WRD's 8TH Annual Groundwater Festival Celebrates National Groundwater Awareness Week

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Water Replenishment District of Southern California

Mar 18, 2015, 02:00 ET

LAKEWOOD, Calif., March 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) hosted its 8^th Annual "Treasure Beneath Our Feet" Groundwater Festival on Saturday, March 14^th, amid record high temperatures. Thousands of people enjoyed the Festival's 40 environmental exhibits which included interactive games and educational activities along with a multitude of practical conservation information.

Long Beach family wins Grand Prize high-efficiency washing machine at WRD Groundwater Festival.

"We're very proud to host this important annual event to bring greater awareness and understanding about our most important natural resource – groundwater," said WRD Board President Sergio Calderon. "The Groundwater Festival provides families and individuals the chance to meet and talk with our expert exhibitors and with WRD's own professional staff who manage our groundwater day-to-day."

Patrick Healy, long time reporter for NBC4 Southern California, served for a second consecutive year as the Master of Ceremonies for the WRD Groundwater Awards presentation. This year WRD's Board of Directors presented the Groundwater Champion Award to California State Senator Ben Allen. The WRD Groundwater Ambassador Award was given to the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, while Pico Water District received the WRD Groundwater Community Partners Award. The honorees were recognized for their efforts to ensure a clean, locally reliable and affordable source of water for residents of Southern California.

"WRD continues to expand the boundaries of ingenuity for water sustainability in California," said State Senator Ben Allen. "Groundwater is one of our most vital local resources, making up 40% of the region's water supply. As trends show drier future years, groundwater will only become more important to meeting our demands. I thank WRD for honoring me and I look forward to working together to find ways to expand clean, safe and reliable local water for our communities."

"This year's WRD Groundwater Award honorees are true partners in our aim to become completely independent of imported water," added Calderon. "Senator Allen is a leading voice in the legislature for improved groundwater management and we are grateful for his leadership. Locally, the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County and Pico Water District are dependable allies promoting expanded sustainable alternatives to imported water as well as increased conservation."

The Annual WRD Groundwater Festival celebrates National Groundwater Awareness Week, and is made possible through the generous support of WRD's sponsors and partners. For more information please visit www.wrd.org.

The Water Replenishment District of Southern California is the regional groundwater management agency that protects and preserves the quantity and quality of groundwater for two of the most utilized urban basins in the State of California. The service area is home to over ten percent of California's population `residing in 43 cities in southern Los Angeles County. WRD is governed by a publicly elected Board of Directors which includes Willard H. Murray, Jr., Robert Katherman, John D. S. Allen, Sergio Calderon, and Albert Robles.

For more information, please visit WRD at www.wrd.org

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150318/182995

SOURCE Water Replenishment District of Southern California