Sonoma County offers free recycled water

Valley residents can get recycled water – free – to use on their lawns and gardens at a facility near the wastewater treatment plant on Eighth Street East.

The Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District opened a residential recycled water fill station on Monday that will provide free recycled water for local residents that can be used to water lawns, gardens and landscaped areas.

Initially, the Sonoma Valley fill station will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The fill station is located just north of the plant, which is located at 22675 Eighth St. E. Recycled water will be provided to all residents who live in the Sonoma Creek Watershed free of charge.

Residents must bring their own sealable containers, with a minimum volume of one gallon and a maximum of 300 gallons. Each resident may receive up to a total of 300 gallons per trip and each of the containers must be appropriately labeled.

“Recycled water is a valuable resource that becomes even more important during this drought,” said Susan Gorin, chair of the Sonoma County Water Agency board. “By making recycled water available to district residents, we can ease the burden on our limited Russian River supplies and our local groundwater. It’s just one more thing we can do together that will help us through this drought. ”

Plans are also under way for a residential recycled water fill station facility at 404 Aviation Boulevard where recycled water from the Airport Wastewater Treatment Plant will be available on weekends in the Sonoma County Water Agency offices parking lot.

The Sonoma Valley and Airport wastewater treatment facilities produce tertiary treated recycled water that has been used by local agricultural customers for many years. Recycled water is treated to a very high standard and is permitted by the state of California for use on a variety of plants and agricultural crops, including vineyards, fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs.

“We’re doing everything we can to encourage residents to conserve every drop of water during this drought,” said Water Agency Director James Gore. “Recycled water is a key component of our drought toolkit, and will always be available as a source of water for agriculture and other beneficial uses. This is a great program and we hope residents take advantage of it.”

Prior to receiving water, residents are asked to obtain a Residential Recycled Water Fill Station Use Application/Agreement online at scwa.ca.gov/SVCSD or pick one up at the fill station. The application/agreement should be completed and reviewed prior to their first visit.

Recycled water will be distributed on a drop-in basis. District staff will verify that the Residential Recycled Water Fill Station Use Application/Agreement form has been completed. Each participant will be given a brief training about the use of recycled water.

Recycled water should not be placed in a storage container that is connected to a landscape irrigation system or a drinking water supply. Recycled water is not suitable for drinking or food preparation.

For questions about the Residential Recycled Water Fill Station Program, contact Kevin Booker at 521-1865. For additional information about the Sonoma Valley Residential Recycled Water Fill Station, visit scwa.ca.gov/SVCSD.