Water Savings Program
Los Trancos County Water District
2012-2013 Newsletter – Fall, 2012
“Blue is the New Green: Water Harvesting and Conservation”
and about
security
by installing
a system
Come to the community picnic on Saturday, Septembersavings
22 to learn
rainwater
harvesting
and ETat
home. Rain barrel collection system can reduce
Smart irrigation from the experts from Urban Farmer Store and Bushman Rain Barrel Company.
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erosion by temporarily detaining rainwater and
Because so many residents were gone over the summer months, we are extending our incentive
releasing it slowly over time to minimize the
program bonus period to November 15, 2012 but only for the Saving Water program. If you have any
questions about our incentives, please shoot me an email. I look forward to working with you and have
a wonderful autumn! Claudia Mazzetti
The Savings Water Program is pleased to
introduce a new incentive program, Rainwater
Harvesting.
Rainwater harvesting is the
practice of collecting and using rainwater from
hard surfaces such as roofs. These rain-saving
techniques have been used throughout the world
and have become very popular as one way of
using water wisely. Communities in ancient
Rome were designed with individual cisterns
and paved courtyards, just to augment the
capture of rainwater as an additional supply
from the city’s aqueducts.
Since our community receives an average of
36” per year in rainwater, rainwater floods our
streets and aggravates the landslides in our area.
Rainwater harvesting or catchment is one
solution to prevent rainwater run-off problems
while saving water at the same time. LTCWD
wants to join other communities, such as San
Francisco, Mill Valley, Oakland and Los Angeles,
to raise awareness about rainwater harvesting
and promote its use. Some specific benefits from
rainwater harvesting include:
 The reduction of the volume of potable
water used for non-potable applications
such as outside irrigation;
 The reduction of the volume and peak
flows of storm water entering the storm
water catchments or onto the streets,
thereby reducing flooding;
 The development of non-potable water
storage for emergency purposes;
 Learning about how much water you
actually use; and
 The use of rainwater with the lowest salt
content of any natural fresh water
sources for plants and fish ponds.
The Rainwater Harvesting program provides
VV/LTW residents a simple way to make a
positive impact on the local watershed and water
erosive effects of concentrated storm water flows
on hillsides. Preventing erosion helps keep
creeks, streams and the Bay healthier. Rain
barrels have the added benefit of directing water
away from your foundation and allowing you to
use collected rainwater to keep your garden
green.
If you would like to be part of our
demonstration projects for this year, 20122013, this program will pay for the entire cost
of installation and materials (up to $2,000).
We already have 3 households enrolled but we
still need 1 household more so join us with this
new adventure in water conservation.
LTCWD Program Specifics
LTCWD’s Savings Water program will help you
create a rainwater harvesting system with an
incentive of 50% up to the first $3,000 cost.
You will be responsible for the installation and
purchase of the rain barrel, installation kit and
pump and labor. LTCWD will not support any
rain barrel incentive that includes barrel
placement on decks because of its weight factor.
Factors to consider when choosing your
rainwater harvesting system:
 Before you install – Plan your system so
it does not cause erosion or allow water
to concentrate near structures or
another person’s property. For Design
Resources, go to the section below, for a
list of local rainwater resources &
professionals.
 Soils – A variety of factors including
slopes, soil types, high groundwater &
stability may limit or prevent the use of
certain capture systems. Soils range
from having a high sand content to high
clay content, & therefore filter water at
different rates.
Consult with a
professional to determine your soil
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type &
the
rainwater
systems
appropriate for your property.
 Mosquitoes – When implemented
correctly, rainwater catchment systems
do
not
allow
mosquitoes
to
breed. Ensure that water infiltrates into
the ground within five days or stored
water is sealed & screened to prevent
mosquito access.
http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/P
WA/o/EC/s/CreeksandWatershed/OAK025822
LTCWD Rainwater Harvesting Incentive
Procedures
Automatic timed drip irrigation you’re your rain
barrel – slow it down, spread it out and sink it
in:
http://www.urbanfarmerstore.com/rainharvest/
rainharvest.html
Step 1: First, consult Claudia Mazzetti
(Claudia.mazzetti@gmail.com) regarding the
placement of your rainwater harvesting system
and general design.
Step 2: Prepare LTCWD’s User Agreement form
and submit it to Rainwater Harvesting Program,
162 Los Trancos Circle, Portola Valley, CA
94028 or to Claudia.mazzetti@gmail.com.
Step 2: After its installation, please provide us
with receipts for the barrel (s), other equipment
and/or contractor’s invoice to receive your
incentive.
Through the LTCWD’s Rainwater Harvesting
System, purchasers of barrels will receive a
discount on barrels from Urban Farmer Store in
San Francisco.
Resources
American Rainwater Catchment
Association.
Web: http://www.arcsa-usa.org
Systems
List of Contractors that specialize in rainwater
catchment:
http://www.arcsa.org/AF_MemberDirectory.as
p?version=2,
Rainwater Collection for the Mechanically
Challenged.
Web: http://www.rainwatercollection.com
Plan
Now
for
Rainwater
Harvesting:
http://www.urbanfarmerstore.com/rainharvest/
rainharvest.html
Estimate
for
Water
Use:
http://www.urbanfarmerstore.com/rainharvest/
rainharvest.html
DIY Information
Tools and Installation
Tools
_ Measuring Tape
_ Hack Saw
_ Drill
_ Needle nose pliers or crimpers
_ Screw driver
_ Level
_ Safety glasses
Materials
_ Rain barrel
_ Downspout extension
_ Sheet metal screws
_ Brackets
_ Cinder blocks or retaining
wall blocks
_ Securing strap
Local
Rainwater
Catchment
Design/Installation Professionals
Besides the references noted in the Resources
section, we have identified specific local
installation professionals for your review.
Bryan Whyte Designs
http://web.me.com/pleiades2/Brian_Whyte_D
esigns; 510. 388.4006
thunderslug@gmail.com
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Paul Mele
melewaterworks@gmail.com
(510)612-2837
DIG Cooperative Inc.
www.dig.coop
info@dig.coop
510-316-3620
Indra Designs, Inc.
www.indradesigns.com
tony@indradesigns.com
(415) 895-0343
Planting Justice
www.plantingjustice.org /510.290.4099
http://www.plantingjustice.org/contact
Welcome Water
www.welcomewater.com/consult.html
debra-collins@usa.net
(510) 865-8385
Please Note: The list of service providers that
are known to have provided assistance installing
rain catchment systems is provided for the
convenience of our residents. The Los Trancos
County Water District, its Board of Directors or
contractors make no claim, endorsement or
approval of the providers listed above. To add
another service provider, please e-mail
Claudia.mazzetti@gmail.com
FREQUENTLY
ASKED
QUESTIONS
(FAQ) about Rainwater Harvesting
 What are the typical costs of a rainwater
harvesting system?
That depends on your property and your
intended uses. A very simple, gravity fed
barrel system includes the cost of the barrel
(?) the first flush diverter ($45.00),
downspout filter ($75.00) and flow controls
(~$453.oo). But, if your barrel(s)’ water
needs to be moved up a hill, and then you
will most probably need a pump which can
range from a solar pump ($130) to above
ground pumps ($500-$1,000).
 How to I calculate the size of the barrel(s)?
It depends on the location of the barrel(s)
and the square footage of your roof. A
helpful URL that helps calculate the amount
of water can be found at
http://www.urbanfarmerstore.com/rainhar
vest/rainharvest.html
 Why can’t I leave the barrel valve closed
during the whole winter?
Your barrel(s) will likely fill up and overflow
in 1-2 rainstorms. A 500 square foot section
of your roof top will typically create 300
gallons of runoff in a 1 inch rainstorm. To
protect our creeks and the storm drains,
leave the valve open during the winter when
you don’t need the water. Near the end of
March, close the valve and use the last
rainstorms to quickly fill your barrels.
 Can I use the water indoors?
In order for collected rain water to be used
indoors, even for toilet flushing, the State
and local code requires special filtering,
plumbing and permitting. Our Rainwater
Harvesting Program is intended only
outdoor, non-potable uses.
 For the User Agreement, why must I be the
owner of the property to get a rain barrel?
The rain barrel changes the way water is
handled on the property, and if installed
improperly, it could harm the building
where it is installed and cause drainage
problems to the surrounding area. The
property owner is the only person who can
take responsibility for installing the rain
barrel in a safe manner.
 Why must the rain barrel become part of the
property and be included in real estate
transactions?
The rain barrels must remain at the
residence/property
stated
in
User
Agreement to sustain the benefit to the
landscape and watershed. The rain barrel is
considered an upgrade to the storm water
management for the property.

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Modifications to Existing Incentive Programs
 Expanded clothes and dish washer
incentives for smaller spaces and
capacities. Call for more information.
 An extra $100 to the existing $300
incentive for the NEW 1 gallon toilets!
 Bonus time period expanded to
November 15, 2012 but only for the
Savings Water program.
upgrades can be fully recouped through lowered
water bills in less than 1 to 2 years. That’s a
whole lot better than any other investment
available in today’s financial market place.”
LET’S ALL GET ON BOARD AND BE
WATER WISE!
Excellent News!
Stan Gage prepared an analysis of your efforts to
reduce our water usage in LTW/VV. Since
2006-2007, the community reduced its water
usage by 31% (see Chart Below). Good Work
everyone!
“This laudable achievement can be attributed to
several factors:



A growing awareness that water is
becoming an increasingly scarce
commodity and that we all must
contribute in efforts to use water wisely.
Steep increases in the price we are
paying for our water, driven heavily by
the cost of modernization of the Hetch
Hetchy System, have pushed household
water costs into the area of
price/demand elasticity for more and
more families.
Water usage efficient products for use
both indoors (toilets, wash machines,
etc.) and outdoors (weather based
irrigation controllers, drip irrigation,
etc.) are becoming the standard in the
market place and the rate of installation
of these products has been accelerated
through District cost sharing programs.
But we can do more!
Over the past decade fewer than 30% of our
District households have taken advantage of
District programs that share the expense of
upgrading to more efficient water usage in their
homes. With the District cost sharing taken into
account, the household cost of many of these
Data: LTCWD Production Reports prepared by Tom
Hubbard, District Contractor, 1986-2005; Cal Water Reports
(partial), 2005 to present.
Contact Information:
Savings Water Program
Los Trancos County Water District
162 Los Trancos Circle
Portola Valley, CA 94028
Attn: Claudia Mazzetti
Claudia.mazzetti@gmail.com
(650) 851-8347
www.LTCWD.org
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