City of Santa Cruz - Water Department

With 90-degree temperatures and a Stage 2 water shortage, water is very much on our minds.  At the the last City Water Commission meeting (August 24, 2009), two presentations were particularly important:

Toby Goddard, the city's Water Conservation Manager, presented a status report.   Here are some of the highlights (his full report: Status Report on 2009 Water Restrictions)

• About 1/2 of our water comes from the San Lorenzo River.   However, this year the daily flow is substantially below the 72-year average flow (about 1/3 below).
• The city's goal for May-October water usage is a 15% reduction.
  
• Several large customers have reduced their water usage more than 15%.  (thanks)
  
• In May and June daily water demand reduced by 15% (great!), but since July use has started to rise and  we must be  careful.
• Overall, Mr. Goddard is pleased with the results to-date.   Unlike previous shortages, water users are recognizing the need to improve watering and irrigation systems, reduce flow in shower heads and change some wasteful behavior.
• Mr. Goddard attributes the conservation to public cooperation and greater awareness.  His department is eager to work with consumers, educate and assist with problems.

Terry Tompkins, a chemist and Deputy Director/Operations Manager of Graham Hill Road Treatment Plant, spoke on water quality and the disinfection process.   This is much more complicated then adding a bit of chlorine to the water; it a remarkably complicated chemical and biological system, subject to changing federal regulations and priorities and, of course, changing water and biological conditions.   It is a delicate system to keep in balance.

Our water system is  really a patch work of 6 water systems, with only 1 treatment plant to treat the water before we drink it.   In other words, Graham Hill can't go offline for more than a few hours.   Fortunately, most of us can take this for granted.  Mr. Tompkins does not.

Mr. Tompkins spoke of potential problem with by-products of the disinfection process.   Today, we are fine, well within federal safety margins.  But he is thinking ahead.

Modern water filtration systems use membrane technologies, which are relatively new and still quite expensive.   There are alternatives, one process requires flushing the system of 50 million gallons of water, not a popular choice in a water shortage.  At this meeting, Mr. Tompkins was alerting the Commission to the possible need to purchase such a membrane, at an estimated cost of $40-$50 million. [Update 9/8/09 - the Water Department is currently re-examining lower cost solutions with comparable water quality without using expensive membrane technology.]

SAVE WATER.   It really is precious.



City of Santa Cruz Water Department
http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/wt/

City of Santa Cruz Water Department - Conservation
http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/wt/conservation/index.html

City of Santa Cruz Water Department - Water Shortage Contingency Plan

http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/wt/conservation/pdf/WaterShortageContingencyPlan.pdf

City of Santa Cruz - Water Commission - August 24, 2009 Report (.pdf)
http://www.scribd.com/share/upload/15245392/wobopgqufcskjw0untf


Sentinel Article on  Water
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/rss/ci_13200783?source=rss