Spring - Summer 2004 California Water Conservation News

7/31/2019 Spring - Summer 2004 California Water Conservation News

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Water Conservation News Spring/Summer 2004

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Department of Water Resources Ofce of Water Use Efciency

WATERCONSERVATIONNEWSIn this issue...

Urban Water Savings Identied:Commercial, Industrial, andInstitutional Water Use SurveyProgram in Santa Clara County........1

Bye Bye........................... ...................... .2

Sacramento River Basin Subbasin LevelWater Measurement Study..................3

California Water Conservation Case

Studies: Paving the Way for a WaterEfcient State........................ .................4

Events........................... ....................... ..6

Remote Sensing forEvapotranspiration.............................7

Preserving Trees after LandscapeConversions..........................................8

Recycled Water Saves Watts?...............9

Emerging Contaminants: Whats inYour Water?..........................................9

Desalination on the Move inCalifornia............................................10.

Claried Regulation of Incidental Run-off of Recycled Water..................... .....11

Building sustainability, reliability, and accountability through efficient water use

Urban Water Savings IdentiedCommercial, Industrial and Institutional Water Use Survey Program inSanta Clara County

By Karen Morvay, Santa Clara Valley Water District

In 2002, the Santa Clara Valley Water District received funding from the CaliforniaDepartment of Water Resources (DWR) to conduct Commercial, Industrial andInstitutional water use surveys within the SCVWD service area (Santa Clara County). In2003, SCVWD awarded a contract to Pollution Prevention International, Inc. to conductthese indoor water use surveys. The goal of the surveys was to assist companies indetermining if any water use efciency opportunities exist at their facility, and, if so,determine if those needs could be met by any of the existing water use efciency

programs at SCVWD. The survey program could also be helpful in identifying gaps in thecurrent programs and areas that need to be changed (such as placing more emphasis oncooling tower retrots and less on other types of technology).

Twenty-six sites were surveyed from July 2003 to February 2004, including tencommercial facilities (laundromats, grocery stores, hotels, health clubs), twelve industrialsites (electronics, disk and semiconductor manufacturers, food processing, paperboardand metal nishing), and four institutional locations (a hospital and three parks). Thesurvey process included an interview with the facility contact, a site walk, and collectionof water usage data and any additional information necessary to complete the surveyreports. All areas of indoor water usage were reviewed and included in the site report,including water usage for the production process, auxiliary operations and the sanitary

facilities.

For all the sites as a whole, a total potential annual water savings of over 306 milliongallons was identied. On average, the potential annual water savings per facility wasfound to be over 46 million gallons. The water savings varied signicantly by sector, aswell as by technology. The program identied the largest potential water savings throughwater and wastewater recycling systems. The water recovery and recycling technologiescould generate a signicant water savings, with the payback period for these systemsaveraging less than two years (which could be reduced even further if the businessqualies for SCVWDs Water Efcient Technology Rebate Program).

Fixture replacement and conservation devices such as ultra-low-ush toilets and

conductivity controllers for cooling towers represent a smaller savings per device thanthe previously mentioned water and wastewater recycling systems, although there isopportunity for a greater number of these types of water savings devices to be installedthroughout the county.

The estimated cost savings, project costs and payback period for each recommendationwas assessed to determine the most cost effective water conservation measures in theCII sectors. Although there were water reduction opportunities present in all threesectors, the potential water savings in the industrial sites surveyed were the most cost

Continued. See Savings on page 3

Water Conservation News toPublish Semi-Annually

Due to on-going budget reductionsWater Conservation News will nowbe published semi-annually instead ofquarterly. Beginning with this issue,the Spring/Summer 2004 issue, WCNwill be published in July and January(Fall/Winter issue) of each year. Wewill continue to mail copies of thenewsletter to those on the mailinglist, but we also encourage readers tolook for the newsletter on our Website: www.owue.water.ca.gov.


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Bye Bye...By Marsha Prillwitz

On May 1, 2004, I began my retirement, having served 25 years as a state employee.

As Chief of the California Department of Water Resources Ofce of Water Use Efciency,I was responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the activities of OWUE to fosterimproved water use efciency and increased use of water recycling and desalination

in California. During the past 20 years, my professional career has focused on thepromotion of these sustainable resource management practices statewide, nationally,and internationally in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Canada, South Africa, Italy,France and Spain.

Over the years, I have been fortunate to work with very talented, dedicated, andenlightening people. I have worked with scientists and surfers, engineers andeconomists, accountants and academics, lawyers and landscapers, plumbers andpoliticians, planners and programmers, artists and activists, farmers and shers,enthusiasts and every day people. There are great thinkers and doers in the watercommunity, and, fortunately, big dreamers too.

I have had the pleasure of working with people from around the world right in myown ofce, and the delight of traveling the state, country, and world, sharing ideas andparticipating in positive change. Every day I have had the opportunity to learn somethingnew and to contribute toward a sustainable water future for California. My rst love atDWR was water wise gardening. Subsequently, I have become particularly fond of waterefcient toilets and urinals as well as recycled waters purple pipes and farmers whopractice regulated decit irrigation.

My wish is that the quest for a water efcient California be passionately pursued byour active water conservation circle and that the circle will be expanded to involveall Californians in a bright water future where we will meet our human needs whilesustaining our precious natural world.

Water Conservation News providesinformation on water use efciency develop-ments. This free newsletter is published quarterlyby the California Department of Water Resources,Ofce of Water Use Efciency.

Subscriptions: If you want to receive thisnewsletter, send your name and address to:Department of Water ResourcesBulletins and Reports

Attention: Mailing List CoordinatorP.O. Box 942836

Sacramento, CA 94236-0001(916) 653-1097

Water Conservation News is available online:www.owue.water.ca.gov/news/news.cfm

For more information about DWRswater use efciency programs call:Water Use Efciency Ofce(916) 651-9236VacantChief(916) 651-9674Manucher AlemiData Services and Program Development(916) 651-9662Fawzi Karajeh

Water Recycling and Desalination(916) 651-9669

David ToddTechnical Assistance and Outreach(916) 651-7027Simon EchingProgram Development(916) 651-9667Baryohay Davidoff

Agricultural Council Support(916) 651-9666Debra GonzalezFinancial Assistance(916) 651-7026Kent FrameCIMIS(916) 651-7030

Water use efciency information is alsoavailable from DWR district staff:X. Tito CervantesNorthern District

2440 Main StreetRed Bluff, CA 96080-2398(530) 529-7389Ed MorrisCentral District3251 S StreetSacramento, CA 95816-7017(916) 227-7578David ScruggsSan Joaquin District3374 E. Shields AvenueFresno, CA 93726-6990(559) 230-3322David InouyeSouthern District770 Fairmont AvenueGlendale, CA 91203-1035(818) 543-4600

We welcome any comments, suggestions,and story ideas; please send them to:Water Conservation NewsEditorial StaffDepartment of Water ResourcesOfce of Water Use EfciencyP. O. Box 942836Sacramento, CA 94236-0001

E-mail: [email protected]: (916) 651-9605Fax: (916) 651-9849

DWR does not endorse any of the businesses orconsulting rms mentioned in this newsletter,

since there may be others that offer the same orsimilar services

Ofce of Water Use EfciencyMission Statement

Ofce of Water Use EfciencyMission Statement

In cooperation with others, we promote the efcient and benecialuse of Californias water resources to sustain our human and natural environment.


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needed and calibrate new and existingmeasuring devices to improve or ensurethe accuracy of outow measurement.At this time, the primary implementationissues related to facility installation arefunding and participant agreement (asto which facilities should beinstalled rst). Implementingthe program will assist inevaluating water use efciencyat the subbasin level and willcontribute to quantiableimprovements in watermanagement by studying the

feasibility of more accuratewater measurement at thesubbasin level. The currentmeasurement locations inthe Sacramento River Basinincluded in the initial implementationphase are:

Knights Landing Outfall Gates in theColusa Subbasin Reclamation District 1000 pumpingplant discharge in the Natomas area ofthe American Subbasin

Reclamation District 1004 dischargelocations at Five Points and PutnamMound in the Butte Subbasin, and Karnak Pumping plant discharge in theSutter Subbasin.

The benets of improved watermeasurement for these four SacramentoValley subbasins are an increasedcoordination among BWMP participantsand other entities, an improvedunderstanding of local water balance andadditional data available for water resource

management.

For additional information contact PhilAnderson at (916) 651-9663 or [email protected].

Reclamation District 108 received aCALFED Water Use Efciency Grant todo a feasibility study, beginning in thesummer of 2001, that would investigatepotential measurement locations, facilities,and associated implementation issues,in four Sacramento Valley subbasinsas addressed in the Sacramento RiverBasin-wide Water Management Plan.Reclamation District 108 received theWUE grant on behalf of Sacramento RiverSettlement Contractors participating inthe BWMP to study the Colusa, American,Butte and Sutter subbasins. The Redding

Subbasin was also included in the BWMP,but was not included in the study due tolimited grant funding and because thesubbasins crop types, irrigation methods,water quality, and adequate supplies donot generate drain-water and reuse typicalof the other subbasins.

The Measurement Study objectives are:1. Investigate and document theexisting subbasin-level outow watermeasurement facilities;

2. Evaluate and recommend facilityimprovements to achieve higher levelsof accuracy or data collection if deemedappropriate;3. Provide cost estimates forrecommended measurement facilityimprovements;4. Identify potential issues ofimplementing a regional approach towater measurement operations, datacollection and use; and5. Identify potential benets of improvedsubbasin-level water measurement.

This feasibility study of these SacramentoValley subbasins recommends fundingapproximately $275,000 to implement aninitial two-year phase of the measurementprogram. These funds would be used topurchase and install equipment where

effective measure and producedthe greatest water savings.Approximately 133.2 gallons can be

conserved, on average, for everydollar invested into water reductionmeasures in the industrial sector.Although the projects are costeffective, most require a large capitalinvestment in order to generatewater and cost savings.

Approximately 89.5 gallons ofwater savings per dollar investedinto the institutional sector couldbe achieved based on the surveyresults, and an average of 46 gallonswould be reduced for every dollarinvested into commercial waterconservation projects. Furthermore,most of these projects requireda lower initial capital investmentcompared to the industrial siteprojects. Incentive programs arevaluable resources for assistingfacilities in implementing water-conserving measures. Rebates andequipment replacement programsdecrease the payback period,

making it nancially benecial forfacilities to install water reductionequipment and technology. Onaverage, every water reductionproject identied in this programhad a payback period of less thanone year with rebate assistance.

The survey and the reportingportion of this program are nowboth complete. The next step, then,will be to contact the companies

to assist with water conservationproject implementation andreiterate the availability of rebates.Also, SCVWD now has a better ideaof which CII areas to target and howto ne-tune the rebate program.Furthermore, SCVWD plans toadminister another CII water usesurvey program in the next year.

Savings(continued from page 1)

Sacramento River Basin Subbasin LevelWater Measurement Study

By Phil Anderson


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SummaryBetween 2000 and 2030, Californias

population is expected to grow by 17

million people, a 50 percent increasein population. This growth--combinedwith reduced surface water supplies, anunsustainable overdraft of the statesgroundwater and environmental waterrequirements--is making the challenges tomeet Californias water needs greater thanever. Water conservation, water recyclingand desalination have been identied asmajor strategies to meet the demand.Signicant investments are necessaryto support these actions. In 2001, the

State invested $12 million to co-fund 46agricultural and urban water conservationprojects. The California Department ofWater Resources, the lead state agency forthis project, issued the Project SolicitationPackage (PSP) on January 2, 2001.Summaries of selected projects follow:

Project Number 1: Technical As-sistance Program for Irrigation

DistrictsCalifornia Polytechnic State University, Irrigation

Training and Research Center (ITRC)The goal of this project was to provide

technical assistance to water users andidentify new opportunities for waterconservation and improved watermanagement for irrigation districts. Thisprogram targeted water district personnel,farmers, individuals and organizationssuch as irrigation supply dealerships.

The rst component was a variety ofprograms aimed at all agricultural waterusers. ITRC and irrigation districts heldtraining classes in:

water delivery modernization, basic principles for ditch riders andwater masters, ow measurement, on-farm irrigation system design, and on-farm irrigation systemmanagement.Water users were able to participate

in these classes as well as a variety ofother seminars and workshops. In-house

specialty training for U. S. Bureau ofReclamation, DWR, the Agricultural WaterManagement Council and other agency

personnel was also provided.

Training was not the only technicalassistance provided during this project.Special studies were also conductedfor purposes such as identifying waterconservation potentials, or understandingcause, effect and solutions for technicalproblems. Newsletter articles and reportswere created to explain study results anddemonstrate new technologies directedat informing and educating irrigationprofessionals.

The second component was aimed at

individual irrigation districts. The ITRCprovided technical expertise for specicwater conservation programs for veindividual districts, at their request. Thisincluded:

1. Reviewing modernization and watermanagement plans2. Using the Rapid Appraisal Process toidentify modernization needs3. Developing guidelines and assistancewith quality control for districts thatmay be interested in setting up on-farm

irrigation evaluation and schedulingprograms4. Reviewing plans or guidelinesprepared by consulting engineers forirrigation district modernization or watermanagement programs5. Assisting with the implementationof the Supervisory Control and DataAcquisition6. Assisting with implementation of owmeasurement programs including 20

ume designs7. Assisting with other modernizationefforts, such as improving pumping plant

operations, water ordering and pressurecontrol for improved water and energymanagement.

Project Number 2: Measurementof Non-point Source Pollution

Reduction in Vineyards with Im-proved Irrigation EfciencyLodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission

Conventional farming of wine grapescan adversely impact the environment,water supply and quality. To address these

problems the Lodi-Woodbridge WinegrapeCommission has, over the past eightyears, developed a sustainable farmingprogram for wine grapes that focuses onNPS pollution reduction and water useefciency. The commission developed aproject with four objectives.

The rst objective was to engage all650 LWWC growers in implementingsustainable farming practices in theirvineyards. Thirty workshops reached

200 growers, farming 55 percentof vineyard acres and 49 plans

entered in the LWWC database.The workshops assistedfarmers in completing the LodiWinegrowers Workbook self-assessment program.

The secondobjective was todocument andtrack the levelof adoption ofsustainable farming

practices in LWWC using LWWCsdatabase system and survey tools andto measure the impact of the programon reduction of NPS pollutants andincreased water use efciency. Twohundred self-assessment vineyardevaluations were entered into database.Inputs for 60 vineyards were thentracked and entered into the database. The third objective set up anopportunity for staff to present theself-assessment workbook program

California Water Conservation Case Studi


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as a model pollution prevention andincreased water use efciency programto other commodities in the Central

Valley. Twenty presentations on theproject were made to vineyard growergroups. Finally, through the fourth objective,staff was to report on project results.This also included revising the text ofthe Lodi Winegrowers Workbook basedon project experience and sharinglessons learned from the project with allparticipating or funding groups.

Project Number 3: Assessing Spa-tial and Temporal Variability of

Soil Salinity on FarmsImplementing Integrated Drainage

Management PracticesCenter for Irrigation Technology,

California State University, Fresno

Many farmlands on the west side ofthe San Joaquin Valley are threatenedby high salinity and poor drainage. Thethreats affect crop yields and soil quality.The need to reduce salt build-up in soilsand improve efciency of irrigation hasled to a collaborative effort betweenDWR, Westside Resource Conservation

District, and Westlands Water District,which called for integrated on-farmdrainage management (IFDM) practices.Such practices are expected to conserveirrigation water by reducing drainagewater outow on farms. This researchproposed to use electromagnetic (EM)induction surveys and geo-statisticalanalyses as reconnaissance tools to assessspatial and temporal variability of soilsalinity following implementation of IFDMpractices at several farms. The project was

conducted over three years and evaluatedthe effectiveness of IFDM on reducing soilsalinity and improving efciency of wateruse.

Four farms participated in the IFDMprogram. Soil salinity surveys, geo-referencing, and geo-statistical analyseswere conducted over three years. InitialEM measurements were started in October2001 on all farms enrolled in the IFDMprogram. Two other EM measurements

were taken during on-going IFDM infall 2002 and 2003 to monitor salinityresponse to the new practice. Following

each EM survey, the project producedsalinity maps, and conducted geo-referencing and geo-statistical analyses.Before and after IFDM salinity levels(variability, distribution) were compared,analyzed, and used for crop rotation anddrainage management recommendationsto growers.

Project Number 4: Evaluation ofSalt-Tolerant Floral and Forage

Crops as a Strategy for Conserving

Fresh Water ResourcesUnited States Department of Agriculture,

Agricultural Research Service experimentswere conducted at the U.S. Department ofAgriculture Agricultural Research ServiceGeorge E. Brown Jr. Salinity Laboratoryin Riverside using greenhouse andoutdoor sand tank lysimeter systems. Drymatter production rates of the foragesand the water balance of the sand tankswere measured periodically. Electricalconductivity (EC) was monitored as

was pH to document actual salinity andalkalinity of the irrigation solutions.The forage tissue was dried, ground,and analyzed for major inorganic salts(Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium,Chlorine, Phosphorous and Sulfur) andforage quality.

Water use efciency was calculatedbased on accumulated biomass oreconomic product for each salinitytreatment. Additional salinity-stress andstress relief experiments were conducted

for ower crops in a greenhouse sand-tankfacility to quantify the number of suitableowers that could be salable. Floral cropswere assessed based on commercially

acceptable criteria for owers, andbiomass production was also measured asan indicator of plant performance under

the range of saline treatments.

Project Number 5: Water Conser-vation in Urban Supermarkets

Aquacraft

The goal of this project was to quantifythe water-saving potential and theeconomic feasibility of using advancedwater treatment in grocery store coolingsystems, and to look for water savings inthe other uses at the stores.

Six full-service urban supermarkets with

an average size of 4, 590 m2

(50,000square feet) and having multipledepartments were the subjectsof this investigation. The watersavings achieved at the sixsites exceededthe amountspredicted bythe theoreticalcalculations.On average,the shift fromconventionalto advancedtreatmentresulted in savings of 2,684 m3 (709,000gallons) per year.

A benet/cost analysis showed thatadvanced water treatment program canpay for itself in one or two years, andthat over the life of a new evaporativecondenser, the benets from usingadvanced water treatment will be between2 and 10 times the incremental costs ofusing the system.

Recommendations for other in-store watersavings included the use of high-efciencyspray nozzles, aerators, and water owrestrictors on all hand sinks and spraytables, elimination of garbage grindersin favor of composting produce wastes,replacement of low pressure hoses withhigh-pressure sprayers for washing meat,and encouraging leak reporting and waterconserving ideas by employees.

Paving the Way for a Water Efcient State

Continued. See Studies on page 6


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Project Number 6: Joint AgencyX-Ray Processor Retrot Program

for HospitalsIrvine Ranch Water District

Hospital x-ray processors operateconstantly and consume from 0.2 to 2.5gallons of water per minute (gpm). Thereare very few 0.2 gpm models (105,000gallons per year) in service and mostoperate near 2.5 gpm (1,314,000 gallonsper year). New water re-circulationtechnology is available. It reducesconsumption to about 13,000-24,000gallons per year.

There was an average savings of 98percent over seven installations, saving

30,000 m3

(24.24 acre-feet) annually. Theproject cost per acre-foot saved was $139($69 for a 20-year life) and an equipment-only cost per acre-foot saved was $103($51 for a 20-year life).

Project Number 7: RegionalHigh Efciency Washing Machine

Rebate ProgramElectric and Gas Industry Association

High efciency clothes washers use60 percent less energy and 40 percent

less water per load than conventionalmachines. Through an SB 23 fundedrebate program seven Bay Area wateragencies issued more than 27,000 highefciency clothes-washers rebates. Wateragency funds matched the $1,785,000grant on a dollar-for-dollar basis, pluscontributed $780,000 in programadministration services.

The program provided retailers with listsof products that qualied for the rebate.

Retailers said the program helped increasesales. Retailers were kept apprised ofall program conditions and changes.The nal report includes a spreadsheetthat identies the 107 washing machinemodels that were rebated. Thespreadsheet also includes quantitiesrebated, water factor and tier.

Project Number 8: Weather-basedController Retrot Program for

Urban LandscapesSanta Barbara County Water Agency

Coordinated by the Santa BarbaraCounty Water Agency, this projectincluded the cities of Santa Barbara,Lompoc and Santa Maria, the GoletaWater District and the Vandenberg VillageCommunity Services District. The goalof the project was to distribute 300 ETcontrollers with rain sensors and soil

probes at no cost, other than the monthly$4 data link charge that provides CIMISweather data. The WeatherTRAK ETcontroller was chosen by the Irvine RanchWater District.

Early installations showed that somewater bills increased after installationof the ET controllers. An investigationshowed that turf was being over-wateredand drip lines were being under-watered.The team concluded that the factory-set default precipitation rates of some

irrigation systems were far too high. Thesewere adjusted. The 12-station limit of thecontrollers also limited their effectivenessin some larger landscapes. Post-installationadjustments by the consumer wereunreliable.

62 installations have been completedso far. The project has been extended foranother year and expects to complete theremaining installations. Although the dataare early and not statistically signicant,

there was an average of 26 percent watersavings, ranging from 59 percent to 8percent savings.

Project Number 9: Waste Not,Want Not - The Potential for Urban

Water ConservationPacic Institute

The purpose of this study was toinvestigate potential water savings in theurban sector as well as the costs associatedwith those efforts. The Pacic Instituteestimated that 2,836 million m3 (2.3million acre-feet) of water, one-third ofCalifornias current urban water use, could

be saved with existing technology. Eighty-seven percent or two million acre-feet ofthat savings could be accomplished costeffectively. The study looked at indoordomestic water use, outdoor residentialwater use, as well as commercial, industrialand institutional water use.

Studies(continued from page 6)

Pacic Horticulture Symposium:Gardening Under MediterraneanSkies IV: Exploring California StyleOctober 1 to 3, 2004Los Angeles County Arboretum andBotanical Garden, ArcadiaOctober 8 to 10, 2004Strybing Arboretum and Botanical

Garden, San FranciscoSpeakers and Workshops will offer in-depthpresentations on creating and maintaininggardens appropriate to CaliforniasMediterranean climate. Workshop topicsinclude plants, container gardening,rescaping, edibles, and wildlife. For moreinformation visit www.pacichorticulture.org/medskies, e-mail [email protected] or call (866) 633-7543.

Events

Water Conservation


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Figure 1: Schematic of energy balance. Symbols arenet radiation (Rn), heat ux to air (H), heat ux toground (G) and the residual or ET

Figure 2. Distribution of ET for cherries, pasture and winegrapes on July 25, 2000. Average daily ET duringthe month of July was 0.28 inches per day, ET on July 25 was 0.32 inches.

Evapotranspiration (ET) is the key to

understanding where and when wateris depleted. Native vegetation, rain-fedagriculture, irrigated agriculture, urbanlandscape and wetlands all consumewater through evapotranspiration. Thetraditional approach of estimating anareas crop water use ET is using land usesurveys to dene the areas occupied bydifferent types of crops, native vegetation,wetlands and urban uses and bymultiplying reference ET (ETo - computedfrom CIMIS weather data for California) bycrop- and landscape- coefcients (Kc andKL) developed through research on smallscale plots under controlled conditionsor by estimation based upon water usedata analysis. Land-use surveys are laborintensive and costly and the ET estimatesderived can be subject to uncertaintiesdue to differences between controlledconditions and actual conditions.

Remote sensing ET estimates, on theother hand, use digital satellite imagerycombined with processing algorithms

that solve the surface energy balance.Processing algorithms that solve thesurface energy balance have beenvalidated against several alternative ETestimation methods on scales rangingfrom eld to basin and across a wide rangeof climatic conditions in several countries.In just one of these validations, excellentseasonal agreement was obtained betweenremotely sensed ET and lysimetermeasurements in Idaho.

Processing algorithms use spectralradiances recorded by satellite-basedsensors plus weather data from ground-based stations, such as CIMIS, tosolve the energy balance at the earthssurface. Primary outputs are the actualevapotranspiration (ETact), and biomassproduction of agricultural crops and nativevegetation. Radioactive, aerodynamic, andenergy balance equations are applied to

calculate the residual energy. Residualenergy converts liquid water-to-water

vapor or ET which is technically referredto as latent heat ux as shown in Figure 1.Processing algorithms use input from anysatellite measuring the required spectralradiance bands. LANDSAT and MODIS aretwo satellites that produce images oftenused as input.

The output of the processing algorithmsis a composite ET rate for each pixel atthe instant of the satellite image. Thisinstantaneous ET rate can be extrapolatedto obtain daily, weekly, monthly and

seasonal values from ground-basedweather stations and additional satelliteimages. The more frequently the imagesare processed, the more accurate theET estimation. Because the output is acomposite value, it may represent more

than one land use type, so to get a singleland use type within a pixel requiresknowledge of the types of vegetationwithin the pixel; typically this is handledwith a geographic information systemapplication coupled with ground-basedverication.

The two primary uses of ET informationare water management planning andirrigation scheduling. ET can be calculatedfrom crop coefcients and ETo or from

remote sensing computations. ET canalso assist in irrigation evaluation andmanagement by identifying areas of lowerET within a eld. In Figure 2, the outputshows the distribution of actual ET ratesfor pasture, cherries and wine grapes onJuly 25, 2000, and the daily reference ET,determined by Public Agricultural WeatherSystems at Washington State University.The distribution of ET is a function of theplant type and soil water potential thatis affected by soil water content and soil

salinity.

Remote Sensing forEvapotranspiration

By Mark Roberson, California Bay-Delta Authority


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Preserving Trees after Landscape ConversionsBy Julie Saare-Edmonds

Landscape conversion is becomingmore popular for water conservation.Usually by offering rebates, several water

agencies throughout the west encouragethe conversion of high water using,predominately turf landscapes, to a typeof landscape that requires far less water.These landscapes require much lessmaintenance and generatefar less green waste thana typical mostly-turf yard.Usually the homeownersenroll in the program andattend workshops to learnbasic water wise gardening

principles or water agencystaff may conduct sitevisits. Inspections afterinstallation are usually required beforethe rebate is issued. These programshave a great potential for saving water.Southern Nevada Water Authority hasbeen offering turf conversion rebates since1999. SNWA has had great success withthe program by converting over 18 millionsquare feet of grass on more than 7,500properties. The water savings are at least1.4 billion gallons per year.

When removing large areas of grasswhere trees are present there are somethings to consider such as tree rootingpattern, weather, techniques for removingturf, soil preparation and irrigation afterconversion. Water agencies interested instarting a landscape conversion programneed to consider these factors andcommunicate them to customers who areinterested converting their landscape.

Contrary to popular belief, most maturetrees do not have deep tap roots. Most ofthe root system is horizontal and near thesurface. The large woody roots functionprimarily as structural supports for thetree. The tiny feeder roots that are foundwithin the top few inches of soil are themajor suppliers of water, nutrients and

oxygen to the tree. These roots are oftenintermingled with the grass roots and canbe damaged when the turf is removed.

Roots of many trees extend well beyondthe dripline, frequently two to threetimes the width of the canopy. Extensiveroots systems are part of how Californiasoaks survive the long summer dry period.The root system of a 30-foot wide Blueor Valley oak may extend to 100 feet ormore. This expansive root system hastremendous surface area that enables thetree to collect enough water to survive thedry season.

To protect the trees some carefulsteps must be taken. Ifpossible the landscapeconversion should be

done during a cooler time of year; thiswill minimize stress on existing trees andwill ease stress on the newly installedplants. It is important, for example, tochoose a method for removing turfthat will minimize disturbance to theroots. Covering the grass with mulch orlandscape fabric to shade it out is onemethod. If shading out will take too longfor the project, a sod cutter adjustedto a shallow setting can be used topreserve as many tree roots as possible.If herbicides are preferred, noteprecautions on the package labeling tobe sure the tree will not be damaged.

After the grass is removed minimizedisturbance of the soil while trenchingand digging planting holes. Tractors orvehicles should never be driven over orparked on root zones. Trees may need

to be watered if there is no rain duringthe construction phase. When the newlandscape irrigation is installed, a separatezone from the zones used for shrubs andperennials needs to be designated for treesbecause trees will require less frequent butdeeper irrigation than shrubs. Dependingon the tree size and species, several

emitters may be required to adequatelywater the root zone. After the irrigationsystem and plants are installed, a layer

of mulch placed in the planting area canhelp to prevent water loss by evaporation.Mulch should be kept away from the trunkof trees and stems of shrubs--two to threeinches is sufcient. If the mulch is toodeep it may hold too much moisture inthe soil and impede oxygen movement.After the landscape is completed, thehealth of the trees needs to be monitoredand adjustments in the irrigation schedulemade as needed. Over time the treeswill re-establish in the soil and may need

less frequent irrigation. If the trees showsigns of stress that does not improve withirrigation, or if there is a general decline inhealth, consult a certied arborist.

Trees are an important part of the urbanlandscape because of cooling shade,the oxygen they give off, the homes andfood they provide to wildlife and theesthetic value to all of us. Maturing treesrepresent an investment in time, water

and resources that is difcultto recover. More

informationon trees isavailablefrom yourlocal UrbanForestry

Associationor the

National ArborDay Foundation at

www.arborday.org.


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and contributing to the restoration ofthe fragile Delta ecosystem, the use ofrecycled water may also prove to be less

energy-demanding than other alternatives.Studies have shown that pumping waterto Metropolitan Southern California from

the State Water Project over the TehachapiMountains or through the Colorado RiverAqueduct requires, respectively, about3,000 kilowatt-hours and about 2,000kilowatt-hours per acre-foot of deliveredwater. These numbers are signicantlyhigher than the supplemental energyneeded (beyond discharge requirements)

for water recycling, which is reportedto be less than 500 kilowatt-hours peracre-foot of recycled water produced for

many non-potable uses and about1,200 kilowatt-hours for recycledwater produced through membraneprocesses, such as reverse osmosis.

When compared to importingwater from Northern California, awater recycling project the size ofthe Groundwater Replenishment

System in Orange County (78,000 acre-feet in Phase I) is estimated to generateenergy savings of about 140 million

kilowatt-hours annually or enough energyto serve approximately 21,300 homes eachyear. So, the expansion of recycled wateruse will not only reduce the pressure onCalifornias precious fresh water resources,but also help save millions of watts.

Water recycling not only saves freshpotable water supplies, but also conservesenergy. In California, pumping water

out of natural sources, conveyingit to areas of use, treating anddistributing it to customers, andtreating wastewater accounts forone of the states largest energyuses. Improving the efciency withwhich water is used provides animportant opportunity to increaserelated energy efciency.

Recycled water use has a dual benetof adding a reliable source of water for

many uses (mainly non-potable uses)and improving the states energy useefciency. Advancing the use of recycledwater in thirsty Southern California wouldhelp greatly reduce the regions relianceon imported supplies from the northand from the Colorado River. In additionto saving conventional water supplies

Recycled Water Saves Watts?By Fawzi Karajeh and Fethi BenJemaa

Emerging Contaminants, Xenobiotics,Endocrine Disruptors, EndocrineActive Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals andPersonal Care Products, HormonallyActive Agents, Persistent OrganicPollutants, Bioaccumulative Chemicals ofConcern...And the list goes on. These aresome of the many terms that we hear andread about more and more lately; suchterms are either synonymous ordescribe some intersectingsets of a plethora of chemicals

and pollutants. They area new class of chemicalpollutants and toxins thatmanaged to spread intothe environment, making their way intostreams, lakes and groundwater. Eventhough such pollutants have only gainedattention in recent years, they most likelyhave been present in the environment fora long time.

The main origins of these contaminantsare personal care products (fragrances,deodorants, disinfectants, cosmetics, sunscreens, and insect repellants), variouspharmaceutical products (prescription andover-the-counter drugs, antibiotics, anddiagnostic agents), detergents, cleaningagents, household chemicals, agricultural

fertilizers, pesticides,

fungicides and animal growth hormones.The universal and widespread use andsubsequent discharge of such productson a continuous basis further exacerbatetheir persistence in our waters. Amonitoring study conducted by the U.S.

Geological Survey during 1999 and 2000of 139 streams in 30 states, includingseveral in California, found small amountsof such emerging contaminants in 80percent of surface water samples. Manyof these contaminants are associated withmunicipal, industrial, and agriculturalwastewaters. As such pollutants are easilytransported into the environment through

various ways, the issue of emergingcontaminants is of paramountimportance not only to the

wastewater and water recyclingcommunity but also to the watersupply, environmental ecology,and public health communities.

These emerging contaminants are ofgrowing concern as some even at traceconcentration levels, could alter thephysiological responses and the endocrineand reproductive systems in humans and

Emerging Contaminants: Whats in Your Water?By Fethi BenJemaa and Fawzi Karajeh

Continued. See Contaminants on page 11


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Advances in desalination technologies are helping to generate new potable water to California

Figure 2: Global Desalination Capacity

Figure 1: Trend in Desalinated Water Cost

Desalination on the Movein California

By Fawzi Karajeh and Fethi BenJemaa

Desalination is not a new idea. There areover 11,000 desalination plants worldwideproducing about 5,400 million gallonsper day of desalinated water, of which

600 mgd is being produced in NorthAmerica. It is reported that desalinationcapacity might grow by 10 to 20 percentannually in the coming decade. Californiascientists, resource planners, and policy-makers continue to take a long-term viewof the water resources in the state. In theupcoming California Water Plan Update,water recycling as well as seawater andbrackish water desalting are expected tobe prominent components.

In addition to the growing demand forwater due to population increase (it isestimated that Californias population willincrease by 17 million by the year 2030),current conventional water sources arethreatened by overdraft, depletion andpollution. Other factors contributingto the dwindling of water suppliesinclude climatic changes, the imminentcompliance with the Colorado River 4.4plan, successive and extended periodsof drought, and the growing need for

environmental and ecosystem restoration.Desalination has the potential to offer analternative supplemental reliable watersupply. In addition to enhancing waterquality through state-of-the-art treatmentprocesses, the use of desalinated waterwould free up other water suppliescontributing to ecosystem restoration,minimizing transfers from agricultureto urban users, and reducing thedependence on imported water.

The California Legislature has recognizedthe future importance of seawater andbrackish water desalination throughlegislation. In 2002, the Legislatureapproved Assembly Bill 2717 (RobertHertzberg) which mandated DWR toconvene the California Water DesalinationTask Force to look into potentialopportunities and impediments for using

seawater and brackish water desalination,and to identify what role, if any, thestate should play in furthering the useof desalination technology. For moreinformation about the recommendationsthe Task Force submitted to theLegislature in its nal report visitwww.owue.water.ca.gov/recycle.

entities be given the same opportunitiesfor state assistance and funding as otherwater supply and reliability projects, andthat desalination be consistent with allapplicable environmental protectionpolicies in the state.

Federal legislation encouraging thedevelopment of desalination projects asa means of addressing the nations watersupply problems was introduced in theHouse in February 2004. The legislation,entitled the Desalination Energy AssistanceAct of 2004, would authorize theDepartment of Energy to make competitivegrants available to make drinking waterfrom seawater and brackish groundwater.

In November 2002, California voterspassed Proposition 50, the WaterSecurity, Clean Drinking Water,Coastal and Beach Protection Act of2002. Chapter 6 of Proposition 50,entitled Contaminant and Salt RemovalTechnologies, allocates $50 million ingrants for seawater and brackish waterdesalination projects under Chapter 6(a).The program, administered by DWR,provides grants for construction projectsas well as research and development,feasibility studies, and pilot anddemonstration projects. This programaims to assist local agencies with the

development of local water suppliesthrough brackish water and seawaterdesalination. For more informationvisit www.owue.water.ca.gov/nance/index.cfm.

And, on August 9, 2003, Governor Davisapproved AB 314 (Kehoe). This billmade it a state policy that desalinationprojects developed by or for public water


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Claried Regulation ofIncidental Runoff of

Recycled WaterBy Fawzi Karajeh and Nancy King

In June 2003 the California RecycledWater Task Force published a report thatcontained several key recommendations;one of these was Recommendation 4.2.1. In 4.2.1 the Task Force recommendedthat the State Water Resources ControlBoard convene a committee to review thelegal requirements of federal and statestatutes and regulations and water qualityconsiderations that relate to the regulationof incidental runoff of recycled water todetermine the regulatory and enforcement

options that are available to the RegionalWater Quality Control Boards. SWRCBaccepted this recommendation

and on February 24, 2004, the SWRCB,committee sent a memorandum to theRegional Boards Executive Ofcers thatcontained recommendations on how toregulate incidental, runoff of recycledwater.

The memorandum, in an attempt tofurther the safe uses of recycled water (alegislatively established objective), denedincidental runoff as the small amountsof runoff from intended recycled wateruse areas, over-spray from sprinklers thatdrifts out of the intended use area,and overow of ponds thatcontain recycled water duringstorms. The recycled waterconsideration is that which

has received tertiary ltrationfor pathogen removal

as specied under Title 22. Part of theFramework for Regulation of IncidentalRunoff established by the State Board ishighlighted in the side bar on page 12.

This collective effort of the State Board,

Regional Boards, and stakeholders isexpected to maintain the protectionof public health and pave the way forincreasing the use of recycled waterin California within federal and Statestatutes and regulations. For informationon the memorandum, you may contact

Gordon Innes of the State Boardat (916) 341-5517 or

[email protected].

animals by mimicking natural hormones.Potential adverse effects includereproductive impairment and disorders,cancer, and other unknown toxicityeffects that are yet to be discoveredand understood. The toxicologicalsignicance of these trace contaminantscan be intensied by their additive effects(simultaneous exposure to amultitude of agents) as well astheir possible interactive effects.

Even though there are currently noregulations governing the monitoringof pharmaceuticals and other emergingcontaminants in water, the California

Department of Health Services has alreadyproposed draft regulation languagerequiring monitoring for the occurrenceof nonregulated chemicals in waterintended for groundwater recharge. (DHSGroundwater Recharge Reuse Regulations,July 2003 Draft, section 60320.040.Control of Nonregulated Chemicals). Theunregulated chemicals that DHS requiresmonitoring are those that lack drinkingwater standards but nonetheless require

analysis and are found in Title 22 of theCalifornia Code of Regulations section64450, effective January 3, 2001. Theseinclude inorganic chemicals (Boron,Chromium-6, Perchlorate, and Vanadium)and organic chemicals (Dichlorodiuoromethane, Ethyl tertiary butyl ether, Tertiaryamyl methyl ether, Tertiary butyl alcohol,and 1,2,3-Trichloropropane).

Conventional water treatmenttechnologies currently available may notbe effective for the removal of all emerging

contaminants. Advanced membraneprocesses such as reverse osmosis (RO)and nanoltration (NF) offer the bestavailable treatment alternatives. However,additional research and data are neededto determine the effectiveness of differentwater treatment technologies includingRO and NF in removing such tracechemicals. DWR, in order to understandthe fundamentals and the factors drivingrejection of contaminants of concern

in membrane treatment systems, isparticipating in a study aimed at developinga standardized bench-scale testing protocolfor organic micropollutant rejectionconsidering different water quality matricesand membrane operational conditions.The study will also evaluate the viability ofNF and new low pressure RO membranesfor rejecting unregulated and regulatedorganics as well as nitrogen under a range

of experimental conditions atthe bench-, pilot-, and full-scale.DWRs study partners includeWest Basin Municipal WaterDistrict, AWWA Research

Foundation, WateReuse Foundation,Colorado School of Mines, the University ofColorado, and Koch Membrane Systems.

Additional resources and information onemerging contaminants can be found atthe U.S. EPA National Exposure ResearchLaboratory Web site atwww.epa.gov/esd/chemistry/pharma/index.htmand the U.S. Geological Survey ToxicSubstances Hydrology Program at http//toxics.usgs.gov/index.html.

Contaminants(continued from page 9)

Continued. SeeRegulation on page 11


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WATER CONSERVATION NEWSP. O. Box 942836Sacramento, CA 94236-0001

This newsletter is printed on recycled paper.

STATE

OF CALIFORN

IA

DE

PARTMENT

OFWATER

RESOURC

ES

Address Correction Requested

To further the goal of maximizing the use of recycled water, the water quality laws should be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the intentof the Legislature to promote recycled water use. Consequently, incidental runoff from recycled water projects should be handled as follows:

1. Where reclamation requirements prohibit the discharge of waste to waters of the State and discharges are not expected to oc-cur, occasional runoff should not trigger the need for either an individual NPDES permit or enforcement action.2. If discharges from a reclamation project area occur routinely, such discharges can be regulated under a municipal storm waterNPDES permit in most cases.3. In limited cases, where necessary to address a water quality concern, discharges of recycled water to surface waters may be regu-lated under an individual NPDES permit. An NPDES permit, however, should not be issued unless necessary to achieve waterquality objectives.

Generally, parties using reclaimed water will want to operate in such a way as to avoid the need for an individual NPDES permit. The discussion belowdescribes the framework for regulating incidental runoff from irrigation systems and from storage ponds without issuing such a permit.

Incidental Runoff Associated with Recycled Water IrrigationRecycled water use facilities should be designed and operated to avoid runoff to waters of the State. The regional boards should work with recycled waterusers to help them achieve this goal. Nonetheless, incidental runoff is likely to occur at many facilities. Consequently, regional boards should include thefollowing language in water recycling requirements.

The incidental discharge of recycled water to waters of the State is not a violation of these requirements if the incidental discharge does not unreasonablyaffect the benecial uses of the water, and does not result in exceeding an applicable water quality objective in the receiving water.

The language is modeled after the language included in the Master Reclamation Requirements issued by the San Francisco Bay Regional Board.

Releases from Recycled Water Ponds

A principal water quality concern with recycled water ponds is the presence of locally added pollutants, such as fertilizers and algaecides. These sameissues exist with potable water ponds.

Recycled water ponds should be designed and operated not to spill during dry months. Spills should be prohibited during these times. Generally, wetweather regulatory strategies that do not require individual NPDES permits fall within the following categories:

1. The recycled water pond is designed not to spill during wet months. Under this circumstance, spills that occur under extreme weather conditions oremergencies should not be considered for enforcement.2. Recycled water ponds can be drained and relled with potable water or ushed with potable water prior to the onset of the wet season. F lushing willnot displace all of the recycled water but the water quality threat is minimal.3. Recycled water ponds designed to spill recycled water during the wet season can be regulated under Phase 1 municipal storm water permits or undera general storm water permit. These permits require reduction of pollutants to the maximum extent practicable. The permits also incorporate receivingwater limitations requiring the implementation of an iterative process for addressing any exceeding of water quality objectives.

Regulation (continued from page 11)

Spring - Summer 2004 California Water Conservation News

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