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San Ramon’s water sustainability — past, present and future — was the main topic of conversation Tuesday at the City Council meeting.
With California mired in drought, the city’s Maintenance Operations Division manager, Jeff Gault, presented Tuesday about ways in which San Ramon is currently conserving water and options for the future.
Gault’s presentation included water usage figures from San Ramon’s two water providers: the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), which serves most of San Ramon, and Dublin San Ramon Services District, which serves Dougherty Valley.
Since the last drought between 2008 and 2009, EBMUD put water use restrictions into place, resulting in an overall reduction of about 15% from 2010-13.
EBMUD water rates increased by 9.75% in July 2013 and went up another 9.5% this July Although the district isn’t currently imposing mandatory restrictions, it is asking people to voluntarily cutback 10% of water usage.
DSRSD has set mandatory restrictions amid the drought for residents to reduce 25% of overall water consumption and 50% of outdoor water use. One measure DSRSD has imposed is limiting lawn watering to two days a week.
The current restrictions are placed on potable water but there are no limitations on recycled water. The majority of water purchased from DSRSD is recycled, according to Gault.
Approximately 28 million more gallons of water was used in 2013 compared to 2012, according to Gault’s presentation. One significant reason for the increase, he said, is that rain was scarce in 2013, which meant more water had to be used for outdoor areas.
Another reason for increased water usage that Gault addressed is a result of annexing more land and developing the city because construction, parks and landscaping require water.
For 2015, the city plans to continue complying with the mandated restriction from DSRSD and reduce the use of potable water by 50%, Gault said. Parks and trees will be monitored by staff, and they will truck in recycled water for supplemental watering if necessary, he added..
The city is also looking at converting local turf strips to landscaping requiring low maintenance and water use by installing bubblers and planting shrubs that require less watering. Officials plan to reduce the overall recycled water use in Dougherty Valley by 10%, Gault said. Water use on paved surfaces such as, tennis courts, will also be cut back.
After the presentation, council members offered ideas on how to conserve water.
Mayor Bill Clarkson suggested making recycled water a requirement in the future for grading during construction. Vice Mayor Phil O’Loane also suggested experimenting with various types of plants in turf strips on sidewalks near homes in some neighborhoods.
To view the full water management presentation, visit the city website. Councilman Harry Sachs was absent from the meeting.
Appeal over redevelopment project at old Chevron HQ coming to San Ramon councilApril 6, 2026 10:32 pm
Same old story folks…use less and pay more to keep the water company’s operating expenses covered.
This will never change. If and when the water customers cut their usage by 50% the water company will increase water rates to cover their lost revenue.
Can not win no matter what you do.
Have a nice wet day…Thanks for listening, Julia Pardini from Alamo
Here’s a thought….maybe you should stop building more and more homes!!
Bebe,
You hit the nail on the head!
Consider the population in Contra Costa County Alone.
Contra Costa County current:
1,038,988
Projected;
1,168,965 129,977
13% increase by 2019.
It was announced publicly a couple of days ago that ground water is not being replenished. In fact ground water is being lost.
We are moving into a major dramatic weather change and it appears to begin with a massive drought in Western States.
What to do?
Build more housing?????
In the very narrow San Ramon Valley, there is open ground, but can lack of rain water and diminishing ground water provide for the added population???
Did the past law allowing growth have to consider these two major elements then????? NO
The most basic element that all mankind needs is WATER.
Just because there is A LAW,oh wow, that means that current residents, powers that be, cant see the writing on the wall: extreme water shortage on the way.
As though LAW is the only guiding light to live by. Change the LAW, rule it out, ignore it or consider the primary reason residents are in this Valley.
QUALITY OF LIFE!!!!
Which will be immediately killed by law enforcing more housing to make “questionable use’ of what little open land there is in this very narrow Valley.
In the last couple of years, the freeway has often turned into a long parking lot; in fact a couple of years ago the CHP shut down for many many hours both sides of 680 because on of their own was killed on 680. The growth of the freeway parking lot is continuning.
Because the Valley IS narrow, has some open acres, developers want a piece of the giant profitable LAW which they can invoke.
As if laws were never changed before.
That law was initiated in the past to cause major and clear building for more housing.
The land, Valley, quality of life is now full.
How much do you want to stuff the narrow Valley, reduce potential water availability, cause long 680 delays due to traffic snafus/accidents,
and see row architectural houses on what little space there is?????
So you wanna make a million? Use DA LAW!!!
Just look at the Peninsula!! It is jammed packed with housing with tons of traffic problems.
Look at Marin same thing!!
Now you want to make the Valley the same thing
Alter the law, change the law to fit the environment and limited circumstances as new environment effects now govern quality of life for all.
Not all laws can be applied given the circumstances surrounding them.
All the more so with the Law cited allowing growth for profit through construction of new houses.
What else to call it? Law for profit
But at what expense? Whose expense?
You like to live like sardines?
When you do continue to build, there will be more and more laws to dictate where and when you can move, eat, walk, drive. Its unavoidable due to population in a small valley with very limited through roads.
It happens already in packed land areas.
Good luck
I loved this Valley and concluded that there is no where else to live compared to many areas of the world after visiting many countries.
Now those who seek fortunes at residents expense want to incite, provoke, abuse, cajole, convince them that they should and must live in more congested environments.
Good Grief Money Makers, the long run abuse well eventually strike much like lightening which eventually happens.
Quality of life is a prime consideration rather then da law for profit approach.
To change the law is easy to do but when the over crowded Valley is done in, it cant be changed forever!!!!
What do you want?
The gravity of our water status is NOW upon us in “spades”. Regardless of the Faria development progress? San Ramon needs to place an emergency “hold” on this project till 2015, minimally in light of the continued water shortage – in light of a predicted VERY LIGHT El Nino for Northern California (the majority of rain will hit So. Ca. meteorologists are predicting, NOT No. California) They need to legally maneuver through the system to ensure this project is placed on a “hold” status UNTIL water resources are clear and present. This is, a “no brainer” at this time!
If not now, maybe water usage should become part of any environmental impact study for new construction projects.