Folsom Dam, as seen from the grounds of Folsom State Prison. Folsom Prison, and the neighboring California State Prison, Sacramento are situated directly next to Folsom Lake, a major water source for the central valley and Sacramento.
Both of these prisons have activated aggressive water savings measures to reduce water consumption and have reduced water usage by 20 percent.
Slideshow: 1. Folsom Dam, Folsom State Prison (foreground). 2. Folsom Dam, Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. 3. American River, west of Folsom Prison, as it flows into the canyon above Lake Natoma. 4. Drought resistant landscaping, Folsom Prison. 5. Water is first treated, then sent to Folsom through a network of massive pipes and valves. Reducing water consumption at the prison frees up water for other uses, downstream, for both drinking and agriculture. 6. Prison kitchen and laundry operations are two areas where CDCR has seen an improvement in water savings.
Water Savings
To conserve water as much as possible, CDCR enacted the following measures:
- Reporting monthly institution water consumption
- Institute low/no cost conservation methods statewide
- Distributed “Best Management Practices Water Management & Conservation” document. The document provides a checklist for the following:
- Eliminating nonessential water use,
- Modifying practices for water efficient landscaping
- Leak detection and repair – building systems and equipment
- Water-efficient irrigation
- Other items such as laundries and vehicle washing
- Conduct On-site Water Consumption Surveys– ongoing through June 30, 2009
- Water Conservation Projects – Installation of Flush Restricting Devices (ongoing)
