Welcome


 
Sept. 10, 2009 - Now available - you can now enroll for online utility/water/wastewater bill payment.

Read the flyer. Both English and Spanish versions in the same file.

Read the Press Release from Tuesday, Sep. 8, 2009Signup button

Instructions for signing up are on the site; note you will have to verify your account number, service address and be prepared to validate your intention via your email account.

The full capabilities of this system are available to customers billed this week. Other customers will see no statements available and Current Statement Balance will show “N/A” for  payment amount due in the online billing system until their billing cycle takes place (between 6-8 weeks from the last billing cycle).

Our Scope

The Department of Water Resources and Conservation provides comprehensive and integrated management of Petaluma’s water resources. Delivery of a high quality, reliable supply of water, and collection and treatment of wastewater are conducted 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Water purchased from the Sonoma County Water Agency is distributed to the City’s customers through nine (9) pump stations, eleven (11) storage tanks/reservoirs, five (5) pressure zones, and over 270 miles of pipeline. This Department continually monitors and adjusts the pressure and flow of water to meet customer demands.

After the water is used and discharged by the City’s customers, it is collected through an underground network of over 190 miles of collection system pipeline. A system of nine collection system pump stations pumps the wastewater to the City’s wastewater treatment facility. After receiving secondary treatment, the wastewater is released to the Petaluma River during the winter, and recycled during the summer for irrigation of 800 acres of agricultural land, turf (two golf courses) and one vineyard.

Surface water management is achieved through a network of natural creeks, mechanized channels, storm drains and three (3) storm water pump stations which flow to the Petaluma River. During storm events, precipitation and water levels in major creeks are monitored using a computerized system of stream gauges and precipitation instruments (Flood ALERT system).

 

 

City Council Declares Water Shortage Emergency

Petaluma receives 90% of its water from the Russian River water system, which is operated by the Sonoma County Water Agency. Even though the main reservoir on this system, Lake Sonoma, is 92% full, the Sonoma County Water Agency's ability to access and deliver this water is limited by three factors: 1) a requirement by the National Marine Fisheries Service that the Agency limit water releases from Lake Sonoma to protect endangered and threatened fish species in Dry Creek, which is downstream of Lake Sonoma, 2) an Order issued by the State Water Resources Control Board directing the Agency to reduce Russian River water diversions this summer by 25% in comparison to 2004, and 3) the Agency's decision to shut-down certain water transmission system facilities this summer to reduce operating costs.

These three factors caused the Sonoma County Water Agency to declare it will deliver less water this year. In response, the Petaluma City Council declared a water shortage emergency on June 1, 2009 and is asking their customers to voluntarily reduce potable water consumption by up to 15 percent.

Petaluma offers many incentives and programs to help our customers conserve water, including rebates on high-efficiency toilets and clothes washers, free water-saving devices, and tiered water rates that reward efficient water use. You can also take advantage of our free WaterWise Housecalls program and have a water conservation professional visit your house where they will review your water use, check your irrigation system and offer suggestions for saving water. Over 2,000 customers have benefitted from this program. To save water in our parks, Petaluma has installed Smart irrigation controllers that automatically adjust irrigation times according to the weather. This summer the City will be reducing and, in some cases, shutting off irrigation to sections of parks that are not commonly used.

For more information about Petaluma's water conservation programs, please call our water conservation hotline at 778-4507, or visit our water conservation website. Here you will find over 80 simple tips on how to save water.

More information on this issue is provided at the following links:

Sonoma County Water Agency
http://www.scwa.ca.gov/


Department of Water Resources and Conservation
Administrative Offices

202 North McDowell Blvd.
Petaluma, CA 94954
phone: 707.778.4546
fax: 707.778.4508
email: water@ci.petaluma.ca.us

Hours: 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Monday - Friday

Utility Billing

11 English Street
Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 707.778.4350

Hours: 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Monday – Thursday

Water, Sewer, or
Storm Water Emergency
phone: 707.778.4546
Water Conservation

phone: 707.778.4507

email:
conservation@ci.petaluma.ca.us

Report Water Waste
Ellis Creek
Water Recycling Facility

3890 Cypress Drive
Petaluma, CA 94954
phone: 707.776.3777

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