May/June 2018
Santa Rosa Water News
Providing up-to-date information on our water system, upcoming events, rebates, and offering useful tips.
srcity.org/water
 During the California Water Environment Association's (CWEA)
Annual Conference in April, Santa Rosa Water received the prestigious award of California's Large Collection System of the Year. The award, presented to Santa Rosa
Water’s Operations team, recognized the City’s outstanding maintenance
programs, regulatory compliance, and safety and training procedures.
CWEA awards are designed to honor exceptional California wastewater professionals, facilities, and agencies. The
program seeks to recognize outstanding achievements within the wastewater
field, improve the professional status of all personnel working in the
wastewater industry and related fields and stimulate public awareness of the
importance of wastewater treatment to public health and the water environment.
The Large Collection System is awarded to agencies with over
500 miles of sewer main. Santa Rosa Water, with nearly 590 miles of sewer pipe, just qualified as “large”. Competing with much larger agencies, such as last
year’s winner, LA Sanitation, with a system of over 6,000 miles of pipe.
 Now that the warm weather has arrived, it’s time to adjust your
watering timers and check your irrigation system for leaks. Did you know that
Santa Rosa Water provides free weekly watering recommendations at srcity.org/watersmartyard?
We also have additional WaterSmart resources on our website that include…
We hope you'll find this information useful as we
strive to make every home in Santa Rosa WaterSmart.
 The Santa Rosa Water-Use Efficiency team has partnered with the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership (SMSWP) on a Residential Rebuild Landscape Design Project. The project includes the development of model residential landscape design plans that will be made available at no cost to assist property owners and streamline their rebuilding process.
Eight base landscape plan sets are being created for front yards based on typical lot sizes in the affected areas.The plans are being designed to be scalable and offer property owners a selection of planting styles. There will also be optional design elements including rain gardens, graywater and rainwater harvesting. An Advisory Panel, including members from the City’s Planning and Economic Development, Water, and Fire Departments will be providing input on the draft plans.The model plans are scheduled to be completed by the end of May. Visit the SMSWP project website to learn more.
 The 11th Annual WaterSmart Expo will take place at the Downtown Market in Courthouse Square on May 30, from 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm. The theme this year is “We are WaterSmart” to show the community how we continue to use water wisely. A high-efficiency clothes washing machine and two smart irrigation controllers will be raffled as prizes to three lucky City of Santa Rosa Water customers. Don't miss this great opportunity to:
- Ask an expert about sustainable landscaping
- Learn about free, easy-to-permit landscape design templates for the rebuild
- See demonstrations of graywater and rainwater harvesting systems
- Discover native/drought tolerant plant displays
- Pick-up FREE WaterSmart tips and tools
- Enter to WIN several different WaterSmart prizes
For more information, visit: srcity.org.watersmartexpo.
 On May 1, the Santa Rosa City Council proclaimed May as Water Awareness Month and presented Water‐Use Efficiency awards to three exemplary Water customers.
The Residenial award winner was Kathleen Lynch and her tenant, Mary Panet, who worked with Susan Foley to design and install a beautiful, water‐efficient landscape that includes a rain garden and many plants that benefit bees and hummingbirds.
The Twin Lakes Homeowners Association received recognition for reducing their water by removing 10,000 square feet of turf, and the Commercial Property award winner was American Adventures for upgrading their plumbing fixtures.
 City Council also presented the 23rd Annual Water Awareness Month Poster Contest Awards on May 22. This year 22 elementary schools participated, which included over 2,500 third and fourth grade students. The third graders’ theme was “Only Rain Should Go Down the Drain!” and the fourth graders’ theme was “Save Water to Save Energy.” The winning posters are highlighted above.
CURRENT WATER STATISTICS:
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RESERVOIR LEVELS: As of May 21, 2018 reservoir storage in Lake Sonoma is 92.8% of
capacity and Lake Mendocino is 89% of target water supply storage.
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RAINFALL: Rainfall
this year-to-date (October 1, 2017- May 20, 2018) is 24.99 inches.
Average rainfall for the
same period is 29.71 inches.
Current water supply levels can be found on the Sonoma County Water Agency's website.
 One of the most important factors in water
quality is the source. Santa Rosa's primary source of water is from the Russian
River which is naturally filtered through rock, sand, and gravel from wells
about 100 feet below the river bed, which produces our high-quality drinking
water. Before this water reaches your tap, Santa Rosa and the Sonoma County Water Agency take many
steps to ensure its quality. This includes performing regular testing to ensure
your water meets - or exceeds - state and federal standards and carefully
managing our water distribution system.
While the devastating October wildfires damaged water infrastructure serving 352 properties in the Fountaingrove (click to view map of area), Santa Rosa Water has been able to isolate contamination and continues to supply safe, high-quality drinking water to the rest of the City as we work diligently to restore water quality in Fountaingrove.
By choosing tap water you can save money, reduce waste, and make a healthy choice. Taste for yourself what high-quality, refreshing tap water
tastes like by visiting the Santa Rosa Water Hydration Station at events all
summer long. For more information, visit: srcity.org/tap.
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In 2015 the California Energy
Commission selected the City of Santa Rosa to participate in an innovative,
energy research project implementing Microgrid Technology at the Laguna Treatment
Plant, where approximately 15 million gallons of wastewater from homes, schools, and businesses
in the region are recycled and reused every day.
Thanks to the leadership of City
Council, Santa Rosa was selected as 1 of 3 finalists, out of 55 applicants, to receive
a $5 million grant for cutting edge Microgrid Technology upgrades at the Laguna
Treatment Plant.
The microgrid project will enhance
the plant by adding advanced controls, 372 solar panels mounted on steel
supports above the parking lot, energy storage batteries, and upgrades to the
plant’s four large gas generators. Piloting Microgrid Technology at the Laguna
Treatment Plant will allow Santa Rosa to generate more electricity on-site,
reduce demand on the main electrical grid when energy demands spike, and
demonstrate how Santa Rosa is building a resilient, low carbon future for our
region.
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SonomaCountyRecovers.org
Offical recovery information for Sonoma County fires.
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Water Bill Relief
Santa Rosa Water Bill Relief for additional water used for fire protection ends June 1st.
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Become a Creek Steward
This program offers the opportunity to protect and enhance the
Santa Rosa creeks we enjoy.
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