Celebrating the Central Dublin Recycled Water Project

I was pleased to attend the Central Dublin Recycled Water Project Celebration today at Dublin's Kolb Park hosted by the Dublin San Ramon Services District. The Central Dublin Project was DSRSD’s first major retrofit of older facilities, bringing a supply of recycled water to four schools and three parks. Contractors installed 1.5 miles of recycled water distribution pipes under residential streets last fall and converted sprinkler systems at the parks and schools in early 2013. The Central Dublin Project is projected to distribute an additional 44.3 million gallons of recycled water per year, saving enough potable water to serve another 433 households. Zone 7 was proud to partner with DSRSD on this project, providing $39,000 from state water conservation grants to retrofit the sprinkler systems at the schools. A fact sheet from DSRSD with more information about the project and its benefits is available here.

Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti, Zone 7 Director Angela Ramirez Holmes, and DSRSD VP Georgean Vonheeder-Leopold

Recycled water is wastewater that has been cleaned through primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment.  The process follows strict standards set by the California Department of Public Health, including disinfection to remove pathogens. According to these standards, tertiary-treated recycled water is safe for all human contact except drinking. Recycled water distribution systems are completely separate from potable water systems and are colored purple for easy identification. DSRSD requires new developments to be plumbed, from the start, for recycled water irrigation at parks, schools, golf courses, commercial areas, and other large landscapes. Older neighborhoods in the DSRSD service area are being retrofitted as funding becomes available.


Graphic courtesy of DSRSD

 

 

Zone 7's 2012 Annual Report Released

Zone 7 Water Agency's 2012 Annual Report is now available online. It relates the plans, programs and other activities that were initiated, managed and completed over the year to further the goals of providing a reliable supply of high-quality water and an effective flood-protection system to the Livermore-Amador Valley.

Among other things, the report -- entitled "We're All About Water" -- highlights the significance of Zone 7's strong commitment to Integrated Water Resources Management as a tool to manage water resources and facilities in a holistic, cohesive fashion.

The report highlights key activities and accomplishments in 2012 in the areas of:

• Agencywide enhancement: Updated Strategic Planning priorities and adopted Vision and Values statements.
• Water supply, reliability and quality -- Continued to support Bay Delta Conservation Plan efforts aimed at achieving the co-equal goals of restoring the Delta ecosystem and securing water supply reliability for 25 million Californians, including those in Zone 7's service area; partnered with other Bay Area water agencies to study a Regional Desalination Project; expanded water conservation programs; was prominently featured in a national trade publication for the Mocho Groundwater Demineralization Plant.
• Financial accountability -- Continued cost efficiencies to hold the line on water rates; achieved significant energy cost savings through participation in PG&E's peak-day pricing program; continued to pursue separation from Alameda County as a means to streamline operations and reduce administrative costs.
• Flood protection -- Made significant progress on  Stream Management Master Plan (SMMP) projects, including planning the Arroyo Mocho's Stanley Reach Riparian Restoration and Channel Enhancement Project and creating hydrologic and hydraulic models of the agency's watershed area to help update projects identified in the SMMP; continued work on a sediment study to better understand the magnitude of sediment transport within the Upper Alameda Creek Watershed area.
• Environmental stewardship -- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by curtailing energy use during summertime peak demand; worked with other jurisdictions to move from planning toward implementation of the East Alameda County Conservation Strategy.
• Maximizing public benefits through partnerships -- Collaborated with local partners on two projects that helped link our communities with biking and pedestrian trails along Zone 7 flood control channels.

The entire report is available by clicking here. Also available on the Zone 7 website is our recently released Consumer Confidence (Water Quality) Report for 2012.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.  It is an honor to serve you.