Water Recycling System Saves 900 Million Gallons Annually For Community
California Developer Conserves Water, Saves Money, Preserves Environment
El Dorado Hills, CA — In a day and age when housing developments crop up in California as quickly as the famous State Poppy on roadsides, the state's water supply is becoming scarce.
Some companies might overlook this water crisis in the wake of a housing boom, but Parker Development Company of El Dorado Hills outside Sacramento, California has recognized the water deficit in California for quite some time. As a result, Parker installed a water recycling system that saves at least 900 million gallons of drinking water each year, the equivalent of about 3,555 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Bill Parker, president and CEO of Parker Development worked with the El Dorado Irrigation District (EID) to create the recycled water system for Serrano, a residential community in El Dorado Hills. Parker and his development partners invested more than $25 million into Serrano's water recycling system, which is used to irrigate a golf course and residential landscape.
"EID and Serrano share a strong commitment to use of recycled water for front and backyard landscape irrigation. This program is successful largely because of close cooperation and continual interaction between the District and Serrano," said Deanne Kloepfer, EID communication director.
So far, the recycled water system at Serrano makes it a rarity among housing developments. But water officials hope the idea will catch on.
"This is the only development I'm aware of in the Sacramento region that utilizes recycled water," says David Bolland, Senior Regulatory Advocate of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA).
Each private residence on the system has two sets of pipes, one for potable water, commonly known as drinking water, and a second set of purple pipes for recycled water, which is strictly used for irrigation.
"Approximately 50 percent of the total amount of water consumed for residential uses is for outdoor landscape, that's a large amount of water," says Bolland. "The water used to irrigate residential landscape doesn't need to be potable water, therefore this is a great opportunity to conserve up to half of that residential water demand."
Not only is Serrano's recycled water program environmentally conscious and safe, it is also cost effective. Recycled water is billed 20 percent lower than potable water so Serrano homeowners can feel secure in knowing that they are contributing to the conservation of water as well as saving money.
"This system gives us an innovative way to help preserve fresh water resources and at the same time deliver value to our residents," says Kirk Bone of Parker Development's governmental affairs office. "Development doesn't have to harm the environment, it can work with it."
SOURCE: Parker Development Company