If your home is like mine in fall, things are getting busy. This includes life at the West Basin Municipal Water District, where I am a director.
I want to highlight my recent speech at World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, a ribbon cutting in Wiseburn, our recent Water Harvest Festival; and two cities turning 100 years old.
In late August, I traveled to Stockholm to attend and take part in a panel discussion on water reuse.
World Water Week is an annual conference organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute that serves as a focal point for water industry experts, practitioners, policymakers and business innovators.
They gather to exchange ideas, foster new thinking, and develop solutions to meet our world’s growing water challenges. The theme was “Water and Waste: Reduce and Reuse.”
I participated on a panel to discuss the technological advancements that further bridge the gap to successful wastewater reuse as we address the global implications of water scarcity and increased water demand.
I shared the story of West Basin’s more than 20 years of recycled water experience at our Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility in El Segundo.
It is a successful model of wastewater reuse designed for specific purposes within our service area that include groundwater replenishment, outdoor irrigation and industrial use.
A public agency, West Basin is a highly regarded water industry leader known for adopting new technologies and fostering research while growing the use of drought-proof recycled water.
As more regions of our world face water scarcity and security challenges, water managers and policymakers are looking to learn from agencies such as West Basin that have a proven track record of successful innovation to ensure water reliability while also being a resource for industry knowledge and experience.
A highlight of the conference was to gather with water professionals and academics from around the globe.
We are united in our mission and speak the universal language of water reuse and sustainability.
High-ranking officials addressed the attendees, including the president of the United Nations General Assembly, Peter Thomson, environment and infrastructure cabinet secretaries from a number of countries; astronaut Christer Fuglesang, a member of Sweden’s Royal Academy of Science, and a panel discussion led by Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia who dealt with major drought issues during his tenure.
I look forward to building upon this experience and strengthening these international relationships where West Basin can be a resource to other agencies and water utilities as we collectively work to address our world’s future water supply needs.
Wiseburn Walking Path
In September, I joined County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, civic leaders and community members to celebrate the long awaited opening of the Wiseburn Walking Path. Nearly a mile, the path features park benches, outdoor exercise equipment, drought-tolerant landscaping, solar-powered lighting and, of course, recycled water from West Basin’s world-renowned Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility.
I commend the residents of Wiseburn for their steadfast commitment to making this happen, and the many agency partners involved working together to see this project come to fruition.
Water Harvest Festival
This year, West Basin celebrates 70 years of water reliability. We held our 19th annual Water Harvest Festival on Oct. 14 at the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility in El Segundo. It was a great day to open our doors to the community with opportunities to tour the plant, meet numerous community partners at a variety of booths, win raffle prizes, and learn more about our precious water resources.
I presented West Hollywood City Councilmember Lauren Meister with the Division IV Water Reliability Award for her strong support of West Basin’s water reliability and conservation programs, including my efforts to successfully install a drought tolerant Ocean Friendly Garden landscape along Santa Monica Boulevard in her city earlier this year.
Water Harvest Festival
This year, West Basin celebrates 70 years of water reliability. We held our 19th Water Harvest Festival on Oct. 14 at the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility. It was a great day to open our doors to the community with opportunities to tour the plant, meet numerous community partners at a variety of booths, win raffle prizes, and learn more about our precious water resources.
I presented West Hollywood City Councilmember Lauren Meister with this year’s Division IV Water Reliability Award for her strong support of West Basin’s water reliability and conservation programs, including my efforts to successfully install a drought tolerant Ocean Friendly Garden landscape along Santa Monica Boulevard in her city earlier this year.
Happy Birthday
Two cities in West Basin’s Division IV are celebrating 100th birthdays. El Segundo was incorporated on Jan. 18, 1917, while Culver City was incorporated on Sept. 20, 1917
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