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Bay Area's Tri-Valley Residents Keep Recycled Sewer Water In Demand

PLEASANTON (KCBS)— Many of the Bay Area's Tri-Valley residents can't get enough of treated sewer water used for plants, trees and lawns. It's so much that the Dublin-San Ramon Services District is having a tough time keeping up with demand.

The recycled water is a hot commodity that has hundreds of residents filling up jugs and barrels at a Pleasanton fill-up station in order to keep their plants healthy and their lawns green during the drought.

When the district began this program last summer in Pleasanton there were three fill-up spigots. Now there are 18 with plans to add more.

"It's not drinking water, it's not treated to that degree, but it's perfect for irrigating trees, gardens flowers, grass, whatever," said District Operations Manager Dan Gallagher.

He says the treatment plant started giving away this free water last summer and before long, hundreds of people started signing up to haul away water for their homes.

"We're now probably around 900 people and growing by the day. Every day we're signing up another 25 to 30 more people that are coming out to use the fill station," Gallagher said.

Gallagher said residents have even brought large plastic tanks to haul away the water.

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