Water Conservation Devices
Please stop by the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Office at 804 First Street in Napa to pick up some free water saving devices. Some of the free devices that will be available to unincorporated County residents include faucet aerators, showerheads, shower timers, hose nozzles, and hose timers. Remember, if you pay a City of Napa water bill, you are eligible for their rebates and water conservation devices. For more information, visit the City of Napa Water Division's Water Conservation website.
Rainwater Harvesting Incentives
The Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District is offering rebates to residents of the Napa River watershed who install rain gardens and rain barrels/cisterns on their property. Why?
Roofs and other impervious surfaces alter natural hydrology, increasing the volume and velocity of stormwater runoff. This has a variety of impacts including streambank erosion, degraded wildlife habitat, potholes, structure damage, beach closures, and in severe cases, land and mud slides. Fortunately there are simple low-cost things that we can do to decrease the volume of, and minimize pollutants in, the runoff from our properties.
Rain gardens and rain barrels/cisterns are two simple approaches to slow, spred and sink stormwater before it has a chance to impact local creeks.
Rain gardens are landscaped areas designed to capture and treat rainwater that runs off roofs and paved surfaces. The Flood District will reimburse applicants in the Napa River Watershed $5.00 per square foot installed, up to a maximum of $1,500 for residential properties and up to $5,000 for Commercial, Industrial and Institutional (CII) properties.
Rain barrels and cisterns can be installed to capture stormwater runoff from rooftops and store it for later use. Residential property owners in the Napa River watershed may receive a 75% rebate for approved expenses up to $2.00 per gallon of storage capacity and $500 maximum per household. Commercial, Industrial and Insitiutional (CII) applicants may receive a 75% rebate for approved expenses up to $2.00 per gallon and $1,000 maximum.
Visit the website, call 707-259-5969 or email deborah.elliott@countyofnapa.org.
Funding for this program comes from the State of California water bond measure, Proposition 84, administered by the California Department of Water Resources, and is subject to funding availability.
Vineyard Water Conservation Workshop
Napa County hosted the 4th water conservation workshop in March 2013. Speakers included:
Dr. Mark Matthews, UC Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology
Maya Buelow, UC Davis Graduate Student
Steve Gratton, UC Davis Plant-Water Relations Specialist
Kelly Mulville, Holistic Farming, La Garita, CO
Raymond Baltar, Sonoma Biochar Initiative
Water Wise Landscaping
Selecting appropriate plants, mulching, and frequently adjusting irrigation to match the weather are just a few of the actions you can take to save water in your landscape. Learn more about Water-Wise Gardening in the Napa Valley.
Links
City of Napa Water Conservation
California Urban Water Conservation Council
UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners
California Native Plant Society
In September 2009, the Napa County Board of Supervisors authorized County staff to begin outreach on a water conservation program in the unincorporated county, specifically targeting the Milliken-Sarco-Tulocay (MST) area. County staff, with input from the agricultural community, the Napa County Resource Conservation District, and the California Department of Fish and Game have come up with some opportunities to help residents, growers, and winery owners alike conserve water.