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| February 2012 |
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In This Issue:Safe Medicine DisposalMap of Water and Sewer Improvements Oakmont Water Main Break Improve Your Home Energy Performance Take it From the Tap Program Let's Celebrate Earth Day Stay Connected!Don't miss future issues of this newsletter. Tell a friend so they too can subscribe and stay informed.  |
Welcome to Our New e-Newsletter "Connections" We are very excited to introduce to you the new e-newsletter version of the Santa Rosa Utilities Department’s, Connections Newsletter. This quarterly e-newsletter which was previously distributed with our utility bills in a printed form, will now come to you through e-mail and will offer everything our past newsletters have. There is no cost to receive this e-newsletter.Each issue highlights timely information about programs and services available to our water customers. In addition, you will find updates on the Incremental Recycled Water Program, tips on conserving water and energy, and how we can reduce our environmental impacts at home and at work. Forward a copy of this newsletter to family and friends. Anyone can subscribe to receive the Connections newsletter. You are already subscribed and need not take any action to continue receiving Connections via email. If you feel we have your email address in error please click the unsubscribe button on the left and accept our sincere apologies for cluttering your email inbox. Email Feedback |
Safe Medicine Disposal: Safe for You, Your Family and the Environment City of Santa Rosa residents are being asked to dump the habit of pouring unused medications down the drain. Whether you are disposing prescription or non-prescription medications, it is not recommended that you flush them down the drain anymore. New studies are showing that it is not a good thing for the environment. When medications are flushed down the toilet or drain they make their way to the wastewater treatment plant which is not designed to remove certain pollutants such as pharmaceuticals. Safely disposing of your unused, unwanted and expired medicines does more than just protect our environment, it protects our youth as well by keeping medications out of the wrong hands. Unused and readily accessible medicines have the potential to be misused and abused, especially by our teens. By properly storing and disposing of your prescription medicines you can reduce the risk of their being misused or abused by family members and others. The City of Santa Rosa wants to reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals in the wastewater that is processed through the treatment plant. In order to do this a Safe Medicine Disposal Program was implemented in 2008, and is now comprised of 10 take-back locations within the City of Santa Rosa. The program encourages disposal of out-of-date medications to avoid dosing errors and self-medications, reduces the risk of accidental poisoning, reduces the potential of intentional abuse of medications, and reduces the amount of medicine disposed to landfills and the water supply where it might cause harm to wildlife and the environment. To date, over 23,000 pounds of residential pharmaceutical waste has been collected. All you have to do is take your pills or tablets to a participating take-back location to dispose of them FREE of charge. For a list of participating locations, please visit www.safemedicinedisposal.org or call the Environmental Compliance Department at (707) 543-3369. Email Feedback |
Water and Sewer Capital Improvement Projects in Construction An important goal of your utility department is to be responsible stewards of the environment and the City’s infrastructure. The Capital Improvement Program (CIP), funded by the water and sewer rates, ensures our ratepayers will have safe, reliable, and efficient water and wastewater services today and in the future.This map shows capital improvement projects that will be under construction during the first quarter of 2012. The map reflects projects that are estimated to occur during the period January 1 through March 31, 2012 and, due to varying factors, are subject to change without notice. View Map |
Water Main Breaks in Oakmont On October 6, 2011 at approximately 4:00 AM while most of the City employees were probably still asleep, the Utilities Department yard attendant received a call from a customer stating they heard “a loud pop” and when they went outside to investigate there was a large volume of water flowing down Oakmont Drive.Utilities standby personnel were quickly alerted and Utilities Systems Operator Chris Kilgore swiftly headed out to Oakmont. He was able to quickly determine the problem was a break on a 12” PVC water main. He promptly isolated the water main thereby reducing the loss of water, the ensuing damage to the roadway and surrounding property. The main break sent a substantial amount of water and road debris into the Storm drain piping and culvert system out-falling into Frie Creek (a tributary of Sonoma Creek). It was estimated that approximately 310,000 gallons was lost due to this water main break. Chris called for help from other off duty Utilities personnel. Together this team of professionals was able to respond quickly and repair the break coordinating the arrival of necessary trucks and equipment to complete the task at hand. The crew worked diligently to repair the break and have safe, reliable water service restored to the Oakmont area. At 6:30 AM, additional crews were dispatched to assist. Crews worked throughout the day to replace twenty feet of 12” water main, two water services, clean up the debris and restore the roadway to a safe condition. The water main break also the introduction of air into the water system for customers who live in elevated areas of this water pressure zone and rely on booster pumps to overcome their low water pressure. Crews assisted residents in restoring their pumps to working order, flushing water mains to eliminate entrapped air and reporting any possible damage to the private pumps. Utilities crews utilized all the equipment at their disposal including backhoes, dump trucks, hydro-excavators and hydro-flush trucks to clean up the mess that resulted from the water main break. A primary concern was preventing debris that had entered the storm drain system from reaching the creek. Crews were able to retrieve all the debris and ensure the ecology of Frie Creek was impacted as little as possible. The California Emergency Management Agency (CALEMA) and the Utilities Department Storm Drain Section were notified due to the large amount of potable drinking released into Frie Creek. City staff in the Storm Water and Creeks Program took four water quality samples measuring for turbidity, pH, chlorine and dissolved oxygen. Below is a table showing the water quality sampling results. The first water sample was taken in the storm drain outfall into the creek (#1). Three additional water samples were taken in Frie Creek; one just above the outfall Creek (#2); one 50 feet downstream of the confluence of the storm drain outfall (#3); and the creek and the last sample was approximately 1,200 feet downstream at the Lawndale Road creek crossing (#4). The creek was walked 175 feet downstream until a fence was encountered across the channel and observed 1,200 feet downstream at the Lawndale Road overcrossing. The water was mostly clear in the stream and in the areas of the creek observed there was no indication that aquatic life had been impacted from the rupture. Downstream of the outfall area there also did not appear to be any silt residue on the vegetation along the stream banks. No excessive silt was observed along the stream bottom. The Storm Water and Creek staff also checked the USGS stream gauge on Sonoma Creek at Kenwood, CA (11458433) and noticed the stream flow increased from 0.0 to 11 cfs in 30 minutes and returned to base flow after one hour of increased flows. The stream gauge is approximately 4,400 feet downstream of Oakmont Drive on Sonoma Creek.
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Improve Home Energy Performance for Better Health and ComfortThe return of cold, rainy weather means running your furnace more often and dealing with higher utility bills. Even though we live in a fairly mild climate, many Santa Rosa homes are “leaky” and inefficient, which can lead to uncomfortable rooms during the winter months and unhealthy indoor air. Are you noticing any strange smells from your furnace? One reason for this may be poorly functioning combustion appliances. Gas furnaces in particular can produce toxic by-products and odd smells if there are any cracks or leaks – not to mention heating your house less efficiently. Dusty smells are usually caused from leaky, unhealthy, and inefficient ducts.A gas water heater with an improperly assembled flue can suck dangerous gasses such as carbon monoxide (CO) back into a home. Because CO exposure is such a prevalent, yet invisible threat, a new law went into effect on July 1, 2011 requiring all California homes with combustion appliances inside the living space – such as hot water heaters, and fireplaces – to install at least one CO detector on each floor. Find out exactly how good or bad your indoor air quality is and get help to do something about it, through Energy Upgrade in Sonoma County, a “one stop shop” program to help Santa Rosa property owners reduce energy use and save money with rebates, incentives, and financing. Energy upgrades such as sealing air leaks, adding insulation, and repairing duct work can help you save money, save energy, and create a healthier, more comfortable home. Beginning with a home energy analysis is one of the best ways to learn about everything you can do to make your home healthier and more comfortable and reduce your utility costs. Right now, homeowners can qualify for up to a 100% percent rebate on the cost of a home energy analysis and up to $4,000 in rebates for whole-house projects through Energy Upgrade. Even if you can’t afford do all the recommended upgrades, a home energy analysis identifies your best options to get the most for your money. Learn more by visiting www.EnergyUpgradeSonoma.org, calling the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program at (707) 565-6470, or contacting the City of Santa Rosa Clean Energy Advocates at (707) 543-3886 or CEA@srcity.org. |
Take it From the Tap The City of Santa Rosa’s Take it From the TAP! Program (TAP!) encourages our community to tap into the high quality water the City provides.. The TAP! Program began as an educational and environmental stewardship project and has since grown into a successful community-wide outreach effort to help save money, reduce waste, improve health, and protect the environment. Participating in the program is as easy as turning on the faucet and refilling a reusable container. This simple action helps reduce the negative environmental, social, and economic impacts associated with single-use bottled water. The City of Santa Rosa’s TAP! Team is educating the community about the numerous benefits of drinking tap water. In order to spread the word, the TAP! Team attends community events, surveying residents about their water habits and conducting blind water taste tests. This outreach is a fun and informative process used to gain and spread information. The survey results indicate: that over 80% of respondents utilize a reusable water bottle at least a few times a week; the hardest part about using a reusable water bottle is remembering it; over 60% of respondents are willing to give up bottled water for a year. Additionally, many participants are quite surprised by their taste test results in which a majority of participants choose tap water as their favorite. The TAP! Team also collaborates with the ReThink Your Drink (RYD) initiative to promote the “Choose Water First!” Campaign (as opposed to sugary drinks). Together, the TAP! and RYD Teams go into select 4th and 5th grade classrooms to talk about water access and ask students their opinions about tap water. In order to fund these classroom programs, the City of Santa Rosa is selling re-usableTAP! bottles. All proceeds go to fund the “Choose Water First!” health campaign in Santa Rosa classrooms. If you are interested in learning more about TAP! or would like to purchase a bottle please visit: www.srcity.org/TAP. “Bottle your own, it just makes cents!” Email Feedback |
Let's Celebrate Earth Day Together! You’re invited to join in the fun at Santa Rosa’s 3rd Annual Earth Day Festival on Sunday April 22nd, downtown in Courthouse Square (on Mendocino Avenue between 4th and 5th Street) from 12pm-4pm. This FREE event inspires awareness and builds community by promoting simple and fun ways our community can go green. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy food, music, local vendors, eco-friendly crafts and lots of activities for the kids.This year’s event will spotlight resources available to homeowners interested in finding cost effective solutions to lowering energy and water bills. The City of Santa Rosa’s Clean Energy Advocate program will host a large section of this event presenting you with solar and energy efficiency experts to answer questions, presentations by various local vendors, and even solar games for the kids. Earth Day is a green event; meaning we will do our best to minimize waste, so please help us by bringing a re-usable water bottle and remember to recycle. FREE water refill stations will be available at the event and we will have a reusable water bottle giveaway, while supplies last. In addition, we encourage you to bring unused medications and e-waste to the event for FREE recycling. Lastly, don’t forget to stop by the information booth to pick up your eco-passport and learn how to win great prizes! We cordially invite you, your friends, and family to come Downtown to Courthouse Square on Sunday, April 22nd and celebrate our community and the environment. Don’t miss this opportunity to take advantage of all the available green rebates and programs available to you. Not only will you learn about ways to go green and save, but you will also help our community meet our environmental goals together. For more information visit our website at: www.srcity.org/earthday Email Feedback |
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