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In This Issue:
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Help Ecology Action continue to provide innovative programs that benefit our environment by making a tax deductible donation now!
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Irrigation with Graywater Conserves Water and Money
- Sherry Lee Bryan, Senior Program Specialist
Pollution Prevention and Zero Waste Group
You have installed water efficient fixtures and appliances in your home, and converted all or most of your landscape to drought tolerant plants. What more can you do to be a good water-conserving citizen?
California has adopted a new residential graywater code that can help you save money on your water bill, and relieve summer stress on our overstretched drinking water supplies. Graywater is “wastewater” from washing machines (sans dirty diapers), bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks, but does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks, dishwashers, or toilets.
Graywater provides multiple benefits. The most obvious is the water savings. Graywater accounts for about one-half of the water that goes down the drain from a home, or 10 to 15 thousand gallons from May through October for a family of four. Graywater reuse means money savings because you purchase less water. Significant amounts of energy are saved from pumping less water from our streams and aquifers, and from not having to send the wastewater to the water treatment facility. Sending less wastewater to the treatment facility translates into chemical and energy savings from not having to treat the graywater. People on septic systems that divert graywater to the landscape benefit from having less septic loading, thus extending the life of their septic systems.
The California graywater code requires construction permits for graywater systems that alter the drain/vent plumbing system of a home, but exempts laundry-to -landscape irrigation systems from requiring a permit if 12 best management practices are met. It is very important that graywater systems be properly designed, installed and maintained by an experienced professional so that graywater has no contact with people and pets, has no cross connection with the potable water supply, does not mix with stormwater flowing into waterways, and does not pond and create habitat for mosquitoes.
Plumbing and landscape contractors from the Central Coast Graywater Alliance can help you design, install, and maintain a graywater irrigation system that maximizes water savings and protects environmental health. To request a consultation from a member of the Graywater Alliance, or to become more informed about graywater law and reuse options, visit www.ecoact.org/Programs/Pollution_Prevention/Graywater. |
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We Want to Know Your Environmental Goals for Santa Cruz County!
- Kirsten Liske, Vice President
Ecology Action is again leading the effort to set goals for 2010-2015 in the area of Natural Environment for the United Way's Community Assessment Project (CAP). The CAP is a collaborative project to measure and improve the quality of life in Santa Cruz County. It documents the public's opinions about what issues are important for the County to focus and improve upon, sets goals for the County to achieve in certain areas based on these concerns, and monitors the progress of these goals. The results are then made public and distributed to the entire Santa Cruz community, including elected officials and people in decision-making positions.
Local environmental agencies and organizations have presented a short list of 13 goals for you to choose from, which ones are most important to you?
Vote for your top three Environmental Goals
for Santa Cruz County by Taking Our Online Survey Now!
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Bike Week Attracts Record Numbers of Participants
- Nick Mucha, Program Specialist, Transportation Group
Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2010 Bike Week events. By all accounts, Bike Week 2010 proved remarkably successful in motivating, educating, and appreciating cyclists of all skill levels.
Most importantly, a record breaking number of cyclists took to the streets on Bike to Work and Bike to School Day: 6,775 total participants!
Biking to Work and School on a regular basis is a healthy, low emission, and low cost commute alternative to driving up the demand for oil. For more bike commuter resources,
click here.
A few highlights:
- 18% increase (1,033 more cyclists) for Bike to Work/School Day from ’09 to ’10.
- 300 Bike to Worship participants
- 58 total breakfast sites: 41 Bike to School and 17 Bike to Work sites
- Some 450 Rail and Trail Day participants
- Twice the number of Bike to Work/School Day participants in Watsonville
SAVE THE DATE - Fall Bike to Work/School Day - October 7, 2010
Mark your calendars now so you don’t miss out on this important event. Join thousands of cyclists during the best time of year in Santa Cruz – Fall!
More details to follow on www.bike2work.com
Questions? Email Nick Mucha, Program Specialist.
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2010 San Francisco Bay Area Environmental and Energy-Saving Fair
featuring Ecology Action
- Anna Hirst, Communications Coordinator
The San Francisco Bay Area Environmental and Energy-Saving Fair is hosted at the Tech Museum in San Jose, free to the public (with museum admission), and will provide information, education and resources on the many aspects of green living including: Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Sustainable, Non-Toxic Products, Pollution Prevention, and Zero Waste. Expert presentations and informational tabling is scheduled throughout the day.
Ecology Action Energy Efficiency Specialist Steve Suba will be giving a presentation at the event on Energy Efficiency for Businesses, and will also host a table with information about Ecology Action's programs. Stop by, say hello and get all your environmental questions answered.
If you go:
Event: 2010 SF Bay Area Environmental & Energy-Saving Fair
Date: Saturday, June 19, 2010
Time: 11am – 4pm
Location: The Tech Museum, 201 South Market Street, San Jose, CA 95113.
For more information about the Tech Museum, please click here. |
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New Sentinel Building Green Construction Underway
- Anna Hirst, Communications Coordinator
If you have walked by the New Sentinel Building lately, you have probably noticed a lot of construction activity and changes. Demolition and salvage operations are drawing to a close, and exciting green features of the new building are soon to be realized. The most obvious of these right now are the gigantic holes in the sides of the building, soon to be large windows and retail entryways designed to bring as much natural lighting into the space as is structurally possible, many with operable windows to take advantage of our temperate climate and bring in fresh air.
There is also a lot happening that you can not see from the outside. Rainwater catchment tanks have been installed in the basement in order to irrigate our future drought tolerant, native landscape. Over 50 skylights are being installed to bring in even more natural light to all areas of the building, including the first floor spaces. Skylights on the second floor will also be operable to allow air to flow through the building.
Soon you will see a lot more work outside too, like our new bioswale which will be installed to filter and clean runoff water from the parking lot. Drought tolerant, native landscaping will be added all around the outside of the building and parking lot, and brackets needed to install solar panels on the roof will be going up.
We are also working with City of Santa Cruz arborists to implement special measures to ensure the historic magnolia and avocado trees in the parking lot are well cared for and preserved throughout the entire construction process.
With all this underway, it's hard to believe we are still on schedule to move in this Fall! To learn more about the New Sentinel Building's green features, please click here. |
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