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The Downspout Sonoma County: From your roof to the Russian River. For your home and everything downstream.

Rain chain hanging from the eaves into a tall decorative rain barrel in a mulched side yard. Rain and storage · GuideAre rain barrels legal in California? Yes. Here is when you need a permitState law says you do not need a water right to use rainwater from your roof. A barrel or tank up to 5,000 gallons for drip or hose watering needs no permit if it sits on the ground, is no taller than twice its width, has no pump and is not hooked to tap water.
Graywater and reuseLaundry to landscape: reuse washing machine water in your Sonoma County gardenExterior of a small outbuilding next to a hillside garden path covered in wood chips with stone retaining walls.Policy and rulesSonoma County groundwater: who manages it, the well fee, and how the basins are doingRows of green grapevines in a vineyard with open fields beyondRivers and pollutionHow the Russian River works: dams, minimum flows and floodsThe Russian River winding through green woodland in California

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NewsRussian River mouth: Sonoma Water asks to renew its water quality permit for 9 years, comments due November 15Green grass beside a lake under a blue skyTap water and supplyLake Sonoma water level: how full Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino are, and what it means for your waterCalm water reflecting golden sunlit hills with tules and flat stones in the foreground shallows.NewsSebastopol may charge water and sewer funds $468,000 less for city hall costsGreen grass beside a lake under a blue skyTap water and supplyDoes Sonoma County have hard water? And do you need a water softener?Wide view from a grassy hill overlooking a winding river valley and the Pacific Ocean at dusk.NewsKing tides return November 24 to 26, and the state says El Niño could push water higherGreen grass beside a lake under a blue sky
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Tools for your home water

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Rain catch calculator for your roofA 1,000 square foot roof catches about 15,700 gallons in an average Santa Rosa year. Enter your ZIP and roof size to see yours.Well test plannerTell us when you last tested. We show what is due now, using Sonoma County Environmental Health's schedule.Water mapEnter an address or click the map. We show who supplies your water, which watershed you live in, and which groundwater basin is under you.Water storage tank size calculatorAnswer a few questions about your household, animals and garden. The calculator works out your daily use, then the tank size for the days you want to cover, and whether one tank or several fits.Watershed finderType an address or tap the map. We show your watershed, your closest named creek, the groundwater basin under you, and every stop your rain makes on its way to the sea.

Coming up

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Oct21Garden volunteer day at OAEC, every WednesdayOccidental · 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Oct28Webinar on Sonoma Water's requests to change Russian River minimum flowsOnline; register on the Sonoma Water page · 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Rain and storage

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How much rain Sonoma County gets, town by town and month by monthRainwater running down a roof gutterHow big a water storage tank do you need?A large corrugated metal water tank beside a white buildingPonds in Sonoma County: permits, water rights, wildlife and swimming pondsBlack cows graze on a grassy green hillside above a calm farm pond with reeds under a blue sky.

Stormwater and drainage

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What is a dry well? How it works, when it's legal, and why most Sonoma County yards need something elseA hand holds a yellow tape measure under an exterior house eave next to a white downspout.Do you need a French drain? Wet yards, clay soil and where the water goes in Sonoma CountyWhite PVC pipe discharging into a small wooden framed ground basin next to a wire fence.Slow it, spread it, sink it: downspouts, rain gardens and how big to digA dry creek bed lined with rounded river rock and boulders curves through a garden beside a paver path.

Wells and groundwater

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What size generator runs a well pump? Find yours in two stepsOpen wooden gate revealing a green water storage tank, pressure tank, and pump system in a wooded yard.Well water testing in Sonoma County: what to test and how oftenA lab worker in green gloves using a pipette to fill a small vialCan your yard recharge groundwater? How much soaks in, and a soil testCobblestone-lined drainage swale running down a forested slope between trees and garden plants toward a driveway.

Tap water and supply

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Water quality after a wildfire: what Santa Rosa learned about benzene, and what to do before you drinkInterlocking paver driveway alongside a green house with a hose reel and smoky skies above.How do you read a water quality report? A line-by-line Sonoma County guideView through ivy-covered trees and a wooden deck railing down to a gravel riverbank and calm green water.Where Sonoma County tap water comes from, and who gets itNarrow reservoir inlet flanked by steep rocky banks with bare snags emerging from calm water under overcast skies.

Rivers and pollution

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Creek bank erosion: how Sonoma County creekside owners can heal a bank with willows, plants and woodWoody debris piled around willow shrubs in a grassy creek channel next to a tree trunk and path.How often should you pump a septic tank? A Sonoma County guideSloping green lawn in a suburban backyard bordered by a redwood fence, trees, and a yellow survey tripod.Getting involved in your watershed: where to start in Sonoma CountyA rustic wooden footbridge crosses a narrow creek in a redwood forest covered in needles.

Saving water

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Drought tolerant plants for Sonoma County: what to plant, when, and how much water they needAgave plants lining a gravel path next to a buildingWhy is my water bill so high? How to read a Sonoma County water and sewer billBackyard concrete patio with a covered hot tub, pool shed, and curved swimming pool surrounded by trees.Water rebates in Sonoma County: what they pay for, and how to get themManicured lawn bordered by lush garden beds, a stacked stone wall, and a tall wood privacy fence.

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Find local help

Agencies, labs and local businesses for wells, plumbing and graywater. Listings, not recommendations.

Agencies and labsGroups and educationTesting labsWells and pumpsPlumbingGraywater and landscape

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