Californians recycle cans, cardboard, oil, even cars, but recycling water has met with a mixed reception. Recycled water, which is highly treated wastewater, can be used for landscape and agricultural irrigation, industrial cooling, groundwater recharge, and improving stream flow and wetlands areas. However, proposals to irrigate playing fields or recharge drinking water aquifers with recycled water have been unpopular in the region. A partnership of water agencies is hoping that a new plan for augmenting the Bay Area's water resources with recycled water can overcome that ticklish issue known as the "yuck factor".
As the Bay Area population and economy continue to grow, water shortages will be more frequent and more drastic. New requirements which may be instituted under the CALFED Bay-Delta Program could affect water supplies from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta system, the primary source of much of the region's water. In response to this challenge, federal, state, regional and local agencies formed the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program (BARWRP) to assess the potential uses of recycled water in the region, and to identify appropriate implementation strategies.
Their Regional Water Recycling Master Plan will be released in July. With a projected shortfall of 300,000 acre-feet in severe droughts by 2025, the plan identifies projects which could supply 125,000 acre-feet per year by 2010 and 400,000 acre-feet by 2040. By phasing in facilities, sizing them to meet projected need, and sharing costs and benefits on a regional basis, the plan attempts to provide predictability and stability for water supplies and cost-effectiveness for agencies. A unified planning process also allows planning to meet other goals, such as Bay water quality.
The plan identifies corridors for cost-effective recycled water delivery, and projects to be completed both in the near-term (by 2010) and mid-term (by 2025). These are focused on 33 recycled water treatment plants throughout the Bay Area (except in the North Bay), most of them operated by the 13 local or regional agencies which are members of BARWRP. The plan states, "Near-term recycled water facilities located in identified regional service corridors should be sized for mid-term demands projected for 2025." For some near-term projects, feasibility work has already been done to answer specific questions regarding institutional constraints and public acceptance.
Project phasing recommendations were based on several cost-reducing principles. Users would receive water from the closest appropriate treatment plant, regardless of agency boundaries. Where possible, existing high-level (tertiary) treatment capacity would be used rather than new upgrades. Recycled water flows would be routed along regional corridor alignments to take advantage of larger pipe sizes and shared rights of way.
The market assessment studies were based on local water recycling planning studies and land use projected by ABAG for 2010 and beyond. Information was plotted on GIS maps to determine the actual location of water needs. A modeling program developed project and phasing timelines to link potential uses with sources of recycled water at the lowest possible cost. Determining potential uses also indicated which treatment methods would be preferable at designated facilities. For example, reverse osmosis would be used to remove dissolved minerals where recycled water would be used for sensitive industrial uses or to recharge groundwater. On the other hand, some constituents considered pollutants in wastewater discharged to the Bay are considered nutrients in irrigation water.
Appropriate treatment is a critical factor in gaining public acceptance of the use of recycled water. Recent history in the Bay Area has included several recycled water projects which were redesigned or delayed because of public opposition. A BARWRP committee is developing public education materials, including water recycling teaching materials for schools.
The BARWRP partnership would continue as a regional organization to facilitate water trading, water banking, discharge trading, and regional sharing of costs according to benefits. For example, if one agency had a prospective market for recycled water suitable for irrigation, a second agency could participate through financial support, and both could take credit for reduced discharges to the Bay. This could provide substantial benefits for watershed management.
In addition to reducing Bay discharges, there are also 18 potential wetland sites and 13 existing streams which were identified by BARWRP market assessment studies as opportunities to use recycled water for environmental enhancement. Current enhancement projects include marshes in Palo Alto, Hayward and Martinez, and a planned stream flow augmentation project in Coyote Creek in Santa Clara County. Recycled water can also create habitat in upland wetlands for migrating waterfowl.
Total capital costs for implementation of the near-term program are estimated at $700 million. In addition to providing money to match the 50% support by the US Bureau of Reclamation for the Master Plan, many local agencies have already begun their own studies and projects which will contribute to plan implementation. However, issues such as water supply reliability and Bay-Delta water quality are both long-term and regional, and need larger approaches than local agencies can provide. The Master Plan proposes that remaining feasibility assessments, as well as design and construction costs, should be funded at the 50% level by the federal and state governments, with CALFED funds, Title XVI, or new legislation as suggested sources. The local share could come from bonds issued by individual agencies or a regional joint powers authority. The final Regional Master Plan, due in September, will contain more specific suggestions.
Leslie Stewart
For more information:
Randy Raines, BARWRP Program Coordinator, 925-299-6733
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
Cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, six other Silicon Valley communities
Delta Diablo Sanitation District
Dublin San Ramon Services District
East Bay Dischargers Authority
East Bay Municipal Utility District
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Santa Clara Valley Water District
South Bayside System Authority
Zone 7 Water Agency
Also of interest:
California WateReuse Association
California Association of Sanitary Agencies
During summer months, nine tons per day of volatile organic compounds are emitted by gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment (mowers, leaf blowers, trimmers, weed whackers, chain saws, and air compressors for jackhammers). Of this, 6 tons per day are generated from commercial and municipal use and 3 tons from residential use. Most gasoline-fueled equipment uses 2-stroke engines, which generate the most pollution; mowers may be powered by 2-stroke or 4-stroke gasoline engines. Electric engines are the cleanest,and are available for lawn and garden equipment, except for heavy commercial mowers.
Two efforts are underway to eliminate this source of pollution by replacing gasoline-powered equipment with clean electric-powered equipment: a model ordinance for local governments, and a rebate program for the general public.
A grassroots group, the San Francisco/San Mateo Resource Team, was formed to support the Spare the Air program of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) in its effort to assist cities and counties to reduce air pollution. The team developed a lawn and garden ordinance that the Air District is promoting as a model for local governments. Thus far, San Francisco, San Mateo County and Petaluma have adopted it. Copies of the ordinance and assistance from staff are available from the Air District.
The model ordinance prohibits the use of small gasoline-fueled lawn and garden equipment on municipally-owned property on Spare the Air days, when air pollution is expected to exceed health-based standards. The ordinance also provides that when this gasoline-fueled equipment wears out, it will be replaced with electric equipment, unless clean-fuel models are not available or the cost is excessive.
Last spring, buy-back programs to replace old, high-polluting gasoline-powered lawn mowers with electric models were offered to residents of Contra Costa, Napa, and Solano counties. Local waste management agencies, anxious to reduce grass clippings sent to the landfill, initiated these programs which allowed residents to trade in their gasoline mowers and receive a $150 rebate to be applied to the purchase of electric mulching mowers. Funding was provided by the Air District, the state Air Resources Board, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, and PG&E, as well as the local waste management agencies.
Napa County residents, waiting with their old mowers at the Napa Valley Expo on April 10, quickly exhausted the supply of rebate vouchers that could be applied to the purchase of an electric mulching mower. In Solano and Contra Costa Counties, four dealers in each county received the old mowers and applied the rebates to new mowers. In both counties the available rebates were used up in only one day. The success of the program has led the sponsors to plan on repeating it in the spring of 2000 and to consider expanding it to other counties.
The model ordinance and the buy-back program will increase the use of electric-powered lawn and garden equipment and decrease the amount of pollution and noise created while maintaining an attractive outdoor environment in urban areas.
Adelia Sabiston
For more information:
Ordinance & rebates: BAAQMD, 415-771-6000; http://www.baaqmd.gov
Rebates: http://grasscycle/abag.ca.gov
The 1999 Spare the Air program promises to be bigger and better than ever this year. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) will receive Congestion Management Air Quality (CMAQ) funding in 1999 and 2000 that will double the budget and enable the Air District to expand the program.
The Spare the Air program began in 1991 to provide information so that people could voluntarily reduce air-polluting activities on days when air quality forecasts predicted unhealthful concentrations of ozone. In 1992, an outreach program to employers provided information for employees and alerts on Spare the Air Days.
The program was further expanded in 1996, when a public-private effort of the Air District, the Bay Area Council, and the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group formed the Bay Area Clean Air Partnership (BayCAP). BayCAP participants now include the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Association of Bay Area Governments, Caltrans, RIDES, city and county governments and regional transit agencies, which have assisted in the recruitment of more than 1,000 employers.
Each year, the Spare the Air program adds to its repertoire of activities. In 1998, AC Transit prepared a Spare the Air bus. The exterior was decked in blue sky and clouds and a tag line proclaiming Spare the Air, This Ride's On Us; the interior was decorated with Spare the Air posters. On a different route each day, the bus provided free rides to 6,800 passengers during four weeks in September and October. It also served as a roving billboard and was featured on TV newscasts and in newspaper articles. During "Back to Transit" week, it appeared at nine special events in the East Bay.
In addition, Caltrans developed a series of Spare the Air messages and ran them repeatedly on 20 freeway changeable message signs on Spare the Air days. Telephone surveys showed this was the third most important information source about the alerts, after radio and television.
Other activities in 1998 included a highly successful kickoff event at the beginning of the smog season, a campaign to involve cities and counties, a fund-raising campaign to finance enhanced radio and television advertising, an expanded employer recruitment effort, and a series of workshops on tax advantages under federal TEA-21 legislation for employers who offer transit and parking incentives to their employees and on the pre-tax benefits for employees. The West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee organized a pilot project to provide free bus tickets for Contra Costa workers through participating employers on Spare the Air days.
In evaluating the effectiveness of the 1998 campaign, a random sample of the general Bay Area population was surveyed to determine Spare the Air recognition and participation. Of those surveyed, 38 percent knew when it was a Spare the Air day; 6.5 percent of this group reduced their driving. Applying these percentages to the entire Bay Area population and making conservative assumptions about trip characteristics, the Air District estimates that the campaign reduced volatile organic compounds by 2.0 tons per day and oxides of nitrogen by 2.1 tons per day.
The Spare the Air program has been included in Clean Air Plans prepared by the Air District under the California Clean Air Act, but until now, not in a plan required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The program is included as a voluntary measure in the Air District's Ozone Attainment Plan to meet the national 1-hour ozone standard. However, no credit for emissions reduction is requested at this time. The Air District expects to use the protocol which is being developed by the state Air Resources Board to measure the effectiveness and reduction in emissions of voluntary mobile source measures.
With the increase to its budget from CMAQ funds, the 1999 Spare the Air program will increase public awareness of Spare the Air days through enhanced outreach and support for participating employers. Efforts will be increased, primarily at workplaces, to induce individuals to sign-up for e-mail notification. Participating workplaces are notified the day before Spare the Air via a broadcast fax system. Smog advisories are posted on the Spare the Air website, www.sparetheair.org. To promote public recognition and recruit greater participation, expanded advertising efforts will include new brochures and posters, a new video, television ads, radio advisories on Spare the Air days, and ads promoting transit use.
Responding to the phenomenon of a greater frequency of ozone exceedances on weekend days than on weekdays during the summer of 1998, efforts will be made to promote transit use on weekends and for special events. The Contra Costa pilot bus ticket program, which will be repeated this summer, will allow employees to use their free tickets on weekend Spare the Air days as well as for weekday commutes.
To evaluate the accomplishments of the program and to get more accurate estimates of its emissions reductions, the number of surveys conducted and the sample size of each survey will be increased, with specific questions about the nature of pollution-reducing activities added. This should enable the Air District to develop even more improvements for the program in the future, resulting in fewer Spare the Air days.
Adelia Sabiston
For more information:
BAAQMD's Spare the Air, http://www.sparetheair.org; Contra Costa bus program, Summer Brenner, 510-215-3008
In 1989, following the Loma Prieta earthquake, the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) trains were running within hours, providing a vital link to a region with major transportation routes disrupted for days or weeks. In 1997, a BART strike forced hundreds of thousands of riders to find alternate modes of travel, severely impacting a transportation system which was otherwise functioning well. The strike demonstrated how BART unavailability could compound the transportation difficulties the region would face following a future earthquake.
BART officials have begun planning a major seismic upgrade to reduce potential earthquake damage to the system. Although the system was built to the highest seismic safety standards when it was completed in 1972, recent studies have shown that new retrofitting techniques would provide greater safety, particularly for aerial trackways.
The work is urgently needed, since predictions indicate that there is a one in four chance of a magnitude 7 earthquake occurring on one of the two Hayward Fault segments or the Peninsula segment of the San Andreas Fault within the next 30 years. BART tracks cross all major faults in the Bay Area, and run parallel to the Hayward Fault, considered most likely to rupture.
A 1995 report of seismic risks to BART indicated that in a magnitude 7 or greater tremor on the Hayward fault, tracks in the East Bay tunnel between Oakland and Orinda could be thrown 3-5 feet off their base. Elevated tracks and columns west of the West Oakland station were built on fill, which could liquefy in a quake, resulting in shifting or sinking structures. Damage to BART structures could also affect adjacent freeways and roads, or vice versa, adding to circulation problems.
The five-segment proposal for BART's seismic retrofit acknowledges both risk factors and funding constraints. The first segment is the Caltrans Local Seismic Retrofit Program, which will affect portions of the system which cross highways, streets and roads. It includes 226 bridges within BART's core system, and accounts for approximately 25% of BART's total guideway structures. It will be funded 80-90% by Caltrans, with the objective of preventing collapse of BART structures. BART will contribute additional funding to ensure that structures not only remain intact, but are capable of handling necessary train service in a safe manner.
Segment II, the Lifeline Program, will retrofit certain "lifeline" structures and stations, both aerial and at-grade, including stairways and escalators. The lifeline zone is the central transbay portion of the system, from Daly City station in the west to Rockridge station in the east, and from Ashby station in the north to Oakland Coliseum station in the south. Segment II also includes retrofitting the Transbay Tube seismic joints, and a vulnerability study of the remainder of the system.
Segment III would retrofit aerial structures and stations from south of the Coliseum station to the South Hayward station. Segment IV would retrofit all remaining aerial structures and all remaining stations in the system. Segment V would retrofit maintenance facilities, and other BART buildings, including offices.
Although BART has known for several years that the retrofit program was necessary, a major hurdle has been the cost, now estimated at almost $800 million including inflation. While Caltrans has agreed to pay $125-150 million of the projected $185 million for Segment I, district officials are still working on possible funding sources for the remaining segments. Segment II would cost $170 million, with the others ranging from $185-125 million.
Funding options include local sales tax measures such as Alameda County's Measure B, federal and state grants, or renewal of the existing property tax. The tax paid for bonds which funded most of the original construction cost of the system, but the last of the bonds were retired in June. New general obligation bonds, to be paid for at the same tax rate, could generate between $500 million and $1.5 billion, according to BART estimates, and provide enough funding for the retrofit program. Any proposal to renew the tax and issue new bonds would have to be sent to the voters.
Leslie Stewart
For more information:
BART, 510-464-6000; http://www.bart.gov
As a sequel to our July/August 1998 "Bright Ideas" issue, we are again presenting a selection of interesting and thought-provoking ideas gleaned from our reading this past year. They appear below (look for the Bright Idea identification above the title of the article). We believe that you will find them stimulating and possibly useful.
Leslie Stewart, Editor
Buses which are retired from the fleet at the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) don't necessarily head for the junkyard. Since SamTrans maintains buses fully until they are replaced, even a 14-year-old bus has some good miles left in it. Ten SamTrans buses are now in a second career with the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District.
Three Gillig buses were also sold to San Francisco International Airport for its emergency operations unit. Two of the buses are being modified for hold medical supplies and emergency response equipment to respond to airplane crashes; a third will be transformed into a mobile decontamination unit.
The San Mateo County Area Office of Emergency Services spent $40,000 to upgrade a former SamTrans bus into its "Support One" vehicle, used for emergency support and as a backup for the county's 911 dispatch center. It is equipped with a mobile communications system, soundproofing, carpeting, and seven communications stations, four of which can be used for radio dispatch.
Even buses which are no longer roadworthy can go on working. One bus, which had been clipped by a train, became an emergency training bus for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which uses it for "confined-space" rescue drills. It was also used by the Woodside Fire Protection Agency for a mass casualty training exercise. The practice drill involved flipping the bus on its side and putting it on top of two cars. Elementary school students became the "wounded passengers". Emergency responders throughout the county participated.
For more information:
Christine Dunn, SamTrans, 650-508-6243
Innovative systems that provide for the use of a car without the burden of ownership have been working well in Europe for over 10 years. They are now finding their way to the US, including the Bay Area.
One concept, called car-sharing, is neighborhood based. Members have access on an as-need basis to vehicles stored within walking distance; this works best in compact neighborhoods. The first one in the US is CarSharing Portland, located near downtown Portland. After an initial application fee and a refundable deposit, members pay by the hour and per mile. Insurance, maintenance and even gas is covered. Started by an entrepreneur, David Brook, it presently possesses nine cars and one pickup truck for about 175 customers. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality provided a $30,000 start-up grant.
The City of Seattle and King County Metro are preparing to launch an even more ambitious plan through a private/public partnership. They expect to begin in the fall with 10 vehicles in four contiguous neighborhoods, and increase to 200 vehicles and 3,000 users in 2 years.
A group of activists in San Francisco is organizing a similar concept called City CarShare. They have concluded that some public sector participation is necessary and are seeking city funding for a 3-year pilot project.
Another concept, the station-car concept, is linked to transit use. Participants can use cars located at transit stations to get to a job; in the evening, another commuter can drive a car home from the station and return it in the morning.
One such pilot program called CarLink is currently functioning at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. Susan Shaheen, a doctoral candidate in ecology at the University of California, Davis is the researcher in charge. The project is a cooperative effort between UC Davis' Institute of Transportation Studies, BART, Caltrans, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the American Honda Motor Co. BART, which has been working on the station car concept since 1991, will next partner with Hertz at their Fremont station.
Joyce Roy
For more information:
The CarSharing Network: http://www.carsharing.net/
CarShare Portland: (503) 872-9882; http://www.carsharing-pdx.com/
Seattle Car Sharing Project: (206) 624-7717; http://transit.metrokc.gov/travel_options/carshare.html
City CarShare: (415) 255-2530; http://www.sfcarshare.org/
CarLink Information Line: (530) 752-1934; http://www.engr.ucdavis.edu/~its/intelltransp.html
That glow in the night sky from city lights has been growing. Not only is it blotting out the stars, but it's also costing money. The City of Davis recently joined five other cities, including San Jose, by passing a night sky preservation ordinance. The ordinance requires that all new light fixtures on commercial, industrial, apartment and public buildings include shields that prevent light from spilling upward and outward. Experts estimate that nationwide, such ordinances could save $1 billion annually in wasted energy from light fixtures which allow light to go sideways or up where it is not used.
For more information:
Mike Goodison, City of Davis, 530-757-5686.
Trees are energy-savers, particularly in hot climates. By shading pavement and avoiding heat build-up, and by cooling the air through evapo-transpiration of moisture into vapor, trees can save up to 8% in air-conditioning costs in a shady neighborhood. Strategically-placed trees can shade buildings, reducing the need for cooling.
Trees add to property values by making neighborhoods more attractive. Sheltered from sun and wind, residents spend more time outdoors, making stronger communities as people connect with each other. In addition, trees benefit air quality in a number of ways, and can reduce flood potential by decreasing surface runoff from storms. In the San Joaquin Valley, a set of guidelines for using trees in communities is available from the Local Government Commission. Many cities in the Bay Area have street tree or landscaping programs which can encourage property owners to add more trees to their property.
For more information:
Local Government Commission, 916-448-1198.
Traffic lights which are triggered by sensors in the pavement often don't recognize bicycles or even motorcycles, leaving riders stuck waiting for a car to trigger the signal. In recent years, many communities have been replacing the wire detectors with more sensitive ones, but finding which ones are usable for bicycles has been a matter of luck or word-of-mouth.
The city of Santa Rosa has used a $20,000 grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District'sTransportation Fund for Clean Air to alert bicyclists to bicycle-friendly signals with pavement signs. The white thermo-plastic stickers, showing a silhouette of a bicyclist, are placed on the pavement at the spot where a bicyclist can stop to trigger the signal.
The 450 stickers have been placed at about 100 intersections along major traffic corridors within the city, in areas suggested by the city's Bicycle Advisory Committee. In addition to helping bicyclists at light traffic times, the stickers are a reminder to motorists that bicyclists are part of the traffic flow, Santa Rosa officials say.
For more information:
City of Santa Rosa Transit & Parking, 707-543-3325.
The San Geronimo Valley in Marin County is an area which has deliberately remained rural. One disadvantage is that residents live some distance apart and transit service is minimal. After a survey indicated that transportation was the greatest need in the area, residents designed their own answer, Go Geronimo. The grassroots organization provides "on-demand" rides by using the residents themselves to help each other out.
Residents, both riders and drivers, register to participate in the program. Applicants are screened by the Marin County Sheriff's Department. Identification cards are issued to participants. There are 265 registered Go Geronimo drivers and 100 registered passengers in the 4000-person Valley.
Riders stand at Golden Gate Transit District stops designated by an added Go Geronimo sign and hold out their laminated placards. Within a few minutes a registered driver will usually stop and offer a lift. It is also possible to arrange rides on a scheduled basis for recurring needs.
The group operates with a volunteer steering committee and limited paid staff time. In addition to registering participants at local events, promotional activities have included Frequent Rider Miles, acquired through using any transportation alternative. Participants using various modes of transportation were eligible for rewards and prizes. Other activities have included bicycle and pedestrian safety training, bike racks, and trail improvements.
Proposed county funding for West Marin transportation needs may help the community achieve its next major goal, a local shuttle service. They also look forward to seeing other communities adopt the Go Geronimo model.
For more information:
Debbie Hubsmith, Go Geronimo, P.O. Box 304, San Geronimo, CA 94963, 415-488-8888; http://www.gogeronimo.org
Ever wanted to take an extended "test drive" in an electric car? Passengers flying into Los Angeles International Airport can now rent one of 20 different electric vehicles, from compacts to sport utility vehicles, thanks to a collaboration between Budget Rent A Car and EV Rental Cars. Drivers receive a brief training on operating the vehicle and a map for the more than 300 local charging stations in the Los Angeles area. Many of the stations offer free charging.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District now offers two charging stations for electric vehicles at the Larkspur ferry terminal. The stations, available free to ferry customers, provide a second Marin location for charging these vehicles. Drivers who use the stations will not only find it easier to park in the crowded parking lot, but will return from their commute to find their cars fully charged for the evening's activities. While the stations are the first ones at a ferry terminal, the list of charging locations in the Bay Area is growing steadily, as the number of electric vehicles in the region approaches 150.
