Beginning April 23, Residents in Nine Inland Valley Cities Asked to Reduce Water Use During Temporary Major Pipeline Shutdown

Deliveries from regional water line to be suspended six days while
state repairs upstream water works, affecting imported supplies for
nearly 1 million residents

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.

Contacts

Metropolitan
Rebecca Kimitch
(213) 217-6450
(202)
821-5253, cell
or
IEUA
Kathy Besser
(909) 993-1638
(909)
270-9374, cell
or
Three Valleys
Kirk Howie, (909) 621-5568