1. www.sonomacountywater.org SV Groundwater Use Efficiency: Water Conservation ‘Off the Grid’ Carrie Pollard Principal Water Programs Specialist carrie.pollard@scwa.ca.gov

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Showerheads 43 showerheads measured Average flow rate of 2.08 gpm 7% do not meet 1992 2.5 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

7. Faucets 54 faucets measured Average flow rate of 1.8 gpm, median of 1.5 gpm 15% do not meet 1992 2.2 gpm standard Sonoma, VOM, Agency provide free 2.0 gpm kitchen and 1.5 gpm bathroom aerators

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

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

13. 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

14. 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

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

16. 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

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

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

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

20. www.sonomacountywater.org SV Groundwater Use Efficiency: Water Conservation ‘Off the Grid’ Carrie Pollard Principal Water Programs Specialist carrie.pollard@scwa.ca.gov