Sonoma County vineyards to irrigate with wastewater
By Clark Mason, Press Democrat
Wastewater and winegrapes may not seem like a complementary pairing, but they soon will be in Healdsburg.
The City Council on Monday unanimously approved a project to irrigate more than 300 acres of vineyards with highly treated wastewater from Healdsburg’s new state-of-the-art treatment plant.
The reclaimed water could be used as early as next summer on vineyards owned by Syar Industries that surround the $32 million plant west of town.
Reclaimed water has been used for years on wine grapes and other crops in parts of Sonoma County that include the prestigious Carneros region, according to Jim Flugum, Healdsburg’s assistant public works director.
“It’s not new. It’s just new in the northern part of the county,” he said.
The city had to get the approval of state water regulatory officials and address the concerns of clean-water advocates before it could proceed.
It’s a proud moment for the Healdsburg community. Water is a valuable commodity in the vineyard business and we have some of the finest wine growing regions here in the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Anderson Valley and the Russian River Valley. Though I miss Tahoe, I love living here!