The Town of Discovery Bay (TODB) has begun the process of implementing emer-gency water conservation measures that were adopted by the State Water Resourc-es Control Board on July 15, 2014 and which follow the Governor’s April 25th

executive order seeking to strengthen the state’s ability to manage water and habitat effectively in drought conditions. As California enters a third year of excessive drought, the state has taken measures to ensure ongoing water

New Water Conservation Measures In-Place

Town of Discovery Bay Community Services District Newsletter • Vol. 3

Conserving Water – Irrigation Management TipsThe Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average home-owner uses approximately 30 -60% of their daily water consumption on outside uses. Up to half of that usage is wasted to evaporation, inef-ficient systems or runoff. Here are some helpful tips to reduce water waste on irrigation. First, make sure that your system is properly function-ing. Run a short test on each valve and check for broken

deliveries in the event that drought conditions persist into 2015, and all Californian’s and municipal water agencies are required to comply with the new regulations. Fines of up to $500 per day for failure to implement water conserva-tion measures are also a part of the

state mandated order. The Town is required by the new measures to monitor water use and those who are non-compliant will likely receive a notice from the Town directing them to conform to the new conser-vation measures. The Town provides water saving tips on its website, and residents can also visit www.saveourh2o.org for more information.

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or leaking heads, nozzles or lateral lines, and make any necessary repairs. Keeping a 2-3” layer of mulch on

your shrub beds will help prevent evaporation loss. Most importantly, check the programs on your clock. Maximize the efficiency of the

water you use by reducing the number

of minutes that each valve runs, but adding additional start times. For example, if

AUGUST 2014

The new emergency water conservation measures went into effect on August 1, 2014 and will remain in effect for 270 days. The new measures require all residents of Discovery Bay to comply with the new orders and include the following prohibitions:

1.Watering of lawns and decorative landscape is limited to no more than twice weekly;

2.The watering of outdoor landscapes that cause runoff to adjacent property, non- irrigated areas, private and public walkways, road ways, parking lots or structures;

3.The direct application of water to any hard surface for washing, including decks, driveways, docks, and walkways;

4.Washing a motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, or boat, unless the hose is fitted with a shut-off nozzle; and

5.The use of potable water in a fountain or decorative water feature, unless the water is re-circulated.

The Town of Discovery Bay Board of Directors meets at 7:00 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd

Wednesday of each month at the District Office

DisTricT Office

1800 Willow Lake Rd. Discovery Bay, CA 94505 Located behind Delta Community

Presbyterian Church

BOArD

President: Mark Simon

Vice President: Chris Steele

Director: Kevin Graves

Director: Bill Pease

Director: Marianne Wiesen

sTAff

General Manager: Rick Howard

Water/Wastewater Manager: Virgil Koehne

Finance Manager: Dina Breitstein

Parks & Recreation Manager: Fairin Perez

PHONE: (925) 634-1131www.todb.ca.gov

Town of Discovery Bay

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Continued from pg.1 Conserving Water-Irrigation Tips

If you didn’t take advantage of the Dock Sign Program the first time around, here’s your chance to put your address on your dock with a nice new sign that shows guests, and more importantly, first responders where you live. This provides immediate identification for police and or fire personnel who might respond by water. Knowing the right address could be a life saver. The signs are $50 each, and further information can be found on the Town’s website. Just click on the Dock Sign logo!

Dock Address Signs

Town Receives Top Honors

What’s Going On?

The Town of Discovery Bay Community Service District was recently recognized as a California “District of Distinction” by the Cali-fornia Special Districts Association (CSDA). The Town is one of only 20 Special Districts in California to have achieved this recognition, and it acknowledges the Town as an organization that follows best practices in all governance areas. In order to be considered, CSDA provides an independent audit review of the last three years of the district’s opera-tions, making sure that prudent fiscal and operational practices are being followed. Additionally, the all-inclusive evalua-tion includes a comprehensive review of

• Well No. 7 construction ramped back up along Newport Dr. recently after a permit-ting delay. It is anticipated that the new water production well will be operational in the fall.

• Renovation of Lift Station “F”, located at the corner of Willow Lake and River Lake Roads, was completed while school was out for the summer. This lift station is the oldest of the Town’s sanitary sewer lift stations. The Town appreciates your patience while this project was ongoing.

• The tennis courts at the Community Center will be rehabilitated later this year with a $65,000 grant from the East Bay Regional Parks District’s Measure WW funds; and the community pool will also be replastered once the swim season comes to an end later this summer.

the Town’s website, ensuring efforts in transparency and public access are

being followed. Finally, the review includes verification that the

district’s board of directors and executive staff has received necessary educational training in public governance, as well as

compliance with ethics, harass-ment prevention, and conflict of

interest rules and requirements. The Town also received CSDA’s Certificate of Excellence in Transpar-ency. This Certificate recognizes the Town for its efforts in making sure that the Town conducts its business in a manner that is open, transparent, and participative. Of the over 3,000 Special Districts in California, only a small few have received this honor.

12346 Lakeview

you are running turf for 15 minutes at 7am, you could increase efficiency by running the sprinklers at 5am and 7am for 7 minutes. You will achieve a deeper watering which will also promote root growth. You can contact our Landscape Department at (925) 634-1733 if you would like programming assistance.

If you have any questions about

what’s happening around Town,

call (925) 634-1131 or check the

web site at www.todb.ca.gov.

Page 3

Aaron Goldsworthy is a familiar sight as he drives around town making repairs to the Town’s water distri-bution system. Aaron is the go-to guy when it comes to replacing water meters, fixing leaks, and maintaining the overall integrity of the system. Aaron has been with the Town of Discovery Bay for three years, and in that time he has come to know a number of Discovery Bay residents, many who flag him down with a variety of water related questions. One of Aaron’s primary functions is to ensure the integrity of the Town’s automated water meter reading system. The system transmits data electronically to the Town’s servers, where it is generates water bills for mailing to the portion of town where meters are installed. When not dealing with the electronic meter reading network, he can be found inspect-ing new construction, testing fire hydrants for proper fire flows, repairing leaks, or assisting fellow members of the staff in a variety of other areas. Next time you see him driving his familiar Ford work truck with the bright orange cone on the front bumper, go ahead and wave at him. You’re likely to get thumbs up and a smile in return. If you suspect that you have a problem with your water service, or believe that you may have a leak, please contact the Town by calling 634-1131, or use the Contact Us button on the Town’s website.

Employee Spotlight:

New Online Bill Pay Service for ResidentsIf you receive a monthly water bill from the Town, did you know that we recently upgraded our system to allow for on-line bill pay? As a way to offer you more choices in how you pay your bills, The Town of Discovery Bay now lets you pay your bills online. We have partnered with Xpress Bill Pay, the pre-mier provider for online bill payment systems. All you need is an Internet connection through a Web browser and an e-mail address. Once you sign up for your free account and start using this service, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it! It’s simple to use, and each month we’ll send you a remind-er e-mail letting you know when your bill is online and due. You also have access to a full year’s history of your account online, so you can compare your usage from year to year. We offered this service at the request of our customers – You asked and we delivered! To sign up, just go to our website, and click on the “Pay Water Bill” button. And remember, it’s free to sign up and free to use. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today.

Did you know?That the county has a local Brentwood office to assist you with all of your permitting needs.

Contra Costa County Brentwood Office Location1120 Second Street, Suite 101, Brentwood, CA 94513(925) 427-8850 www.contracosta.ca.gov

What do you do with all that the turkey grease after the holidays? Do you put bacon grease in a coffee can like your grandmother did? Today, people who cook with fats, oils or grease (also known as FOG) typically discard the leftover mess by wash-ing it down the drain with hot water. Hot water might keep it from solidifying in our pipes for a short time, but it will eventually cool and when it does, it will collect more FOG, causing blockages in sewer lines. Residents of the Town of Discovery Bay are encouraged to go back to the old ways of collecting FOG and bring it to Ironhouse Sanitary District’s FOG collection drop-off recy-cling center. The folks over at ISD will turn that fog into bio-diesel that is used to fuel school buses. And, in the process, you have done a good thing for the environment!

Watch for FOG!

DON’T F.O.G. YOUR DRAIN Recycle Fats, Oils & Grease with ISD

Turn your grease into bio-diesel.

Drop-off grease at ISD offices

Monday—Friday 8 a.m.—5 p.m.

Ironhouse Sanitary District 450 Walnut Meadows Dr., Oakley www.ISDP2.org