NORTH HIGHLANDS, CA (MPG) – Greg Bundensen from the Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD) spoke at the monthly Tri-county “Lunch Bunch” meeting held on Thursday, October 6 at the Pancake Palace in North Highlands.

The gathering happens on the first Thursday of every month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and is for community members in Rio Linda, North Highlands, Elverta and beyond. A different guest speaker attends every month and community members can bring fliers, business cards and other information to share and network amongst one another.

“Not all water utilities are created equal, we all have different water supplies,” Bundensen said. “We’re primarily a ground water agency. The ground water aquifer that we draw from extends from the west [side] of Folsom Lake all the way to the Sacramento River and all the way up to Oroville. It’s a big aquifer, there’s a lot of water in there and we’re making it bigger.”

He said despite the SSWD having the ability to currently meet the demands of its customers, the state of California still insists on the organization enacting drought restrictions due to the unknown of upcoming winter weather.

“We technically are not in a drought because we have our sustainable draw, 35,035-acre feet, and then we have 320,000-acre feet of banked water,” Bundensen said.

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According to Bundensen, the SSWD has three priorities:

1. Ensuring tap water is safe to drink.

2. Having the ability to fight fires.

3. Being able to flush your toilet.

He explained that the reason existing older toilets may struggle to flush is because of the design of the bowl. Some were designed to use five gallons per flush, but later had its tank replaced with one that was designed to use less water per flush.

The newer models, which the SSWD offers rebates on, are designed to be steeper so the waste can go straight to the bottom of the bowl and require less water to fully remove it. Bundensen recommended a toilet named the “Niagara Stealth” which uses 0.8 gallons per flush and can be found at The Home Depot. Some other rebates that the SSWD offers include an irrigation efficiency upgrade and pool covers.

Another topic of discussion was leaks. If you ever receive a postcard from the SSWD about you potentially having a leak in your home, they will send someone out to identify the source of the leak and find a solution. The SSWD can monitor your water meter remotely on an hourly basis to identify potential surges that may occur during a specific activity like taking a shower.

For more information, visit sswd.org.