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$1.8 Million to Boost Water Conservation; Three Central Basin MWD Programs Recommended for Funding

Posted on: Thursday, 14 June 2007, 00:03 CDT

All three of Central Basin Municipal Water District's proposals, totaling $1.8 million for the Proposition 50: Water Use Efficiency grant, were recommended for funding by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) earlier this week.

As Southern California faces one of the driest years on record, the funding will provide much needed resources to expand water conservation efforts throughout the southeast Los Angeles County served by Central Basin. Through the three programs, multi-family residences throughout the District's service area will be retrofitted with High-Efficiency Toilets, local cities will undergo a conservation makeover by installing water-saving devices at public facilities, and water retailers will receive free technical assistance to promote conservation to multicultural communities. The programs will conserve more than 86 million gallons of drinking water annually.

"The grant projects will send the message that through partnerships, conservation programs can be successfully offered to all residents," said Central Basin Board President Robert Apodaca. "These programs will help to safeguard our precious limited supply of drinking water and reduce our dependence on the Bay-Delta."

The three projects recommended for funding were selected from a competitive statewide process that resulted in approximately 216 grant applications received by DWR. The projects were scored on a variety of categories including water-saving calculation, cost-effectiveness and innovation.

Through HELP (High-Efficiency Living Program), 10,000 High-Efficiency Toilets, flushing at approximately 1.2 gallons per flush (gpf), will replace water-wasting toilets that flush 3.5 gpf or more. This program is designed to target multi-family units, where there is higher water usage.

The program covers the cost of devices and installation, making it easier for property owners to participate.

The second program, Urban City Makeover, will transform disadvantaged communities into model conservation cities by installing water-saving devices and native plant landscapes at public facilities. An initial assessment of local interest in such programs was met with an overwhelming response. The program offers cities with limited resources an opportunity to participate in water conservation and become engaged in water issues that impact the region.

The third program is designed to provide technical assistance to urban water suppliers that serve multicultural and multilingual communities prevalent in the Central Basin service area. The goal is to promote water conservation through training and tools, including website development, research services and bill-stuffers.

The Proposition 50 Water Use Efficiency grant program primarily funds projects that provide water savings or in-stream flows that are beneficial to the Bay-Delta or the rest of the state.

Implementation for all of the three Central Basin grants is scheduled to begin in January 2008.

Source: Business Wire

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