How Petaluma is tackling this drought - and the next one

Despite a glut of recent rain descending on Sonoma County in late spring and ratcheting rainfall totals to more than double last winter’s paltry numbers, the region remains locked in drought, and local water experts say residents should prepare for ongoing restrictions.

Since last September, Petaluma has sought to curb the city’s overall water usage by 30% compared to 2020 numbers, implementing restrictions on water use to help the city meet mandatory cutback targets set by Sonoma Water, the region’s primary supplier.

“Twenty percent. It’s been a standing regional request,” said Brad Sherwood, Sonoma Water’s assistant general manager. “We have not backed off from that request.”

And with water levels in Sonoma Water’s two reservoirs – Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino – at historic lows for this time of year, there’s little chance for relief this year, despite the 17.63 inches of rain to date in Petaluma far outpacing last year’s 7.13 inches.

Sherwood said getting reservoir levels back to normal depends not only on rainfall totals – but locations.

“That’s a big piece of water 101. It’s great to have rain in Petaluma, but on the regional side, you’ve gotta get it up in the Ukiah Basin, the Healdsburg watershed, where Lake Sonoma is.”

As a result, Petaluma water leaders expect the city’s Stage 4 drought designation to remain in place. The good news, though, is local leaders don’t expect to have to move beyond those restrictions, even as the months grow hotter.

Chelsea Thompson, Petaluma’s environmental services analyst, said the city struggled to meet its 30% reduction goal during the winter months, when more impactful cutbacks to outdoor irrigation are out of reach. But she pointed to consistent drought messaging, which the city will bolster in the coming months – particularly with large water users – as key to meeting those targets going forward.

Both Thompson and Public Works Director Christopher Bolt referenced dealing with drought as a way of life, and the city has leveraged state grants to put the pieces in place for more efficient water use – as well as the ability to tap new resources.

In the coming years, Petaluma will work to replace every water customer’s meter with smart metering technology. The $7.5 million, grant-funded program would reduce staff trips and quickly catch leaks, Thompson said.

Petaluma was also awarded $2.9 million to expand its recycled water infrastructure, helping the city to reserve potable water for drinking.

And the city plans to spend $450,000 in state funding to study and develop a plan for local aquifer storage and recovery. The plan could see Petaluma scooping up excess Russian River water during wet winter months, and injecting it beneath the surface into underground reservoirs, a growing trend across the increasingly arid west.

“We take drought resiliency very seriously,” said Bolt. “We’re extremely fortunate in receiving grant awards in support of our drought resiliency efforts.”

Tyler Silvy is editor of the Petaluma Argus-Courier. Reach him at tyler.silvy@arguscourier.com, 707-776-8458, or @tylersilvy on Twitter.