Brentwood residents utilize city's recycled water program as drought deepens
BRENTWOOD – According to new numbers just released, Northern California residents have cut their water use by 8.5% in May, but that's still short of Gov. Gavin Newsom's drought reduction goal of 15%.
One East Bay city is giving away free water to residents to help conserve. While it may seem counterintuitive, Brentwood has been giving away water since 2015, when the state was also mired in drought.
The city has an extensive recycled water program that irrigates the parks and public spaces, like grass and trees along city streets as well as landscaped medians. During the drought seven years ago, the city set up filling stations where residents could bring their own containers and get recycled water at no cost.
"We saw the need, and we have the ability, and we have the water to do it, so we made the decision to offer it to the residents," says Phil McKinney, the wastewater operations manager.
McKinney said the city has always released its treated sewage water into Marsh Creek, which is an ecologically sensitive area. The standards for discharge are high – high enough to meet the criteria for non-drinkable recycled water.
"It's just a beneficial use for them and then we discharge less to the creek," said McKinney.
So far, about 10% of city residents have signed up for the program. The city has given away more than 6-million gallons of recycled water in the last 18 months.
There's no limit on how water much each resident can get. It's more a question of, "How much can you carry?"
Befikadu Dubale comes at least once, sometimes twice a day to the water treatment plant to fill a 200 gallon tank strapped in the back of his Toyota pickup. He had to add larger springs so the truck could carry the weight of all the water.
At home, Dubale built a system of hoses and pipes to move the water from the tank in his truck into backyard storage tanks.
"I use this water. I don't use the sprinklers that much, so that means saving water," Dubale told KPIX 5.
He uses the water for landscaping and also more than a dozen fruit trees and sugar cane, a popular snack from his home country of Ethiopia.
Dubale said figuring out new ways to move the water around his yard is almost more fun than his first hobby of gardening. He says at the end of the day he's grateful he can help the environment and also save himself a little money.
Access to the recycled water is only available to residents of Brentwood who also register with the city. More information about the program is available on the city's website.