage residents to replace their lawns with water-saving plants. To make this cost-effective, the council is considering consumer rebates and determining whether the water rate structure would need to be revised. The results of these studies will be brought back to the town council for further decisions before the pilot is launched.
The Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority will provide start-up funding to complete the initial steps of designing and customizing the PAYS model for Windsor, making participation in this pilot cost the Town little to nothing.
The vote Wednesday authorized the Town to continue pursuing the project by assessing the cost of modifying the water billing system, which currently bills for usage to the nearest 1,000 gallons. Under the PAYS structure, customers would be billed to the nearest gallon.
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