SV Groundwater Use Efficiency: Water Conservation ‘Off the Grid’ Carrie Pollard Principal Water Programs Specialist

Overview Explore possible water conservation programs for unserved population Partnership with: Sonoma Valley County Sanitation Dist. City of Sonoma Valley of the Moon Water District Sonoma Valley Basin Advisory Panel Grant funding – $25,000 from NBWA and in-kind services from partners

Goals Conduct residential and agricultural water use assessments Develop educational/outreach materials Investigate feasibility of targeted public outreach meetings and events Develop a report summarizing the findings and recommendations

Residential Site Assessments Completed 15 assessments through the Water Smart Home Program (WSHP) Limited participation by well users Small sample size may not reflect all well users

Toilets 48 toilets measured 3.2 toilets per home 29% do not meet current 1992 standard of 1.6 gpf AB715: Toilets sold must be ≤ 1.28 gpf by 2014 SB407: All residential properties must have low- flow fixtures by 2014

Showerheads 43 showerheads measured Average flow rate of 2.08 gpm 7% do not meet gpm standard 93% had a flow rate of 2.0 gpm Sonoma, VOM, Agency have been providing free 2.0 gpm for years, now only 1.5 gpm

Faucets 54 faucets measured Average flow rate of 1.8 gpm, median of 1.5 gpm 15% do not meet gpm standard Sonoma, VOM, Agency provide free 2.0 gpm kitchen and 1.5 gpm bathroom aerators

Clothes Washers All homes had washers 47% did not have newer EnergyStar rated washers 22% of indoor use is for clothes washing Most efficient washer uses 60% less water than old top load washers

Water Softeners 2 homes had water softeners (13%) Not a common appliance in Sonoma County Only 2.8% of homes through the WSHP had them installed

Landscape Irrigation 73% of homes had an automatic irrigation system 64% of the systems were adjusted by staff to reduce water waste Homeowners generally do not know how to irrigate efficiently

Recommendations for Residential Promote high-efficiency clothes washers as nearly half are inefficient Focus on replacing the remaining water guzzling toilets Educate homeowners about water efficient landscape irrigation and practices

Agricultural Site Assessments 3 vineyards 6 dairies Difficult to get participants due to proprietary concerns Generally efficient, but always room to improve

Vineyard Water Use Water use is monitored and controlled for quality of crops Cooperative towards conserving water, but requested to not reveal water use Irrigated with drip systems

Vineyard Recommendations Improve drip system to increase root zone Modify irrigation frequency and duration to fit soil profile Begin irrigation as late as possible – after shoot tip growth slows or stops Use multiple methods to monitor plant water status

Dairy Water Use Majority of water use is for drinking by cows

Dairy Water Use Average water use falls within industry average of 25 to 40 gpd per cow No correlation between size of dairy and efficiency

Efficiency Opportunities Onsite reuse for barn wash down Water for cooling (energy savings) Equipment cleaning water Capture rain water from barn roofs

Water Conservation Outreach Existing programs already available Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper Eco Friendly Garden Tour Bay Friendly Landscaping 350 Garden Challenge Green Business Program

Report Currently drafting report Draft will be released February 24 Comments accepted through March 10 Final report will be distributed

SV Groundwater Use Efficiency: Water Conservation ‘Off the Grid’ Carrie Pollard Principal Water Programs Specialist