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Photo of landscaping outside the Juvenile Justice Center.

The County saves water indoors and outdoors through actions such as water-wise landscaping with drought-tolerant plants.

Saving Water at County Buildings

Drought conditions are an ongoing concern in California's relatively arid climate. Alameda County is doing its part to conserve water—both indoors and outdoors—at County buildings.

Indoors

There are many opportunities to save water indoors at County buildings, from water-efficient plumbing fixtures to the way our employees use water. At a number of facilities, we have installed water efficient fixtures, such as waterless urinals, low-flow toilets, and low-flow showers and faucets. For example, at the 24/7 Santa Rita Jail, we have cut the water bill by more than 50% through water efficiency projects indoors. The County also reaches out to its employees with tips on how to save water both at work and at home.

Outdoors

The County Board of Supervisors showed its commitment to saving water outdoors at county buildings when it passed a Bay-Friendly Landscaping policy in 2008. We have:

  • Installed water-wise landscaping with drought-tolerant plants and drip irrigation at U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Gold rated Juvenile Justice Center
  • Piloted water-wise "Bay-Friendly" landscaping at County Administration Building's urban site in Oakland

We recognize that we have a long way to go to incorporate water-wise landscaping at County facilities, but we are on the right-track. Our new Castro Valley library has Bay-Friendly landscaping.

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