Sonoma Water E-News | July 2023 |
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Sonoma Water Welcomes International Partners in Water Sustainability |
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Partnerships and knowledge sharing are key factors in developing a more sustainable water sector globally. Sonoma Water, Santa Rosa Water and our water contractors welcomed the Danish Water Technology Alliance (WTA) to Sonoma County in June. The WTA is a Danish outreach program providing specialized know-how on innovative water technology solutions. The alliance is a program of The Water Advisory, with partners including public Danish water utilities, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and leading technology and service providers. The main goal of the WTA is to build bridges between the North American and Danish water sector with the aim of sharing Danish know-how and fostering collaboration. Through local visits, such as the one on June 27, the WTA provides specialized knowledge about Danish solutions, and acts as a full solution provider covering the whole water cycle.
The WTA hosts workshops and seminars locally in North America and invites North American stakeholders on dedicated fact-finding trips to Denmark to see and experience solutions in operation and to meet colleagues abroad.
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A Fresh Look Inside
Here is a view of the inside of one of our water storage tanks following a comprehensive maintenance program, which included a deep cleaning and recoating of the interior. This tank, near Spring Lake, holds up to 6 million gallons of clean water and is one of 18 that Sonoma Water operates; many of these are scheduled for updates over the next few years. This work, funded by our customers, is essential for our system that delivers safe and reliable drinking water to our customers in Sonoma and Marin counties.
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Safe Medicine Disposal
Don’t flush your unused medications down the toilet or throw them in the trash! Studies show that pharmaceuticals in rivers and streams, if present at high enough concentrations, can harm aquatic wildlife. When flushed down the drain, some medications are not completely removed by wastewater treatment plants and are discharged to surface waters.
It's important to make unused household medications irretrievable, but the best way to protect human and environmental health is to place whole pills in a resealable bag and drop them off at a secure medicine collection bin at a participating pharmacy or police station.
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Lake Sonoma Visitor Center Open Daily
Come up and visit the Milt Brandt Visitor Center at Lake Sonoma, now open seven days a week for the summer season. Sonoma Water's Isabell and Alexandria will be there ready to greet you, along with Friends of Lake Sonoma volunteers, and they will help you learn about this beautiful place so you can experience the recreation possibilities with trail maps, nature guides, cultural and historical information. Learn about the Warm Springs Dam, the marina, the fish hatchery and the reservoir which is an essential water resource for our region! They can also help you with information about the Don’t Move a Mussel program, which uses specially trained sniffer dogs to inspect watercraft for invasive quagga mussels before launching into the lake.
The Milt Brandt Visitor Center is located at Skaggs Springs Road in Geyserville.
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July is Smart Irrigation Month! |
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Ever wondered how to correctly schedule your irrigation controller based on weather, plants or irrigation application? Well, we have a solution for you!
The Sonoma-Marin Water Saving Partnership developed the Irrigation Scheduling Tool to simplify and enhance the accuracy of irrigation controller scheduling. This innovative web-based tool retrieves data from local weather stations daily, providing users with precise calculations of the optimal water requirements for plants during the week. By considering various plant types and irrigation emission devices, the tool generates a recommended irrigation schedule. The irrigation scheduling tool also includes a User Guide to assist users.
Pro Tip: How do you find a leak in your drip irrigation? Use a couple of your senses - eyes and ears. Start by turning on the individual drip station, then walk along the drip line, looking for spraying water or plants that aren’t doing well. If no leaks are visible, then use your ears and listen for any abnormal sounds coming from the drip line. Often, drip lines get buried under dirt and mulch so using your ears to listen for leaks in drip lines is your best bet.
Need assistance? Some water providers offer free irrigation assessments, check here. |
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Sonoma Water on the Radio: Nuestra Tierra Radio KBBF 89.1 FM
Last month, Juan-Carlos Solis, one of Sonoma Water’s programs specialists, discussed the new Sanitation Rate Relief Program and the wastewater treatment process.
You can listen to this interview in Spanish by clicking the link below.
Our next radio interview on KBBF 89.1 FM:
Monday, July 17, 2023, 9:00-9:30 a.m.
Water Smart Irrigation and the New Irrigation Scheduling Tool
Learn about a new irrigation scheduling tool for your landscape with Sonoma Water’s Senior Programs Specialist Kris Loomis.
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Stay Cool! Chillin' with the Refrigerator Tree
When the weather is heating up outside, chill out near a Pacific Madrone, a.k.a. Refrigerator Tree. Water Educator Sage will tell you more in this video. Watch more reels on Sonoma Water’s Instagram!
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Rainfall and Water Storage Update
Current water supply conditions as of 7/9/2023:
Lake Mendocino FIRO* Target Water Storage Curve: 111,000 acre-feet
Current Storage: 96,212 acre-feet (86.68% of FIRO Storage Curve)
Lake Sonoma Target Storage Curve: 264,000 acre-feet
Current Storage: 252,694 acre-feet (95.72% of Water Supply Pool)
Current rainfall conditions (10/1/22 – 7/11/23)
Ukiah:
Average (1894-2022 water years): 39.14"
Current Water Year: 39.14” which is 106% of average
Santa Rosa:
Average (1950-2022 water years): 35.84"
Current Water Year: 41.69” which is 116% of average
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Upcoming Events
The Board normally holds its regular meetings on Tuesdays, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and will be facilitated virtually through Zoom and at Board of Supervisors Chambers (BSC) 575 Administration Drive 102A.
•July 17 BSC/Virtual Special Meeting
•July 18 BSC/Virtual
•Aug 1 BSC/Virtual
•Aug 15 BSC/Virtual
•Aug 18 BSC/Virtual Special Closed Session
•Aug 22 BSC/Virtual
Aug 29 BSC/Climate Action and Resiliency Workshop
•Aug 30 BSC/Special Closed Session
•Aug 31 BSC/Virtual Special Closed Session
Board Agendas:
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What is an estuary?
An estuary is where a river meets the ocean. The mix of freshwater from the river and saltwater from the sea creates a dynamic environment that supports a broad array of fish, wildlife, and invertebrate and plant species. Salmon and steelhead use estuaries to adapt to saline conditions prior to entering the ocean and to adapt to freshwater before migrating upstream to their spawning grounds.
The Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean near the town of Jenner.
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Employment Opportunities
Sonoma Water has job openings for people with a variety of skills and experience.
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Sonoma Water | 404 Aviation Blvd, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 | SonomaWater.org |
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