All eyes are on Bell Gardens as the new “it” city for healthy living.  Market Wire recently highlighted the city council’s decision to implement a healthy vending policy in city-owned

youth parks and recreation centers.  This is a forward thinking step that could help in positively changing eating patterns.

The adoption of this policy is an example of Bell Garden’s dedication to improving the health and well-being of their residents.   Read the rest of this entry »

There are not many places where you can enjoy a dip in the ocean in the morning and then enjoy your afternoon skiing on the slopes. We Southern Californians are indeed lucky to enjoy the amenities of living in the Golden State. Another benefit of living in Southern California are the California Friendly landscapes that homeowners can place on their property.  These landscapes are low maintenance and can add tremendous beauty to a home. Read the rest of this entry »

Featured in today’s Downey Patriot is a great article on how important it is to conserve water. The article also emphasizes the tremendous opportunity to save money on water bills by turning down the tap on lawns. 

It is helpful to consider watering during the early evening or early morning hours, which reduces water that becomes wasted through evaporation.  Also, lawns require only a few minutes of irrigation to absorb the water, any longer will allow more water to be wasted by runoff to sidewalks and streets. Read the rest of this entry »

Out of the ordinary would be an understatement if you were asked to comment on the amount of rain the Golden State has received this year. Attendees to the recent Central MWD Caucus were on hand to receive the water supply update for California from our own  Dave Hill, who serves as Water Resources Manager fron Central Basin.

Dave shared with us some extraordinary figures on our snowpack and the fact that our reservoirs are literally filled to the brim. With that though we do face some challenges with our limited storage capacity and also with the need to remain focused on conservation for the time when we aren’t so flush with rain. Read the rest of this entry »

This past week we were honored to have Delta Stewardship Council Executive Officer Joe Grindstaff serve as the keynote speaker for our monthly caucus. Over 60 community leaders attending the meeting where Mr. Grindstaff provided up update on the work the Delta Stewardship Council is doing. Read the rest of this entry »

Anna Resnick  from the City of Cerritos is the winner of the 2011 “Water Awareness Month Poster Contest”.

The poster contest is hosted by the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California in an effort to provide an artistict venue for students to communicate the importance of water.  The theme for the poster contest was “Water Is Life”.

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Central Basin has partnered with several of our water retailers to launch the Shut Your Tap! CARE Program starting July 1.  Under the program, qualifying families will receive a free bathroom upgrade that will replace old, water-wasting devices with new high-efficient ones. The retrofit includes a High-Efficiency Toilet, showerhead, faucet aerator for your sink and an Energy Star light bulb.

Supplies are limited and the program will conclude on December 1, 2011. To find out if you are eligible, please call (626) 335-1500.

Summer is finally here and here at Central Basin we couldn’t be more excited! After a very interesting six months of weather for California, we are looking forward to some sun. One of our favorite ways to enjoy the beauty of Southern California is to check out our region’s California Friendly Gardens. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, several thousand water industry professionals converged on the nation’s capital for the American Water Works Annual Convention and Exposition (ACE 11). Billed as the world’s water event, ACE 11 brought together experts from across the globe to discuss emerging water issues. Recognized internationally for our efforts to improve recycled water delivery in Southern California, Central Basin was asked to keynote a session on strategic outreach. Find out more about what we presented and about other conference highlights after the jump.

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Great piece in the New York Times this week about how the earth’s depleting groundwater can be detected from space. From the article:

The two satellites, each the size of a small car, travel in polar orbits about 135 miles apart. Each bombards the other with microwaves calibrating the distance between them down to intervals of less than the width of a human hair.

And the story only gets better from there. Check out what happens when the satellites detect changes in the water levels below the earth’s surface.  Whether you believe global warming is fact or fiction, the earth’s fast-dropping groundwater levels can’t be denied. The article raises the long debated question over if, and how, groundwater should be regulated.  Although Southern California is not on the list of troubled hot spots (the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley is, however) this is an issue we all need to pay attention to.

Here in Los Angeles County for instance, the sound management of the Central Groundwater Basin will help to ensure that issues like these are avoided and that public interests are protected.

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