CCWD Water Customers Have Saved 20 Percent Since May 1

CCWD customers continue to save even more water, and their savings now totals 20 percent between May 1 and Oct. 31.

This remains a remarkable result, and well above our original goal of 15 percent. Since the Drought Management Program began in May, our customers have consistently been at or above the goal.

The savings are compared to average water used in the years 2005, '06 and '07.

Of course, the drought is far from over. As fall ends and winter arrives, we're losing potential rainy days. It will take more than average rain and snowfall in California to get us out of drought conditions.

In November, with its shorter days, we advise that you water your lawn only once a week, and your trees and shrubs don't need any watering at all.


Customers Recognized For Saving Water

CCWD's Board of Directors recognized two of its customers for saving water in October.

The City of Pleasant Hill was honored for proactively managing 65 landscape irrigation accounts and reducing consumption by more than 50 percent, saving at least 4.5 million gallons since May 2009.

The Dana Hills Homeowners’ Association in Clayton was also honored for continuing its active management of its landscape and saving more than 1.5 million gallons since May 2009 compared to its historical use.

Car Wash and Mulch Coupons End Nov 1.

CCWD's popular car wash and mulch discount coupon programs end on Sunday, Nov. 1

The coupons are designed to promote water savings. The car wash program coupons apply only to 11 local car washes that recycle water. So with the expected sunny weather this weekend, go out and wash your car, and save a little money.

With the mulch program,local nurseries and garden centers are giving discounts of all kinds on purchasing mulch. Mulch will help you save water in your yard, and will also cut down on weeding.

So get out there and mulch!

Don't Forget To Cut Back Your Sprinkler Timers

With shorter days, and thankfully some rainy weather , don't forget to reduce the days of your automatic sprinkler timers.

In October, we recommend watering your lawn only twice a week, and your trees only once a week.

Replace Your Timer's Backup Battery With The Time Change

Most people replace their smoke alarm batteries when the time changes each spring and fall. Don't forget to replace your sprinkler timer's backup battery as well.

In some digital models, if the power goes out and the backup battery is dead, when power it restored the timer will revert to a default mode. So instead of having a finely-tuned water-saving irrigation system, you'll probably have one that wastes water, and you may not even know it.

Turn Down Your Sprinkler Timers!

There's little doubt that fall has finally arrived in Contra Costa, with shorter days and cool brisk mornings and evenings.

This is a great -- and really easy -- opportunity to save a lot of water, by turning down your sprinkler timers.

CCWD's Conservation staff recommends that during October you need to water the lawn only twice a week, and the shrubs only once a week.

Many people forget to change their sprinkler timer schedules. With the shorter and cooler days, you just don't need so much water.

District Honors Water Savers

The Contra Costa Water District Board of Directors honored four of its customers in October for saving water.

Board President Joseph L. Campbell said CCWD customers have been saving water, "and we thought we'd recognize some people who are doing it well."

Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister, Concord's Director of Public Works Alex Pascual and Public Works Horticulture Advisor Scott Vasquez represented the city at the ceremony. The city began to plan early for the potential of the drought, used CCWD rebates to upgrade central irrigation controls and has saved more than 9.7 million gallons of water during the summer months of July and August. Mayor Hoffmeister said the city's water-saving efforts have "gone much smoother than we expected," and lauded the city staff's efforts to find creative solutions to the problems presented by having less water available.

Roy and Rosadelia Detwiler of Concord were recognized for their water saving efforts in their landscaping at their home. They have converted both their front and back yards into beautiful drought-tolerant landscapes. They reduced their water use by more than 30 percent and are saving an average of 160 gallons of water per day. They have been featured on the television program 'Water Matters' and their house is also a stop on the "Bringing Back the Natives" garden tour that CCWD sponsors. You can see the Water Matters segment on their home here.

The David Deutscher Company in Pleasant Hill was honored for a project in which it has removed more than a third of an acre of turf grass and updated its existing sprinkler system with a modern drip system. The company expects to cut 50 percent of its water use with the changes.

Also honored were James and Stacey Morikawa of Concord who have been featured on a CCWD web video for saving more than 1,600 gallons of water per day following a CCWD Home Water Use Survey. You can see a video on their story here.


Mulch and Car Wash Coupons Good Only Through Nov. 1

Don’t forget to use our Mulch and Car Wash coupons before their Nov. 1 experation date. We can save you money when buying mulch at 30 local nurseries, which saves water in the garden and at local car washes that recycle their water.

ow Pay Your Water Bill With A Credit Card Online

You can now pay your Contra Costa Water District bill online with a credit card.

It's an easy and fast way to pay your water bill. Take a look here.

You will need you account number to complete the transaction.

Customers Continue to Conserve! Good Job!!!

Contra Costa Water District customers have reduced summer water consumption by 18 percent overall, beating the District's goal of 15 percent.

“Our customers are showing how committed they are to water conservation,” said CCWD General Manager Walter J. Bishop.

"Our customers are being extremely responsive to the reality that the state is in a third year of drought and may face more dry years ahead,” Mr. Bishop said. “Water conserved now will be supply insurance for next year should conditions remain dry."

Through August, 85 percent of the District’s treated-water customers maintained water use within their water budgets, saving water and money. Only about 15 percent, meanwhile, either increased water usage relative to historical use or failed to live within their requested water budget.

Take a Look at New CCWD Videos

We have four videos online we thought may be helpful.

Two of the videos are short segments from the "Water Matters' NBC 11 television show that will air for the final time on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 10:30 a.m. The other two were produced by CCWD.

We expect to produce more videos, including a step by step series on how our Water Conservation Supervisor is removing the lawn in front of his home.

All the videos are short, and we hope you find them useful.

See how CCWD performs a How Water Use Survey.


Learn how to read your water meter.

See how a local family has turned their front and back yards into drought-tolerant gardens.


See how one family is saving 1,633 gallons of water per day.


CCWD Has Rebates on 'Smart' Sprinkler Controllers

The use of “smart” irrigation controllers in home landscaping systems is the biggest breakthrough in outdoor water savings since the introduction of drip irrigation some 30 years ago.

With most controllers, the irrigation systems go on when the rains stop in the spring. The programs run on the same schedules regardless of temperatures, different humidity conditions, and length of days. Frequently, plants receive either too much or too little water, because the amounts do not change and the conditions do.

“Smart” controllers can save a significant amount of water because they are programmed with three types of additional information: Built-In logic, Entered Data, and Real-Time Data.

1)The first category, Built-In Logic, has solar radiation values for every micro-climate by postal zip code or latitude. Some systems can even measure solar radiation on site.

2) Entered Data includes information about each zone to be watered, including soil type, plant type, irrigation type (sprinklers or drip) and slope.

3) Real-Time Data uses on-site sensors or wireless ET weather date service to provide fast response to unexpected rain storms or heat waves.

These new Smart irrigation controllers range in price from $200 to about $700, depending on which features you need or want. Most include pre-purchase training to ensure correct installation and optimum performance. Some brands allow discounts for upgrades.

CCWD offers rebates on these controllers for commercial and residential use, we have more information here.


Now Pay Your Water Bill With A Credit Card Online

You can now pay your Contra Costa Water District bill online with a credit card.

It's an easy and fast way to pay your water bill. Take a look here.

You will need you account number to complete the transaction.


Water Conservation Classes Coming Up

Two classes are coming up at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek.

Lawn Removal September 19, 10 a.m.-noon
Presenter: Kat Weiss
Ready to ditch your lawn and put in a low-water landscape instead? Learn how to remove and replace your lawn in this hands-on workshop.

Composting for Families October 3, 10 a.m. -12 noon
Presenter: Karen Gardner
Anyone from the age of 7 to 101 is welcome at this family-friendly workshop on home composting. Learn about different methods of turning your food scraps into plant food.

For more information, pricing and reservations, contact the Ruth Bancroft Garden.

Tour CCWD Water Facilities Sept. 18 & Oct. 9

Curious to see how your water gets to you, where it’s pumped from or how it’s treated?

CCWD offers four tours of its facilities to its customers each year, and two of these popular tours are coming up this fall.

These bus tours are educational outings that include visits to a water treatment plant, an intake facility and Los Vaqueros.

The tour on Friday, Sept. 18 has many seats available, and the Friday, Oct. 9 tour has a few.

The tours depart from the Concord District Center (1331 Concord Ave., Concord) at 8 a.m. We aim to return by 3:30 p.m. and lunch is provided.

Sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis. If you can’t make these fall dates, but are interested, we’ll put your name on a list for the spring.

There is no cost, and only CCWD customers may attend. These tours are offered for adults over 18 only. Please send an e-mail, or call (925) 688-8175.

Shorter Days Mean Less Water Demand

Your lawn and landscape plants will begin to demand less water during August. This is because the time between sunrise and sunset is getting shorter. By the middle of August, reduce your watering run times by a couple of minutes on each station. Alternatively, you can reduce the weekly watering schedule by one day.


Mulch Program Continues To Grow

We now have 21 stores that offer discounts on buying mulch through our "Mulch, Mulch, Mulch" program.

Mulch is a great way to save water, especially around shrubs and trees, and prevent weed growth.

Different stores have different discounts, but we're sure you can find one that meets your needs.

Water Matters This Saturday

NBC 11 will air "Water Matters" on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 3 p.m.

The show features a segment on CCWD that includes how one family has transformed their front and back yard into low-water gardens, and what's involved in a CCWD home water survey.

Free High-Efficiency Toilets Available in Antioch

A company in Antioch is using CCWD's high-efficiency toilet voucher program to make free toilets available to District customers.

Southwest Environmental is making the 1.6 gallon per flush toilets available for free, and has a selection of models, including some with the dual flush feature that is gaining popularity and saves even more water.Here is more information on their web site:


You need to get a voucher from CCWD to get the toilet, and still need to have it installed.

One Customer Is Saving 1,633 Gallons of Water Per Day!

Take a look at this video of a Concord family that has made some simple changes, and are now saving a lot of money and an average of 1,633 gallons of water per day. The video is not even three minutes long.




Now Pay Your Water Bill With A Credit Card Online!

You can now pay your Contra Costa Water District bill online with a credit card.

It's an easy and fast way to pay your water bill. Take a look here.

You will need you account number to complete the transaction.

"Beat The Drought" Kiosks Now At Martinez, Brentwood Libraries

Our 'Beat the Drought' electronic kiosks have moved again, and are now at the Martinez and Brentwood libraries.

Stop in and take a look, both kiosks have water saving quizzes and games. You can even test your knowledge of Hollywood movies with water themes.

Classes Coming Up In September

The Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek is a great place to visit and get ideas on ways to save water, and still have a beautiful garden.

There are a bunch of classes coming up in September, including one on ways to remove your lawn.

Wow!!!! CCWD Customers Have Saved 19%

In the first three months of CCWD's Drought Management Program, customers have saved 19 percent, exceeding the goal by a healthy margin.

“Our customers in Central and Eastern Contra Costa County are doing an outstanding job of conserving water,” said General Manager Walter J. Bishop. “The focus of the program is reducing outdoor water use and the data so far shows our customers have responded in a positive way. Their efforts are appreciated. We also know that our customers are seeing conservation benefits in their pocketbooks because at the same time they’re saving water, they’re saving money, too.”

The District’s 15 percent drought management program started May 1. The program did not raise water rates. The District sent proposed water budgets to all customers and informed them that excess-use fees would be applied to customers who increase water use or consume more than 1000 gallons per day. The excess-use fee was designed to give customers a financial incentive to conserve water.

Read CCWD's News Release


Our Surveyors Track Down A Hot Leak

A "hot leak" might be a great source of newsworthy information for a news reporter, but in the water industry a hot leak is NOT what you would expect.

One of our water surveyors was working at a customers' home helping them save water, and was puzzled by an apparent leak. The water meter's "low flow" indicator kept turning, no matter where he looked at the house. Most leaks reveal themselves after some investigation. The usual suspects of a leaky toilet or sink were ruled out, as was the sprinkler system.

Still, the indicator on the water meter kept spinning.

Finally, he noticed a wet spot next to the side of the house. He touched the ground, and the ground and the mud were warm! Which is really weird, and the last thing he expected outside a home.

It took awhile to figure out, but the warm water was coming from a hot water pipe next to the house. The older home was built on a concrete slab and at some point a hot water pipe buried in the concrete broke. Rather than cut into the concrete, a new hot water pipe was laced through the house and then outside it into the ground.

It was here where the leak was taking place, wasting water and energy at the same time. When our surveyor turned off the water to the water heater, the indicator stopped spinning.

The homeowner called a plumber right away.

A Great Resource For Drought Resistant Plants, and a Super Video

The UC Davis Arboretum's web site is a wonderful resource for looking for drought resistant plants that will thrive in Contra Costa County.


Look for this list of plant "all-stars."

Also, there is a great video on the Arboretum that will give you all kinds of ideas for planting in your yard.

Classes For Professional Irrigators Coming Up

EBMUD is again hosting Irrigation Association classes at its West Oakland facility. Once again SpotWater Management will be conducting the classes and handling all registration (except for the exam registration which the Irrigation Association handles).

There will have an Irrigation Contractor class on Oct. 29 and 30, and a Landscape Irrigation Auditor class on Nov. 9 and 10. The certification exam for both classes will be held at the same location on Nov. 11. Remember that the IA requires that exam registration be completed at least 30 days before an exam, so that is October 11.

Please email SpotWater Management if you have questions about the course content and for registration information at info@spotwater.com.