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.

Make Your Garden Part of 'Bringing Back The Natives' Tour

If you have a garden or yard that has more than 50 percent native plants, you may want to be part of next year's "Bringing Back The Natives Garden Tour."

The tour is set for Saturday, May 2, 2010 and includes gardens in both Alameda and Contra Costa County. More than 50 gardens are featured, and yours could be included as well.

CCWD has long been a sponsor of the award-winning tour since drought-tolerant native plants are featured in the gardens.

Lawns Are Water Guzzlers

We've heard from customers that keeping lawns healthy during the drought is one of their biggest challenges in saving water. We have a good guide to keeping your lawn going even with less water. It's called Drought Survival 101, and you can see it online.

The Santa Clara Water Agency estimates that by cutting your watering times by one minute, you'll save 20 gallons of water per day.



Mulch & Car Wash Coupon Programs Continue To Do The Job

CCWD’s “Mulch, Mulch, Mulch” and “Smart Wash Car Wash” programs have been very successful.

There’s no limit on how often you use the coupons. So print some coupons, then stop by the nursery and throw some bags of mulch in the trunk, then detour to the car wash and save some water there.

Water Matters Gets Additional Air Dates

Water Matters, a half-hour show on local water issues, has been given six additional air dates on NBC Channel 11

The show has segments on three water districts, including CCWD.

The District segment features Assistant General Manager Greg Gartrell and Water Conservation Supervisor Chris Dundon, along with customers who are saving water in their drought-resistant yards.

Here's the schedule for the show, sponsored in part by CCWD. The web page devoted to the program is here.

Saturday, Aug.8 noon

Sunday, Aug. 16 10am

Saturday, Aug. 29 3pm

Sunday, Sept. 6 10am

Sunday Sept. 13 9pm (post NFL)

Saturday Sept. 26 10:30am


Huell Howser To Feature CCWD

Speaking of television shows, TV personality Huell Howser interviewed Greg Gartrell earlier this week for a future feature on his California Water series titled “Tap Water: The Drink of Choice”.

Greg and Huell discussed the water quality benefits that Los Vaqueros provides for Contra Costa Water District customers. They also discussed the watershed’s beneficial habitat and recreation opportunities.

Filming is underway and the segment is schedule to be available this fall.

CCWD To Stop Filling Los Vaqueros on Aug. 1

The Contra Costa Water District will stop filling Los Vaqueros on Aug. 1. The reservoir will be about 88 percent filled at that time.

Water quality in the Delta is dropping, so the District will most-likely soon be using water stored at Los Vaqueros, meaning the reservoir water level will start heading down.

Drip Systems Explained at Ruth Bancroft & Markham Gardens

Drip irrigation will be explained at two of the area's most beautiful gardens in August.

A new summer workshop series at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek launches with a talk on drip irrigation by Water Management Trainer and Landscape Designer Lori Palmquist on Saturday, Aug. 18 and continues through October with other topics ranging from Lawn Removal to Harvesting Rainwater.

CCWD is a co-sponsor of these talks.

The cost is:

$20 for Ruth Bancroft Garden Members
$20 for Garden Conservancy Members
$25 for the General Public

Sign up for three or more classes from the series, and receive a $10 discount!

Here's more information:

Markham Garden Also Has A Drip Irrigation Class

The Urban Farmer’s Tom Bressen will speak on "Making Every Drop Count Tips and Techniques for Landscape Watering" on Saturday, Aug. 8 from 10 a.m until noon.

Tom wrote a 32-page book on drip irrigation titled:"The Drip Irrigation Handbook"

The presentation will be held at the Garden Center Markham Nature Park and Arboretum,1202 La Vista Avenue in Concord.

The cost is $10.

Here's more information.


Wow! You've Been Replacing Toilets & Washers

CCWD's fiscal year closed on June 30, and our customers have been working hard to save water by buying high-efficiency appliances.

Rebates for high-efficiency washing machines were up 57 percent when compared to a year ago, with 3,600 rebates provided. You can earn a rebate of up to $200 on a new-approved high-efficiency washing machine.

Rebates for high-efficiency toilets were up 37 percent with 2,300 rebates provided. You can earn up to $175 for an approved high-efficiency toilet.

The nice thing about these rebates is that the new toilets and washers will be saving water for many, many years into the future.

CCWD's rebate program is unchanged for the new fiscal year, but the funds that pay the rebates have limits.

We suggest you buy new toilets and washers as soon as comfortably possible to ensure that you get the rebate you're entitled to.

Look here for more information on CCWD rebates.

Water Matters Saturday

Water Matters' the half-hour television special that discusses local water issues and ways to save water, is now on the air.

Co-sponsored by CCWD, the Marin Water District and the Sonoma County Water Agency, the program discusses local water issues and ways you can save water at home.

The CCWD segment includes a portion on Los Vaqueros, what's involved with a CCWD home water survey, and living with a drought resistant front and back yard.

You can see it this Saturday at 11 a.m. on NBC 11, it will also be on the air again Sunday, Sept. 13 at 9 p.m after the NFL game)

Look here for more information on Water Matters.

With Crazy Weather, Here's a Hint For Knowing When to Water

With our weather being hot one week, and downright cool the next, it's hard to know when's a good time to water your lawn.

In our "Drought 101" phamplet, we advise people to watch their lawn. "If your lawn takes on a blue-grey tone or the grass blades don't spring back after you walk on in, it's time to water."

Cover That Pool, Save Water & Money

If you have a swimming pool, the automatic filling mechanism makes it difficult to know how much water you’re losing to evaporation since the pool is always full.

There are many variables to water loss in a pool, such as wind, how much sun is on your pool, temperature at night and during the day, the size of your pool, how often it’s used, and humidity. But you can lose up to 1.5 inches of water per week in your pool due to evaporation. Unless you have a little pool, that's a lot of water.

One way to cut down water loss is with a pool cover. It keeps the water where it belongs, and can also cut your chemical loss, saving money in two areas.

So, take a look at a pool cover. CCWD recommends you consider the type of pool cover that can support a person’s weight if someone were to fall in.

The Department of Energy has a good guide to pool covers.

Water Matters on NBC 11

Look for a new television show on NBC 11 that focuses on how local people are saving water.

CCWD is one of three water districts in the Bay Area sponsoring the television show “Water Matters.” The half-hour show covers all kinds of topics about water, including lots of practical tips for saving water.

Part of the show tells how CCWD gets its water, and follows a District Home Water Use Survey. There is also a visit with a local family who has installed beautiful drought-resistant gardens in their front and back yards that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

The show is set for:

Saturday, July 25: 11 a.m.
&
Sunday, September 13 9 p.m. after the football game.

We’ll expect to soon have clips from the show on our website: www.ccwater.com

City of Clayton Asking For Water Waste Help

The City of Clayton – recently named by Money Magazine 87th among the “100 Best Places to Live” – is asking for help in finding water waste due to broken sprinklers.

An exhibit in the Clayton Library asks people to help the city to find broken sprinklers at homes, on median strips and parks by calling City Hall at 673-7300 or sending an e-mail through its website.

In addition, the city has relaxed its rules requiring that lawns stay green.

Good job, Clayton!

You Can Call Us As Well

If you see water waste in any area of the District, call our Water Savings Team at (925) 688-8044 or by sending an e-mail to jfreschi@ccwater.com

Include as much information as you think we'll need to solve the problem.

We’ve had hundreds of calls, and nearly all of them have been solved after a visit from our Water Savings Team. Thanks

Mulch & Car Wash Coupon Programs Have Been Huge Successes

CCWD’s “Mulch, Mulch, Mulch” and “Smart Wash Car Wash” programs have been very successful.

There’s no limit on how often you use the coupons. So print some coupons, then stop by the nursery and throw some bags of mulch in the trunk, then detour to the car wash and save some water there. Drive home with a clean car; put some mulch in the garden and save even more water.


Water Conservation Kiosks Move

Our popular “Beat the Drought” Water Conservation kiosk is now at the Clayton Library and will soon be at the Bay Point Library. Look for the blue kiosk, and see how Hollywood has glamorized water!

CCWD Customers Saved 15% ; Good Job!

CCWD customers have certainly done their share to "Beat The Drought."

In May and June, they saved 15 percent, which is exactly on target for the District's Drought Management Program.

The 15 percent savings is compared to an average for the years 2005, '06 and '07. These are the same years the District uses as a base for comparisons as part of the "Drought Management Program."

We don't use 2008 as a comparison, since we had asked customers to voluntarily cut back that year, and many did.

In the first two months of the Drought Management Program, customers have responded exactly to the level we have asked them to. It's remarkable.

Of course July and August are usually the hottest months of the year, so customers need to keep on working at saving water. But if the keep doing what they have been, we should be in pretty good shape.

Our customers have been sending us ideas on how they save water at home, and you can read it here.

If you haven't done so already, ask our water surveyors to come out to your home. You can read about the program here, and sign up online.

Exceptions Not Retroactive

Some customers have waited until they receive their bill before filing for an exceptions request, which allow increases to their individual water budget due to changes in their home.

These changes range from having the in-laws move in to having a medical condition that requires more water.

The thing to remember: The exceptions request is not retroactive.

If you let us know that your circumstances have changed, after you receive your bill, it's too late. If the exception is granted, it only applies to future bills.

You can fill out an exceptions form online.


'Water Matters' Returns Sunday

"Water Matters," The half-hour television special that explores the drought, and also shows how different people are saving water, will air again on Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m. on NBC 11.

The show features CCWD in one of its segments, showing what happens during a typical water survey, along with how one family has cut their water use dramatically by redesigning their year.

It will also be aired two more times:
Saturday, July 25: 11 a.m.
Sunday, September 13 9 p.m. (post NFL game)

Look here for more on the show, including viewing clips, please look here.