For more information about...

Conservation Master Plan Update

Fast-Track to Record Water-Savings

When it came to developing the Conservation Master Plan (CMP), two things were certain from the beginning: first, the plan had to be flexible enough that conservation programs could be evaluated and adjusted as needed; and second, achieving the CMP's key milestones would require collaboration, teamwork and the support of valued partners.

Today, the support of key industry and community leaders has helped put the District on the fast-track to meeting its water-saving goals by increasing public participation and awareness like never before.

By enhancing current rebate incentives offered through Metropolitan Water District's Save-A-Buck program, the District was able to make popular water-saving devices even more affordable, igniting record participation by residents and businesses throughout the service area. Within three months, small businesses in the cities of Lynwood, South Gate, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Commerce and Downey redeemed more than $50,000 in rebates allocated for fiscal year 2006- 2007. By upgrading their businesses with commercial- grade, high-efficiency toilets and washing machines, customers received up to $660.

Additionally, in the coming months, Central Basin will launch the LivingWise program, a highlyanticipated collaboration between the District, Southern California Edison and the Southern California Gas Company. Through this program, sixth-graders throughout the service area will receive fun, take-home kits that contain water and energy-saving devices that can be easily installed at home. Once devices are installed, a series of classroom assignments, projects and games will help students track water and energy savings in their home.

This is just a snapshot of the exciting projects that lay ahead. As new milestones are met, the District looks forward to keeping the public updated and involved, finding new opportunities for community partnership-building and collaboration. For the latest information about these programs and rebates, please visit www.centralbasin.org.

---

More CMP updates to come in the next issue of Central Focus

Message from the General Manager

As we embark on 2007, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the changes and achievements of the past six months.

Since separating from our former sister agency, Central Basin has undergone significant organizational restructuring to streamline and enhance the way we do business. Our goal was to deliver the best quality service to our stakeholders and commit ourselves to better serving our community.

We knew we had a lot of work ahead of us, so we rolled up our sleeves and dedicated ourselves to building a District that is unique and progressive. I am proud of what we have accomplished in such a short period of time, but more importantly, I am grateful for a Board that believes in its staff, and for a staff that is one the hardest working groups of people I have ever known.

In the past six months, we have built partnerships with our cities and purveyors to increase water awareness and bring much-needed resources to our communities. We worked with cities such as Bell Gardens, Whittier, Maywood and Huntington Park to pursue local and state funding to promote conservation. We partnered with Park Water Co., Southern California Edison and Southern California Gas Co. to launch our Conservation Master Plan, and continue to work with our partners statewide to forge a groundbreaking collaboration between water and energy.

In addition, we redesigned and expanded our education program to better meet the needs of the youth in our cities. We launched our first-ever Spanish-language website to cater to our multicultural and multilingual communities. In the area of finance, we received national recognition for excellent financial reporting. We are also moving forward with the Southeast Water Reliability Project (SWRP), one of the largest recycled water projects in the District’s history that will conserve more than 5 billion gallons of potable water annually for the region.

For Central Basin, change has been a very good thing. When I look back at what we have accomplished in recent months, I am proud and excited; proud of the hard-working men and women who define this organization, and excited for the future ahead. With your support, we will continue to fulfill the simple promise we made to you when we started six months ago - to better serve our communities. Thank you.

Art Aguilar
General Manager

Wash 'N Save

Raise Money, Reduce Runoff

How do you improve a fundraiser that's already as popular and effective as a car wash?

For Central Basin, the answer was simple: forge new partnerships that will help community groups raise money while saving water.

After all, at a single car wash fundraiser event, more than 6,000 gallons of water, biodegradable materials and toxins are sent down the storm drain and straight into our rivers, oceans and lakes.

To mitigate this growing problem and help make these fundraisers more environmentally friendly, Central Basin has partnered with the Western Carwash Association (WCA) to launch the Wash 'N Cash program. Through this program, high schools, youth groups and other community based organizations (CBOs) in the Central Basin service area will team up with local commercial car washes to raise money.

Here's how it works: through this program, CBOs sell coupons for $ 8 - $10, which are redeemed at the local participating car wash. For each ticket sold, the CBO earns up to $5.

By moving car washes away from the parking lots and school driveways and into full-service, professional car wash facilities, more than 85% of all the water used - water that would normally contaminate our storm drains - is filtered and reclaimed.

For more information on the Wash 'N Cash program please contact the WCA at ( 800) 344-9274.

"Water for Life" is for Everyone

New District Workshop Reaches Bilingual Audience

When Huntington Park High School asked Central Basin to hold a workshop for Spanish-speaking parents interested in learning about water conservation, we were more than happy to help.

Little did we know that the presentation, driven by the questions of an enthused audience, would turn into a forum for important community dialogue, touching on everything from the region's water history to advances in water recycling.

With the success of this event, Central Basin is now offering the bilingual Water for Life Workshop to local community groups and schools interested in learning about the region's water resource issues, Southern California's fascinating water history, and the simple but effective ways everyone can conserve. For more information about this workshop or other conservation programs, please visit www.centralbasin.org, or call Rosa Castro, the District's Conservation Coordinator, at (310) 436-2609.

Cultivating Tomorrow's Water Leaders

Central Basin Introduces the

Central Basin is proud to announce the Water Scholar Award, a $5,000 scholarship for college-bound high school seniors pursuing water-related areas of study, including engineering, environmental studies and public administration.

The Water Scholar Award will be granted to one student from each of Central Basin's five divisions. Scholarship applications are due April 26, 2007 and award winners will be notified in May 2007.

For rules, deadlines, and more information about the program, please visit Central Basin's website at www.centralbasin.org or contact Mark Moss, the District's Education Manager, at (310) 436-2619.

Website Updates

Have you visited the Central Basin website lately?

Exciting things are happening at www.centralbasin.org, where more than 2,000 people each month are finding the latest news on community programs, board meeting updates and available rebates, not to mention many more recently added features. To reach our bilingual communities, we've also added a comprehensive Spanish-language section!