Central Basin Approves Forward Thinking Water Use Efficiency Master Plan

The plan calls for saving over 4.4 billion gallons of water

COMMERCE, Calif., Nov. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Central Basin Municipal Water District Board of Directors adopted a new five year Water Use Efficiency Master Plan (WUE) at its November meeting. The WUE is designed to save 32,443 acre-feet of water through a variety of cost-effective programs and measures as well as an estimated $23 million in water purchases over the life of the program, which ends in 2016.

In developing the plan, analysis was conducted in the Central Basin service area to determine the areas where the largest uses of water occur, which programs provide the highest savings potential and which conservation programs are the most cost-effective.

The plan estimates that 68% of the estimated savings will be found in continuing the District's High Efficiency Toilet (HET) Programs. Over the past fifteen years Central Basin has funded the installation of several thousand HETs creating water savings of more than 3 billion gallons of water annually, but there remains an estimated 515,000 single family, multi-family and commercial units in our service area that are still using older non-efficient toilets. The older toilets use between three (3) and seven (7) gallons per flush, compared to the new HET models which use only 1.3 gallons per flush. The plan outlines six separate, locally tailored programs that will promote HETs to the residents and businesses in the service area.

"The Water Use Efficiency Master Plan provides a 5-year guide to help our region save tremendous amounts of water by focusing on the programs and resources that bring the most benefit to our communities," said Art Aguilar, General Manager for Central Basin. "This broader approach to water conservation helps our region to meet the State of California's goal of reducing water consumption by 2020."

In addition to the promotion of HETs, Central Basin will continue to promote water conservation programs, including providing weather-based irrigation controllers and programs for commercial and industrial water use.

In 2006, the Central Basin Board of Directors adopted a Conservation Master Plan that helped save over 25,000 acre-feet of water. The new plan takes into account the California Department of Water Resources 20x2020 program, which requires a 20% reduction in water usage by the year 2020.

"We have been doing a great job with our conservation programs in Central Basin. The programs have never been more popular or widespread in the communities that we serve," said Aguilar. "We are confident that this new Water Use Efficiency Master Plan and its ambitious goals are well within the reach of Central Basin and our residents."

To get more information on the Water Use Efficiency Master Plan please visit Central Basin's website at www.centralbasin.org.

Central Basin is a public agency that wholesales imported water to cities, mutual water companies, investor-owned utilities and private companies in southeast Los Angeles County, serving a population of more than 2 million. In addition, Central Basin provides the region with recycled water for municipal, commercial and industrial uses. Formed in 1952, Central Basin is committed to ensuring a safe and reliable water supply for the region. For more information please visit www.centralbasin.org.

Contact: Valerie Howard  
Phone: 323.201.5542

SOURCE Central Basin Municipal Water District

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