| Weather Conditions Drive Water Use | |
Between this past summer's cooler than expected weather and our customers' recent water-saving habits, to-date (July 1 to September 30, 2010) we have conserved 12% or about 877 million gallons of water. To put this in perspective, we have achieved three-quarters of our annual conservation goal (1.2 billion gallons of water) in just three months! The last time Anaheim experienced water use levels this low, during the summer season's hottest months, was 20 years ago, in the early 1990s, when similar weather conditions and drought response actions were in effect.
In spite of our water savings, however, we are still not in the clear. We are still experiencing water supply cutbacks, and the complex environmental problems of the Sacramento Bay Delta are expected to continue until a long-term fix is completed. Also, continued unpredictable shifts in the weather indicate a possible dry year ahead.
Water experts are closely watching the emergence of "La Niña", a shift from its counterpart "El Niño," which brought plenty of rain across California this past winter. La Niña, which arises from a strengthening of the trade winds and cooling of the water in the Pacific Ocean, is expected to result in a drier-than-normal winter for Central and Southern California. Scientists say they will know more in the months ahead as California's traditional rainy months of December, January, and February near.
Nonetheless, the variability in weather patterns drives the need for a sustainable water conservation ethic. We ask Anaheim customers to continue their water-saving habits. Fall's cooler weather is a good time to freshen up your landscapes with low water-use plants and adjust your lawn's watering schedule. To help you save money, we also encourage you to participate in our outdoor landscape water-saving rebates.
In this issue, we highlight our efforts to promote water-use efficiency throughout the City, by obtaining external funding, beautifying the Waterwise Garden, and partnering with The Toro Company to test new water-saving technologies.
Sincerely,
Marcie L. Edwards
Anaheim Public Utilities General Manager |
| Anaheim Receives $100,000 Grant Award for Landscape Water-Use Efficiency Project | |
 Last March, Anaheim Public Utilities partnered with the City's Public Works Department to submit a grant application request of $100,000 to the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation CALFED federally-funded Water-Use Efficiency Grant Program.
In August, the Bureau of Reclamation awarded grants to a total of five projects across California, from San Francisco to San Diego. Projects were selected through a competitive process, and priority consideration was given to projects that addressed CALFED Bay-Delta Program goals on a statewide basis. Anaheim's Centralized Weather-Based Irrigation Project was selected to receive a CALFED Water-Use Efficiency grant.
Thisproject will improve water management of City landscaping needs through the use of new technologies. The improvements include the replacement of 70 manual irrigation controllers with a centralized network of weather-based controllers, and the replacement of 40,000 conventional sprinkler heads with water-efficient rotary nozzles. It will also improve staff efficiency, since they will no longer need to manually adjust controllers when the weather changes.
Overall, the project will significantly reduce water use - saving approximately 1.2 billion gallons over its lifetime. |
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Waterwise Garden Gets a Facelift | |
Anaheim's beautiful Waterwise Garden has a new look! We've replaced all the old signs with fresh ones that are as vibrant and colorful as the plants around them, with photos for easy identification of plants.
Our Waterwise Garden showcases many stunning varieties of California-friendly plants, which are ideal for helping any garden weather a water crisis. It is located at 2150 East Katella Avenue, at the Amtrak Anaheim Station. Come visit for water-saving tips, and maybe some inspiration for your own landscape! |
| Testing New Water-saving Technology | |
Anaheim Public Utilities and the Department of Public Works have been testing new technological advancements in sprinkler nozzles that help to reduce landscape irrigation water usage. This effort is a joint project with The Toro Company which has developed a unique line of Precision™ Series spray nozzles that can easily, and cost-effectively, be retrofitted onto existing sprinklers by simply replacing the nozzle portion.
Unlike traditional spray nozzles, water expands and collapses inside Toro's patented H2O mechanical chip and creates high-frequency, oscillating streams, which provide distance of throw using 1/3 less flow. The H2O chip also generates a larger, more uniform droplet size, resulting in more consistent watering across the irrigated area, increased wind resistance, less accidental watering of hardscape features, and less runoff.
As of September 1, approximately 216 sprinkler heads have been retrofitted within the landscaped medians on State College Boulevard between Wagner Avenue and South Street.
"Since the installation of these nozzles, water usage has been reduced by about 20% compared to standard nozzles. Additional benefits of this new technology include better coverage and less misting, as well as very minimal landscape runoff," said Dan Oregel, Public Works Operations Superintendent.
City staff continues to work with Rob Starr, head of Toro's strategic technologies group to identify additional test sites. "We are continuing to work with City staff to help further reduce their landscape water usage by reviewing proper placement of the spray heads for maximum coverage, as well as the operation settings of their weather-based irrigation controllers," said Rob Starr.
If you have questions about this technology, or are interested in applying for our landscape water conservation rebates, contact us. |
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City Services Online and On-demand
Web and text-based tools give you access 24/7!
Visit anaheim.net to use our web based Anaheim Anytime service or call 311 from any Anaheim phone. From outside the City limits call 714-765-4311. |
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| Water Savings Update | |
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Anaheim's 2011 Goal:
1.2 Billion Gallons
Savings are impressive, but we still have 9 months to go. Keep up the good work!
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 | | Orphaned Parkways | |
Anaheim's Orphaned Parkways program replaces grass and groundcover in parkways with artificial turf to maintain community aesthetics and save water. The program was debuted in the summer edition of the SOURCE magazine (the quarterly publication of the California-Nevada section of American Water Works Association).
Click here to read about our efforts to beautify the city and save water too! |
| Getting Ready for Fall! | |
Fall's cooler months are a good time to freshen up your garden with low water use plants and adjust your lawn's watering schedule.
Turf:
3 days per week
2 cycles of 4 minutes each
Trees/Shrubs: 3 days per week 2 cycles of 3 minutes each
Turf: 2 days per week 2 cycles of 4 minutes each
Trees/Shrubs: 2 days per week 2 cycles of 2 minutes each | |
| Anaheim's Water Saving Tips for Kids |  | |
Look for Anaheim's water saving tips for kids in Kidsville Newspaper; the Nation's fastest growing children's newspaper and educational resource. |
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My Anaheim iPhone app | |
Download the My Anaheim iPhone app today to view a calendar of events, request city services or information, and view commonly asked questions. |
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