County Offers Free Recycled Water To Offset Drought Demands

As California’s drought continues to shrink water supplies, a Sonoma County utility is looking to recycled water as a new source.

The Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District opened a residential recycled water fill station today for residents to use to water their lawns, gardens, and landscaped areas, according to district officials. The recycled water from the fill station will be provided to all residents living in the Sonoma Creek Watershed free of charge, district officials said.

“Recycled water is a valuable resource that becomes even more important during this drought,” Sonoma County Water Agency board of directors chair Susan Gorin said in a statement. “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.”

The fill station is located at 2265 Eighth St. E. in Sonoma and will be open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Prior to using the fill station, residents are asked to fill out a Residential Recycled Water Fill Station Use Application/Agreement, according to district officials. The forms are available to pick up on location at the fill station or online at www.sonomacountywater.org/SVCSD.

Residents using the station must bring their own sealable containers to fill, according to district officials. Residents may fill up anywhere from a minimum of one gallon to a maximum of 300 gallons per trip.

Another residential recycled water fill station facility is planned for Santa Rosa in the parking lot of the Sonoma County Water Agency offices parking lot at 404 Aviation Blvd., using water from the Airport Wastewater Treatment Plant, agency officials said.

The fill station is planned to be available for resident use on weekends and is expected to open later this year, according to water agency spokesman Brad Sherwood.

--Bay City News