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Enhance Outdoor Water Savings with these Smart Water Tips

Enhance Outdoor Water Savings with these Smart Water Tips

water sprinkler

It’s essential to conserve water, especially in a place like California. With rising temperatures, it becomes more tempting to use this precious resource - making efficient water use more important than ever. 

By being smarter with our water use, not only do we conserve water, but we also conserve energy! The relationship between water and energy is known as the water-energy nexus, where water activities require energy, and harnessing energy requires a lot of water. Some examples of this relationship include:

 

Water for Energy and Energy for Water

 

With California’s water restrictions in place, residents, businesses, and agencies are looking for ways to cut back on water use - one of them being limiting outdoor water usage. That’s why it’s important to keep in mind that being water efficient is also being energy efficient. So for smart irrigation month, follow these tips to reduce water and energy use!

Consider utilizing a smart irrigation system

Automate your irrigation system to reduce water use and costs for your agency! Smart irrigation technology uses weather and soil moisture data to determine the irrigation needs of a landscape. It can reduce water use by up to 20-40% compared to traditional automated irrigation systems. By using a combination of controllers and sensors, these systems achieve water savings and ensure your landscape is green and healthy based on environmental conditions.

Choose WaterSense labeled equipment

Set your outdoor irrigation system up for success by purchasing WaterSense labeled products. WaterSense labeled products are backed by independent third-party certification and meet EPA’s specifications for water efficiency. Some outdoor irrigation equipment with WaterSense labels includes:

●    Weather-based irrigation controllers
●    Soil moisture-based irrigation controllers
●    Spray sprinkler bodies

Products with this label are 20% more water-efficient than their traditional counterparts and can be easily found in local retailers!

Keep your soil cool and happy

Did you know that you can significantly reduce outdoor water use if you give your soil extra TLC? Incorporate these tips into your landscaping practices to keep your soil cool and your plants healthy: 

●    Water plants in the early morning or evening to avoid water lost to evaporation 
●    Spread organic mulch over the ground to prevent excessive evaporation and dryness
●    Supplement soil with compost to increase the soil’s water-holding capacity

Use recycled water for landscape irrigation 

It’s essential to give the water we use a second life. That’s why recycling water for landscape purposes has been a common practice throughout Southern California. Recycling plants utilize a multistep advanced filtration process to meet state quality standards and prepare it for distribution. 

Not only does recycled water irrigate public parks, campuses, and golf courses to keep spaces green but can also be used for concrete production, composting, and construction purposes. Consider sourcing your irrigation water supply from water recycling plants to help increase water supply reliability and reduce the need to import costly water! 
 

 

Making a Difference

In 2019, the SoCalREN Workforce Education and Training Program enrolled 67 ACES in the Program, established 20 new partnerships leading to 29 paid internships to participants, and conducted over 300 hours of training. 

By registering on socalren.org/agencies/register, public agencies can now gain access to an extensive library of information, tools, templates, and case studies while being introduced to exciting new program opportunities. 

SoCalREN also offers financial services for public agencies to obtain the necessary incentives or financing to make projects a reality. Reducing energy use reduces costs for public agencies, freeing up scarce public resources for services like public safety, firefighting, and educational resources. 

SoCalREN works collaboratively with engineering firms, contractors, Local Government Partnerships, Southern California Edison, and SoCalGas to ensure streamlined, “one-stop” services to customers. 

13,740 tenant units improved, $7,161,042 improvement incentives paid to multifamily properties, and 180 construction jobs created all in the 2019 calendar year. 

In 2019, 53 percent of the projects completed were performed in disadvantaged communities. These projects achieved 3,597,973 kWh gross (3,058,277 GWh net) and 194,514 therms gross (165,337 therms net).  

The SoCalREN Multifamily Program helps customers identify and prioritize project opportunities to achieve a percentage savings above baseline usage, regardless of utility. This allows property owners to make informed facility improvement decisions that best meet their property’s needs. 

The mission of SoCalREN is to harness the collective action of public agencies to save energy and lead their communities on the pathway to a safe, secure, resilient, affordable and sustainable energy future.

In 2019 SoCalREN achieved 17,692,420 kWh (39% DAC), 707 kW (47% DAC) and 15,203 (100% DAC) of energy savings, while supporting 260 construction jobs and paying out a total of $6.5 million in incentives. 

In 2019, SoCalREN’s energy efficiency programs collectively achieved 6,920,487 kWh and 492,655 therms of energy savings. 

SoCalREN works across 12 counties with one common goal: achieving unprecedented levels of energy savings throughout Southern California by delivering programs and information to the communities, businesses, and 20 million people who call the area home.

SoCalREN Workforce Education and Training Program serves as a response to high demand for skilled labor in the energy sector through targeted youth workforce education and training, small business training regarding current energy efficiency programs, and local public agency opportunities. 

SoCalREN’s Workforce Education and Training Program continually pursues new ways to provide greater employment opportunity to under-represented individuals performing energy efficiency project work. 

The Metered Savings Program, Pathway to Zero, and the Revolving Savings Fund aim to overcome significant market barriers and harness the collective actions of Southern California public agencies to save energy. These programs work together seamlessly as companion programs and have expanded services available to agencies to drive deeper energy efficiency savings and create more sustainable communities. 

In Q4 2019, the Residential Community Coordinator (RCC) Program interacted with nearly 748 customers through participation in 13 community events and seminars. These outreach events targeted Hispanic and Chinese audiences and successfully increased program awareness in these communities. SoCalREN’s RCC Program will continue to provide in-language support to hard-to-reach customers and provide opportunities for these customers to save money and add value to their multifamily properties. 

The Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Students Pathway Program provides education and career pathways for disadvantaged youth. The Program improves educational achievement and removes barriers to higher education by co-enrolling high school students in community college courses in science, technology, engineering, art, and math fields. 

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Professionalism of consultants and SoCalREN Public Agency Program staff has been high. The program is more hands on and personal than other programs we have used before.
— Alice Rod, Management Analyst, Administrative Services, City of Moreno Valley

SoCalREN has done a wonderful job and we both have learned a lot since we began working together. We are happy to be part of a collaborative partnership to save energy and the environment through the SoCalREN Public Agency Program.
— Dave Marshall, Facilities Services Director, Ventura Unified School District

With the SoCalREN Public Agency Program, we are able to do things that would not have been done otherwise. Technical expertise has been a huge help. It has been great working with everyone in the SoCalREN Public Agency Program!
— Benjamin Lucha, Sr. Administrative Analyst, City of Palmdale

I can truly say we would have not gotten this far this fast in such a cost-effective manner without SoCalREN’s guidance and technical assistance every step of the way. In short, the SoCalREN Public Agency Program is a fantastic program to assist local governments in energy efficiency that will pay dividends for years to come.
— Charles Herbertson, Public Works Director/City Engineer for Culver City

Their level of expertise and professionalism has been unsurpassed. They have suggested things that we never thought of, and weren’t even on our radar. They have done significant amounts of work on our behalf that has resulted in substantial savings of both energy and money.
— Rick Freed, Energy Educator/Manager for Conejo Valley Unified School District

It’s a great project for Whittier. It’s green and it helps us save energy. We’re getting a lot of bang for our buck. It’s win-win-win all the way around.
— Joe Vinatieri, Mayor, City of Whittier

The SoCalREN Public Agency Program provided engineering services, project management, and the resources needed to streamline the Cucamonga Valley Water District’s energy efficiency projects from start to finish.
— Mike Maestas, Water Production Manager, CVWD