Check out this great pic of our purple pipe being installed under the Rio Hondo Bridge, which connects the cities of Pico Rivera and Montebello.

This 30″ diameter pipe is part of Central Basin’s Southeast Water Reliability Project. Once complete, it will bring recycled water to new communities in southeast LA County for landscape irrigation and industrial use.

BEFORE: A receiving pit on Beverly Blvd in Pico Rivera

AFTER: Moving right along! The same receiving pit, all cleaned up!

To stay on schedule with our Southeast Water Reliability Project, our construction crews will be laying 10,000 feet of recycled water pipeline before the end of July. The entire Phase 1 alignment is 25,000 feet of pipeline. If you take into account construction done earlier this year (we broke ground in January 2010), Phase 1 of our recycled water expansion project is 40% complete!

Questions or comments about construction? please call our toll-free project hotline at (888) 341-5707

While we hope that at least some of this surplus will be used to replenish our dangerously low groundwater reservoirs, from the sound of it, MWD is more interested in storing it all away for future use. Read more here.

Last week, the Whittier Daily News called us out. More specifically, they urged the Governor, the Metropolitan Water District and all of its member agencies to ”tell the truth about the drought.”

If California has had above-average rainfall, they asked, then why the need to conserve? If our water shortage depends on more than just rain, they pleaded, then let the people know.

In our view, the op-ed helps bring to light the many, many factors–from the fragility of the Bay-Delta to tainted groundwater supplies across the state–that have all played a part in our current water shortage. While rain is important, it is just one part of a much larger picture.

Metropolitan Water District’s Board Chairman Timothy Brick makes this point in his response, “Beyond Weather: Southland’s Water Challenges,” reminding us all that we’re going to need a lot more than an above-average rainy season to resolve our water woes. Read an excerpt after the jump:

The good news short-term is that the Southland and Northern California had close-to-average rain seasons. Yet on the troubling side, the Colorado River had another dry winter, moving this seven-state water system closer to a potential shortage situation in as soon as two years. Likewise, the Delta remains in ecological distress for many reasons.

Christine Kim, Grade 6, holds her winning poster with Education Manager Mark Moss

This year, sixth-grader Christine Kim from Stowers Elementary School in Cerritos, submitted the winning poster for the annual “Water is Life” Poster Contest.

While many wonderful entries were received, Christine’s poster shined the brightest, by illustrating water conservation tips and the powerful message, “Water 4 the Future of Many Lives.” From all of us at Central Basin, Congratulations Christine!

Held during Water Awareness Month each year by the Metropolitan Water District, the contest is open to Southern California students in grades k-12.  Winning entries like Christine’s will be featured in a 2011 “Water is Life” calendar.

Even as most agencies come out in support of the Governor’s plan (read Metropolitan Water District’s reaction here) if approved, this will no doubt raise serious questions as to how key portions of last year’s Delta Bill Package will be funded in the short term.

Lawmakers have until August 9th, the deadline for sending voter guides to the printer, to vote on delaying the ballot measure until 2012.

What others are saying:  NBC LA, Capitol Weekly, SFGates.com City Brights

One vital area they seemed to have skipped: water use data and related drought info for these communities. Still, since the unique make-up of our communities dictates the programs and services we provide, information like this is valuable to Central Basin and water providers across the region. Click here for a look at the 26 neighborhoods of Southeast LA , which includes many of the cities we serve.

No doubt this information will change with the upcoming release of the 2010 Census.

For a look at the community programs the District currently offers in conservation, education and recycling, please visit our website.

Community Garden Construction and Management is just one of the many youth and workforce development programs operated by the LA Conservation Corps for at-risk youth and young adults. All programs center on environmental conservation and public service. To learn more about this great organization and the good work it does within your community, click here.

“The Foundation’s Board of Directors inserted the word “Research” in the name of the organization to more accurately describe the work of the Foundation.”

While the name change may not be changing the good work the Foundation is already doing, we think it is a great reminder that in our global quest to maximize water recycling and desalination, the research of new technology is essential. Click here to learn more about what Central Basin is doing to further recycled water use in southeast LA County!

Laying Recycled Water Pipe in Montebello

Construction of the Southeast Water Reliability Project (SWRP) is moving along on schedule! We broke ground in January and are now laying pipe on Beverly Boulevard in Pico Rivera. 

With this exciting recycled water project well underway, we are starting to get attention from the media. Be sure to check out our article in the Whittier Daily News Water Awareness Issue later this month!

For more detailed information about SWRP and our construction schedule, please visit our website at http://www.centralbasin.org/recycledWater.html

We’re not the only ones who realize recycled water is an important strategy to help meet future water needs. To learn more, click here http://www.watereuse.org/foundation