Sewer-Water, the County's New Website!

Part of the Los Osos sewer project are the mandatory-for-hook-up to the sewer water conservation measures. The County just put up a new website, http://conservelososos.org/ to assist anyone not yet on board. Everything is explained on what you need to do, including a video on how to install a new shower head! (Also a map of which areas need to do these measures.)

Needless to say, the sooner you are tricked out with these water saving measures, the more you will be saving our water basin!

Reminder Postcard

Did you get yours in the mail yet?

It came from the Public Works Department on Monday to our house and it is about the wastewater retrofit program. Did you need to upgrade your toilets, shower heads, sink faucet aerators to comply with the water conservation requirements of the California Coastal Commission's permit? Most of us do—or did for those of you who have already done so.

Click here to see the brochure that explains it all!

Click here to access the list of plumbers who can do your retrofit job!

Sadly, I got stuck on one part (everything else is done and we even got a new washing machine). A fancy kitchen faucet that puts out too much water. I E-mailed the company to see if they had a fix for that, but no response. The first plumber couldn't figure out how to restrict the flow. So I guess I will move on to the next one.

The rebates that we can get to help out with the costs will be reduced after 2014, so time to move on this!

Friday's Follow Up!

Today I had my water saver pre-inspection to see what needed to be changed to pass inspection to get some of that rebate money. I knew some things would pass, like the dual flush toilet (1.6 and .9 gallons per flush) and the single 1.6 gpf toilet (that seemed SO water saving a few years ago…..and I guess it was compared to what we had before). There is no money for changing out to a 1.28 as so little water savings would ensue it wasn't included as a recommendation to do in the report that was generated to pick the best ways to save (see the Maddaus Report OR "Water Conservation Implementation Plan for The Los Osos Wastewater Project").

More of concern were the fixtures in the bathrooms and the faucet in the kitchen. There seemed to be no way to modify them at all and it was depressing to think that the fancy fixtures that we spent days picking out (and a fair amount of money on) might need to go to recycle-land.

So the appointed hour arrived and the young woman water auditor arrived and the tests began. She used a 5-gallon paint bucket (mostly to carry the measuring device—to keep water off your floors, although there was a chart on the side which she consulted once) and what looked like a mixer bowl for making pancakes with a handle and measurements marked on it. She held the mixer bowl under the water flow and timed the water coming from each shower and faucet. The amount in the bowl indicated either a pass or a no-pass. She was quite fast about doing the whole thing, and really nice answering all of my dopey questions too.

Here's what I learned:

• The amount the fixture says it will deliver on the literature varies in reality greatly. Two identical bathroom faucets delivered different amounts, (both under the limit, thank goodness). Not sure if the difference was a change in water pressure in the two locations, or because one spout is deck mounted and one is wall mounted.

(The camera lens is exaggerating the spout diameter, it is uniform!)

• Both our showerheads are identical models, but the valve on one is fixed, the water is on or off, you adjust the temperature by rotating the handle (this one did not pass at almost 3 gpm) and the valve on the other, while rotating to the desired temperature, also pulls out to give more or less of a spray (this one passed at almost 2gpm).

• The kitchen sink faucet, rated to go up to 2.2 gpm with no apparent way to add an aerator, did not pass with an output of slightly over 2 gpm, but it can be modified by removing a little plastic disc in the center and putting in an aerator! Thank goodness. That one was another agonizing fixture to pick out. A $5.00 rebate applies and I am good with that.

• If a plumber can find a way to restrict the output on the one shower that is at almost 3gpm to down 2 gpm or less, it will pass inspection, but no rebate as it will not be replaced. I will find out and report later.

• Fixtures deliver water influenced by water pressure in the neighborhood and in your individual house too. What the fixture is rated to deliver is only the maximum it could deliver, not what it will deliver.

• New showerhead designs are coming out all the time, so if nothing matches the style that you have now, you might wait a bit and find one a little later on.

• So now what else can I do to save water and get a rebate? Our dishwasher is new, so it already saves water, no need to replace that. And the only way to have gotten money toward a recirculating pump (my first choice for an improvement) was to have both toilets at 1.28 or less and all faucets at 1.5 gpm, so we didn't quality there. But our washer is a top-loading antique. That is our best bet for the $150 rebate level.

Check Your Mailbox

Perhaps yours has already arrived, mine did on Monday—the latest brochure from the County. It is all about indoor water conservation and the rebate program for retrofitting your old fixtures with new water saving ones. Best to strike while the rebate amount is the highest, rather then waiting until the last minute when the rebate goes down!* Retrofitting is a condition to be met in order to hook up to the sewer. Find the brochure at this link:
http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/PW/LOWWP/Brochure.pdf

The goal of the program is to get us PZers all down to 50 gallons per person per day for indoor water use.

For some of us who have already retrofitted toilets, shower heads and faucets, there are optional rebates for extra-efficient toilets, clothes washers and other appliances. I waste the most water waiting for the hot water to arrive at the sink farthest away from the water heater. I feel guilty about wasting it, but don't fancy hauling buckets around. I'm going to call about a water circulating pump that pumps hot water through the house so any faucet will have hot water instantly (they are on timers, so you don't waste electricity pumping it around when you are asleep). I'll keep you posted on whether or not this sort of device qualifies.

Another concern of mine is fancy and/or expensive shower heads and faucets that have no visible means of attaching an aerator. What if they do not quality as low-flow? Did anyone save the packing materials to know what the flow is? I recall months ago seeing someone representing some company at some meeting that was looking for the retrofit job. He said they had ways to make the fancy fixtures that seem impervious to modifications to qualify. I will see what I can find out about that too. (I have no idea how to test my faucets, so I am going to call for an inspection to find out—788-6633.)

The "Water Saver Rebate Application" is part of the brochure.

FINAL NOTICE! Also included in this mailer is the notice of "last call on the last chance to request a move of your sewer lateral." Really, if you want it moved to avoid landscaping, hardscaping, or whatever, this is it! Too bad, so sad when the construction comes to your street, there will be no moving it then!

* NOTE: the toilet and shower head installation rebate is only available through 2013. So don't wait and lose out on that!

Rebates and the Wastewater Project's Water Conservation Program

As most of you know, a condition of hooking up to the wastewater project is to retrofit your home (if needed) with low-flow toilets, showerheads and aerators (some of us have already done this). The County has posted the Powerpoint from Tuesday's meeting where the plan was approved by the Supes. Visit the County's webpage to see what is coming up. Most will have a licensed plumber do the work for them which includes the inspection to determine what work is needed. Then the plumber's certification will accompany your rebate form to get your money back. This amount could cover the entire cost of the fixtures and the work, but this could depend on how fancy of a low-flow toilet that you want:

http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/PW/LOWWP/LOWWP.htm

See what the rebate application looks like here:

http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/PW/LOWWP/WC+rebate+form.pdf

It you have already done the work to your house, there is another rebate amount that you might want to look into, which could include clothes washers or on-demand hot water devices.

There is more money if you do this early rather than later.

This below is a copy and paste off the County's website, which identifies the go-to place for questions on this or your lateral or other concerns:

Office Hours 

The County of San Luis Obispo will be hosting office hours at 2025 10th Street, Los Osos.

Representatives from the County will be available to help residents and businesses review lateral plans for their property, discuss costs, and answer any other questions regarding the Los Osos Wastewater Collection System Project.

Office Hours
2025 10th Street, Los Osos
Tuesday 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

These hours are subject to change as the project progresses, so please regularly check back for updated hours.