New program offers free water assessments and fixes to rural Salinas Valley residents.

Rural residents in the Salinas Valley are eligible to receive free home water-efficiency assessments through the end of the year. The program builds on a similar initiative that has helped homeowners in North Monterey County. It provides personalized recommendations to help households save water, energy and money.

Run by the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, it is part of broader efforts to support long-term groundwater supplies across the Valley.

“The program supports all rural residential [in all six subbasins],” says Piret Harmon, general manager of SVBGSA. “It’s a subset of our groundwater users that are the most vulnerable because they have shallower wells, and if their wells go dry, we don’t have an easy way to help them.”

Working with WaterWise Consulting, Inc. to conduct the assessments, the agency aims to build awareness of water-use efficiency among rural residential users, Harmon says. Unlike urban residents, who typically have public or private utility systems to support them, residents in rural areas are largely responsible for managing their own water use.

Participants can have their faucets, toilets, showerheads and appliances checked for leaks and receive a review of their irrigation systems and pools for free. In many cases, water-saving devices can be purchased by SVBGSA and installed for free.

One example of a simple water fix, according to Harmon, is the addition of an aerator to residential faucets. It’s a simple tool that helps save water by mixing air in the water stream without impacting the perceived pressure of the water.

Assessments are offered 9am-4pm Monday-Friday and scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Funding is limited – the agency has about $20,000 left – and applications will be accepted until capacity is reached. Rural residents can request an assessment by completing an application at svbgsa.org/demand-management/wepp.