Alamo Creek Trail- Temporary Closure Notice

Zone 7 Water Agency will close a stretch of the Alamo Creek Trail in Dublin from September 3-10, excluding the weekend, so that crews can conduct maintenance work along the flood control channel.

The trail closure will take place between Dublin Boulevard north to the Iron Horse Trail at the confluence of Alamo Creek and San Ramon Creek. The closure is meant as a safety precaution both for trail users and for work crews using heavy equipment on the channel's maintenance road.

To minimize disruption to regular trail users, the trail will be made available to the public on Saturday and Sunday, September 7 and 8.

Zone 7 owns and maintains 37 miles of flood control channels in its service area, including the cities of Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton. Zone 7's flood control facilities are integrated into many programs. During storm events, the channels carry flood waters out of the Valley, protecting life and property. During dry periods, the arroyos are used for groundwater recharge, placing high-quality water in the underground reservoir for storage until the community needs it during droughts. The arroyos are also used as riparian habitat. Many of these channels also have maintenance roads that, through Agency agreements with the cities, have been opened up for recreational trail use.

Zone 7 Awarded Local Groundwater Assistance Grant

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has awarded more than $4.7 million in grants to 26 public agencies from the Local Groundwater Assistance Program. Grant funding is provided by Proposition 84, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006.

The program helps local agencies perform groundwater studies, monitoring, and management activities. Funded projects include installation of monitoring wells, groundwater recharge investigations, data gathering and development or update of groundwater models, preparation of groundwater management plans, and other programs to assist local agencies in managing groundwater in California.

The objective of Zone 7's proposed project is to upgrade and improve Zone 7's groundwater model of the Livermore Valley Groundwater Basin for use in evaluating groundwater and salt management strategies and alternatives, as well as for the development of specific project plans that involve groundwater supplies, aquifer storage, and constituent transport. The DWR grant was in the amount of $200,000, 80% of the project's total cost.

Zone 7 is currently updating its Salt and Nutrient Management Plan to meet requirements of the State Water Resources Control Board's Recycled Water Policy, and to include local land and water development plans. The use of a reliable groundwater model would be helpful in predicting the effects of these future plans, and to further develop Zone 7's ongoing and future salt management strategies.

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.

Zone 7's E-News May 2013

Annual Review of Sustainable Water Supply

"The Integrated Planning section recently completed the 2013 Annual Review of Sustainable Water Supply for Zone 7. Among other things, it concludes that Zone 7 has sufficient water supplies to meet projected water demands over the next five years, with or without water conservation.

 'However, Zone 7's long-term water supply is at risk and subject to a very uncertain future due to court rulings and biological opinions associated with the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and climate change,' the report states. It was alluding to the fact that imports from the State Water Project make up more than 80 percent of Zone 7's existing supply, conveying Sierra snowmelt through the Delta to aqueducts delivering water to the Livermore-Amador Valley."

This article and more from this month's e-newsletter can be found here Zone 7 E-News May 2013.

To get these updates directly to your inbox, please sign up at www.zone7water.com

 

 

May is Water Awareness Month

The California Water Awareness Campaign's (CWAC) mission is to increase public awareness about the need for all Californians to use water wisely.  Formed in 1987 during a drought, the Campaign began with water conservation as its main theme. Since then, the theme has expanded to include the role that water plays in agriculture, industry, the environment, and daily life.  The CWAC annually reaches millions of schoolchildren, residents, and businesses who want to keep California's water healthy and flowing.

Zone 7 is a member of the campaign and supports the 2013 California Water Awareness Campaign effort.  The campaign's goal is to increase community perception that it is important not to waste water- even when we are not in a drought- and to encourage them to adopt water-efficient behaviors and implement water-saving technologies to help ensure adequate future water supplies.  Zone 7 continues to work with our water retailers on general programs to promote water awareness.

While California has made great stride in water conservation and efficiency in recent years, the collective impacts of drought, climate change, increased population demands, court ordered supply reductions and potential natural disasters make it clear that all water users will have to do much more in the coming years.

Learn more at the Campaign's website here.

Zone 7 Events and Rebates

Saturday, May 18, 2013, 10-11:30am. "Lose Your Lawn"
Find out how you can easily convert your lawn into a Bay-Friendly garden. Bay-Friendly Qualified Landscape Designers will share examples of successful transitions to edible landscapes, wildlife habitats and urban retreats. All of the designers have extensive experience converting lawns into varied landscapes and can answer your questions about what comes next. This is a free workshop, no pre-registration required at Western Garden Nursery, 2756 Vineyard Avenue, Pleasanton.

Buying a high-efficiency washer or need a new toilet? Check out all of the rebates offered by Zone 7 here.

Look for Zone 7 stormwater-pollution awareness booths at your local farmer's market.

Earth Day- Easy Ways to Help with Rebates and Safe Disposal of Unwanted/Expired Medications

One of Earth's most precious natural resources, and one that we in the United States may take for granted: fresh, clean, safe water. According to UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund), nearly 4,000 children die each day due to unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation standards. Moreover, 783 million people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water.

Water Conservation and Rebates
Earth Day is a great time to think about wise water use for a more sustainable environment. See the water conservation page of Zone 7’s website to learn about water-saving tips as well as rebate programs for water-efficient toilets, clothes washers, irrigation controllers and lawn conversions!

Prescription Drug Safe Disposal
Keeping our water free from chemicals is one way to help ensure the health and safety of our water sources. Research has shown that pharmaceuticals—including prescription drugs—are present in our nation’s water and may cause environmental harm. Although there is no current evidence that these pharmaceuticals in the environment are responsible for any negative health effects in humans, keeping our water clean is an important public health goal.

To help keep our water free from prescription drugs, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) works with state and local law enforcement agencies to host National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The purpose of this day is to provide a venue for people to safely dispose of unused prescription drugs, so they don’t put the drugs in the trash or flush them down the toilet (where they could eventually end up in our water). This year's event is on Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 10:00am-2:00pm.

Local drop-off locations:
Dublin Police Services, Parking Lot, 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin
Livermore Police Department, 1110 S. Livermore Avenue, Livermore
Pleasanton Police Department, Lobby, 4833 Bernal Avenue, Pleasanton
San Ramon Police Department, 2401 Crow Canyon Road, San Ramon
(Camp Parks Police, 790 5th Street, Dublin are having a drop-off on Friday, April 26 from 10-2)