City, county officials call for water conservation

As June's hot, dry weather brings out the inner water guzzler in all of us, city and county officials are asking residents to use some restraint at the tap.

Monday's surprise lightning storm did little to relieve arid conditions brought on by one of the driest springs on record. So, as Sonoma County heads into summer, officials are taking steps to ensure there will be enough water in the county's reservoirs to last until the next rainy season.

Already, people are consuming water at rates equal to peak summertime usage, which usually doesn't occur until the hot months of August and September, said Brad Sherwood, spokesman for the Sonoma County Water Agency.

To address the matter, the agency has issued a 20 Gallon Challenge to county water users, where participants volunteer to consume 20 gallons less water a day. The challenge offers water-saving tips like turning off the tap while brushing teeth, which can save a remarkable 8 gallons a day. Those who take the pledge are entered into a raffle to win prizes like a water-efficient washing machine and $400 of landscape design.

"Every drop of water that is saved we can keep in our reservoirs, which is crucial for our water supply not just for people, but so that we can release water for salmon in the fall," said Sherwood.

Petaluma, which buys most of the water it supplies to residents from the county water agency, is encouraging people to join the challenge.

"Our main focus is on voluntary water conservation," said Dan St. John, director of Petaluma's Public Works Department. "Residents wear it as a badge of pride to help out when the need arises, as it did (during the drought) in 2009, and as it may again this year," he added. "People don't need to be convinced water conservation is a good thing, but sometimes they need to be reminded how to do it. The 20 Gallon challenge focuses on that."

Petaluma is also encouraging folks to take advantage of the city's own water conservation programs, which have reduced water usage dramatically over the past three years. Those programs include Mulch Madness and a Water-wise home audit program.

Mulch Madness offers residents the opportunity to convert their grassy yards to mulched ones at little or no cost, shrinking their water consumption in the process. About 500 households have taken advantage of the program, said David Iribarne, who is in charge of water conservation for Petaluma.

Indeed, a quick drive around town reveals many front yards covered with mulch and drought-tolerant plants. Yet others are in the process of being converted.

Leslie Ihrig is one of the many residents who took advantage of the program, converting her family's grassy front yard to mulch last August.

"In past summers, to save water, we'd just stop watering," she said. "The grass died and it didn't look all that great."

She's enjoyed watching her drought-tolerant plants grow in this year, she said, adding that they are nicer than the dead grass of years past.

In addition to encouraging people to conserve, Petaluma will begin pumping recycled water through its "purple pipes" to irrigate numerous grounds around town this summer, including half of Adobe Creek Golf Course, Prince Park, Wiseman Park, the Petaluma airport, and Casa Grande High School.

That will offset the need to buy about 35 million gallons of fresh water each year from the county water agency, Iribarne said.

The city has also has been meeting with the county water agency almost weekly to talk about water levels and ensure there won't be a gap between supply and demand later in the summer, St. John said.

"There's no water gap today," he said, "but we want to be darn sure there won't be for our customers."

The city is preparing its wells now, he said, so that if there is a shortfall in the county's supply later in the summer, Petaluma will be ready to provide an additional source of water.