Pasadena City Council Declares Water Shortage Emergency

In preparation of making major repairs on a La Verne and an Eagle Rock water treatment facility, the Pasadena City Council has declared a Level 4 water shortage emergency from Feb. 21-28 and has banned outdoor watering, with very few exceptions, in the city until pipeline deliveries resume.

With outdoor watering being Pasadena's greatest use of water, "the only solution to avoid running out of water is to curb demand and be self- sustaining," Pasadena Water and Power Assistant General Manager of Water Shan Kwan said.

"Our horticultural consultants advise that most established plants and lawns can hold up well without water for eight days, and much longer in this cooler weather," Pasadena Water and Power Water Conservation Manager Nancy Long said.

"We are telling our customers to consider rescheduling any new landscaping plans, since plants that aren't yet established are much more vulnerable."

A citywide notice "to help everyone get ready well in advance," will be mailed, Pasadena Water and Power General Manager Phyllis Currie said.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will stop all water deliveries to Pasadena and neighboring cities in order to perform system repairs and upgrades at its Eagle Rock Tower in Eagle Rock and its Weymouth Treatment Plant in La Verne.

Before the pipeline shutdown, Pasadena Water and Power will fill its 18 reservoirs with about 80 million gallons of local groundwater and water imported from Metropolitan Water District.

Although normal consumption during this period is about 22 million gallons per day, local groundwater wells only produce a maximum of 12 million gallons per day, making heightened conservation during the shutdown critical, particularly outdoors, Currie said.

"Even though this temporary cut in our water supply is severe, we are confident that Pasadena will once again rise to the challenge and cut back on daily water use, so that we all have enough water for drinking and vital indoor uses," Currie said.

Pasadena Water and Power customers "exceeded all expectations" for conservation during a water shortage emergency in 2011 "and helped us cut back water use by more than 30 percent. We believe they will rally this time again," Currie said.

Water-waste violations can be reported through the Water Shortage Hotline at (626) 744-8888.

More information on the watering ban, tips for how to prepare, and daily updates during the shutdown can be found at pwpweb.com/shutdown, on Pasadena Water and Power's Facebook page on its Twitter account, PWPNews.

Additional information will be posted on the city government's homepage, cityofpasadena.net and Pasadena's main Twitter account, @PasadenaGov.