Changing of the seasons

It is the middle of September, so autumn can't be far off. This past Monday gave us a hint of the cool weather that lies ahead. Now is a good time to get some fall housecleaning done before the snow flies. It is no fun to be hold up during bad weather in a house that isn't fresh, clean and cozy.

However, cleaning the house from top to bottom with toxic cleaners isn't the way to go. If you never have tried using natural cleaners, why not give them a try? Most are made with simple ingredients that you probably already have around the house and are gentle and non toxic.

Some common housecleaning ingredients:

• Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) – Mild abrasive, odor neutralizer, cleaner, water softener. Baking soda has a high pH and is therefore able to neutralize odors by changing their pH instead of just masking them.
• Borax (sodium borate) – Found in the laundry detergent section of the grocery store, borax is an alkali that is toxic if swallowed, but has strong cleaning powers: cleans, deodorizes, softens water, and disinfects
• Washing soda – “SAL” soda, sodium carbonate decahydrate, is a mineral. It cuts grease, removes stains, can be used to clean walls, sinks, tubs, and tile. Found in the laundry detergent section, it’s made by Arm & Hammer. (Caustic! Wear gloves.)
• Cornstarch – Use to clean windows, carpets and rugs as well as for polishing furniture
• Hydrogen peroxide – Antiseptic useful in kitchens and bathrooms and also a bleach alternative.
• Lemon juice – Bleach alternative, also has deodorizing qualities.
• Liquid soap – Unscented castile soap made from of vegetable oil can be found in many health food stores, it’s a good base for all-purpose cleaners. (For areas where hard water is common, buy biodegradable detergent instead.) Alternately, save soap slivers and make your own liquid soap by combining them with water.
• White distilled vinegar – Good for removing mildew, cutting grease, dissipating odors, and removing stains and wax build-up
• Distilled water – Better for mixing with your other ingredients that tap water which may contain some minerals or chlorine depending on your local water supply.
• Isopropyl rubbing alcohol – Disinfectant.
• Bleach — Alternative disinfectant and stain remover. Chlorine bleach is toxic but used judiciously can be very effective. Never combine bleach with other substances.
• Salt – Use as a mild abrasive.
• Super fine steel wool – Restores luster to some surfaces such as stainless steel sinks.

We all know that white vinegar and water makes an excellent cleaner for windows and surfaces such as kitchen counters and bathroom fixtures. Another easy way to clean in the bathroom is to mix up a little liquid clothes detergent with baking soda into a paste and use that to scrub tiles, tubs, sinks and toliets. It is gentler on your skin than harsh chemicals and smells lovely. It leaves porcelin shining and beautiful and you won't leave the room choking on chemical smells.

There are many websites out there that have recipes for natural cleaning solutions. I think you will be amazed at how well they actually work. Your wallet will thank you as well because you won't be spending money on all sorts of cleaners. The information in this blog post is from www.demesne.info/Sustainable-Living/Greener-Cleaning.htm.

Remember: Store ALL cleaning solutions in clearly marked bottles or containers away from children or pets. Though less toxic than other cleaners, some ingredients are poisonous and can still hurt or kill humans and pets.

Fall/Winter Newsletter

Before you know it, the time will be here to send out our semi annual newsletter. We try to make it as interesting and informative as possible. If you would like to see something addressed in the newsletter, please let us know. You can post a comment to this post, email us at becky@pcwd.org, call us at 951-659-2675 or stop by the office located at 24917 Marion Ridge Rd. We love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Even if you don't have any newsletter suggestions, just stop in and say hi!

Bills are due!

Just a reminder. If you haven't paid your water bill yet, please do so before Sept. 10 to avoid a disconnect notice and/or a late fee. We mailed the bills on Aug. 3 and they were due by Aug. 25th. If you are having a problem, please call Becky at 951-659-2675 and discuss the situation with her. Our next billing date is Oct. 1, 2009. Thank you.

The value of water

We all know that water is a priceless commodity. Where would we be without fresh, clean water? Besides being a necessity for life, it is an incredible bargin! In a world of sky-rocketing prices on everything from food to homes to fuel, tap water remains one of the best deals around. At a fraction of a penny per gallon, tap water provides safety, convenience and freedom. Less than 1% of the average person's total personal income is spent on water and wastewater services.

Consider the prices you pay for other things as compared to water. How much would you be willing to spend on a nice dinner out? Chances are that one dinner would cost more than a water bill for one month. An 8 oz. glass of water can be refilled approximately 15,000 times for the same price as a six-pack of soda. How much was that bottle of wine you had with dinner last night? How about that blended coffee drink you had this morning?

The price of milk is around 3 to 4 dollars per gallon. One gallon of olive oil can set you back quite a bit as well. What about the price of juice these days? Studies show that bottled water is no purer than tap water, yet bottled water costs about 1,900% more. When you get right down to it, water is the best deal in town.

Add to that the fact that your water bill pays for a lot more than simply water. You get sophisticated water treatment, frequent testing and monitoring and a vast underground infrastructure that delivers safe, plentiful water right to your tap. We have knowledgeable, helpful staff manning the office and working in the field. As your water provider, we serve more than water. We provide value, public health, fire protection, reliability and peace of mind. Our job is to ensure that your water keeps flowing, not only today but well into the future. It's all part of our service commitment to you and everyone in our community. If you have any questions about your water bill, please feel free to call us at 951-659-2675 or stop in the office which is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road, Mon thru Fri from 9 to 12 and from 1 to4.

It's raining, it's pouring!

This morning brought some surprise wind and clouds. This afternoon brought a surprise thunderstorm! We even had some hail. What a wonderful way to start September. Hopefully this moisture is wide spread and will help all the firefighters with their fight against all the fires. We are blessed that ours is out and we dodged the bullet once more.

Friday Follies

If you are looking for a way to do some easy care gardening, check out this website.

www.hangpot.com

It is a clever way to hang pots on fences, walls, posts or garden gates. It is a wonderful way to have a garden with out having to go through all the work of digging up the ground. You can grow a variety of things in these pots. While they aren't big enough for something like a tomato plant, they would make a great way to have an herb garden, grow strawberries, lettuce or anything else that is on the small side.

End of Summer Musings

Now that we are at the end of August, we have to big weekends coming up. This weekend of course, is the Jazz Festival. It will be a little challenging for some people to make up to the hill due to the closure of Highway 74 from Hemet. However, 243 from Banning will remain open and so everyone should be able to make it up ok.

Next weekend will bring the 3 day Labor Day weekend. I guess this means that summer will be officially over. School has already started and autumn, Halloween and Thanksgiving can't be far behind. While the carefree days of summer may be coming to an end, we certainly have a lot to look forward to with the coming cooler weather.

We hope that all of our customers enjoy these last two summer weekends. Please remember to turn your water off when you leave you mountain home.

Billing

There seems to be some confusion when it comes to our billing system, so here are the facts. They are also listed on our website at www.pcwd.org.

We bill on the first work day of the even months (Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec). The bill is due on the 25th of that same month, or the following Monday if the 25th falls on the weekend. If your bill has not been paid by the 25th, late notices are then generated and the account is subject to disconnection and/or a $15.00 Late Fee after the 10th of the following month, unless the bill is paid in full, or you have called the office to make other arrangements.

We have had an occasional problem with the small postcard bills getting lost in the mail or not reaching the customer. If you have not received your bill by the 10th of the even months, please call our office to request a duplicate, or you can email becky@pcwd.org. Remember, you are responsible for your water bill even if it gets lost in the mail.

Please make sure that the office has your most current mailing address and a phone number to be used in case of an emergency. If you have not filled out your Application for Water Service yet, please do so as soon as possible. You can mail it in, drop it off at the office or fax it to 951-959-3112. Please email becky@pcwd.org with your current billing information and emergency phone number, or feel free to call the office and speak to us personally.

As always, please remember to turn off your water when you leave your mountain home.

Monday Musings

Early Saturday morning I awoke to a strange sound. What could that noise on the roof be? Then it dawned on me that it was rain! Oh happy day. It was raining. While it didn't turn out to be a lot of rain, at least it was something. It was refreshing to wake up to a cool, rainy morning. I pulled on my heavy robe as it felt pretty chilly in my house, and headed downstairs to put the kettle on for tea. I leisurely sipped a cup of hot tea while I listened to the raindrops come down. It was a wonderful way to start the day. It makes me long for autumn and cooler, wet weather and I thoroughly enjoyed the respite from the non-stop sunshine. Plus the smell of rain is one of lifes true pleasures.

I hope you too enjoyed the little shower Mother Nature saw fit to provide us with. I can only hope that we have more mornings like that in store for us.

Shake or wood shingle roofs

As a public service to our customers, we wanted to make you aware that The Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council is working with FEMA to obtain a grant that would help homeowners to replace wood shingle or shake roofs with class A fire resistant roof. A property owner could pay as little as 30% of the cost of a new roof. However, it is very important that you fill out an application as soon as possible in order to get put on the list now.

You may have already received a postcard in the mail from the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council regarding this matter. You can call MCFSC at 951-659-6208 or stop by their office to get put on the list. They are open Monday thru Friday, from 9 to 12 and 1 to 4.

The Pine Cove Water District wants to be sure our customers have the opportunity to apply for this program. We have sent a letter to those customers in our district that we have identified as having a wood shingle or shake roof, informing them of this program. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity. If you fall into this category, please check into this program as it could save you a lot of money on a new roof.

August Already?

Time is flying by and before we know it, summer will be over. We would like to remind everyone to be sure and TURN OFF your water at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home. Nothing can ruin a wonderful vacation like coming home only to find out you have had a leak. Turning off your water when you leave, not only prevents damage in your home should a leak occur inside, but it prevents excessive water usage should a leak go undetected for any amount of time. With the dry, hot weather we have been having, a small outdoor leak can go undetected for a long time. Many people mistakenly think that there would be a large wet area should a leak occur, but that is not always the case. Depending on the location and size of a leak, you may never see any wet ground at all.

Remember that any water that runs through your meter is your responsibility. So please be very diligent about turning your water off when you leave the hill and prevent a unfortunate situation from occurring.

Weather Station is up and running!

The weather station is back up and running! We are very excited to be able to provide up to date weather that is happening right here in Pine Cove. Just go to our website at www.pcwd.org and click on the link. We hope you find this weather station a useful tool.

Heat Wave

After a couple of very hot weeks, it was nice to have the clouds roll by on Saturday and spritz us with a few rain drops. It would have been nice to have more rain, but at least the clouds provided a little relief from the previous 2 weeks of heat and humidity. This type of weather is hard on not only us humans, but on our gardens as well. If you haven't already done so, perhaps now would be a good time to add some mulch to your garden.

Summer Projects

Now that the nice weather is here, this is the time most people try to get those remodeling projects done. If fixing up your kitchen or bathroom is on your to do list this summer, make sure you choose new appliances and fixtures that meet the Energy Star standards and are water saving. Do your research prior to purchasing. Take advantage of rebates not only from manufacturers, but from utility companies as well. By being an informed consumer, you will not only save money on the initial purchase, but you will continue to save money by lowering your utility bills. You will also be doing your part to help the planet.

If purchasing new appliances isn't in your immediate future, there are still things you can do to save energy. If your refrigerator has an automatic ice maker, turn it off. It saves electricity if you make ice in trays and fill up the ice bucket yourself.

You can make or purchase a solar oven and cook your meals outside by using free sunshine. Or try eating more raw foods, like salads, that need little or no cooking. Have fresh fruit for dessert instead of baking up tempting treats. A favorite at our house is fresh strawberries sliced up over graham crackers, topped with a little freshly made whipped cream. No baking required!

Take showers instead of baths, and keep them short. This not only saves water, but it also saves electricty or propane. By using less hot water, we use less energy, as well as less water. You can use a simple kitchen timer to time yourself. You can also turn off the water all together while you get lathered up and then just turn it back on long enough to rinse off. And don't forget to install a low flow shower head to save even more water. We have them available here at the water district office.

Now is also the perfect time to change out your toilet to a low flow model. We are currently offering a rebate of $100 on low flow toilets and you will save money each month on your water bill as well.

Don't let water run down the drain while you wait for it to get hot. Keep a large stock pot in the kitchen and a bucket in the bathroom to collect the water that would normally run down the drain. That water can then be used for cooking or for watering plants, or even added into the washer. Don't let it just run down the drain. Better yet, install a hot water recycling unit like a Chili Pepper, and get a $100 rebate and instant hot water.

If a new washer is in your future, be sure to check out the front loading models that use about half the water of a top loader. They use less energy, less water and are gentler to your clothes. They come in a variety of sizes to fit most any situation. Many can even be stacked if you are short on space.

There are many options today to lower your energy costs and save water and money. So before you start your summer remodeling projects, do your homework and you will be glad you did.

July already?

As the 4th of July weekend draws near, it is hard to believe that the year is offically half over now. We hope everyone has a pleasant and safe holiday weekend.

The next board meeting will be held on July 8th at 10 am. We hope you are able to attend.

As summer is now in full swing, please continue to monitor your water use and take advantage of our free mulch and water saving kits. If you need more information, feel free to stop in the district office or give us a call. If you have any water saving tips you would like to share with us, please leave a comment. We would love to hear about everyone's ideas for saving water at this time of the year.

We also have lots of blue bird houses ready for pick up. Just stop by the district office as ask for one!