Capitola city council weighing water-saving options for Esplanade Park

The city of Capitola is looking to further reduce water usage at Esplanade Park in light of the ongoing drought.

At Thursday’s city council meeting, the public works director will present a number of options for doing so.

An outdoor shower for beachgoers at the park used an estimated 86 gallons of water a day, according to Steve Jesberg.

Jesberg’s report is here.

Jesberg will outline five options for the City Council, including using the shower water to irrigate portions of the park:

Recycling: Retrofit existing irrigation system to feed from existing discharge location of shower water. The system would need to be augmented with potable water.
Remove lawns: Replace all lawns with artificial grass or other permeable material
Mixed system: The quantity of shower water appears to be enough to water the lawn area by the showers, at least during the summer season. A small recycle system could be set up to capture and irrigate this system. Supplement with potable water when necessary.
Keep existing system
Redesign park: Redesign and redo landscaping to reduce water use