There’s a broken fire hydrant at Acton and Addison. Photo: Toph Burns There’s a broken fire hydrant at Acton and Addison. Photo: Toph Burns A broken fire hydrant in central Berkeley sent water shooting up into the sky Friday morning. Berkeleyside readers alerted us to the situation, at Acton and Addison streets, at 11 a.m. […]
California drought
Posted inCity, Community
Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, State Senator Loni Hancock, challenge us to save as much water as them
A challenge by Mayor Tom Bates and his wife, State Senator Loni Hancock, aims to raise awareness about California’s drought. Photo: Steve Johnson A challenge by Mayor Tom Bates and his wife, State Senator Loni Hancock, aims to raise awareness about California’s drought. Photo: Steve Johnson Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates has announced a city-wide water-conservation challenge with […]
Posted inNature
New book highlights drought-tolerant garden solutions
Photo: Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings Now that Governor Brown has issued the first-ever statewide mandates on water use, many of us are looking at our gardens through a new lens. How can we can reduce the amount of water they use? What are the most drought-tolerant plants? Should we ditch the lawn […]
Posted inCity
Proposed 130% sewer fee rate increase now up to voters
The city of Berkeley has extensive, EPA-mandated, sewer system maintenance planned over the next 12 years. Photo: City of Berkeley Berkeley officials approved a five-year sewer fee rate hike Tuesday night, and now it’s up to property owners to determine whether it will stick. One thousand gallons of water currently costs about $4 to use in Berkeley for the average […]
Posted inNature
City, already cutting, digs deeper to slash its water use
The grass in Willard Park might not look as green this year given irrigation cutbacks being implemented by the city in response to drought conditions. Photo, taken in August 2014, by Natalie Orenstein The grass in Willard Park might not look as green this year given irrigation cutbacks being implemented by the city in response to drought […]
Posted inNature
Water conservation gets serious with restrictions, fines
EBMUD employee Mark Bolton at the dried-out Camanche Reservoir in the San Joaquin Valley. Photo: EBMUD Hosing down your driveway, watering your yard more than twice a week, or washing your car with a hose without a shutoff nozzle are forbidden in Berkeley, as the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) faces its worst water […]
Posted inOpinion
Op-ed: How should water be priced in Berkeley?
What does it cost for a typical Berkeley residential customer to use 500 gallons of water a month? 5,000 gallons? 10,000 gallons? Given the scope of the drought California is experiencing, the results may surprise you.* After you pay the service charge, water is less than a penny per gallon in Berkeley, no matter how […]
Posted inCity, Nature
Berkeley residents complain about ‘horrible’ water taste
Pardee Reservoir. Photo: EBMUD The drinking water for 1 million customers of East Bay Municipal Utilities District had an “off” odor and taste over the weekend and, while EBMUD is fixing the issue, customers might have to get used to it. The culprit? The drought. EBMUD usually draws the drinking water for the majority of its […]
Posted inCommunity, Crime & Safety, Nature
Old pipe breaks, closes Grant Street in Berkeley; 40 customers without water
Bancroft Way at Grant Street at 11 a.m. after a water main break. Photo: Kelly Dorsey Dozens of central Berkeley residents around Grant Street and Bancroft Way have been dealing with a water main break since Friday morning. Grant has been closed from Allston Way to Bancroft as crews work to fix the problem. Some lanes may be […]
Posted inCity, Nature, Schools
Cal, city of Berkeley take steps to curb water use
Water runoff from one of Cal’s lawns is a relatively common occurrence on campus. Photo: Patrick Hickey Water runoff from one of Cal’s lawns is a relatively common occurrence on campus. Photo: Patrick Hickey In response to the severe drought conditions that plague most of the state, Cal and the city of Berkeley have ramped up efforts to curb […]
Posted inCity, Nature
New drought rules would see Berkeley reduce its water use
A Downtown Berkeley Association employee powerwashes the sidewalk at the corner of Shattuck and Center. Photo: Isabelle Gaston This week the state Water Resources Control Board will consider emergency restrictions on water use that would require the city of Berkeley to impose fines for certain types of outdoor water use. If approved, the Water Board’s drought measures would require […]
Posted inOpinion
Op-ed: Steps we can take towards long-term drought solutions
“When it comes to drought, California has a tendency to stick its head in the sand until it’s almost too late.” Photo: Bert Kaufmann “When it comes to drought, California has a tendency to stick its head in the sand until it’s almost too late.” Photo: Bert Kaufmann Many of us waited for months for […]
