In 2019, Daily Acts and the Sonoma Ecology Center conducted outreach and a needs assessment as part of Bay Area Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWM) to collect information about water related issues affecting disadvantaged communities (DACs). Our goal was to reach a representative group of our DAC to learn about the various issues or challenges community members experience related to water, and to begin to develop a strategy of how to address the issues identified.

To complete this work, we partnered with schools, organizations and churches in Petaluma and Sonoma Valley to attend community events, facilitate listening sessions and conduct a bilingual survey looking at everything from water quality and flooding, to trash and trail access. See the needs assessment results below!

Needs Assessment Results

One notable finding of the report is that many Latinx residents rely on more-expensive bottled water or filtered tap water for drinking. In Petaluma, 60% of those surveyed referred to the taste or smell of the water being the biggest concern. In an effort to reduce plastic waste from water bottles, save money for the community and increase trust in the safety of tap water, Daily Acts is reaching out to local partners about the potential for an outreach campaign.
Another significant result is that over 65% of Petaluma respondents indicated that street flooding was the most common storm water issue observed, especially in areas along the 101 corridor. As a partner in the Southern Sonoma County Storm Water Resources Plan, the City of Petaluma is prioritizing capital improvement projects that will capture, divert, and recharge groundwater, to prevent flooding in these areas.