Summer 2013 - Western Municipal Water District

Summer 2013
Western water news, info and tips
New Online Tools Help You Save Water
The Web portal and water budget calculator assist you
in your ongoing, individual efficient use of water. You’ll
also have access to your Western account information,
including how your unique water budget is calculated and how far under, or over, budget you were in past
months. The calculator also provides a forecast into
the future, allowing you to estimate your water budget
for the next three months. This feature gives you the
best opportunity to be water efficient during the billing
period and stay in the lower water rate. Remember, when the amount of water used rises beyond your budget, it’s charged
at a higher rate. Click the “calculator” link at wmwd.com to learn more.
Do We Have Your Info?
e’ve been here to help you transition to a waterefficient lifestyle with proven programs that save
water and money. And now, we’re pleased to announce
our new customer water budget calculator is available.
W
Please check the top section of your most recent water bill to ensure we have
your correct primary phone number. In case we need to contact you during an
emergency event, be sure to update your info and provide your email, too!
In this Issue
• Bay-Delta Update
• El Sobrante Solar Power System
General Information
951.571.7100
Billing
951.571.7104
After-hours Emergencies
951.789.5109
Landscapes Southern
California Style SM
Water Efficiency Garden
951.571.7236
Rebate Hotline
888.376.3314
Fax
951.571.0590
Email
[email protected]
Website
wmwd.com
Four different ways to update your info:
Call 951.571.7104
Email [email protected]
When making an online bill payment
Fill out the change of mailing address and contact
information section on the back of your bill stub
and mail it with your payment.
Don’t wait! Help us keep you informed.
Western Municipal
Water District
14205 Meridian Parkway
Riverside, CA 92518
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Western’s Green Streak Continues
with Electric Car Charging Stations We recently installed two electric car charging stations at our office located on Meridian Parkway, close to Interstate 215
and Alessandro Boulevard. They’re located in front of the
office and are available to the public 24 hours a day.
John V. Rossi
General Manager
Board of
Directors
Division 1
Charles D. Field
Vice President
Electric Charging
Rates
$1 per hour with
a $4 maximum
35¢ convenience fee and
10¢ text reminder fee apply
Payments are made with a Pay-by-Phone (PBP) service. You’ll receive a code via text message from your smart phone from a
third-party service to enter into the pedestal. If you don’t have
smartphone, you’ll be able to call the PBP service, provide a
credit card number and then a code will be provided.
President
Division 3
Brenda Dennstedt
Secretary-Treasurer
Division 4
Donald D. Galleano
Board Member
Division 5
S. R. “Al” Lopez
Board Member
A grant from the California Department of Architecture paid for the equipment and installation of the charging stations.
The charging stations are listed on websites, such as carstations.com, and designed to help
electric car owners find them using a smartphone.
Division 2
Thomas P. Evans
El Sobrante Solar Power System
Soaking Up Sun, Saving Money Our newly completed 916-kilowatt solar power system is online, set to deliver an expected savings of nearly $4.6 million over the next two decades.
With an estimated $110,000 per year in savings on electricity
from the new system, this investment will help keep our rates reasonable for the services we
provide to you, our customers.
Western contracted with SunPower to install the solar panel system at our Operations facility.
The solar panels follow the sun’s movement during the day, increasing sunlight capture over
conventional fixed-tilt systems.
This system marks the second time SunPower has provided energy services to Western.
In 2009, SunPower partnered with Western to deliver a 1-megawatt solar power system at
the Western Riverside County Wastewater Treatment Plant, a Western-administrated and
operated joint powers authority facility.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, our new system is expected to avoid
944 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year — which is equivalent to removing 3,560 cars
from California’s roads over the first 20 years of the system’s operation.
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California Bay-Delta
Why should you care?
The Bay-Delta is a critical part of California’s water delivery system but it’s in serious danger as it uses a century old, out-of-date system of agricultural levees to channel water through to the pump stations
that feed water south to the Southern California and the Central Valley.
If nothing is done, the levees may eventually fail from deterioration or collapse during a natural disaster
such as an earthquake. Southern California’s largest water supply would then be cut off for six months
or more.
To protect our water supply reliability and improve the
Bay-Delta’s ecosystem, the Bay Delta Conservation
Plan is being prepared through a collaboration of
state, federal and local government agencies, water
agencies, environmental organizations and other
interested parties.
The current plan is broken down into chapters and is
available for you to view at baydeltaconservationplan.com.
In addition, the Bay-Delta’s fragile ecosystem is threatened by invasive species, reduction in native fish
populations, saltwater intrusion and more.
What’s being done to improve our
water supply reliability?
Know that we are committed to supplying you with
the most up-to-date information regarding this
critical water resource. Information will be provided
via our website, Facebook and Twitter pages, bill
stuffers and more.
If you would like us to present at your next community
meeting and provide a first-hand account on the
importance the Bay-Delta, please email
[email protected] or call 951.571.7261.
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Western’s Donated
Backhoe Will Help
Firefighters
Western invited nonprofits and public agencies to submit an application for the
backhoe, valued at an estimated $1,500 to $3,500. The CAL FIRE/Riverside County
Fire Department submission was selected as they were seeking state certification
as a training site and were in need of equipment, including a backhoe.
This collaboration with the CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department will greatly
enhance their ability to train on collapsed trench situations and confined space
rescue operations. Fire personnel from throughout the Southern California region
will benefit from this donation and the strong relationship that has been forged
with Western Municipal Water District.
One of our backhoes met its service life and instead of selling it for a minimal return, we decided to
utilize a program that allows donations of surplus items to other government and nonprofit agencies. Our Case 580 Super-K Backhoe now has a new home at CAL FIRE/Riverside
County Fire Department and will continue to serve the public during emergencies.
McMillen, of Western, and a Cal Fire
Tom
representative
discuss backhoe uses.
Solar Cup Teams Compete, Students
Learn About Science and Teamwork Congratulations to our three Solar Cup high school teams — Arlington, Elsinore and Murrieta Mesa — who competed in late May against 36 other schools at Lake Skinner in Temecula.
The Solar Cup program is designed to increase students’ exposure to science
and mathematics, in addition to water-quality issues, such as MTBE (methyl
tertiary-butyl ether), a common fuel additive, and body contact with water. Each school year, we randomly select local high schools within our general
service area that are interested in having a team and sponsor them to
participate in Metropolitan Water District’s Solar Cup competition.
Check out images on our Facebook page!
2013 Solar Cup entries from top: Arlington High School,
Elsinore High School and Murrieta Mesa High School
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Value of Water
Tap water is cheaper than
soda pop. In fact, you can refill
an 8 oz. glass of tap water
approximately 15,000 times for
the same cost as a six-pack of
soda pop. And, water has
no sugar or caffeine.
Grants Help Region’s
Teachers Keep Water
Education in the
Classroom
Twenty-four deserving teachers
throughout western Riverside
County received 2013 Lois B. Krieger
Water Project Grants for Educators
grants totaling nearly $15,000. Krieger Grant award night.
These grants are an important part
of water education as most of the
classroom projects would not be
possible without the grants, which
range from $360 to a maximum
of $700. This year brought a record number
of entries, spanning from Temecula to
Jurupa Valley and from kindergarten
through twelfth-grade. While projects
from new applicants are always
submitted, there are also several
teachers who year-after-year make
water education a priority and
apply for — and often win — the
Krieger Grant.
2013 Lois B. Krieger Water Project Grant Recipients
• Danielle Salcido, Arlington High School, The Power of Water
• Araceli Anguiano, Corona High School, Human Sources of
Water Pollution
• Carrie Burdick-Rutz, Great Oak High School, Drips and Drops for
Each Seed
• Diane DeVasier, Elsinore High School, Lake Elsinore Water
Monitoring Project
• Anna Foutz, North High School, Porosity and Permeability
• Glenda Haas, Railroad Canyon Elementary School, Watering Our World
• Cathleen Hansen, Thompson Middle School, How Clean is Our Stream
• Sheri Harris, Arlington High School, Waste Not, Want Not
• Tara Hightower, Earhart Middle School, Physical Changes of Water
• Judith Howell, Thompson Middle School, How Clean is Our Stream
• Gabriela Luebeck, Thompson Middle School, How Clean is Our Stream
• David Marrett, Murrieta Valley High School, Native Plant Nursery
• Kelly Maxey Crowne, Hill Elementary School, Hydroponic Garden
• Jacqueline McIntosh, Gage Middle School, Investigating Water
• Stephen Oster, Arlington High School, Water Purity in Our
Local Environment
• Kelley Remington, Temescal Valley Elementary School, Learning About
Water and Conservation
• Glenda Rhea, Elsinore Elementary School, Water Changes Lives
• Aleta Rodriguez, Earhart Middle School, Interactive Stream Table
• Carlo Rozzi, Earhart Middle School, Effects of Water Topography
• Amy Sanchez, VanderMolen Elementary School, It’s a Wet, Wet World
• Chris Scolinos, Thompson Middle School, Water & Ancient Egypt
• Christopher Spencer, Santiago High School, California’s Water
• Laurie Tate, Elsinore Middle School, Draining Downward
• Nancy Windus, Temecula Middle School, Thirsty Plants
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Beat the Summer Heat
Please save water by irrigating
at night or before sunrise!
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You don’t have to flood your landscape all day and break the bank to have a nice looking front yard. Stay within your water budget and keep things green by following the tips below.
Irrigate your landscape after sunset and before sunrise to save water and money. During the hottest
hours of the day, more water is lost to evaporation from the heat and high winds.
Another way to stay under your water budget during peak temperatures is to cut one watering day per
week out of your daily sprinkler schedule. Taking just one day off can reduce your water use by as much
as 10 to 15 percent.
id-summer is the hottest time of year, bringing peak demand of water for lawns, gardens and landscapes,
especially in the Inland Empire. That’s why July was named Smart Irrigation Month and focuses attention on the importance of using water efficiently. More tips on efficient irrigation: 4smartirrigationmonth.org
4Western’s seasonal irrigation
guidelines, wmwd.com, search
“seasonal irrigation.”
Visit us at wmwd.com
4FreeSprinklerNozzles.com and participate in our program to help
you save more water when irrigating.
is published by
Western Municipal Water District
14205 Meridian Parkway
Riverside, California 92518
Forward your comments and suggestions to WMWD Community Affairs
at the above address or via email to [email protected]
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