Dublin San Ramon Recycled Water Fill Station for Residents Closing

From the Dublin San Ramon Services District: Dublin San Ramon Services District is closing its residential recycled water fill station during a major construction project at its water recycling plant to avoid public safety hazards and traffic congestion.

At its regular meeting last night, the DSRSD Board of Directors reached a consensus to close the fill station during the 18 months of construction since Tri-Valley residents are not currently restricted from using potable water for irrigation. Boardmembers agreed to revisit their decision if there is little or no rain over the next two months, leading to the likelihood of irrigation restrictions this summer.

“We haven’t had mandatory irrigation restrictions in the Tri-Valley since last June, when our water supply improved and we could move to voluntary conservation measures. If we have to reinstate irrigation restrictions, we will look at options for operating a recycled water fill station for residents,” said Richard Halket, incoming board president.

The fill station’s last day is December 28, when it will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. unless it rains. The station will be closed over the Christmas weekend.

Extensive concrete work near the treatment plant gate begins in January for an $18.2 million expansion project that will enable the plant to produce 70 percent more recycled water to meet peak summer demand. Residents use the same area to enter and leave the fill station and fill containers with up to 300 gallons of recycled water.

“We cannot put the public at risk in a hard-hat construction zone or cause a traffic jam on Johnson Drive when roads are closed inside the treatment plant,” Halket said.

In 2014, DSRSD received special permission from state regulators to let residents pick up recycled water for outdoor watering. Tri-Valley water agencies had just declared a local drought emergency and restricted irrigation with potable water to two days a week. The program peaked in 2015, when residents hauled home 2.7 percent of the recycled water produced at the treatment plant. Fill station use fell by half in 2016 after the local drought emergency ended and water retailers lifted irrigation restrictions.

DSRSD and East Bay Municipal Utility District built the water recycling plant as a joint venture more than a decade ago to reduce demand for imported water. The partnership, known as the San Ramon Valley Recycled Water Program, provides a sustainable water supply to large irrigation customers, including parks, school grounds, golf courses, roadway medians, commercial and multi-family properties, and homeowner association common areas. As a result of agreements to share and expand the facility, the plant now also supplies irrigation water to the City of Pleasanton for its large green spaces.

About DSRSD
Founded in 1953, Dublin San Ramon Services District serves 173,000 people, providing potable and recycled water service to Dublin and the Dougherty Valley area of San Ramon, wastewater collection and treatment to Dublin and south San Ramon, and wastewater treatment to Pleasanton (by contract). The District office is located at 7051 Dublin Blvd., Dublin, CA 94568. For more information visit www.dsrsd.com.

Image via the Dublin San Ramon Service District