Water
Water Stewardship Program
Lee Vining Creek photographed by Jim Liscovek, GreenTown volunteer
Water is a unique resource – necessary for sustaining life and not substitutable with any other substance. As our population and economy grow, it is important to efficiently manage the water we have, protect our sources, and build contingencies for drought years.
The GreenTown Los Altos Water Stewardship Program focuses on educating and encouraging Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents to:
- Conserve water, both indoors and outdoors. Our water retailers, CalWater and Purissima Hills Water District, must reduce usage by 20% by the year 2020, per California’s SBx7-7 law. GreenTown’s goal is to educate and encourage residents to meet or exceed this goal before that time.
- Reduce runoff pollution that flows into the storm drains and into our local waterways. Residents can do this through efficient irrigation, reducing use of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers, and refraining from other water runoff practices such as washing cars.
- Reduce the amount of household chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and excessive salinity dumped into the wastewater.
Permanente Creek, Los Altos
Because 50% of Los Altos water usage and 80% of Los Altos Hills usage is for irrigation, the Water Stewardship Program will focus on outdoor water conservation for 2011. GreenTown volunteers help residents understand the technical assistance and rebates available for reducing outdoor water use and provide information on sustainable water conservation practices, water-friendly products, and local “green” nurseries, irrigation specialists, and landscaping services that can help residents realize real reductions in outdoor water use.
The Program also builds community around the need for water stewardship by organizing events, such as creek cleanups, hands-on workshops, and educational seminars to inform residents about the best opportunities for reducing water use and toxic materials (pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, etc.) that end up in waterways.
If you’d like to contribute to GreenTown’s Water Stewardship program, please contact water@greentownlosaltos.org
- View the video “Keeping Pollution at Bay” produced by Nate Becker, Oliver kask and kieran Stolorz and featuring Joe Eyre and Linda Gass of GreenTown Los Altos.
- View the video “Bringing Steelhead Back to the Streams of Los Altos”, created by Joe Eyre.
- View the GreenTown Los Altos Water Stewardship Program presentation, presented by Joe Eyre on January 18, 2011.
- View the presentation delivered by Frank Niccoli of The Village Gardener on “Beautiful, Water-saving Lawn Care and Replacement” and his list of California Native Plants.
- Check out Cleanbay.org – a project of the City of Palo Alto Watershed Protection Group
Joe Eyre, Chair
Check the Events Calendar for upcoming GreenTown Los Altos events.
