MOut with the Old, In with the New

AUTOMATED WATER METER READING SYSTEM DEBUTS IN ANATOLIA

Spring 2007

Atop a water storage tank, Chuck Williams emphasizes the importance of the system antenna designed to receive signals sent from new automatic meter readers.

eter readers will be a thing of the past for Sacramento County Water Agency customers in the Anatolia community. A new automatic

meter reading system, which will save time and money for both customers and Water Agency employees, is making its debut.

“This system is efficient in many ways,” said Chuck Williams, associate civil engineer for the Water Agency. “We have the ability to collect information from the office without sending employees out to meter locations. We can also better manage customer inquiries and dispatch repairs much easier.”

With the old system, meters were read every two months and water overuse and leakage problems had the potential to go undetected.

The Water Agency is the first to use this system in California.

“We’ve been testing fixed-base meter reading technology for quite some time,” said Williams. “The results from this system have been very exciting; reading accuracy and signal strength reaching the office has been relatively precise.”

Because it’s new and under promotion, the meter reading manufacturers provided the software and receiving equipment at no cost to the Water Agency. The costs for adding the transceivers at the meters are included in the developer connection fees collected with building permit fees.

“Now, when a customer has an inquiry about a high water bill, we can check for leaks, defective sprinkler systems and other causes more accurately and efficiently,” said Williams.

The East Franklin service area is expected to be next in line for a similar system.

FREEPORT PROJECT QUICK UPDATEBy May 2006, construction of the intake facility on the Freeport Bend of the Sacramento River will be in full effect. Once complete, the intake structure will divert surface water for use by East Bay Municipal Utility District and the Water Agency. The Freeport Regional Water Project will help the Water Agency reach its goal of supplying a supplemental supply of surface water to customers by 2011. For more on this project, visit www.freeportproject.org.

ATTRACTIVE GROUNDWATER WATER TREATMENT FACILITY DESIGN BLENDS WITH COMMUNITY

ULTIMATE WATER-SMART GARDEN MAKEOVER CONTEST YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FRONT YARD MAKEOVER WORTH UP TO $40,000! For more on the contest, visit

the Regional Water Authority

Web site at www.rwah2o.org,

or call the “Be Water Smart”

hotline at 888-WTR-TIPS.

Balancing the needs to construct a facility to treat and store additional water supplies with the existing look and feel of the com-munity was a challenge the Water Agency met with a new, attractive groundwater treatment plant.

The Wildhawk Groundwater Treatment Plant in Vineyard Springs is one of many Water Agency facilities located near homes. This one, however; boasts a striking design, and is considered to be one of the most attractive facilities to date.

“From the outside, it fits well with the community,” said Mike Crooks, senior engineer for the Water Agency. “At the start of the project, one concern was the visual impact that the water treatment plant, primarily the storage tanks, would have to the existing community.”

The Water Agency and its design consultant developed a design that reduced the height of the storage tanks.

“We did a combination of things to ensure that the storage tanks were obscured from the customer’s view,” said Crooks. “The slightly submerged tanks were ‘lowered’ by placing their foundations in a depressed area of the site and by using a low-profile tank shell,” he added.

To help the facility blend in with the surrounding resi-dences, the site has landscape areas for visual screening, and the architectural design of the operations building complements the homes in the area.

RIVER-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPE APPROACH HITS SACRAMENTO AREA

The Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership has intro-duced a new landscape concept that is cost effective; reduces pesticides use, green waste and water pollution; and conserves energy and water.

River-Friendly Landscaping is a whole systems approach to the design, con-struction and maintenance of landscapes to support the

integrity of one of California’s key ecosystems—the Sacramento River watershed.

To request a free copy of the River-Friendly Landscape Guidelines, or if you are interested in hiring a landscape professional who follows the principles, visit www.sacramen-tostormwater.org/riverfriendly.

Printed on recycled paper.

Sacramento County Water Agency 3847 Branch Center Road, Trailer 1 Sacramento, CA 95827

Sacramento County Water Agency DirectorsDon Nottoli Jimmie Yee Roger Dickinson Susan Peters Roberta MacGlashan

PRSRT STDU.S. PostageP A I DSacramento, CAPermit No. 24

Sacramento County Water agency

Department of Water Resources

Managing Tomorrow’s Water Today

D

TUNE UP YOUR SPRINKLER SYSTEM FOR SPRING AND SUMMER WATERING As you head back into your lawn and garden for a new season of foliage and color, make sure your irrigation system is working efficiently during the spring and summer months.

Flush your irrigation system. During the winter, small critters and debris can make their way into sprinklers, emitters, tubes or pipes. To flush the system, open the ends of drip tubes or remove the sprinkler nozzles and run water through them. After flushing it, briefly run the system to make sure it is working properly.

Replace clogged emitters or nozzles. If you find any emitters or nozzles that are clogged, replace them with new ones. Cleaning them leaves small scratches, which disrupts the spray pattern and can create dry spots on your lawn.

Adjust your sprinklers. Observe your sprinklers and adjust any that are spraying sidewalks and driveways— the water should only be directed at the landscape.

Check your irrigation controller. Reset your irrigation run times at least once a month and make sure there are proper run times for each station. If your controller has a back-up battery, replace it with a fresh one.

Look for leaks. If you have a meter, shut off all water fixtures (inside and out) and check your water meter. If the leak detection dial (the triangular-shaped device) is still turning, you probably have a leak. Check toilets, faucets and showerheads first for indoor leaks. Then, check your sprinkler valves and pipes, and landscaping for signs of leakage.

HASSLE-FREE PROGRAMS FOR MAKING SAVING WATER SIMPLE FREE Water-Wise House CallsGet information and tips from the profession-als by scheduling an appointment to identify areas where your home could become more water efficient—both inside and out. Trained specialists will examine your home and yard and provide recommendations for improve-ment areas such as leak repair, the addition of water saving devices and adjustments to your irrigation system. Call 772-2226.

Ultra-Low-Flush Toilet Rebates, Worth up to $125If you plan to replace an older, high-water-use toilet with a more efficient model (1.6 gallon per flush or less), you may be eligible receive a rebate up to $125. Call us at 875-1955 or visit www.scwa.net (under “rebate programs”) for more information.

FREE Plumbing Retrofit Devices and PublicationsHomes built before 1992 could benefit from a retrofit kit. These kits include items such as faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads and toilet water displacement devices that can significantly reduce water use in your home. Call 875-1955 to get your free kit. If you’re thinking about adding new plants in your garden, call 875-1955 to request a copy of our featured publications.

FREE Commercial and Large Landscape Water Efficiency CheckupsCommercial, industrial, institutional and large landscape water efficiency checkups are available and can help your business and home save money. Call 772-2226 to sign up for a free checkup today.

WATERING EFFICIENTLY OUTDOORS

id you know that 50 percent of the water used by Sacramento

area households is devoted to outdoor water use? Follow these tips (at left) and you’ll be the most water savvy person on the block.

The Water Agency also encour-ages you to take advantage of our Water Waste Education Program aimed to help educate customers about water wasting and how to minimize unneces-sary water use.

If you notice excessive runoff or other water-wasting practices occurring in your neighborhood, give us a call at 875-1955. Your call will remain anonymous.

Questions?■ Conservation/Metering: 875-4217

■ Water Wasters: 875-1955

■ Water Quality—Dispatch: 875-7246

■ Billing: 875-5555

Visit us online 24/7 at www.scwa.net.

■ Water only when it’s necessary. To determine if your landscape needs water, check the soil by gently probing it with a screw-driver. If it is difficult to push the screwdriver into the soil, it needs water.

■ Water deeply to reach the soil just below the root zone. This will encourage deep, strong roots.

■ Water late at night or early in the morning (before 10 a.m.) when less evaporation takes place.

■ Plant low-water-use or California native trees and plants. They are beautiful and easy to grow.

■ Use a broom to clean patios, drive-ways and walkways rather than using a hose and wasting water.