Summary

The Bay Area H20 Program will provide education, skills-building and support to encourage water conservation and greywater reuse.

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Background

According to United Nations’ statistics, two-thirds of the world, or 5.3 billion people, may be vulnerable to water shortages by 2025. An estimated 36 states in the United States are forecast to face water scarcity in 2013. A General Electric survey found that 66% of Americans felt positive regarding water reuse. The survey also found that 8 out of 10 Americans support using recycled water for such uses as power generation, landscaping, industrial processing and manufacturing, toilet-flushing, car washing and agricultural irrigation. The majority of Americans polled think water scarcity is a national issue as is protection of water resources and have indicated a concern about clean water availability.

In 2011, Sonoma County reported a population of 488,116, of which 10.7% were below the poverty level. The median household income from 2007-2011 was $64,343-$69,099, which is hardly enough to survive in today’s economy. The average monthly bill for a 4-person family using 150 gallons of water per day in San Francisco costs $86.00. For a low-income family, that’s a high cost to pay from their monthly income. Each year, millions of gallons of water that could be reused in the home goes into Sonoma County’s waste water system. One single household has the potential to save between 5,000 – 8,000 gallons of water each year in Sonoma by installing a greywater system.

Approximately 5,000 – 8,000 gallons of recycled laundry water per year can be reused to offset water usage for gardens and landscapes. Studies also suggest that when residents installed greywater systems at their home they also increased other conservation measures which led to additional household water savings. Water re-use is one of the key methods of addressing water scarcity and helping families to reduce their monthly expenses – and in addressing the increasing gap between water demand and supply. When greywater is reused either onsite or nearby, it has the potential to reduce the demand for new water supply, reduce the energy and carbon footprint of water services, and meet a wide range of social and economic needs.

Location

Petaluma, California, United States

Attachments

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