The calls to Clear Lake State Park come in steadily now from
people saying they’ve heard the lake may no longer be safe for
swimming…. It’s pretty clear why. A composite satellite image
produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s
Earth Observatory depicting a nasty-looking, solid green lake
has been circulated widely over the past two weeks, republished
by news agencies around the nation and posted all over social
media, to the chagrin of Lake County tourism interests.
Aiming to make sure that drinkable water isn’t wasted on
non-drinking uses, Healdsburg is forging ahead this week with a
multimillion-dollar infrastructure project designed around
reclaimed H2O. Construction on the first phase of Healdsburg’s
new recycled water pipeline will begin on Thursday, June 13,
and last through Wednesday, June 19, on Kennedy Lane along the
city’s south end. It’s the first of four legs of construction
this year. Utilities Engineering Manager Patrick Fuss is
warning drivers to expect some delays as a result of the
construction, which is the first step in building a 4.7-mile
underground line that will haul reclaimed water throughout the
city to irrigate parks, the Healdsburg Golf Club, Oak Mound
Cemetery and Healdsburg Elementary School. While the line will
not provide direct hookups to residents, a public fill station
for recycled water, which isn’t potable, will be available at a
to-be-determined location along Healdsburg Avenue before the
end of the year.
Famous for its lush vineyards and cherished local wineries,
Napa Valley is where people go to escape their problems. …
What the more than 3 million annual tourists don’t see,
however, is that California’s wine country has a brewing
problem – one that has spurred multiple ongoing government
investigations and created deep divisions. Some residents and
business owners fear it poses a risk to the region’s reputation
and environment. At the heart of the fear is the decades-old
Clover Flat Landfill (CFL), perched on the northern edge of the
valley atop the edge of a rugged mountain range. Two streams
run adjacent to the landfill as tributaries to the Napa
River.
Healdsburg, California, residents can expect their water and
sewer bills to go up by 21 percent beginning in August after a
rate hike was approved this week by the Healdsburg City
Council. According to the city’s Water and Wastewater Cost of
Service and Rate Design Study, this could amount to as much as
$34 per month for some residents in the Northern California
community. … The city said the revenue will help improve and
maintain its water system, including fixing bursting pipes.
Installing drought-tolerant landscaping or using recycled water
for irrigation could become substitutes for grey water systems
under a proposal from the Marin Municipal Water District. The
district’s communications and water efficiency committee has
endorsed a proposal that will overhaul the grey water ordinance
that was adopted in 2016. Grey water is wastewater from
bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks and clothes washers. The
existing ordinance states that applicants seeking new water
service, and projects requesting expanded water service for
large residential or commercial remodels, must install a grey
water recycling system for landscape irrigation. However, the
district allowed customers to self-certify whether a grey water
system was feasible, resulting in many owners of eligible sites
exempting their properties, staff said.
Sebastopol residents could pay an average of $43 more per month
for water and sewer services beginning July 1. The proposed
increase, to be discussed by city leaders on Tuesday and be
voted on by the Sebastopol City Council in June, is meant to
cover the cost of much needed maintenance and replacements on
the city’s aging system. The city has dipped into reserves for
the past five years, depleting its “rainy day” account.
According to city documents, the city expects its water fund to
have just $13,000-plus on the books at the end of the 2023-24
fiscal year, while its wastewater fund will be in the hole by
more than $1 million. … To backfill the loss, the city plans
to raise water rates by 50%. It could then follow one of two
recommended plans: raise rates by 16% in year two, then two
percent for the next three years. Or, in the second plan, the
city could raise rates by 11% in the second year, then 9% for
the next three years.