News accounts of the devastation in northern Pakistan following the 7.6--magnitude earthquake that struck the region on October 8, coupled with the lingering images of hurricane Katrina’s aftermath, serve as reminders of the powerful forces of nature. In earthquake prone California, we live with the risk of an equally catastrophic event. Are we better prepared to cope with a major disaster in the Bay Area?

Geologists have predicted that the greater San Francisco area will likely experience a signifi cant earthquake in the next 30 years. Nobody knows exactly when or where the next earthquake will strike, but we do know the precarious San Andreas Fault runs through Daly City. With such a notorious geographic feature in our midst, the motto of the California Earthquake Authority is one that should be adopted by all Daly City residents: Every day is Earthquake Season!

If you haven’t already taken the time to prepare an emergency supply kit, make it a family priority in the coming days. One of the most important lessons learned from previous disasters is that individuals need to be prepared to be self-suffi cient. It may take days for help to arrive.

Include the following items in your basic emergency kit:

• Water – store sealed containers in an accessible area of your house or garage– enough to last seven days for each member of your family (roughly 2 gallons per person, per day). Rotate your supply on an annual basis.

• Food – nonperishable meals ready-to-eat (MREs), dehydrated meals, or canned foods (remember to include a manual opener for canned foods – don’t count on the electric opener in the days after a major disaster).

• Radio – a battery powered portable radio with extra batteries. Tune to KCBS 740 AM for emergency information in the Bay Area.

• Flashlights – and more extra batteries!

• Prescription medications and a first aid kit.

• A cell phone and a predetermined contact number of a friend or relative outside of California. Share this number with members of your family and urge them to call in the event that local communication is not possible.

You may want to include other items in your survival kit, such as cash (no power, no ATMs), clothing, personal hygiene products, a fi re extinguisher, shovel, camp stove, pet food, and water purifi cation tablets. Be prepared to be self-suffi cient for at least 72 hours. You may also want to have copies of insurance policies and other important family documents in a secure but accessible location.

Visit your local library for a free copy of the Pocket Guide to Emergency Preparedness – a publication of the San Mateo County Public Health Department.

Golf courses, park reap the benefi ts of Daly City’s recycled water.

Three neighboring golf courses, the median strip along John Daly Blvd., and the athletic fi elds at Westlake Park share a unique trait – they are all irrigated with recycled water. The City’s tertiary treatment facility has produced millions of gallons of recycled water since opening in August 2004, supplying enough water to meet the irrigation needs of the Olympic Club, Lake Merced Golf and Country Club, and San Francisco Golf Club. Prior to the introduction of recycled water, the golf courses were irrigated with water pumped directly from deep underground wells. Collectively, the wells were pumping water from the Westside Groundwater Basin. The change to recycled water has had a positive effect in recharging the underground water table — a valuable source of our drinking water. Additionally, the City of Daly City and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) entered into an agreement that allows Daly City to use more surface water from San Francisco’s Hetch Hetchy system in lieu of pumping from wells. By replenishing the groundwater supply, Daly City is helping to preserve its well water for the future and as a reserve for use in drought years. The agreement with the SFPUC is expected to help raise regional groundwater levels.