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If you haven’t been to the Sweet Shop on Los Altos Avenue, what are you waiting for? With its relaxing atmosphere for enjoying delectable sweet treats, coffee or lunch, its profits going to local schools and sustainable practices paying homage to our environment, it’s more than worth stopping by. Owners Stacy and Pete Sullivan established the Sweet Shop as a community-gathering place [Stacy also wanted to continue the tradition of a candy shop from when she was a child, the building housed a mini mart, she frequented for treats on the way home from school], but built it with a strong environmental ethic. Everything — from the building and landscape design to packaging and product sourcing — is done with an eye toward sustainability in key areas of building and landscaping; compostables; and local sourcing of ingredients. Building and Landscape Design Permeable concrete, parking area, absorbing rainwater from roof and paving, as well as oils from cars. This limits runoff onto the street and eventually into our creeks and the bay, minimizing silt and pollutants into the bay. All other storm water drainage is piped to drywells on the site, to reduce off-site runoff. Solar panels on the building’s roof generate much of the Sweet Shop’s electricity demand, reducing its environmental impact. Two operable skylights provide natural lighting and ventilation as much as much as possible. When built in 2007, fluorescent ambient lighting was used throughout the shop, according to Pete they are now moving towards LED lighting. Water is purified by Source One for all appliances, assuring customers the cleanest water possible in all products. Customer bathroom includes a Toto leading edge low-water EMAX flushing toilet, again conserving water. An electrical hand dryer eliminates paper waste. Wall and floor tiles are made of recycled materials and naturally renewable materials made primarily from silica sand, an abundant natural resource. Landscaped garden includes mostly drought resistant plants. The irrigation system is architected to save water with a combination of drip and low volume spray heads plus ground moisture sensors, applying water only when the soil is dry and plants need irrigation. The courtyard fountain provides the appearance of “natural pond” with sculptural frogs, birds and a hippopotamus to convey a message that nature is to be appreciated. The owners hope this sparks a subconscious interest from our younger generation to learn more about the more natural world. Glass candy jars ensure non toxicity to the raw candy. Jar lids are handmade locally. Compostable Packaging All disposable cups, plates, napkins, straws, candy bags and spoons are biodegradable and/or compostable made with potato, sugar or corn. Locally Sourced Ingredients Manager, Sandra Colunga, sources as many products as possible from local and organic sources. Sweet Shop coffee is roasted in Santa Cruz Most chocolates are from San Francisco Baked goods come from Los Gatos and San Mateo Milk and milk products are sourced from Petaluma in Sonoma County. In addition coffee grounds from the shop are offered free to customers, for use in their gardens or compost bins, as well as for acid loving plants in their courtyard garden. A trip to the Sweet Shop is an enjoyable family outing, where everyone gets a sweet deal.

by Gary Hedden Event Organizer Member of GreenTown Los Altos Leadership Team Led by GreenTown Los Altos, 75 bike riders of all ages joined in the inaugural Historic Bike Tour of Los Altos, Saturday, Sept. 29.  Held in honour of the city’s 60th Anniversary and co-sponsored by the city and the History Museum, the riders visited old farmhouses, historic mansions and modern new “history-in-the-making” structures like the Packard Foundation Building. (Click any of the photos below to see the larger image). Riders were split into three groups and led by Gary Hedden, Jim Thurber and Margie Suozzo.  The groups heard lots of good stories – how the Neutra House was saved from destruction, the tale of the missing Canary Island Palm at the Farnsworth Farm House and how Redwood Grove was saved from development by a single vote. One of the highlights of the tour was the visit to the Marini House and the chance to see the beautiful gardens that extend across Adobe Creek.  There were lots of stories about the early owners, wealthy bankers, railroad and oil executives, who lived in San Francisco and had summer property in Los Altos.  We still have important families, only the brands have changed.  Now it’s Adobe, Apple, Facebook and Google. The tour finished with lunch at the Bleibler House, a house built in 1913 by Herman Bleibler and still occupied by his grandson, Armond King.  Lunch was great with sandwiches from Le Boulanger, apples from De Martini, other treats from Andronico’s, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods and even home baked cookies.  As if that wasn’t enough, there were also raffle prizes from two of the bike shops in town, Bicycle Outfitter and Chain Reaction. We heard from many of the riders – lots of positive feedback: Amy Franzblau:  “It was wonderful, we learned so much.” Mary Gospe:  “It was a history lesson on wheels.” Chris Keller:  “The kids loved it.  We’d definitely do it again and bring other families.” Lee Hartley:  “It’s the best family day we’ve had in a while.” Liz Chapman:  “It is cool that so many people are game to explore by bike.” Melissa Stafford:  “I liked the section where we just rode through a neighborhood for a mile or so.” Randy Rhody:  “I appreciated the large show of support for cycling in our city.” Jim Fenton:  “We discovered new places that we didn’t even know existed.” Richard Fohrenbach:  “Nicely organized, paced and sponsored.” Peg Champion summed it up well:  “A magnificent day to ride and learn some history – Happy Birthday, Los Altos!” GreenTown has no specific plans to host the trip next year, but with 21 people left on the waiting list, there appears to be plenty of interest. No matter what, the volunteers this year were great. Lots of GreenTown folks – Margie Suozzo (ride leader), Karen Janowski (registration and sweeper), John and Maddy McBirney (registration and lunch), Pat Hedden (registration and lunch), Linda Ziff (lunch), Barb and Kevin O’Reilly (lunch and raffle), Arnold and Suzanne Ambiel (bike valet), and Joel Bartlett (photographer).  Lots of other folks too – Marie and Dave Backs (registration and bike valet), Nancy and Ron Ellickson (registration, bike mechanic and lunch), Jim Thurber (ride leader), Willem deLange (sweeper), Chris Hlavka (sweeper), Laura Bajuk (lemonade), Peg Champion, Kathleen Santora, and Julie Rose (pick ups and deliveries) and most importantly Armond and Marjorie King (generous lunch site hosts).  How about those wonderful t-shirts – thanks to Maddy McBirney, Matt McDonald and Mike Barnes.  Finally, a big thank you to the historians who helped with the script – Don McDonald, Laura Bajuk, Lisa Robinson, and Stefanie Midlock. #bike #GreenTownLosAltos #LosAltos60th #LosAltosHistory

The amount of energy (and garbage) associated with the twice-yearly Permanente Creek clean up, never ceases to amaze our entire GreenTown team. And though it’s a messy job, it’s also incredibly rewarding to know you’re helping keep the Permanente Creek trash from heading out to the Bay. Our GreenTown creek cleanup is one of many throughout Santa Clara County. And with this haul, both the county and our local results are impressive. The GreenTown team of 15 energetic volunteers cleaned about 3/4 mile along Permanente between the Diversion Channel and St. Francis H.S. and sorted out: 108 pounds recycled/repurposed material 22 plastic bags Lots of styrofoam bits Smoking related items – 47 cigarette butts, mostly with plastic tubes attached; 8 cans chewing tobacco, 1 lighter 6 straws 35+ food wrappers. The team left 98 pounds of tiles, wood, scrap metal and trash to be picked up by Cal Water crews; scrap metal will be recycled. GreenTown volunteers took home 78 pounds of plastic (62 bottles), glass (22 bottles) and aluminum (21 cans) and other items with chasing arrows to recycle in their home bins, keeping them out of the landfill. Santa Clara County Cleanups Collectively, (no pun intended), according to Santa Clara Water District Volunteer Coordinator, Kate Slama, the county wide data speaks volumes: Number of Volunteers: 1,643 Distance Cleaned: 73.67 miles of creeks and shoreline Pounds of Trash: 35,423 Pounds of Recyclables: 9,388,  37.7% Unusual Items: life-size Santa Claus lawn decoration; old fashioned can opener, toy dinosaur, fireworks mortar launcher, crawdad trap, voodoo doll, skateboard, blonde wig, clean one dollar bills, propane tank, manikin head, 1962 dodge convertible, hibachi, TV tray, checkbook, dentures, sign on wheels, DVD player, bookcase, yoga mat, mini toilet, dog collar (without the dog), exercise ball, flag pole Proving Trash Can Be a Treasure According to Barbara O’Reilly, lead for the GreenTown volunteers, “We repurposed our biggest item by weight, which was a 30 pound bicycle, that will be part of an upcoming GreenTown November bike drive” (see photo), which shows one person’s garbage is another’s treasure. #CoastalCleanupDay #PermanenteCreekCleanup

If you haven’t had a chance to see the new net zero energy, LEED Platinum Packard Foundation Headquarters at 343 Second Street, now is the time! The foundation is offering tours of its facilities on Wednesday afternoons this Fall. Entrance of the Packard Foundation Building It is an incredible building and an inspiration for our community.  The building was designed as a net zero energy building — meaning it produces as much energy as it consumes – and if it performs as designed, it will be only one of three buildings in the country certified as net zero energy. HUGE! Check it out. Sign up for a Fall tour  here. To find out more about the Packard Foundation Headquarters, see GreenTown’s previous posts: LEED Platinum Packard Foundation Building: An Inspiration Packard Foundation Headquarters: Leading By Example #watersavings #Californianativeplants #LEED #droughttolerantplants #waterconservation #LEEDPlatinum

By Charley Pow, Volunteer – GreenTown Los Altos Like many areas of California, our annual rainfall of 15 inches doesn’t meet our water needs.   Half or more of our residential water is used for landscaping.  Addressing this need, the landscaping at the new LEED Platinum Packard building shows how to conserve water and reduce storm runoff through: drought-tolerant plants; a rooftop garden; and no lawns. Interior courtyard with trees, bunchgrass, and patio seating These landscaping features add to the many environmental features discussed in a June GreenTown post on the new Packard Foundation building. So what did the Packard Foundation plant?  Their landscaping relies on commonly-used California native shrubs, grasses, and trees. Shrubs like Carmel creeper ceanothus, ‘Louis Edmunds’ manzanita, douglas iris, Catalina perfume currant, and Cleveland sage. Grasses are mostly California fescue and sedge.  Trees include coast live oak and pacific dogwood . Western columbine, a favorite of Lucile Packard, by A. Hayter, Packard Foundation There’s even attention to detail in specific choices that have personal connections.  The western columbine, a California native, is one of Lucile Packard’s favorites, which explains why the columbine flower is on the visitor name tag. The two-story building encloses a courtyard that provides light and a pleasant place to sit.  Our tour guide said that every employee has a laptop, and they’re increasingly moving outside to work.  The grassy area is sedge, a native bunchgrass, with wood chip mulch between the sedge. There’s a green roof, basically a roof covered with vegetation, with the enormous advantages of absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, and providing a habitat for wildlife. Packard Foundation green roof absorbs rain water, provides insulation and provides a habitat for wildlife. The green roof is planted in stonecrop, thyme, blue fescue, and hens and chicks.  Gray solar panels line the parking lot across the street, capturing sunlight, helping the building achieve net zero energy consumption each year. Parking strips around the building are bioswales,a landscape element designed to remove water-borne dirt and pollution from surface runoff water.  Storm runoff in the street gutter enters the bioswale at one end, is filtered by plants and rock, and any excess exits the other end, before flowing to the bay.  The bioswales illustrate the principle of “slow it, spread it, sink it”.  Reducing and cleaning storm runoff is important for hundreds of cites like San Francisco and New York City, where sanitary wastewater and storm runoff run into a single sewer system.  During rainstorms, the combined flow overwhelms sewage treatment plants and untreated sewage flows to the ocean or rivers. The Packard Foundation provides a nearby opportunity to see water conservation and other environment features in action.  They use California native plants that perform well in our area and are readily available to consumers.  The trees, shrubs, and grasses mentioned here (except for the dogwood and greenroof plants) are planted in our yard, and we’d plant them again.  The Packard Foundation provided the list of plants used.  We noted the California native plants. For more information about the Packard Foundation, go to their website or sign up for their fall tours. #SanFrancisco #Californianativeplants #Environment #droughttolerant #PackardFoundation #GreenTownLosAltos #LucillePackard #NewYorkCity #rooftopgarden #bioswales

For the first time ever, downtown Los Altos will be a participant in a worldwide annual event called PARK(ing) Day, which this year falls on Friday, September 21! Click here for more info and come join in the fun! #LosAltos #PARKingday #Sept21

Join Us on Coastal Cleanup Day – September 15 Volunteers, led by Barbara and Kevin O’Reilly, scour the Permanente Creek Diversion Channel for trash twice a year: once on National River Cleanup Day (the third Saturday in May) and once on Coastal Cleanup Day (the third Saturday in September). Our next creek cleanup is fast approaching. Sign up here to participate from 9am-noon on Saturday, September 15. At the last cleanup, on May 19, volunteers collected a total of 69 pounds of material. Of that, 54 pounds was diverted from the landfill – about two-thirds recycled and composted and one-third repurposed by participants. A mere 15 pounds of material went to the landfill as trash. Most cleanup efforts end up leaving collected material at the site, which are then picked up by the water utility, and dumped at the landfill.  Of the more than 18,000 lbs of trash collected in cleanups throughout Santa Clara County on May 19, fewer than 1,500 pounds were recycled. GreenTown cleanup crews, under the stewardship of the O’Reilly’s, sort and divert as much material from the landfill as possible. May’s cleanup also featured education about bugs — insects that tell you if a creek is healthy or not.  GreenTown partnered with Acterra’s Stevens and Permanente Creek Watershed Project to provide education to participants.  As part of his Environmental Science class, Nick Ambiel, a student at Los Altos High School student, collected and investigated samples from the natural portion of the creek.  Not surprisingly, given Permanente Creek’s not-so-permanent nature, Nick found midge flies and other bugs that suggest a not-so-healthy creek. For more information on how you can be part of the “solution to creek pollution,” email us at water@greentownlosaltos.org. #Nationalrivercleanupday #PermanenteCreek

Results are in for a one-year pilot program that employs a software-based approach to educating consumers to save energy. And they’re impressive! The program was developed by local resident Steve Schmidt, founder of High Energy Audits. Funded through a grant from the California Energy Commission and managed by Acterra, the High Energy Homes program targeted the highest energy-consuming communities in our area including, Atherton, Los Altos Hills, Monte Sereno, Portola Valley and Woodside. The program ran from April 2011 through April 2012. See this month’s article in the Los Altos Hills newsletter, Our Town. Do you recognize this device? A smart-strip like this can save you energy and money. Big Savings The 176 program users reduced their electric use by an average of 6% with little or no cost  to them. The top fourth of these users reduced their electricity use by more than 18%. These participants saved a total of more than $122,000 on their PG&E bills. The 54 participants from Los Altos Hills achieved annual savings of more than 66,000 kWh of electricity and 3,300 therms of natural gas. This corresponds to reducing 71 metric tons of CO2 equivalents. Los Altos Hills participants saved $712 per year on their PG&E bills. “In the first 10 minutes of the audit we discovered an easy way to save 850 kWh per year with zero cost and no impact on our lifestyle. As a result of this and other changes, three months after the audit my electric bill was the lowest in 9 years of full occupancy months.”  — Walt, Los Altos Hills The good news for Los Altos Hills is that the Town Council has approved another year’s worth of funding for the program, making the software available for an additional 50 homes. “This is a truly valuable program, given both the cost savings and environmental benefits,” says Chair of the Environmental Initiatives Committee, Peter Evans. “I couldn’t be more pleased to have the Council’s support for continuing the program.” Los Altos Residents: Are You Jealous Yet? Don’t be. GreenTown is offering this program for free for the first 50 residents that sign up. After 50 residents apply, a $50 fee will be charged. Thus far, we have 14 signups, so there are plenty of spaces left.  These program enable residents to go online and use their PG&E SmartMeter data to create a home energy profile. This profile provides a visual representation of home energy usage and highlights low-cost energy-saving opportunities. Sign up here: Los Altos: Through a GreenTown pilot program, online assessment at:  www.highenergyaudits.com/hea. Los Altos Hills: Free online assessment at http://www.losaltoshills.ca.gov/sustainability/high-energy-homes. #energysavings #onlineenergyassessment #PGampE #smartstrips

Map of our local watershed. Red lines show concrete channel areas. Photo credit: Map courtesy of the Oakland Museum of California. http://museumca.org Be part of the plan to protect and enhance our local watersheds On Saturday, September 22, 2012, environmentalists, policy makers and concerned citizens will gather at Foothill College and be inspired by excellent, knowledgable speakers, participate in collective problem-solving, and experience the comraderie of working together to build a more sustainable future. Register here. Two keynote speakers are featured: Brock Dolman directs the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center’s Water Institute. He is an expert on watersheds, wrote Basins of Relations, an empowering book for citizen activists on protecting our watersheds, and conducts tours and educational programs for the Center. Mr. Dolman coined the term “slow it, spread it, sink it” – which we like to use – for capturing stormwater. Lester  Snow directs the California Water Foundation, which supports innovative projects and policies that address water challenges today as well as work toward longer-term solutions. Most recently, Mr. Snow served as California Secretary for Natural Resources, where he gained a reputation for solving complex natural resource management issues. Prior to that, Mr. Snow directed the California Department of Water Resources, which protects, conserves, and manages California’s water supply. When and where:  Saturday, September 22, 8:30 am – 2pm, Foothill College Cafeteria, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills [MAP] Registration information:  www.acterra.org/watershedsummit #Acterra #watershed

Have your chickens featured in the first annual Tour de Coop The tour is designed to educate visitors about keeping hens, inspire the bicyclist and gardner in all of us, and build community. Open to adults and children, the tour will feature various hen houses and breeds. Coop owners are expected to be on hand at each location to discuss the how-tos of chicken keeping. The tour is seeking a wide variety of coop styles as well as surrounding back yard gardens for added interest. If interested, send your information to: SVTourdeCoop@gmail.com. For more information, visit Silicon Valley Tour de Coop. GreenTown Los Altos is a proud sponsor of the Silicon Valley Tour de Coop. #chickens #localfood #SlowFood

By Peg Champion, GreenTown Correspondent “It’s a win-win situation – good for our bottom line and for the environment,” says Ron Piazza, store manager of Draeger’s Market in Los Altos, describing the store’s waste-reduction program. “While garbage pickups cost us money, composting and recycling are free.” Albert Deras, Draeger’s receiving clerk, checks the recycling and compost bins before pickup by Mission Trail. Deras leads Draeger’s waste reduction training program, that teaches staff how to use the bins and properly dispose of its waste. Photo credit: Mission Trail Waste Systems The downtown grocery store is just one of the Los Altos businesses that has joined the city’s model waste-reduction program. The goal is to reduce the amount of trash that is hauled to the landfill by composting organic food and yard wastes and increasing recycling.  Following a two-year effort by Los Altos City Council, the Environmental Commission, city staff, consultants and the GreenTown Los Altos Waste Management Committee, the council unanimously voted on March 23, 2010, to award a 10-year waste management contract to Mission Trail Waste Systems.  Mission Trail launched the program — including expanded recycling, organics and household hazardous waste collection, plus a public-education effort — two years ago, in September 2010. Piazza described the transition process as surprisingly smooth. “Honestly? I was skeptical,” says Piazza. “I worried about training employees in a new system and how difficult the learning curve would be.” In fact, “it was easy,” says Albert Deras, Draeger’s receiving clerk. “Once you learn what to do, it becomes automatic.”  Mission Trail representatives came to the store to conduct a free waste assessment and provided composting and recycling bins.  As staff was trained in the new system and the store’s recycling and composting ramped up, Mission Trail supplied more bins and the store’s garbage disposal was reduced accordingly.  “We went from three or four garbage dumpsters a week to just one.  The cost savings and positive environmental impact made it well worth our effort.” According to a February 2012 report provided to the Los Altos Environmental Commission by Mission Trail, the city’s 2011 overall landfill diversion rate was 71 percent, beating Mission Trail’s own 2012 target of 69 percent. “It is my hope that we will achieve a 75 percent diversion rate for this year and 78 percent (required by the city agreement) by the end of 2013,” says Teresa Montgomery, Mission Trail public relations manager. Montgomery says the residential program in Los Altos is working extremely well, with many families down to using a single 20-gallon garbage cart.  “I anticipate that waste reduction and recycling efforts will increase over the next few years, with California’s mandatory recycling law for businesses and apartment complexes, plus several Bay Area single-use plastic bag and Styrofoam bans in effect.  Continuing outreach efforts also will help to increase recycling and composting and reduce waste.” While participation in recycling/organics collection programs is a vast improvement over simply throwing everything in the garbage to be landfilled, it’s even better to implement policy and programs that eliminate waste, says Montgomery.  For example, many local grocery stores reward shoppers for bringing their own bags rather than using disposable plastic or paper bags; incentives include weekly drawings for store gift cards, five-cent bag rebates or donations to local non-profits.  The State of California also is investigating product stewardship, or Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which places the responsibility for “end-of-life” product disposal on the manufacturers. Disposal and reclamation expenses would be incorporated into the final product price, better reflecting true environmental costs and shifting disposal costs to a product’s user and producer, instead of to the general public.  EPR programs implemented elsewhere have resulted in a significant reduction in packaging. Chart credit: Information provided by Mission Trail. Graphic by Champion Organic Communications © 2012 “We’re delighted with Mission Trail – they’ve managed a significant program conversion and made excellent progress in the past two years,” says Don Bray, chair of the environmental commission and former co-chair of the GreenTown Waste Management Committee.  “The commission will continue to work closely with Mission Trail to understand and define how the processes work.”  To keep the city on track for its 2013 diversion goal, he noted an opportunity for further business engagement with the waste program. For Passerelle Investment Company, a real estate development company in downtown Los Altos, sustainability is a guiding principle.  Brooke Ray Smith, Passerelle’s planning analyst, says the company likes to “lead by example.”  It has a sustainability education program for both its employees and its tenants.  “Mission Trail has made it so easy!  Free composting and recycling saves businesses money, thus improving their bottom line,” says Smith.  Passerelle tenants Peet’s Coffee & Tea and Bumble are two food-service businesses that are successfully participating in the composting and recycling waste initiative. Margie Suozzo, GreenTown Los Altos chair, commended the city council and environmental commission for their decision to expand recycling and composting in Los Altos. “Thanks to Mission Trail’s single-stream recycling and food waste composting, we saw an immediate and significant increase in Los Altos’ diversion rate.  As a result, we extend the life of our landfills, generate less methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and create a useful product that can improve our soil.  Everyone who participates is ensuring the health of our community today and for future generations.“ Peg Champion is a member of GreenTown Los Altos and the principal of Champion Organic Communications.  She helps businesses tell their sustainability stories (and she always composts her organics.)  For more information visit: http://ChampionOrganic.com. Mission Trail’s Cleanup Program (bulky Items, e-waste, etc.) http://www.missiontrail.com/LosAltos/residential-cleanup.html Hazardous Waste Hazardous waste like paint, oil, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, toxic cleaners, poisons and sharps require special handling. For information on proper disposal of these items visit: Mission Trail Waste Systems: http://www.missiontrail.com/LosAltos/residential-hazardous.html County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health, Household Hazardous Waste Program http://www.hhw.org Electronic Waste (E-Waste) E-Waste can be recycled through Mission Trail’s Cleanup Program or at approved recycling facilities and drop-off events. http://www.sccgov.org/sites/deh/Hazardous Materials Compliance Division/Household Hazardous Waste Home/Pages/HHW-E-Waste-Page.aspx Further Information: Zero Waste: http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/zerowaste/climatechange/ EPR: http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/zerowaste/producerresponsibility/ Recycling Anything! http://www.recyclestuff.org/ What Happens to My Recycling? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CJNQctcswo&noredirect=1 #Environment #MissionTrailWasteSystems #GreenTownLosAltos #Waste #LosAltos #GreenTownWasteManagementCommittee #Reducewaste

Pssshhhh. Between 50 and 80% of household water in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills is used outdoors, principally for irrigation.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program, much of this water is wasted: “Up to 50 percent of irrigation water use goes to waste due to evaporation, wind, improper system design, or overwatering.” But the program notes that there are simple solutions to reduce water waste: Are you overwatering? Many people water their lawns too often and for too long, oversaturating plants. Test your lawn by stepping on a patch of grass; if it springs back, it doesn’t need water. Water in the early morning to avoid losing as much as 30 percent of water to evaporation by watering mid-day. Try a water-efficient landscape. Through proper choice of plants and careful design, you can reduce outdoor water use by 20 to 50 percent. Santa Clara Valley Water District offers a rebate for converting from turf to water-wise plants of $0.75 per square foot. Call first for a Free Water Wise House Call. For more information on native and drought-tolerant plants for our region visit: California Native Plant Society Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency Cal Water Manage your irrigation system. Adjust your water with the seasons. In our area, July is the month of maximum water use. The typical percentage of maximum water needed in other months can be seen in the following table. Ratchet down your irrigation in other months, accordingly. Typical Monthly Percentage (Source: Cal Water) JanFebMarAprMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovDec00530609010090603050 Check your irrigation system monthly. Inspect for leaks, broken or clogged heads, and other problems, or engage an irrigation professional to regularly check your system. Clean micro-irrigation filters as needed. Correct obstructions in sprinkler heads that prevent sprinklers from distributing water evenly. Keep water off pavement and structures. Install a rain sensor. Rain shutoff switches, required by law in many states, turn off your system in rainy weather and help compensate for natural rainfall. This inexpensive device can be retrofitted to almost any system. Santa Clara Valley Water District offers rebates irrigation hardware upgrades, such as rain sensors, efficient nozzles, and weather-based controllers. Install low-volume irrigation for gardens, trees and shrubs. These include drip irrigation, micro-sprayers and bubblers to minimize evaporation, runoff and overspray. Find a local WaterSense professional. If homeowners with irrigation systems hired WaterSense irrigation partners to perform regular maintenance, each household could reduce irrigation water by 15 percent or about 9,000 gallons annually—or the amount of water that would flow from a garden hose nonstop for nearly a whole day. For San Francisco Bay area WaterSense approved professionals, see: California Landscape Contractor’s Association Certified Water Managers