Proposed recycled water pipeline to serve Sonoma Valley schools

An informational meeting will be held Thursday to discuss a proposal to build a $3 million pipeline to provide Sonoma Valley schools with recycled water for landscape irrigation.

The Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District could begin construction on the pipeline next year and start delivering recycled water to Sonoma Valley High, Adele Harrison Middle and Prestwood Elementary schools by the end of 2016. By using recycled water, officials said it would reduce the school district’s reliance on water from the Russian River to irrigate playing fields.

The practice could save an estimated $60,000 annually between the three schools, said Sonoma Valley Unified School District Superintendent Louann Carlomagno.

The treated water also may be used to irrigate a Sonoma city park on Engler Street and agricultural fields in the valley, according to the Sonoma County Water Agency, which manages the local sanitation district. The project is in line to receive a state grant for more than a $1 million, officials said.

District staff members will be on hand to answer questions and take public comment on the proposed pipeline during the meeting, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Sonoma Valley High School library.

To get a glimpse into how the valley’s recycled water treatment system works, the public also is invited to take a tour of the sanitation district, 22675 Eighth St., East, Sonoma. The tour will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on April 18.