Reduce outdoor watering to 3 days a week
Zone 7 needs our community’s help saving water during this drought, especially as the Tri-Valley enters the warm summer months. One of the most impactful ways to do this is by reducing outdoor irrigation that makes up 60-70% of household water use.
Zone 7 encourages Tri-Valley residents to reduce their outdoor watering to three days a week. Most lawns don’t need to be watered every day and frequent watering can do more harm than good. When residents do turn on their sprinklers, make sure to do it at night or in the early morning hours to avoid water loss from wind and evaporation. For residents that don’t have landscaping, consider installing water efficient appliances in and around your home. To help mitigate the cost and encourage water conservation efforts, Zone 7 offers increased rebate amounts toward the purchase of a high efficiency washing machine or a smart irrigation controller.
To learn about current drought conditions, more ways to save water or view restrictions by your retailer, visit zone7water.com/drought.
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Zone 7 rolls out ozonation water treatment process at Patterson Pass Water Treatment Plant
Zone 7 Water Agency announced that it has completed facility upgrades at the Patterson Pass Water Treatment Plant which improves treated water quality with the added ozonation project, and an increase of the treated water storage capacity. This is the latest investment to make the treatment process more efficient and improve water quality to better serve the community.
“By investing in best-in-class technology, Zone 7 demonstrates our commitment to high-quality water,” said Board President Angela Ramirez Holmes. “Ozonation is a proven, successful treatment method that will improve our water, making it cleaner, safer and better tasting–straight from the tap.”
The Patterson Pass Water Treatment Plant, which has been serving Zone 7 since 1962, has been treating imported surface water from the adjacent South Bay Aqueduct using dual-media filtration and chlorine treatment techniques. In recent years, treating this water supply has become increasingly difficult due to the high levels of organic matter and more frequent algae bloom that can cause taste and odor problems.
The blooms are normal but are becoming more frequent. After reviewing various treatment technologies, Zone 7 selected ozone to replace chlorine as the main disinfectant, resulting in higher quality water provided to customers by reducing chlorine-related byproducts and killing even more pathogens than chlorine.
The upgrades have also replaced aging equipment and have increased treated water storage capacity with the addition of a new, five-million-gallon tank and doubled the amount of treated water the plant can produce, from 12 million gallons of water a day to 24 million gallons a day.
The Ozonation Project, which is part of Zone 7’s capital improvement plan, represents a capital investment of $110 million, funded by water rates, new connection fees and bonds.
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Tri-Valley water agencies encourage local business community to reimagine its landscaping
On June 10, 2022, the California State Water Resources Control Board enacted a new emergency water conservation regulation banning all commercial, institutional, and industrial properties statewide from irrigating “non-functional” turf with potable (drinking) water. Non-functional turf is any grass that is purely decorative and is not used for recreation or civic/community events.
This new regulation affects non-residential properties such as offices, retail stores, hotels, places of worship, and non-profit organizations. Turf that has a functional purpose or is irrigated with recycled water can still be watered.
The Tri-Valley's water agencies are here to help.
“Climate change will make droughts more frequent and severe in the future. The Tri-Valley's water agencies are encouraging their non-residential property owners to consider replacing their non-functional turf with low-water landscaping during this fall’s planting season. Not only will it improve your property’s appearance during our current drought, but it will permanently lower your water use,” explained City of Livermore Interim Water Resources Manager Anthony Smith.
Non-residential property owners should work with their landscaping professionals to turn off any irrigation stations that are dedicated to non-functional turf. If non-functional turf and trees are irrigated by the same station, cap the sprinklers that irrigate the lawn areas. Trees take decades to replace and should still be irrigated during droughts.
While non-functional turf yellows this summer, property owners can apply for a rebate to reimburse some of the cost of installing new low-water landscaping in the fall. Visit your water service provider’s link below for program details.
“We are nearly halfway through the third year of this unprecedented drought and unfortunately, we are seeing water usage increase, rather than decrease. If we are going to successfully weather this drought, we need all hands-on deck — residents and businesses alike must do all they can to conserve water. We are confident that the business community will step up to meet this new call to action and help our community towards a more sustainable future,” said Zone 7 General Manger Valerie Pryor. “And in return, we are here to support businesses interested in replacing turf with native plants and other low-water-use landscaping with rebate programs and technical expertise.”
All other potable irrigation is limited to three days a week
In addition to the irrigation ban for non-functional turf, potable water irrigation restrictions are in place for all other types of landscaping at Tri-Valley non-residential properties. Water use rules limit outdoor irrigation to no more than three days a week, and irrigation should occur in the evening or early morning to minimize evaporation.
Last September, Zone 7 Water Agency declared a Drought Emergency and Stage 2 Water Shortage Emergency. This declaration, still in effect — included mandatory 15% water conservation from all Tri-Valley water service providers. For the latest information on local water use restrictions, visit www.zone7water.com/drought.
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Dive into Zone 7's 2021 Annual Consumer Confidence Report
Step inside the wondrous world of water and learn how Zone 7 Water Agency ensures the Tri-Valley has safe, clean and sustainable drinking water. The 2021 Annual Consumer Confidence Report for Zone 7 Water Agency is available online with comprehensive information detailing the high quality of Zone 7 water.
The report features graphics illustrating the sources, treatment, safety and testing of local water. Explore the report to learn about new and ongoing initiatives to further improve water quality.
All Zone 7 water supplied in 2021 met the regulatory standards set by the state and federal governments—in almost all cases the quality was significantly better than required.
Highlights of the 2021 Annual Consumer Confidence Report include:
- 2021 water quality testing results
- Source water assessment
- Zone 7 water treatment process details
- Drought conditions update
Additional questions on water quality may be directed to the Zone 7 water quality team at waterquality@zone7water.com.
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