Not sure which district is your water provider?
Water is the only substance that naturally occurs in all three states of matter—a solid, a liquid and a gas:
Little of it is available to drink of the Earth's water supply:
| Salt water Fresh Water Groundwater Lakes and Streams Glaciers and Ice Caps Water Vapor |
97.2 % 2.8 % 0.6 % 0.01% 2.1 % 0.001 % |
A tremendous amount of electricity is needed to run the many pumps that obtain, purify and transport water to homes and businesses. Inside our homes and businesses we use energy to heat and cool water, as well as move water from one place to another. Water pumping is the single most significant use of electricity in the state. By using water efficiently, we can conserve both water and energy.
Where does our water come from?
Groundwater
Surface water
Treatment
How does water get to our homes?
Water quality
Your water meter
Water has many properties
People use water every day for dozens of different things. Whether it's brushing your teeth, washing the dishes or quenching your thirst, water is the one thing you can't do without in daily life. But as essential as water is, few people know where their water comes from or how it gets to their tap.
In the Sacramento region, water comes from two sources: underground water basins called aquifers, and surface water sources such as the American River and the Sacramento River.
Rain and snowfall are the real source of supply for both underground water (also known as groundwater) and surface water such as rivers and streams.
Groundwater is basically rain that has trickled through rock layers, forming pools after many years. Rivers are fed by rain and snowmelt that runs off from mountains into networks of streams and creeks called watersheds. Reservoirs such as Folsom Lake capture and store water for use later.
In many areas, groundwater basins have been depleted because water is drawn out at a faster rate than rain trickles back down. Droughts are particularly hard on groundwater supplies. Surface water such as rivers and streams also depend on rain and snowfall in the Sierras from year to year. A series of dry years can seriously reduce the water flowing in rivers and stored in lakes and reservoirs.
Groundwater comes to us from natural springs, as discharges into rivers and lakes, or is extracted by wells. Most of North America's small water systems, as well as many large ones, use groundwater as their source of supply. Groundwater may be drawn from porous spaces in sand and gravel, sedimentary rocks, or a combination of these.
Many of the Sacramento area water suppliers are solely dependent upon groundwater, or use groundwater as well as surface water: These include the City of Sacramento, Carmichael Water District, Placer County Water Agency, City of Roseville, Citrus Heights Water District, Fair Oaks Water District, Cal American Water Co., City of Lincoln, Arden Arcade Water Service, Sacramento Suburban Water District, Fruitridge Vista Water Company, Del Paso Manor Water District and Sacramento County Water Agency.
Surface water is from lakes, streams (such as the Lower American River and the Sacramento River), rivers or ponds. Reservoirs (such as Folsom Lake) hold rain runoff and snowmelt for later use, or release water when danger from floods has passed. Water supplies may be taken directly from reservoirs or from diversions downstream of the dams. Reservoirs may serve other purposes in addition to water supply, such as flood protection, hydroelectric power generation and recreation.
To some degree, many of the Sacramento area water suppliers use surface water sources. They include the City of Sacramento, Carmichael Water District, Placer County Water Agency, City of Roseville, San Juan Water District, Citrus Heights Water District, City of Folsom, Orange Vale Water Company, Fair Oaks Water District and Sacramento Suburban Water District.
The water you drink goes through an extensive purification process before reaching the tap. Water pulled from rivers and lakes is delivered to a treatment facility where it undergoes a series of filtration, disinfection and testing processes. These processes remove any bacteria, taste or odor and guarantee the water you drink meets or exceeds state and federal safe drinking water standards. Your local water provider distributes an annual Consumer Confidence Report about the quality of its drinking water. Please contact your local water supplier directly for additional information or a copy of the current report.
Water arrives at your tap after a long and expensive journey from its source. Whether it comes from a river or from a groundwater well, water must be treated and purified before it is delivered to homes and businesses. After it is treated, water travels through a distribution system to individual homes and other buildings.
After water is used in your home, it goes through another system of pipes to a wastewater treatment plant. The water is treated to meet statewide standards and then released, or discharged, into rivers and streams at approved locations. Some wastewater is recycled, or re-treated, and used again to irrigate golf courses, freeway medians and parks. Recycled water is also used to flush toilets in some areas.
The quality of different types of water varies greatly. Surface water generally has more turbidity (cloudiness) and bacteria than groundwater, but groundwater contains dissolved chemicals and some microscopic organisms as well. Because of such variability, the US Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Health Services establish standards for drinking water. Similar water quality standards have been adopted by all the states and by the World Health Organization.
The meter face contains all the information required to accurately read your water meter.
Your water utility reads your meter every month or every-other month, but not always on the same day of the month. Here's how water use is calculated:
| If the current reading is: | 2345 Hundred Cubic Feet |
| The prior reading was: | 2331 Hundred Cubic Feet |
| The usage is: | 14 Hundred Cubic Feet |
