San Anselmo: Water Use, Green Waste, Sand and Sand Bags

Water Use

MMWD is asking its customers voluntarily to reduce water use by 25%.  Here are some ways to reduce your water use:

·       Turn off the water when you are brushing teeth or shaving and you can save 10 gallons per person per day.

·       Install aerators on bathroom faucets and save 1.2 gallons per person per day.

·       Take five-minute showers instead of ten-minute showers and save 12.5 gallons with a water efficient showerhead.

·       Wash only full loads of clothes and save 15 to 45 gallons per person per day.

Marin is no stranger to water shortages, and the community has rallied around conservation efforts in the past.  MMWD is justifiably proud of its water conservation history, and they are counting on us to help continue water conservation efforts this year and into the future.  Saving water is achievable, although it will require a conscious effort by all of us.

Free Graywater Workshop

With a statewide drought and global water issues looming large, it's an excellent time to learn about graywater reuse - what it is, why it matters, how repurposing conserves drinking water, and how residents can install a gray water system at home.

Starting in March, Marin County Environmental Health Services is sponsoring a series of free educational workshops as part of its Go Green With Graywater program.  Primarily focused on irrigation systems for homeowners, the first workshop will address "Laundry-to-Landscape," the simplest graywater system to use.   The workshops will be open to all but are especially appropriate for do-it-yourselfers, as well as plumbers, landscapers and other contractors.

The first workshop will be at 9:30 a.m. on March 15, in the Tamalpais room at the San Rafael Corporate Center, 750 Lindaro St., San Rafael.  For more information, call (415) 473-6907.  Dates of the other workshops will be announced at a later date.

Graywater is often defined as household wastewater that does not contain serious contaminants. Most of it is generated by baths, showers and clothes washers.  Wastewater generated by toilets, kitchen sinks and dishwashers is called blackwater.

Recent changes in California law make repurposing graywater more accessible for homeowners who want to reuse graywater to conserve fresh water use.  The workshop is part of Marin's work to teach the community about graywater reuse and encourage residents to install safe graywater systems in accordance with health and building practices.

For more information about the County's graywater policies, go to the Environmental Health Services website at http://www.marincounty.org/depts/cd/divisions/environmental-health-services/septic-systems.

More on Green Waste

Last week's newsletter had a status report on the Green Waste program, letting customers know that Marin Sanitary will no longer pick up more green waste than the seven 32-gallon can limit that the contracts allows.  In addition, personal cans weighing more than 60 pounds will not be picked up.  This is due to significant worker injuries incurred by lifting the heavy cans manually.

Marin Sanitary wants to let customers know that they will receive a notice on their cans informing them of the reason that any cans were not picked up.  Customers will have the option to:

·         Lighten the cans and set them out the following week, keeping to the weight and volume limits (5 extra 32-gallon cans under 60 pounds)

·         If the customer needs all the extra materials collected, call Marin Sanitary and schedule an extra pick-up for which there is a charge of $8.57 per container.

·         If customers have a lot of extra yard waste, they can rent a temporary 3-yard debris box for $99.  If the yard waste is loose and not in plastic bags, it will be composted.

For more information, please call Marin Sanitary at (415) 456-2601.

Sand and Sand Bags

Now that the rain has finally arrived, sand and sand bags are available for San Anselmo residents and merchants in the tennis court parking lot on Sunny Hills Drive, across the street from Swirl Yogurt.  Please bring your own shovel.

San Anselmo News, published weekly on Fridays, is available at the San Anselmo Town Hall, Library, and on the Public Notice Bulletin Board. It is also available on the Town’s website, www.townofsananselmo.org, and by email subscription.