Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "department of utilities"

City Opens Doors of Historic Water and Sewer Facilities

2011-10-18T20:39:24Z

Residents are invited to see firsthand the challenges of aging water, sewer pipes, pumps and treatment plants

As part of Your Utilities. Your Voice., The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities is throwing open the doors of two of its oldest pieces of infrastructure- the Sacramento River Water Treatment Plant (built in 1923) and Sump 2 (built in 1927) to help the citizens of Sacramento better understand the challenges of its aging water and sewer infrastructure. At each facility, tours will be offered that highlight the historic nature of these facilities and how modern technology is keeping them operating today, while protecting the environment and the health and safety of Sacramento residents. Tours will also share with participants the growing number of issues that they, the ratepayer and the City faces as these facilities face mounting repairs and needed upgrades.

Sacramento River Water Treatment Plant Tour
Saturday October 22, 2011
11- 1 p.m. (tours leave every half hour)
1 Water Street, Sacramento, CA

Sump 2 Tour
Saturday November 5, 2011
11-1 p.m. (tours leave every half hour)
3530 Riverside Blvd, Sacramento, CA

For more information about aging infrastructure tours, meetings or presentations, please visit YourUtilitiesYourVoice.com.

Disclosure: Jessica Hess is the Public Information Officer with the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities

The Time is now for Your Input about Utilities

2011-09-14T22:36:07Z

City Utilities is looking for customer input as it faces challenges with aging pipes, increasing regulations

The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities, the City’s water, sewer, drainage and solid waste service provider, is seeking residential and commercial customer input on a set of guiding principles that will guide the department’s future services, programs and priorities.

Through the initiative called Your Utilities. Your Voice., the department is educating customers about the challenges it faces as well as gathering their opinions about how the department moves forward.

“Choices have to be made as we look to the future of the department,” said Dave Brent, Interim Director of the Department of Utilities. “We are facing challenges. Our sewer and water system, pipes and water treatment facilities have been around for nearly 100 years. Maintenance, repairs and replacement costs are increasing. We need our stakeholders and customers, the real owners of our utility system, to be a part of this important discussion and decision making process.”

Customer feedback will help Utilities prioritize a set of guiding principles. These principles focus on the department’s goals which include responding to customer needs, balancing those needs with departmental mandates and services, and, ultimately will be used to analyze rates.

If you are a Sacramento city business or residential customer, complete the survey by visiting YourUtilitiesYourVoice.com by October 3, 2011. Utilities will also make presentations to community groups upon request. Customers can email info@yourutilitiesyourvoice.com.

Disclosure: This story was written by the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities

City Ignores Hagginwood Neighborhood's Plea to Install Storm Drainage

2011-07-19T05:15:02Z

Would you pay for a city required service that the city does not provide? In the Hagginwood area of North Sacramento, there is a lack of a city required storm drainage system and the City of Sacramento, through its Department of Utilities, continues to bill property owners for a service the city does not provide.

For more than twenty years, Hudson Way property owners and tenants have questioned why Hudson Way and other neighboring streets are without a storm drainage system. Property owners pay a storm drainage fee on their utility bills; however, they do not receive the required city service of a well constructed and permanent storm drainage system.

Current drainage conditions, as stated by the Department(s) of Transportation, Utilities and Public Works are “…fixed temporarily and inadequate.”

After every rainstorm, particularly a heavy rainstorm, pools of water stand on the north and south sides of Hudson Way with no place to drain. Rainwater often flows up the driveways to the residents’ garage doors. Flooded garages often occur.

Literature published by the City of Sacramento’s Department of Utilities states:
“Drainage Services: The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities removes urban runoff from city streets with 45,000 storm drain inlets, hundreds of miles of pipe, 65 miles of canals and drainage ditches, over 100 pump stations and numerous detention basins, including many in the North Natomas area. Through this system, water is moved from homes and businesses and into creeks, lakes and rivers.”

I, personally, have been before the Sacramento City Council twice to address this matter. I have also been before the Sacramento Rate Utilities Commission and most recently before the Sacramento Audit Committee hearing on April 4, 2011.

During the Audit Committee hearing, Councilman Darrell Fong of District 7 indicated that streets in his district also lack storm drainage systems, resulting in similar street and property flooding and the city bills for this lack of service.

Sacramento City Auditor, Jorge Osequera, when asked by the committee for his opinion on this matter stated, “There is an area of risk where we are potentially billing for a service that isn’t being received. Just as if we were providing a service and we weren’t billing for it.”

At each of these hearings, I have stated…“we are not asking for sidewalks, curbs or gutters, we are asking for a well constructed and permanent storm drainage system.”

Storm drainage is a city required service. The city is not rendering this required service in the Hagginwood neighborhood.

Research on Wikipedia found, “After the merger of North Sacramento with the City of Sacramento and 1960's freeway construction that bypassed business districts on Marysville, Rio Linda and Del Paso Boulevards, North Sacramento began a gradual decline. The tax base lessened and local representation in city government has historically been lacking. For the next forty-five years, city funding would be provided to maintain popular old neighborhoods in the downtown and mid-town areas and to build infrastructure in emerging new communities, while North Sacramento was relegated to a position of forgotten status.”

Twelve surrounding streets of Hudson Way, (Barcon Way, Craigmont Street, Diggs Park Drive, Eldridge Avenue, Hudson Way, Judah Street, Kathleen Avenue, Kenwood Street, Mahogany Street, Montrose Street, Pendleton Street and Tessa Avenue) with a total of over 300 homes, are without proper infrastructure for storm drainage and endure the annual seasonal plague of street and property flooding. The financial gain the city and the DOU has received over the past twenty years, and longer, is more then enough to accommodate what is required.

What has the City of Sacramento and its Department of Utilities done with the storm drainage monies collected for the twenty-plus years from more than three hundred households around the Hagginwood area?

It’s a bitter pill to swallow when the Sacramento citizens of these areas write their monthly utility check for their storm drainage fee when the citywide service is not provided.

Bottom line: Where has our money gone? When are “we” going to get our fair share of a Sacramento city required service? Or, will the city continue their process of ignoring what needs to address?

Disclosure: I have been a resident and homeowner in the Hagginwood neighborhood, and have been personally effected by the lack of storm drainage.

Recycling Right Can Pay Off in Sacramento

2011-04-27T20:06:35Z

The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities will launch the 2011 Recycling Incentive Awards, sponsored by AT&T Real Yellow Pages and the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station on May 2, 2011. Each week through June 27, the City will randomly select recycling containers in a selected Council District and check it for proper recycling. If the container holds only clean recyclables, the City will award owners of clean recycling bins with $100 and the chance to win an iPad2.

“Recycling right is the right thing to do. Clean, dry and usable recyclables limits waste going to the landfills and is a win for the environment,” said Marty Hanneman, Director of the Department of Utilities. "So make sure your blue bin is filled with recyclables only and put it out on the week we are coming your neighborhood and you could win too!"

The City of Sacramento accepts clean, dry and usable items in its blue recycling containers. These items include:
• Bottles and Cans
• Paper
• Phone Books
• Cardboard
• Glass Jars
• Plastic Containers
• Newspaper
• Metal Cans and Containers
• And more! For more information, please visit www.cityofsacramento.org/recycle.

Common items that are not permitted for collection in blue recycle containers include:
• Items with food waste on them
• Garden hoses
• Clothing
• Foam plastic (Styrofoam)
• Light bulbs
• PVC Piping
• Batteries

The anticipated schedule for recycling bin checks is:

Week of May 2: District 1 (includes Natomas, portions of Downtown Sacramento)
Week of May 9: District 2 (includes Woodlake, Del Paso, North Sacramento, Hagginwood)
Week of May 16: District 3 (includes East Sacramento, Campus Commons, Ben Ali, Midtown)
Week of May 23: District 4 (includes Land Park, Freeport Manor, portions of Downtown Sacramento)
Week of May 30: District 5 (includes Oak Park, Curtis Park, Med Center, Woodbine)
Week of June 6: District 6 (includes College Glen, Tahoe Park, Fruitridge Manor, Glen Elder)
Week of June 13: District 7 (includes Greenhaven/Pocket and Valley Hi)
Week of June 20: District 8 (includes Meadowview, Parkway, Jacinto Creek, North Laguna Creek)

Cash awards will be presented at a future City Council Meeting and one of the eight selected cash winners will also have their name drawn to win an iPad2. All prizes are from AT&T Real Yellow Pages and the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station and do not use City utility funds.

This holiday, don’t give garbage

2010-12-16T16:49:35Z

Give Smart Sacramento promotes waste free experiences in place of traditional holiday gifts

What was your favorite holiday gift of the past? Was it a sweater from J.Crew three years ago? Or maybe it was the CD-Man you got in ’95? I’m guessing it was something that hasn’t gone out of style or become obsolete. My favorite gift in recent memory was a family membership to Fairytale Town. I will always remember the time spent with my children and my family at Fairytale Town, because the memory will never go out of style, be shoved in the back of the closet or go in the "Goodwill" pile.

This year, the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities is challenging you to replace at least one out of every five gifts you plan to give with an experience gift. Using CalRecycle funds, the City has launched Give Smart Sacramento, a program focused on reducing the amount of waste collected this November and December. Our goal is to collect 200 tons less solid waste and 325 tons more recyclables during the holidays.

Local organizations have joined Give Smart by offering discounts towards gifts that don’t produce waste. Promotions include annual passes to California State Railroad Museum, Fairytale Town and Funderland, tickets to “A Christmas Carol”, tickets to Sacramento Kings and more! Sacramento has so many wonderful activities for families to enjoy together. This is the perfect time of year to take advantage of these experiences and support local businesses.

In addition to giving waste free gifts, we can also reduce solid waste by reusing ribbons, bows, and gift bags year after year. Most wrapping paper and packaging material is also recyclable, as are bottles and cans generated at holiday festivities. Styrafoam and packing peanuts are not recyclable.

Visit GiveSmartSacramento.org for a complete list of partners and recycling tips.

Commission opposes utilities rate rollback measure

2010-08-26T06:06:49Z

A citizen’s group that advises the Sacramento City Council on utilities rates voted to oppose a November ballot measure that would reverse a 9.2 percent rate hike.

Four of the seven members of the Utilities Rate Advisory Commission voted to recommend that the City Council oppose Measure B, the Utilities Rate Rollback Act of 2010. Commissioners Melvin Johnson and Tess Kretschmann were absent from the meeting.

Commissioner Ernest Lehr abstained from the vote after saying he had “many problems with the rate-setting process.” He criticized the Department of Utilities’ budgeting practices.

The City Council voted to increase rates on residents’ utilities bills last year, and the 9.2 percent spike kicked in July 1.

In addition to halting the 9.2 percent rate hike, the measure would establish that rises in the Consumer Price Index could justify rises in utilities rates.

It was unclear at press time if the commission’s recommendation would have an impact on the City Council’s positions.

The City Council does not have the ability to cancel the measure because it is a citizens’ measure. The measure will appear on the November ballot, and voters will decide whether to make the rollback a city law.

“The initiative really scares me,” Commissioner Karen McBride said. “I feel that it’s misleading residents into believing that it’s a very simple, uncomplicated process in running water and wastewater utilities when it’s actually a very complicated process.”

But Craig Powell, the chairman of the Campaign for Common Sense Utilities, took an opposite view. He said that businesses and people on fixed incomes can’t afford to pay the city’s last two utilities rate increases. He also claimed the department’s labor costs are “out of control.”

Read the text of the measure here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Council OK's infrastructure study

2010-08-18T17:54:45Z

The Sacramento City Council agreed to fund a $150,000 study of downtown's infrastructure Tuesday night.

The purpose is to collect up-to-date information about the core's aging and sometimes outdated infrastructure and identify improvements needed to eliminate obstacles to the kind of infill development outlined in the city's 2030 General Plan and the Downtown Activation Strategy. It was adopted by the council in January.

The study is needed to make sure downtown is primed for the development and investment that's expected as the economy picks up. The data also will help the city apply for state and federal funding. An R Street infrastructure study done years ago has been used to get funding and begin infrastructure work to encourage development there, said Sheri Smith, senior project manager with the Economic Development Department.

"When you have some downtime and in a down economy, it's a good time to prepare yourself for the future," Smith said. "Right now is the time to do the study. Then it becomes a really useful tool for potential projects as the uptick happens."

The need for infrastructure upgrades can turn out to be a costly obstacle to redevelopment. Detailed, current data is crucial to developers in the early stages of planning and financing, especially for projects in downtown Sacramento. Getting financing is easier if developers know what kind of infrastructure work is needed in advance.

"Most development projects don't know that until (further) down the line," she said. "If it's a big enough ticket item, it could kill a project."

For instance, the cost of adding a transformer for a downtown building — sometimes required by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District — is $500,000 to $1 million. Recent downtown projects such as the 800 J Lofts and light rail additions have uncovered a "spaghetti" of different pipes and other utility services. Some infrastructure wasn’t expected, and others were missing, City Councilman Ray Tretheway said earlier Tuesday.

"Downtown's pretty old. So some of our infrastructure is extremely outdated," said Tretheway, whose district includes part of downtown. "The surprises are very expensive. This will be a real asset to anybody who's considering reinvesting in downtown. We can show them up front what we have for them in the way of services and what we don't have for them."

The council agreed to have Nolte Associates, Inc., determine the condition and capacity of existing sewer, water, electrical and telecommunications systems, as well as streetscape and historic infrastructure for the area from I to N streets and from Third to 15th streets.

While some of downtown's water and sewer pipes have been replaced recently, a significant amount is at least 80 years old, according to the utilities department.

Streetscape needs, which include streets, sidewalks and alleys, and historic infrastructure including buildings and underground sidewalks, would also be mapped so developers can know how they might impact certain projects. H Street won't be included to keep the study cost down.

The company's analysis will include expected costs and priorities for scheduling upgrades.

Five companies submitted bids to handle the study. A committee made up of staff from the Economic Development Department, Community Development Department and the Department of Utilities chose Nolte, which performed an R Street infrastructure study for the Capitol Area Development Authority.

Funding will come from the Community Development Department's Shovel Ready Sites Program as part of the Downtown Activation Strategy. The council approved funds for that project last October.

Nolte is expected to begin the study immediately and be completed by spring 2011.

Photo Credits: Aerial photo by Eric Whalen. Sacramento night scene by Kati Garner. K Street infrastructure work photo by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Bottling water: City report Thursday

2010-08-03T00:39:36Z

On Thursday, Sacramento planning department staff will recommend against requiring a special land use permit for water and beverage bottling companies.

However, city officials and staff will continue to consider creating tiered water rates that could take effect in 2012 or sooner.

Staff from the city's Community Development Department will report to the City Council's Law & Legislation Committee, in response to requests made by council members Kevin McCarty and Lauren Hammond involving Nestlé Waters North America last October.

Bottling plants are permitted in zones approved for light industrial, heavy commercial and heavy industrial businesses in Sacramento. A staff survey found that conditional use permits, which are subject to approval from planning commissions and city councils, aren't required by 28 other California cities with at least one bottling operation. Nestlé operates in only one other city on the list.

"Planning staff finds that a beverage bottling facility is not unique in its water consumption when compared to other commercial and industrial uses and the land use impacts of the use in an industrial zone do not warrant the need for a special permit," staff wrote in a report to the committee.

Officials with the city's Department of Utilities have indicated they'd like to collect water-use data and hire a water rate consultant to help develop a tiered water rate fee structure.

Such data could be available by 2012 as 45,000 residential water customers — about 36 percent of residential clients — transition to metered water rates, according to the report.

McCarty said he will press to implement a tiered structure before 2012 when he soon meets with the city manager's office and utilities department.

"The real issue is what do we charge for our water?" McCarty said Monday. "Water is an increasingly valuable and diminishing commodity, and we ought to be making smart decisions on what we do with our municipal water."

The City Council was not involved in the decision to approve Nestlé opening a plant in McCarty's district in South Sacramento.

The council discussed the plant for the first time Oct. 27 after McCarty and Hammond proposed an emergency ordinance to consider amending the city's zoning code to immediately require a special permit and thus, environmental review, for bottling companies to operate in the city. McCarty also recommended the council consider tiered water rates for such companies.

City Attorney Eileen Teichert told the council that night Nestlé's plant was legal under the city's zoning codes and that a special permit requirement wouldn't apply. At the same time, the Community Development Department's Facilities Permit Program was suspended after the council and city officials learned work had started on the Nestlé plant without a formal building permit or a start-work authorization.

Save Our Water Sacramento, a group formed to oppose the plant, had sought a temporary City Council moratorium on beverage bottling plants in Sacramento at that time.

Hammond, who is on the committee, could not be reached for comment Monday.

The City Council's Law & Legislation Committee meeting will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 915 I St.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Ballot measure to halt utilities rate hike sparks debate

2010-07-09T04:05:11Z

A controversial ballot measure to halt a 9.2 percent city utilities rate hike is causing tension between city staffers and backers of the measure.

Two local groups, the Sacramento County Taxpayers League and the Campaign for Common Sense Utilities Rates, have gathered signatures to put an initiative on the Nov. 2 ballot that would stop the rate hike. The Sacramento County Registrar has found that 5,420 signatures presented by the groups were credible, according to a June 22 report from the Utilities Department. The registrar required proof of 5,420 legitimate signatures to place the measure on the ballot.

The City Council voted to increase rates on residents’ utilities bills last year, and the 9.2 percent spike kicked in July 1.

The title of the measure is the Utilities Rate Hike Rollback Act of 2010.

“Legally, it’s as good as gold to go on the Nov. 2 ballot,” said Greg Hatfield, vice chairman of the Campaign for Common Sense Utilities Rates.

City staff also expect the initiative to be placed on the ballot. Later this month, the City Council is expected to carry out the last procedural step required by state law to add the measure to the ballot, Assistant City Clerk Stephanie Mizuno said.

If voters approve the initiative, the department could lose 80 to 100 full-time employee positions, Utilities Department spokeswoman Jessica Hess said.

In addition to halting the 9.2 percent rate hike, the measure would establish that rises in the Consumer Price Index could justify rises in utilities rates.

At the same time, the measure would impose a rule saying that residents must vote on any utilities rate hikes that surpass the rate of inflation.

As it makes its case for the measure, the Campaign for Common Sense Utilities points out that the Sacramento County Grand Jury claimed in a recent report that the Utilities Department broke Proposition 218, a state law.

The law states that money from residents’ utilities bills cannot pay for anything other than the cost of utilities services.

Read the Jan. 6 Grand Jury report here.

Residents’ utility payments may have been applied to additional programs in the city government, the Grand Jury claimed.

At this point, city officials and representatives for the Campaign for Common Sense Utilities Rates are sparring over the possible outcomes of the measure if voters approve it in November.

The Utilities Department is predicting that the measure could harm the department and the public in numerous ways.

Hess said revoking the rate hike would mean about $15 million in revenue would not come to the department.

On top of the $15 million, the department expects to face a $7 million rise in expenses including labor, electricity, fuel and chemicals, she said. If the measure passes, the department anticipates that it would need to immediately make cuts and changes to its levels of services, Hess said. That’s because the department must prepare a balanced budget for the 2011 / 2012 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2011, she said.

The lack of funding could result in lowered water pressure, which may then affect the Fire Department, Hess said.

Among other problems cited by Hess, the department may have to cut back on maintenance and repairs of infrastructure.

“We have pipes in the ground that are over 100 years old,” Hess said. If the department is unable to replace or repair old pipes, there would be an increased chance they could fail, she said.

Read the department’s analysis of the initiative starting on page 11 of this presentation.

Meanwhile, Craig Powell, the chairman of the Campaign for Common Sense Utilities strongly disagrees with the department’s view of the measure.

The department’s analysis of possible outcomes from the measure is “overblown,” Powell said. “They have begun a campaign of scaring the voters.”

He countered that the department should rein in its labor costs, and also claimed that the department violated Prop. 218.

Read the text of the initiative here.

Photo by Ed Fogle, MaverickPhotography.us

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Water Conservation Ambassadors Wanted!

2010-06-18T21:29:59Z

The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities is seeking volunteers to assist in the City’s water conservation efforts. Water Conservation Ambassadors will be trained to assist residents in finding leaks on their property, present conservation information at community events and how to spot and report water waste. The first training session for Water Conservation Ambassadors will take place on June 29, 2010 at 6 p.m. at the Department of Utilities Water Conservation Office, 2260 Glen Ellen Circle.

“Over the past year, we have seen a huge increase in the numbers of calls for service and a desire by the community to have water conservation information shared with their organizations or neighborhoods. We can’t think of a better way to share this information than neighbor to neighbor,” says Marty Hanneman, Director of the Department of Utilities. “These Water Conservation Ambassadors will be a huge asset to our department and allow our staff to focus on meeting Best Management Practices and reaching our goal of a 20% reduction in per capita water use by 2020.”

To become a City of Sacramento Water Conservation Ambassador, volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, sign a volunteer agreement and attend a training session. While all activities are voluntary, it is estimated that the time commitment will be approximately 2-4 hours per month. Bilingual volunteers are especially needed.

“We believe this is a great opportunity for all Sacramentans, from all walks of life to become more involved in their City, do something great for the environment, and make a difference in their neighborhood” says Marty Hanneman.

For more information about this program or about becoming an Ambassador, please visit http://www.cityofsacramento.org/utilities/water/water-conservation.cfm or call 916-808-8260.

RecycleBank comes to Sacramento

2010-06-10T04:36:48Z

The "City of Trees" just got a little bit greener. RecycleBank, a nationwide recycling incentive program, launched a pilot program May 24 in the South Meadowview neighborhood. Participants earn points for their neighborhoods recycling properly.

Blue recycling containers often line the streets, but Jessica Hess of the Department of Utilities said they're often not used correctly.

"There is a high amount of contamination," she said. "Many residents use the blue (recycling) containers for their extra garbage."

Contamination occurs when nonrecyclable or unclean items are placed in recycling containers. When sorted, these items are taken to a landfill, which costs money and hurts the environment.

To change this, the City of Sacramento joined RecycleBank in an education effort. Months before the launch, recycling ambassadors visited the Meadowview community, informing residents about the program and teaching how to recycle.

Based in New York City, RecycleBank is in more than 300 communities across 26 states, as well as the United Kingdom. Sacramento is the second city in California, after Los Angeles, to adopt the program.

"Everyone knows recycling is good for the Earth," said Jeff Harse of RecycleBank. "But by incentivizing the process, people are more apt to think twice before throwing something away."

Harse noted the program's success in other cities.

"We launched (in Hollywood, Fla.) in February and the city has seen more than 130 percent increase in recycling rates over this time last year."

Rather than awarding individuals with points, RecycleBank rewards entire communities for their green efforts. In other words, all registered residents will earn the same amount of points for their collaborative effort. To register, residents can sign up at www.recyclebank.com or call 866-563-0114.

Redeeming points is similar to shopping online. Local sponsors include Bugambillas Birrieria, a Mexican restaurant, and The Athlete's Foot. National partners include Coca-cola, CVS Pharmacy and Dick's Sporting Goods.

Hess said the program will run in Sacramento for six months and then hopefully expand to the rest of the city.

Change your clocks, Change your Sprinkler Timer!

2010-03-12T19:28:26Z

When clocks are turned forward on Saturday night, the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities reminds residents and businesses to change their irrigation schedules as well.

The City’s current irrigation rules, found in the Water Conservation ordinance state that at the beginning of daylight savings time, residents and businesses may water up to three days a week, based on their address. Addresses ending in odd numbers may water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday only and even-numbered addresses may water on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. There is no watering allowed on Mondays. Watering of landscapes must be completed before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

“While the ordinance allows customers to water their yards up to three days a week, we remind customers to continue to water with the weather. Do not water when it is raining and remember not to over-water and limit run-off from your property,” Utilities Director Marty Hanneman reminded Sacramento water customers.

Customers can call 3-1-1 or (916) 264-5011 to request a free Water Wise House call to help find ways to conserve water around their home and yard or to anonymously report water waste in their neighborhood.

Composting Resources

2010-01-14T03:52:34Z

Backyard composting is easier than you might think. Compost acts as a multivitamin for your garden, reacting with soil to release plant nutrients. You cut down on the amount of trash you bag and throw away, and your yard waste is recycled instead of picked up by a stranger for transporting, processing and dumping.

Interest in composting has ballooned in the last few years, as more and more online and community resources are made available for people interested in cutting costs and environmental footprints.

The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities hosts Free Backyard Composting Seminars. The next one is March 13 at the Southside Community Garden.

In the meantime, here is an assemblage of resources for readers interested in getting started on a batch of winter compost to maximize spring gardening:

The Department of Utilities offers a free, very readable composting guide on its website. A PDF link provides a 20-page booklet covering composting basics, what to compost, techniques, troubleshooting, vermicomposting (composting with worms) resources and more.

Study up! Next step, acquire a compost bin.

Compost bins can be purchased at a number of places; check Capital Nursery Company or Target. Retail bins usually range from $100 to $150, but the utilities department offers city residents a discount. Complete an online composting quiz and submit it to Sacramento's Solid Waste Services with proof of city residency, and you're qualified for a discounted bin at $65.

For the creative and the frugal, there are all sorts of online resources available to guide you through building your own compost bin for as little as $10 to $15. Blue Grass Gardens provides plans for several sets of bins, including a wood and wire compost bin, wood pallet compost bin and more elaborate compost tumbler.

Plans for wood pallet composting bins seem to be the most popular, as pallets are ubiquitous, easy to work with and often free. If you're interested in building your own wood pallet composting bin, check out Sacramento Craigslist's free listings. Paint and hardware stores often post discarded pallets available for pick-up. (Tip: Sacramento Craigslist often features posts advertising used bins, earth worms and compost. You can also get lucky and find people in the area, usually from ranches in the foothills, offering free compost for pick-up.)

Once you've got your pallets, its time to get to work. Most wood pallet plans involve some combination of wiring and nailing four pallets together, plus a fifth pallet and latches if you're constructing a lid or door. For comprehensive guides including step-by-step instructions with photographs, check out plans provided by Do It Yourself, How To Do Things or Instructables websites.

One day of basic building, and you should have a standing bin ready for composting.

In the bin, combine carbon materials (like fallen leaves and grass clippings) with nitrogen materials (the coffee grinds, old flowers, eggshells and fruits and vegetable scraps you would ormally throw away) in about a 3-to-1 ratio. Composting is a natural process. Decomposing organisms break down your waste, producing a rich batch of garden compost in three to six months.

You can help the decomposition along by providing your pile with the basics: water and air. Your compost pile should be periodically watered (keep it moist, not wet) and aerated (turn and mix with a pitchfork or shovel) for best results.

Information and fellow composters are everywhere. Speak to your neighbors and local garden centers.

Begin familiarizing yourself with composting resources today and enjoy the fruits of your labor in your backyard this spring!

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

2009-12-29T00:19:54Z

The City of Sacramento is proud to offer many options for our customers to recycle their Christmas trees.

Preparing Your Holiday Tree for Recycling

Cut trees longer than 6 feet into 3-foot or shorter pieces.
Remove trees from stands or plastic bags.
Remove ornaments, lights, nails, tinsel and metal rod supports from trees.
Artificial trees will not be accepted.

Containerized Yard Waste Customers

Option 1: After cutting your tree into 3-foot or shorter pieces, place your holiday tree in your yard waste container. Make sure the trimmed pieces fit completely into the container with the lid closed

Option 2: Place your tree out for loose-in-the-street collection by 6:00am on your regular collection day the week of January 11, 2010.

Option 3: Take your holiday tree, free of charge, to one of the drop off events.

Loose-in-the-Street Customers (Does not apply to Containerized Customers)

Place your tree out for loose-in-the-street collection by 6:00am on your regular collection day.

Private Streets and Gated Communities

Residents who do not participate in Lawn and Garden Service are prohibited from placing their holiday tree on any City street. Improper disposal of holiday trees on City streets is considered illegal dumping (a misdemeanor) and is punishable with a fine and jail time.

Option 1: Work with your homeowners association to rent a “debris box” by calling (916) 808-4939. Depending on availability, a debris box may be delivered within two business days (advanced reservations are welcome.).

The debris boxes we have available for rental are:
30 yard: $368.01/week(18’L x 8’W x 6’H)
40 yard: $471.31/week(24’L x 8’W x 6’H)
The debris box will remain on-site for a period of one week. Delivery and collection are included in the cost. It’s that simple!

Option 2: Take your holiday tree, free of charge, to one of the drop off events.

For more information about recycling items from the holiday season, please visit www.cityofsacramento.org/utilities.

Give a Gift to the Earth- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Your Holiday Waste

2009-12-21T20:53:56Z

The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities Solid Waste Services reminds residents that many of the special items used during the holidays can be recycled or reused.

“Everything from trees to boxes and wrapping paper and ribbons can be reused or recycled,” says Edison Hicks, Integrated Waste General Manager. “Even large amounts cooking oil, fats and grease can be recycled by taking them to the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station or North Area Recovery Station.”

The City of Sacramento encourages residents to recycle wrapping paper, bottles, cans, mail order catalogs, boxes, and greeting cards by placing them in blue recycle bins with commingled recycling. Christmas trees can be recycled curbside on regularly scheduled loose-in-the street green waste collection days. Ribbons, boxes, and wrapping paper can be reused. Residents who deep-fry turkeys or who generate a large amount of fats, oils and grease can recycle that food waste by collecting it in gallon jugs and bringing it to the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station at 8491 Fruitridge Road or the North Area Recovery Station at 4450 Roseville Road.

Recycling this holiday season and year-round can also help residents save money each month on their utility bill. Residents who recycle more will have less waste to put in their garbage can. Residents who place half-full garbage cans out each week should consider reducing their garbage can size for up to a 37% discount ($7.49) on their monthly garbage collection rate.

For information about when to put out trees for collection and more ways to reduce, reuse and recycle this holiday, please visit http://www.cityofsacramento.org/utilities or call 311.

Let's Make Smart Decisions Regarding the Commercial Use of Our City Water

2009-10-26T20:42:08Z

By Kevin McCarty, Sacramento City Council, District 6

With California in its third year of drought, the City of Sacramento’s water conservation strategy includes busting people who flood sidewalks.

Since June, we’ve been telling residents they can water landscaping on only three specific days per week and there is to be no watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Last year, the City Council decided to ban bottled water at its meetings. We did so in recognition that plastic water bottles are littering the world and the precious water they once contained is often wasted.

That’s why I was surprised to learn that the Nestle Waters North America Co. is moving forward with plans for a water bottling plant in my council district at the Florin/Fruitridge Industrial Park – a plant with the potential to intake more than 81 million gallons of city water yearly. Another 20 million gallons would be trucked in to the plant from springs in El Dorado, Placer, Tuolumne and Napa Counties.

Tomorrow night, Tuesday October 27th, the city council will discuss whether we need an urgency ordinance requiring special permits for water bottling facilities.

These plants pay a flat rate for city water. We also need to discuss whether there should be a tiered water rate for commercial facilities.

Across the nation, attempts to site water bottling plants have been dogged with controversy. In Glenn County, residents in the Orland area are fighting plans for a Crystal Geyser plant. In the Shingletown area of Shasta County, a San Francisco investor has been attempting to acquire water for a bottling plant. He refuses to say who his client is. In Flagstaff, Ariz., the city rejected plans for a Nestle plant last July.

In 2003, Nestle announced plans for a bottling plant in McCloud on the flank of Mount Shasta. McCloud residents once again proved Mark Twain’s adage: “Whiskey is for drinkin’. Water is for fightin’.” The fight raged for six years before Nestle finally gave up.

We owe it not only to Sacramentans -- but to residents of our Central Valley where fields are fallow for lack of water -- to have a thorough public airing of the issues involved in the siting of a water bottling plant here.

Among the issues is the basic question of whether this product necessary? Shouldn’t people who feel the need to carry around a water bottle have one that is refillable?

We also need to explore:

Whether there are better uses for our water?
Whether we need ordinances to prevent Nestle from taking even more than the projected 81 million gallons annually if they find a market for it?
Why the city has not developed an environmental analysis of the plant’s impact on water supplies.
The extent of the water bottle litter problem in our community.
A request by a group of citizens called Save our Water Sacramento to impose a moratorium on beverage bottling plants in the city.

Nestle would make extreme profits with Sacramento water at a time when we are trying to preserve it. At current rates, they would pay the city about 65 cents per 100 cubic feet of water, or 750 gallons. That works out to a payment to the city of $186 for the 215,000 gallons of water taken on an average day. By the time that water is bottled and put on a grocer’s shelf, the consumers would pay more than $2.1 million for those 215,000 gallons—a profit margin of roughly 10,000 percent!

And we would still be busting people for flooding sidewalks.

Discussion grows over Nestle water bottling plant

2009-10-26T04:53:25Z

Discussion over a Nestlé water-bottling plant appears to be growing in Sacramento, as the Swiss multinational prepares a facility for operation and new hires begin work.

The Sacramento City Council, which was not involved in the decision to approve the plant, will discuss the issue publicly for the first time after a request two weeks ago by council members Kevin McCarty and Lauren Hammond. They asked the council to consider an emergency ordinance requiring a special permit before Nestlé Waters North America begins bottling city tap water and spring water at a plant in South Sacramento.

Such a permit could "trigger" an environmental analysis of this and future facilities, McCarty said Wednesday night at Crest Theatre, where he and 165 others watched "Tapped," a documentary on the bottled water industry.

Save Our Water Sacramento, a group formed last month to oppose the plant, also is seeking a temporary City Council moratorium on beverage bottling plants in Sacramento.

"Ultimately, Save Our Water wants to see the Nestlé plant stopped," said Midtown resident Jenny Esquivel, a leader of the organization.

That group and others have begun raising questions and concerns about the plant and the bottled water industry. Primary concerns include the lack of an environmental impact study and information about the operation, impacts of extracting and bottling a potentially unlimited amount of water, and the commercialization of a natural resource, representatives said.

"Nestlé just got kicked out of McCloud. The final nail in the coffin was when the attorney general sent them that letter demanding they do a proper, more rigorous environmental review," Esquivel said. "Rather than do that, what Nestlé did was pick up that project and move to Sacramento.

"It's not like those environmental issues disappear," she said.

Attorney General Jerry Brown threatened to sue the company in 2008 over an inadequate environmental review of its plan to bottle spring water in McCloud, near Mount Shasta. On Sept. 10, Nestlé Waters Chief Executive Officer Kim Jeffery sent a letter to the McCloud community announcing that the company was abandoning the project.

"Earlier this summer, we were able to secure a new facility in Sacramento to serve our customers in Northern California," he wrote. "As a result, and after conducting a thorough analysis of our business operations in the region, we have determined that the Sacramento plant production will replace the production we expected in McCloud and therefore we do not have a need to build a new facility in McCloud.”

Several companies bottle water in Sacramento, where water is "ridiculously cheaper" than other areas of the country because of the city's location at the confluence of two rivers, McCarty said.

Nestlé continues retrofit, hiring

Supporters point to the financial and economic benefits the plant could bring. Nestlé plans to spend $14 million to retrofit an industrial facility at 8670 Younger Creek Road and to create 40 new jobs, said Jim Rinehart, the city's economic development manager. That doesn't include equipment costs, he added.

In addition, Nestlé is using about 16 construction workers to modify the 214,000-square-foot building and install equipment for two production lines, plus contractors and skilled tradespeople to make the facility operational, according to Rinehart and a company Web site.

The warehouse was nothing more than four walls, a ceiling and a floor when Nestlé's lease began two months ago. Crews are halfway through building warehouse docks, reinforcing concrete flooring to support heavy equipment, and building a front office, lab, and areas for manufacturing, chemical storage and shipping, said Chris Kemp, a project manager who has overseen manufacturing and quality assurance at Nestlé facilities since 2002.

The amount of tap water bottled by Nestlé would not be limited by the city. Nestlé has reported different figures for the amount of water that would be bottled each year. The company has told the city's utilities department that it would "consume" 250 acre feet — nearly 82 million gallons — as well as 78 million to 117 million gallons a year, and bottle that under its Pure Life brand. Consumers would pay about $111 million to $166 million for that amount of Pure Life water.

Nestlé expects to bottle 30 million gallons of Sacramento tap water in 2010, Kemp said. Existing water pipes could bring 250 acre feet of water to the warehouse if operations were run 24 hours a day all year, he said, adding that's expected during peak months, but not the rest of the year.

Nestlé can't say how much Sacramento water it'd use annually after the first year, Kemp said, adding only sales will determine that.

In this state, water isn't just critical to all life. It's also big business.

"California runs on three things: energy, information and water," said Richard Howitt, a UC Davis water economist who said the amount of city water Nestlé wants isn't considered large. "A million gallons sounds like a lot, but in the grand scheme, it's really not."

Globally, the company used 10.82 billion gallons of water in 2006 and sold $10 billion of water under different brand names in 2007, according to a report from Food and Water Watch in Washington, D.C. Nestlé sold at least $997 million of water in this country in 2007, making it the top bottled water company here.

Groups Oppose Water's Commercialization

Food and Water Watch and other organizations are fighting the commercialization of drinking water, which occurs when water that is free or accessible at a very low cost through a government treatment system is instead bottled and sold at market price.

"It's not just happening in Sacramento and California. It's happening all over the country and all over the world: A corporation like Nestlé is beginning to get a stranglehold by setting the price for water," said Ruth Caplan, past chairwoman of the Sierra Club's water privatization task force. "So people who can afford the price will get the water. And people who can't afford the price will have to choose between water and food, and that's really about life and death.

"Many of us believe water is a fundamental right for people and nature," she said.

When asked for Nestlé's response to the concern that access to water is a human right, Kemp said the company doesn't have any water rights in Sacramento.

"The city plans for the growth of residents and businesses. We feel we're part of that growth in the city of Sacramento," he said.

Concerned residents such as the people who formed Save Our Water Sacramento have sought information about the plant since the city and the Sacramento Area Commerce & Trade Organization announced Nestlé's plans in July. Group members said they were given the runaround after asking for specifics about jobs and other logistics, so they began requesting public documents, Esquivel said.

The company has filled 11 of the 40 jobs expected to be created by the plant. Seven hires are local residents, including two plant managers and a lead mechanic, and the other four transferred here, Rinehart said.

The four who already worked for Nestlé include Kemp, who plans to move here permanently to manage the plant; a logistics manager; a controller; and a mechanic with ties to Northern California. Two others on the plant management team — a technical operations manager and a female quality assurance manager — come from cities 30 minutes north or 60 minutes south of Sacramento, Kemp said.

"We can't restrict our hiring search to candidates in a given Zip code or a given city," he said.

The 11 hires will have started working by Monday and will help set up the facility. Nestlé will hire an additional 29 people, whose permanent positions will begin Nov. 30 or Dec. 7.

The plant is targeted to begin operation by January and is expected to require 100 trucks per day in the peak season, generally May through Labor Day. Fifty trucks a day will suffice when there's less demand. Seven to 10 seasonal workers are expected to be hired during peak times, Kemp said.

Neither Nestlé nor the city's Economic Development Department would disclose the rate paid to lease the building from Buzz Oates Real Estate Co. Taxpayers will benefit from possessory interest taxes, a tenant's equivalent to property taxes, and sales tax on the water, because Sacramento is considered the point of sale, Rinehart said.

Groups concerned about the plant and the bottled water industry say the lack of information from Nestlé is one of the company's and industry's primary problems. City Department of Utilities staff did not respond to requests for information about the city's water sources.

But according to the department's Web site, 85 percent of the city's water supply comes from the American and Sacramento rivers. The other 15 percent comes from underground aquifers.

Food and Water Watch is sponsoring a California bottled water bill, AB 301, recently re-introduced by state Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes. The measure would require water-bottling businesses to report the amount of water bottled each year, the source of the water and the location of each extraction point, and for the information to be available to the public through the state Department of Public Health.

Bottling water raises concerns

Water is a natural resource that should be managed sustainably, said Mark Schlosberg, western regional director for Food and Water Watch. Water from aquifers, where rainwater is stored underground, can recharge some streams during dry spells. Aquifers also provide water for springs and wetlands. A limited amount of water can be pumped from aquifers before their levels drop, he said.

Pumping systems take water that falls to the ground in Northern California and distribute that to the Central Valley and Southern California, Schlosberg said.

"In California, water's very connected," he said. "If you have a lot of these little straws coming in and sucking up water, it can add up to a lot. Also, this is a time when we're asking everyone in California to conserve water."

People have a right to know how the extraction of that much water during a continued drought may impact the Sacramento River Valley, Sacramento residents and wildlife, as well as the water rate residents will pay, said Schlosberg and Caplan.

"There has to be CEQA review of these sites," Caplan said, referring to the California Environmental Quality Act.

Nestlé's plans were announced in July. Last week, Mayor Kevin Johnson said he'd prefer to have information on such facilities before they're approved by city staff.

"When Nestlé can take water -- our water -- and sell it at a price, that’s a little bit concerning to me, just in general. What are those parameters in what they can and cannot do?" he asked at a press conference. "And... do they have caps in terms of what their limitations may or may not be? Those are two concerns that the public is bringing forward, and I think they’re very valid."

Nestlé has followed all Sacramento regulations, gotten the required permits and provided the city with requested information, said Kemp, adding that a full environmental impact report was not required.

Mass production of the water bottles that would be required to hold even 50 million gallons of water, transportation of those bottles and the trash they'd create also troubles people alarmed by the growing industry.

Save Our Water Sacramento estimates that 800 million half-litre water bottles would need to be produced to hold 50 million gallons. Kemp and another Nestlé spokesperson disputed that number. After agreeing to provide the company's estimate, they later said that wasn't possible.

More than 400,000 barrels of oil would go into making that many bottles, according to Save Our Water Sacramento. Americans drinking bottled water in 2006 disposed of more than 30 billion bottles in 2006, 86 percent of which go to landfills rather than being recycled, according to Food and Water Watch. That group estimated that 7.86 billion bottles could have come from Nestlé.

The safety of drinking bottled water also is a growing concern, according to these groups.

Tap water is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state and local governments, and is rigorously tested in government-certified labs. There is little to no government testing of bottled water, which is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, according to Food and Water Watch.

Researchers are studying chemicals used to make water bottles and other products. Phthalate, often used in soft plastic bottles, has been shown to leach into bottle contents and to increase the risk of cancer and to cause liver and reproductive problems, according to these groups. Often used in hard plastics to make five-gallon water jugs for offices, Bisphenol-A, or BPA, is an estrogenlike chemical which studies are linking to a host of problems in children and adults, including decreased sperm counts, accelerated puberty, aggression, hyperactivity, and increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Bottled water consumption has increased in the last decade but there hasn't been the political pressure to ensure enough federal funding to maintain municipal water treatment systems, said Caplan and Schlosberg. Nestlé executives have said projected problems with the breakdown of the water infrastructure have led to a very positive climate for bottled water, Caplan said.

"They're banking on people not wanting to drink tap water. That's their whole business plan, as far as I can tell," Caplan said. "People have been brainwashed into thinking bottled water is safer."

Photo by Eric Whalen. Sacramento Press reporter Kathleen Haley contributed to this report. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.