By Khalida Sarwari
West Valley residents are invited to attend a program on April 11 in Campbell on the looming water shortage and learn ways to cope with the current situation.
Hosted by the Southwest Santa Clara Valley chapter of the League of Women Voters, the event, titled “Water Reuse: Waste Not, Want Not,” will focus on one of the most critical issues facing California. Experts in the field will discuss such topics as recycling and greywater use.
A combination of current circumstances and league policy to inform people about water conservation factored in the organization’s decision to put together this event, said Meg Giberson, chair of natural resources for the Southwest Santa Clara Valley chapter.
“The league policies have been pretty clear about reuse and conservation, and it’s so topical now because of our current drought and the effects of water pollution that the bay has experienced because of discharges from wastewater treatment plants and whatnot,” said Giberson. “We can address those issues by reusing our water and making some really positive uses rather than discarding it to the bay, where it’s creating problems with the habitat.”
The program is being held just weeks after Gov. Jerry Brown ordered California’s first-ever mandatory statewide water restrictions amid the worst drought in the state’s history. The governor is calling for a 25 percent statewide reduction in water use, increased enforcement of water waste and investing in new water-saving technologies.
Most of the new rules would have to be implemented by local water agencies; failure to abide by Brown’s order could result in fines and rate increases for communities and residents.
Giberson said she hopes residents will walk away from the program equipped with new ways to conserve water. Aside from the oft-cited example of taking shorter showers, there are plenty of other things people can do to save water at home, she said. For example, Giberson said she washes her fruits and vegetables with a bucket and then uses the leftover water in the bucket to water the plants and brush outside.
“I just really think that it’s such an important topic and it’s something that everyone can do on some level,” said Giberson. “I think people are starting to realize this is very very serious and everybody has to make an effort to do something.”
The lineup of speakers at the event includes Christina Swanson, director of the National Resources Defense Council Science Center program; Judy Irving, a Sundance and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker; and Bobby Markowitz, a licensed landscape architect, educator and proponent of rainwater, greywater, native and drought-tolerant plants, low impact development and closed-loop water design.
The program is free and will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in room C35 at the Campbell Community Center, 1 W. Campbell Ave., Campbell. For additional information, call Patricia Weber at 408.264.2601.
Link: Drought and water conservation are topics of discussion at League event