The document provides an overview of the water system and conservation programs for the City of Santa Rosa, California. It details that the city provides water and sewer services to over 52,000 connections and a population of 161,496 people. The water conservation program started in the 1970s and saves over 4,000 acre-feet of water per year. The program includes rebates for water efficient devices, irrigation audits, and a rainwater catchment rebate program. Two case studies are presented that show residential properties reducing their water usage by installing rainwater harvesting systems along with other water efficiency upgrades.

1. Randall Barron, CLIA, QWEL, ARCSA
Water Conservation Technician
City of Santa Rosa

2. Overview of our Water System
 Santa Rosa’s population is 161,496
 Provide water and sewer services
 Over 52,000 service connections
 Approximately 43,000 SFR, 3,000 MFR, 3,000 CII and
1,700 dedicated irrigation customers
 In 2008, delivered 18,450 acre-feet of water
 Currently most of our water supply from SCWA
 Additional Groundwater Sources Available

3. Snapshot of Santa Rosa’s Demand
 Current Demand
 Average daily use: 17 mgd
 Winter daily use: 13 mgd
 Peak month average daily use: 32.5 mgd

4. Water Use Efficiency Program
 Started in 1976-77 in response to the drought
 Further established in the early 1990s
 Signatory to CUWCC MOU in 1998
 Saving 4,497AFY or over 4.0 mgd
 Reduces GHG’s by 2,900 tons per year

5. Water Conservation Programs
 Rebate and Incentive Programs
 Residential & Commercial
 Residential Check-ups
 Indoor & Outdoor
 Free water efficient shower heads, faucet
aerators, hose shutoff nozzles
 Customer Information and Outreach
 Public events, hotline, website
 Home Audit Kits, Turf-time, Top Ten Tips
 Large Landscape Irrigation Audits
 Water use analysis
 Irrigation Efficiency
 Tiered Water Rates

6. Conservation Technologies
 Green Exchange
 Cash for grass
 Irrigation Upgrades
 Rainwater Harvesting
 Gray Water
 Turf Time information
 Water Wise Gardening

7. Rainwater Rebate
 $0.25 per gallon of storage
 Rebate is limited to the estimated peak
month gallons of water use for the site
 Rebate cannot exceed the cost of
materials, labor not included
 Backflow required for all systems
 Requirement depends on system
 Plumbing permit needed
 Requires annual testing
 Pre & post inspection by Water Use
Efficiency section
 Permits required by Building Dept

8. Rainwater – Additional Info
 Electrical permit needed if pump installed
 Other permits as required
 Must insure vector control – consider length of storage
and include appropriate treatment if needed
 Recommended that all vents and inlets have mesh
screens at minimum to prevent debris from entering
storage
 Recommend maximizing irrigation efficiency in order
to more efficiently use stored rainwater

9. Peak Month Water Use
 At pre-inspection, all landscape square footage is
measured as low (LW), moderate (MW) and high (HW)
water use.
 Low water use assigned 30% of Eto, moderate 60% and
high 100%.
 Budget is determined using peak month ET (July)
 Formula is (( HW ( MW * .6) ( LW * .3)) * 6.6 * .623 ) / 1000
where 6.6” is 10-year avg ET for July and
.623 is conversion factor for gallons
Outcome is site water budget for peak month in 1000’s
of gallons, rounded up to nearest 1000.

10. Current Projects
 Program authorized January of 2009. Advertised to customers
starting spring 2009.
 Eighteen pre-inspections to date – 17 residential, 1 commercial.
 Five residential projects currently completed.
 Average storage installed: 4815 gallons
 Min: 1000 gallons. Max: 11400 gallons. Total: 24076 gallons
 Commercial project planned at local High School
 Planned installed storage: 89000 gallons
 Site budget is over 2.5 million gallons
 Commercial (dedicated irrg meter) outreach next planned push

11. Case Studies

12. Case 1
 5600 sq ft of total landscaping
 15Kgal budget
 Lawn reduction and irrigation improvements installed
in June 2009 (prior to rainwater system)

13. Installed System
Pump and
WISY filter pressure tank
3076 gal tank

14. Statistics
 Summer (May-Sep) 2007: 112,000 gallons
 Prior to changes
 Summer (May-Sep) 2008: 62,000 gallons
 Turf reduction
 Plant establishment
 Summer (May-Sep) 2009: 37,000 gallons
 RWH system installed
 Summer (May-Sep) 2010: 33,000 gallons

15. Case 2
 15600 sq ft of total landscaping
 24Kgal budget
 No irrigation improvements prior to
RWH system installation

16. Installed System
Pumped from collection to storage
Gravity feed to irrigation system

17. Statistics
 Summer (May-Sep) 2007: 140,000 gallons
 Prior to changes
 Summer (May-Sep) 2008: 126,000 gallons
 550 gallons storage installed
 Summer (May-Sep) 2009: 75,000 gallons
 Additional 4500 gallons installed
 Summer (May-Sep) 2010:
 Additional 6000 gallons installed 33,000 gallons

18. Rebate Cost v. Savings
 Current cost per acre foot of water: $ 604
 Projected cost in 2011: $ 676
 Cost to city of rebate: $ 678
 Site water savings due to increase
in consumer awareness: Pri¢ele$$

19. Questions – Thank you
Randall S Barron, City of Santa Rosa, (707) 543-3994, rbarron@srcity.org