Marina Coast Water District Adopts Green Sustainable Practices
Going green can save green, as in cash, and help the environment. The Marina Coast Water District (MCWD) Board adopted the Green Sustainable Practices Policy recently to do both. MCWD has been a leader in the water conservation movement since establishing the first program in the region in 1993 to comply with the Urban Best Management Practices. The District was one of the first agencies to produce desalinated water and to recycle wastewater for irrigation. Now, MCWD is one of the leaders in going green and promoting sustainability.
"The District has been a leader, and will continue to be a leader, in water conservation and energy conservation methods," said MCWD Board President Howard Gustafson. "It’s not only good for the environment but can and will save the customers money."
Rich Youngblood, MCWD conservation coordinator, said that the District has been reducing energy consumption and costs through practices such as pumping water at non-peak periods and installing efficiency pump motors. These efforts allow the District to obtain the lowest PG&E rates and reduce the load on the electrical grid at critical times and reduce the green house gases. The District encourages employees to carpool, bicycle to work and has instituted alternative work schedules to reduce green house gas emmisions, promoting sustainability.
The District has taken other steps including participating in energy audits offered by PG&E through the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG). MCWD replaced inefficient lighting throughout the District with the help of this program, reducing costs and energy consumption. The reduction of energy consumption results in the reduction of green house gas emissions. Director Tom Moore affirmed that "anything our water district can do to reduce energy use without reducing service will save money and reduce greenhouse gasses"
The District is pulling these efforts together into a integrated program that will address efficiency in operations, demand management and long-term water supply planning to support sustainability. The new program will institute recycling policies promoting reduce-reuse-recycle, designed increase the sustainability of current and future operations.
The District’s in-school water conservation education program highlights the concept of sustainability in its presentations to students. It helps students to understand why water conservation is an important part of creating a sustainable environment.
The public’s information program is supporting the message that we all play an important part in building sustainability. The message emphasizes the need for water conservation and efficiency as an essential part of sustainability.
Most important, Youngblood said, is sharing these policies with the District’s customers so that they realize "if you reduce water consumption, you reduce water costs and reduce your own carbon footprint."
How does the size of a carbon footprint of a District customer impact our region? "That’s a question that many people will have to consider as they look at water-wise landscaping, energy-efficient lighting, transportation and use of recyclable materials" says Board member Dan Burns.
"Eventually, children and their parents will be doing research together to discover how they can reduce their carbon footprints," added Gustafson.
Reduction of energy used and the use of alternate forms of energy are parts of the sustainability goal. As an example, the proposed Regional Water Project’s use of methane gas at the Marina landfill will reduce green house gas tremendously" said MCWD General Manager Jim Heitzman. "And we’re looking at wind and solar power, too, to reduce costs while maintaining our environment," Heitzman added.
By committing the District to replace vehicles with more fuel-efficient ones as they reach the end of their service-life and to purchase recycled content and environmentally preferable products, the District can set an example for the community, Youngblood said. Hybrid and electric vehicles are in the District’s future.
MCWD Board Vice President Bill Lee noted "Raising awareness in our community, stressing the need to conserve water reduces our carbon footprint. We’ll all benefit by the cost savings and by the reduced impact on the environment".
"The District is committed to be the best service provider possible, at the lowest rate, while maintaining the environment. "We are representing our rate-payers and owe them our best" added Director Ken Nishi.
