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t Principal Urban Conservation BMPs ^ State requirements to mandate the installation of only ultra low flush toilets (ULFTs) in the future (now state law) ^ Replacement of existing high water using toilets with ULFTs, either through regulations or by offering customers incentives for making the change ^ Installation of more efficient showerheads ^ More sophisticated pricing structures to encourage greater efficiency by customers ^ .Audits for industrial users, large landscapes and homes ^ Incentive programs designed to make implementation of conservation measures attractive to the customers ^ Leak detection programs to minimize agency distribution SVStem IOSSeS Cooperative Urban Water Conservation, California Because of the perceived risks associated with water conservation and an historical bias toward meeting all water demands, California utilities did not aggressively pursue water conservation strategies until the late 1980s, when they were hit simulta- neously with a major drought and the likelihood of major reallocations of water back to the environment. At that point, many urban utilities decided that major water conservatio^ programs were desir- able, but only if their concerns about conservation programs could be reduced to manageable levels. Non-governmental environmental organi- zations had long criticized urban water agencies for failing to pursue conservation more aggressively. These groups felt that large conservation savings could be achieved easily and inexpensively, and that the reluctance of urban agencies to implement conservation was based on their desire for additional water development. These environmental organizations pushed for regulatory programs that would have mandated high levels of conservation by urban water agencies. In the mid 1980s, this difference in posture between urban water agencies and envi- ronmental organizations threatened to derail urban conservation efforts, as the two sides emphasized their differences, while ignoring their basic agreement on the desirability of water conservation to the cities and the environment. Memorandum of Understandinc, In an attempt to surmount the impasse over urban water conservation, the major California urban water agencies and environmental groups negotiated an agreement in 1991 entitled, "A Memoran- dum of Understanding Regarding Urban Water Conservation in California" (MOU). The MOU represented a compro- mise by both sides. Environmental groups agreed to support conservative estimates of water savings potential when considering future urban water demand. Urban water agencies made a commitment to implement 16 water conservation "Best Management Practices" (BMPs) over the next 10 years unless agencies could show that the measures were not cost effective (including the environmental costs and benefits of conservation). Thus, whatever savings were available would be extracted, but urban agencies would not be at risk of losing supplies based upon unproven estimates of savings potential. Urban Water Conservation Council The MOU also created a new organiza- tion, the California Urban Water Conservation Council (CUWCC) to monitor implementation by the urban agencies, to identify new BMPs and to advance the state of the art in urban water conservation.