Where does our water come from?
The regional water system provides water to people in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and San Mateo counties. Eighty-five percent of the water comes from Sierra Nevada snowmelt stored in the Hetch Hetchy reservoir situated on the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park. The remaining fifteen percent of water comes from runoff in the Alameda and Peninsula watersheds. This local water is captured in reservoirs located in San Mateo and Alameda counties. Delivering approximately 260 million gallons of water per day, the regional system consists of over 280 miles of pipelines, over 60 miles of tunnels, 11 reservoirs, five pump stations and two water treatment plants.
The Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct is 167 miles long. It delivers water from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir to the City of San Francisco and other suburban municipalities in the greater Bay Area. Typical flow rates are on the order of 270 to 315 million gallons per day.
Where does it go?
A recent study by the American Water Works Association discovered that nationwide about 42% of water use is inside the house and 58% is used outside.
On average, each person uses the following amounts every day for the following uses:
Toilets - 18.5 gallons
Wash clothes - 15.0 gallons
Shower - 11.6 gallons
Faucets - 10.9 gallons
Leaks - 9.5 gallons
Baths - 1.2 gallons
Dishwaster - 1.0 gallons
Other - 1.6 gallons
Total - 69.3 gallons
Source: 1999 Residential Water Use Summary, American Water Works Association.
Within Santa Clara County, most of the water goes to residential customers. Here is an estimate of how water is used:
- Residential 52%
- Commercial & public 24%
- Agricultural 9%
- Industrial 9%
- Other 9%
How do I use less?
This is the same stufff we've all heard over and over again, but all of us need reinforcement, so it bears repeating.
Since most of our water use is outdoors, the biggest impact is to re-landscape with low water plants. The Water Efficient Landscape Rebate Program (WELRP) provides Santa Clara County residents rebates up to $1,000 and commercial, industrial, and institutional properties can receive up to $10,000 by replacing high water using plants such as turf grass, with low water using plants from their Approved Plant List or by installing permeable hardscape.
General Tips
- Fix those leaks! It's amazing how much water a single leaking faucet wastes.
- On your water meter is a water usage indicator (often a little blue triangle) that spins as water flows through the meter. If you turn off all water in your home and the little blue triange is still spinning, you have a hidden leak somewhere.
- For assistance on becoming more water efficient, sign up for a Free Water-Wise House Call by calling 1-800-548-1882.
Indoor Tips
- Install water-efficient devices such as low-flow toilets, high-efficiency clothes washing machines, low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators.
- The Santa Water Valley District currently has rebates for many of these devices; call (408) 265-2607, ext. 2554 for more information.
- Only run your washing machine or dishwasher with full loads.
- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth and shaving.
Outdoor Tips
- Water your lawn only when needed, generally once every three days during the summer. Check sprinkler timers and reduce watering times if necessary.
- Adjust watering schedule for each season. In fall, unless it's very hot outside, you can reduce your watering time by half. By December, you can turn off your irrigation system completely.
- Check sprinkler heads, valves and drip emitters once a month. Make sure heads are aimed correctly (no matter how much you water it, concrete doesn't grow).
- Water in the early morning. Many irrigation experts feel the best time to water is between midnight and 6 a.m. because evaporation is kept to a minimum.
- Apply a layer of organic mulch around plants to reduce moisture loss and keep weeds down.
- Ask your local nursery for the types of plants that will save you water. Water wise plants can be beautiful as well as practical.
- Use a broom to sweep off pavement. Using the hose to wash down sidewalks, driveways, and patios, wastes a lot of water and money.
- Use a spray nozzle with a shutoff handle on your hose so water doesn't flow continuously.
|
