During May, Water Awareness Month, the California Water Association (CWA) and member investor owned water utilities (IOUs) participated in the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Water Awareness Day on May 9 to showcase their supplier diversity and water conservation programs. The IOUs in attendance included California American Water Company, Park Water Company (PWC), San Jose Water Company (SJWC), Valencia Water Company, California Water Service Company (Cal Water) and Suburban Water Systems. The IOUs provided an overview of their programs and services and their commitment to maintaining safe and reliable water service to their customers.
PWC’s overview centered on three infrastructure projects, specifically highlighting repair and insulation of the water system. One of the projects was a $2.6 million water treatment project to remove arsenic and manganese, whereas two reservoir projects focused on water reliability and the goal of reducing reliance on outside water sources. PWC replaced the aging reservoir equipment in an environmentally friendly manner, which reduced reliance on imported water for residents of Southern California.
According to Daylyn Presley, PWC Public Information Officer, “All of these projects reflect PWC’s commitment to balancing the need to replace various elements of our extensive water system while ensuring cost-effectiveness and keeping our customers apprised of the changes.”
Cal Water celebrated Water Awareness Month with presentations on conservation to various Girl Scout troops and organized community Water Awareness Festivals in the Livermore and Stockton districts. The May festivals included informational booths hosted by Cal Water’s water quality, engineering, conservation and environmental affairs departments, as well as face painting and a coloring table for kids, raffles for adults and food. Local radio stations and fire departments also took part in the festivities.
To further celebrate, Cal Water’s conservation department hosted several events, including a plant sale at Home Depot in Torrance, Water Awareness Day at the British Petroleum Plant, Bakersfield’s Downtown Business Association’s Third Thursdays’ event and Utility Day at Washington Elementary in Redondo Beach.
In addition to participating in CWA’s Water Awareness Day at the CPUC, Cal Water also participated in CPUC’s Environmental Awareness Day for children.
Nearly 5,000 people turned out for SJWC’s 12th Annual Water Awareness Night on May 10 at San Jose Municipal Stadium. About a dozen SJWC employee volunteers and their family members greeted guests as they arrived at the game. Customers enjoyed visiting the SJWC water watcher truck stationed inside the front gate and received complimentary water conservation information kits and devices to help them use water more efficiently. Hundreds of kids participated in water-related games, including the hydrant ring toss and the toilet toss. Additionally, the first 500 kids entering the stadium received a toy SJWC truck.
The always popular San Jose Water Company Singers kicked off the game with the national anthem and also sang “God Bless America” during the 7th inning stretch. Tommy Rodriguez, a 39-year veteran of the engineering department, threw out the first pitch.
A fabulous 15-minute fireworks show followed the contest, which was won by the home team Giants 5-3 over the High Desert Mavericks.
Golden State Water Company (GSWC) honored Water Awareness Month with public announcements recognizing customers for their commitment to conservation and encouraging them to celebrate all 31 days of the month.
In 2012, GSWC’s customers saved more than 350 million gallons of water through conservation and rebate programs. Due to the customers’ commitment to water efficiency in their daily lives, GSWC is well on its way to meeting the 2020 goal of 20 percent per capita water consumption reduction.
With their focus on providing high-quality water, CWA’s member IOUs make water awareness a priority for their customers not only in May, but throughout the year.
