and save 2,900 gallons of water per year—the amount of water it takes to wash more than 70 loads of laundry. What’s more, because it takes energy to heat shower water, that family can save the amount of electricity it takes to power its home for 13 days every year just by switching to a Water-

Sense labeled showerhead.

Not sure if your showerhead is effi-cient? Contact the District’s Water Conservation Specialist at (530) 543-6268 to schedule a Water Wise House

Call. During the House Call, the

October is Energy Action Month. What is one action you can take to save energy, water, and money every day? Try replacing your old shower-head with a WaterSense labeled mod-

el!

Showering accounts for nearly 17 per-cent of all residential indoor water use, or about 30 gallons per household per day. That’s about 1.2 trillion gal-lons of water every year in the United States! What’s more, it takes energy

to heat the water when you shower.

This October, the South Tahoe Public Utility District is also celebrating Shower Better Month by encouraging consumers in South Lake Tahoe to replace old showerheads with Water-Sense labeled models to save energy,

water and money.

By replacing a showerhead with a WaterSense labeled model, the aver-age family can reduce its annual ener-gy and water costs by more than $70

Specialist will inspect your shower-heads, measure their flow rates, and can provide a free water efficient

showerhead upon request.

For more information and a full list of independently certified WaterSense labeled showerhead models, visit

bit.ly/ShowerSwitch.

For more information on water conser-vation services and rebates available to District customers, visit

www.stpud.us.

1275 Meadow Crest Drive South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Phone: 530-544-6474 Fax: 530-541-0614 E-mail: info@stpud.dst.ca.us www.stpud.us

The South Tahoe Public Utility District is a special

district formed in September 1950, and provides envi-

ronmentally and fiscally responsible water and

wastewater collection, treatment, and recycling for the

community of South Lake Tahoe. The District is gov-

erned by a five-member Board of Directors that are

elected in staggered four-year terms. Board meetings

are held on the first and third Thursday of each month

at the Board Meeting Room located at 1275 Meadow

Crest Drive. The District welcomes your attendance and

participation.

The District has over 17,000 sewer connections and

over 14,000 water connections. Our unique and innova-

tive recycled water export system transports an aver-

age of 4 million gallons-per-day of reclaimed water 27

miles to the Harvey Place Reservoir, where it is stored

for agricultural land application to ranches, under con-

tract, during the dry summer months.

South Tahoe Public Utility

District

Save Water, Energy and Money - Shower Better!

Basic services for a complex world

very dry summer.

As we head into the fall and winter months, it will become increasingly challenging to con-tinue to reduce our water use, and we don’t yet know what to expect this winter. So, we have filled our District Digest this quarter with information that we hope will help you continue the water savings as the weath-er turns cold. From how to win-terize your garden, to how to prepare a water-efficient holi-day meal, to how to save water and energy in the shower, we’re

here to help.

Small changes can make a big difference when it comes to conserving our natural re-

sources.

Water conservation...

It’s for life!

While this past winter was wet-ter than the last several, the amount of rain and snow Lake Tahoe received was still slightly below average. The precipitation was a welcome change, but one average winter does not solve several years of serious drought. Our community has been taking great strides in their commitment to water con-servation, developing a lifestyle as opposed to a momentary quick fix. Saving water is just part of

our lifestyle.

The District would like to thank our customers for all of their efforts to save water these past two years. Last summer the District was able to exceed the California state-mandated con-servation target of 20% every month of the summer. This year, the District certified to the

California State Water Re-sources Control Board that our water supply was sufficient to meet demand in the event of another three, very dry years.

This meant that we were not mandated to reduce water use by a set percentage. And yet, we saw water savings from our customers every month of this

The South Tahoe Public Utility District will be hosting a Board of Directors Candidate Forum on Wednesday, October 19th at 6 p.m. in the Board Room, locat-

ed at 1275 Meadow Crest Drive.

The Forum is open to the public and will provide an opportunity to hear from, and ask questions

of, the candidates running for election. There are four candi-dates competing for two Direc-tor seats during this election

cycle.

Please contact the Executive Services Manager, Melonie Guttry, at 530-543-6203 for

more information.

Lake Tahoe, jewel of the Sierra.

Water Conservation. It’s For Life.

I n s i d e th i s

i s s u e :

Do I Need to Water in Winter?

2

How To: Winterize the Garden

2

Have a Water Efficient Holi-day Season

3

Fading Flowers and Falling Leaves

3

Shower Better! 4

Save the Date - Board Candidate Forum

S o u t h T a h o e

P u b l i c U t i l i t y

D i s t r i c t

District Digest F a l l I s s u e O c t o b e r 2 0 1 6

S p e c i a l

p o i n t s o f

i n t e r e s t :

• Candidate Fo-rum, Don’t Miss

it!

• Watering in Winter, Is it

necessary?

• Tips to Prepare Your Garden For

Winter

• How to Be Water Wise This

Holiday Season

• Save Water and Energy in the

Shower

P a g e 2

“Now is the time to

“harden” your plants

for the harsh

winter weather

ahead.”

An example of winter watering.

How To: Winterize Your Garden

Do I Need to Water in Winter?

Don’t store that hose too

deep in the garden shed!

During the past several win-ters, we have experienced extended periods of time without the insulating effect that snowpack provides when it blankets our gardens. Newly planted and shallow-rooted landscape plants are particu-larly susceptible to dying back under these conditions and may not survive without occa-sional supplemental water. If you have recently planted deciduous and evergreen

trees and shrubs and we are experiencing winter drought conditions, you may want to consider providing supple-mental irrigation if there has not been significant precipita-tion for four to six weeks. Generally, water plants and trees when temperatures are above freezing and the soil is not frozen. Water plants mid-day so the water can soak into the ground before freezing nighttime temperatures. Your goal is to moisten the entire root zone. Remember to dis-

connect and drain hoses after use. Don't activate sprinkler

systems during the winter.

Please visit this web publica-

tion for more information:

http://extension.colostate.edu/docs/

pubs/garden/07211.pdf.

dispose of them in a gar-bage bin with a sealed lid to prevent their spread. Putting in this prep work now will save you from more work in the spring. Gently till your beds to unearth any pesky in-sects that may use your garden to overwinter. This will reduce pest

levels in the spring.

• Add compost and mulch:

After tidying up your plants, gently till in 3-4 inches of nutrient-rich compost to your garden to build your soil before spring planting. Place a mulch layer of woodchips or pine needles on top of the compost to help insu-late and protect plants from freezing winter

temperatures.

• Plant/transplant trees

and shrubs: Fall is the best time to establish and transplant trees and shrubs. Deciduous spe-cies put on up to 80% of their annual root expan-

sion in the fall, so get them in the ground while it’s still soft and worka-ble. Prune any vulnerable parts that may break under a heavy snow load. Save major pruning pro-

jects until the spring.

• Water seldomly, but

deeply: Now is the time to “harden” your plants for the harsh winter weather ahead. Reduce your watering to no more than twice a week. How-ever, don’t let your plants completely dry out. Sel-dom, deep watering en-courages strong root systems. If little precip-itation falls over the winter, it’s wise to water plants about once a

month.

Now is the time to get out and enjoy the fall colors while prepping your garden for a successful growing season

next year. Happy gardening!

As we transition from summer to fall, it’s time to start thinking about planning for the winter season. Properly preparing your garden is the best way to help it survive the coldest months, and thrive

come spring time.

Here are some suggested tips to make sure your garden is

ready to flourish next year:

• Know your USDA hardi-

ness zone: This will tell you the average annual minimum winter temper-ature for where you live, and provides you with a great starting point for planning your garden. South Lake Tahoe’s zone

is 6b: -5 to 0 degrees F.

• Prune, clean, re-

move, and till: Now is the perfect time to get rid of any dead or dying plant material and de-bris, and remove any weeds that may serve as incubators for pests and diseases during the win-ter. If you identify inva-sive weeds in your yard,

D i s t r i c t D i g e s t

Have a Water Efficient Holiday Season!

P a g e 3 O c t o b e r 2 0 1 6

Tis the season…to use water wise-

ly!

The holidays are a great time of year, bringing together family and friends to celebrate the season! When preparing your next holiday gathering, remember that water is a vital part of any celebration; it would be impossible to put togeth-er a great spread without it. Did you know that a typical holiday dinner for eight requires more than 42,000 gallons of water to grow and prepare the food? That’s enough water to fill a 30 by 50-

foot swimming pool!

So how can you save water during such a hectic and busy time? By integrating water-wise behavior into your daily life, before the holiday entertaining begins. Here

are a few tips to get you started:

• Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator the night before

they’re needed

• Select the proper size pans

for cooking. Large pans re-quire more water than may be

necessary

• Rinse vegetables and fruits in a sink or pan filled with wa-ter, then use that water for

houseplants

• Don’t run the tap when wash-ing dishes. Plug the sink, fill it with soapy water and scrub

and rinse from there

• Brush food scraps into the garbage instead of rinsing them into the garbage dispos-

al

• Run only full loads in the dish-

washer

• Steam while you boil. You’ll use less water and one less burner by steaming veggies over a pot that’s already full of boiling water for another

dish

• Never rinse grease down the

drain; let it cool then scrape

into the trash

Bonus tip: Are you or your family looking to replace any water-using fixtures soon? They can make great gifts, and may be on sale this holiday season. Plus, the Dis-trict offers rebates on high effi-ciency toilets and clothes washers. How’s that for a functional holiday

gift?

Make your next holiday meal a

water-wise one.

Enjoy the season, and give thanks

for water!

are susceptible to early frost, poor drainage and prevailing winds. It’s also important to determine which areas of your garden might experience extra heat from mas-sive structures such as your house foundation, rock walls or boulders. Before the snow falls, measure and photograph your landscape areas so you can start planning

your spring garden projects.

The good thing about gardening in Tahoe is that you have the winter to catch up on your planning! It’s also a great time to review your

successes and failures.

What Worked?

Take this time to review and log changes made to the garden, as well as what did and did not work. Record the amount and type of sunlight available and what areas

What’s Next?

Now relax and use the winter to research, plot and plan the next additions to your gar-

den!

Fading Flowers and Falling Leaves

Fall is a great time of year to evalu-ate how well your garden did during the long, dry summer.

“Did you know

that a typical

holiday dinner

for eight

requires more

than 42,000

gallons of water

to grow and

prepare the

food?”