LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nearly 1 million consumers from La Verne to Fontana in the Inland Valley are being asked to reduce their water use—including refraining from outdoor watering—for six days beginning Monday, April 23, as a major imported water pipeline is taken out of service for repairs.
Officials from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California are joining with the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Three Valleys Municipal Water District and local retail agencies in making the water-saving request as Metropolitan prepares to suspend deliveries through its Rialto Pipeline to allow the state Department of Water Resources to make repairs to a state portion of the pipeline. The outage is scheduled to last until April 28.
Supplies for the affected communities in eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino counties will be limited during the shutdown. In addition to La Verne and Fontana, consumers in Montclair, Claremont, Upland, Chino Hills, Chino, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga are asked to contact their local water supplier to determine water-use restrictions for their communities.
Since many of the affected communities depend on imported water supplies, the loss of those supplies during the shutdown means they will have to rely exclusively on their local water supplies.
The water supply challenge also has been amplified by the abbreviated time period local agencies have had to plan and prepare for the shutdown. While most other facility shutdowns are scheduled at least a year in advance, the upcoming outage was scheduled after state officials identified the need for the repair in January.
“We’re asking all of our residents to rise to the challenge during this temporary, six-day shutdown and make an extra effort to limit their water use,” said Halla Razak, IEUA’s general manager. “With the potential of warmer spring weather, in order to ensure water is available during this critical repair work, we are recommending cutting back significantly on all outdoor watering.”
Residents can visit www.bewaterwise.com for water-saving tips. Periodic updates on the upgrade work also will be posted on www.mwdh2o.com.
Metropolitan’s 30-mile Rialto Pipeline extends from the state’s Devil Canyon Power Plant north of San Bernardino to Metropolitan’s San Dimas Power Plant, delivering up to 450,000 gallons of imported water a minute to Southland communities. A small portion of the pipeline is owned and maintained by the state, while the majority is owned and maintained by Metropolitan.
The pipeline is the only source of imported water for communities served by the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, which relies on Metropolitan water for about 30 percent of its water supply needs. Three Valleys, which uses Metropolitan water for up to 60 percent of its needs, has the ability to receive imported water through an alternate Metropolitan pipeline.
“This is a critical repair to state facilities that will help ensure the reliability of our water supply for years to come,” said Jim Green, Metropolitan’s water system operations manager. “Conservation by residents and businesses in the affected communities is essential to the successful completion of the repair work.”
In addition to suspending outdoor watering during the repair, consumers are asked to refrain from: filling swimming pools, hosing down driveways and sidewalks, and hand-washing vehicles. Other water-saving measures include running only full loads in washing machines and dishwashers, keeping showers to less than 5 minutes, limiting toilet flushing, and not leaving the water running while doing dishes, brushing your teeth or shaving.
For more water-saving tips, visit bewaterwise.com.
The following are helpful tips for consumers in the Inland Valley communities of La Verne, Claremont, Montclair, Upland, Chino Hills, Chino, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana as the Metropolitan Water District prepares to take a major water line out of service for six days to allow for repairs to an upstream facility.
The shutdown begins Monday, April 23, affecting imported water supplies serving the area. Consumers are asked to contact their local water supplier to determine water-use restrictions for their area.
PRIOR TO MONDAY, APRIL 23
- Do not plant new landscaping, which typically requires continual watering to establish plants, shrubs and trees. Delay new plantings until after April 28.
- Set mowers for a higher cut than normal. Longer blades of grass help reduce evaporation. Or, avoid mowing altogether.
- Avoid fertilizing lawns and plants prior to the shutdown. Fertilizer, which encourages growth, requires more water.
- Fill large containers, like trash bins, and use that water for hand watering delicate plants during the week.
- Until Sunday, April 22, deep-water trees and shrubs by either setting out soaker hoses or watering with a regular hose on a slow trickle. Water until the soil is soaked to a depth of about 8–12 inches (deeper for trees, more shallow for shrubs). Use a soil probe or a shovel to determine the depth to which the water has percolated.
- Do all laundry before Sunday night and avoid using the clothes washer during the shutdown.
- Do a normal, thorough watering of lawns, but not more than normal because the extra water will be wasted. Hand-water “hot” or dry spots on lawns.
- Have a deep collection dish at the base of house plants. Fill the dish Sunday night so plants can draw on that water throughout the week.
- Set sprinkler timers to the “OFF” position Sunday night.
DURING THE SHUTDOWN
- Take short showers (5-minute max).
- Put a bucket in the shower to collect the water before the shower warms up. Use this water for plants.
- Use collected water in trash bins or bathtubs to hand-water houseplants and sensitive outdoor plants as well as areas of the lawn that may show excessive stress (the hot spots).
- Do not leave water running when washing dishes.
- Run only full loads in washing machine and dishwasher.
- Do not leave water running when brushing your teeth or shaving.
- Do not mow your lawns. Minimize the use of your lawn (i.e. playing on it, leaving vehicles on it) to reduce stress on the turf.
For more water-saving tips, visit www.bewaterwise.com.
