My Green Sonoma

California mandated water conservation rule goes into effect today requiring residents and businesses to reduce water consumption by 15%.

The Sonoma County Water Agency supplies water to about 570,000 people throughout Sonoma and Marin County. This water comes from a combination of Russian River water and native ground water to meet demand. 

One of our reservoirs has reached a critically low level.  By reducing our water consumption by just 15% we will ensure that we have sufficient water resources for our needs.  Here's a few more tips on what we can do to reduce water consumption with minimal impact on our own lifestyles: 

• Try taking your car to a car wash that uses recycled water.  I tried searching on the internet for local car washes that use recycled water and came up empty handed.  Stay tuned.  In an upcoming post I will provide a list.
• Water your landscaping at night between the hours of midnight and 6:00a.m. Watering in two cycles instead of one reduces runoff and increases absorbtion so you can shorten watering time and use a bit less.
• Change out shower heads, faucet aerators and to low flow versions.  These are inexpensive, easy do it yourself improvements that will achieve your target savings.  You probably won't notice the difference when you use these fixtures, but you will when your water bill comes. 
• Fix leaks.   Change out old angle stops, gaskets, and leaky hose bibs.  Make a list and call your plumber. Most tasks can be completed quickly.  By making a list you save money with fewer plumbing visits.

The good news is, that Sonoma County is already voluntarily achieving its mandated water reduction, but lets use this opportunity to become more aware of our resource consumption and enjoy the cost savings of not wasting what we have.   We can set an example to the rest of the state, and our country by exceeding our water savings goal and showing what really is possible if each of us make just a few small changes.