In
an effort to save millions of gallons of drinking water each year by using
treated wastewater for irrigation purposes, North Coast County Water District is
preparing to roll out a landscape irrigation water recycling project.
After a decade of working toward the reality of using recycled water for
irrigating large public landscaped areas, the Water District has finalized an
Initial Study and is preparing a proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration in
accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Continuing population growth in California and water shortages experienced in
drought years of 1987 through 1992 prompted the California legislature to
recognize formally the importance of utilizing recycled water to help meet the
state’s water supply needs. The legislature established a goal of recycling one
million acre feet of water annually by 2010 and prohibited the use of drinkable
water for landscape irrigation wherever suitable recycled water is available at
a reasonable cost.
Recycled water is used successfully for agricultural and landscape irrigation,
industrial processes, and toilet flushing throughout California. Locally, San
Jose, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, and other Bay Area communities use it on their
parks, school grounds, median strips, large landscaped areas and golf courses.
Nationally, recycled water has been used for landscape irrigation for many years
in states such as Arizona, Florida and Texas. In California, the treatment and
use of recycled water is carefully regulated by the California Department of
Health Services and the California Regional Water Quality Control Board.
California’s regulations are among the most stringent in the world.
About the Project
The North Coast County Water District (Water
District) proposes to provide recycled water irrigation service to the following
areas:
-
Sharp Park Golf Course
-
Sharp Park Beach Promenade
-
Fairway Park
-
Highway One (Caltrans)
landscaping
-
Turf playing fields at
Oceana High School and Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School
The Water District proposes to convert these
customers, who are currently irrigating with potable water supplied by either
the Water District or the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, to the use
of recycled water. Using recycled water for landscape irrigation saves potable
water for drinking water use. The project includes installation of a pumping
station at the Calera Creek Water Recycling Plant (CCWRP), construction of a new
above-ground recycled water tank, and installation of approximately 17,000
lineal feet of pipelines. The new system will also replace several thousand feet
of the golf course’s irrigation pipelines and a small underground tank.
Availability of Documents
Documents including the Initial Study and proposed Mitigated Negative
Declaration on the North Coast County Water District Recycled Water Irrigation
Project are available at Water District Offices, 2400 Francisco Blvd. in
Pacifica from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday.
