On November 19, NBC4 teamed up with Alhambra Unified School district and San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District and invited the local community to discuss the impact of drought on our community. More than 300 people attended at the Mark Keppel High School Auditorium in Alhambra and the audience included city officials, local professionals, reporters, students and parents. Throughout the evening the panel shared some great tips on how we can all become more water wise and collectively create a positive change in our environment.
NBC4’s Weathercaster Fritz Coleman and Meterologist Crystal Egger moderated the discussion and was joined by the panel including the City of Alhambra Fire Chief, Bill Walker; NBC4 Reporter Patrick Healy; Theodore Payne Foundation’s Director of Outreach, Lisa Novick; and the Council for Watershed Health’s Director of Programs Mike Antos. With a focus on the San Gabriel Valley the audience was given more insight into what the drought situation looks like in our own local community. Despite being surrounded by the San Gabriel Mountains, the runoff from the mountains is not enough to provide for our water usage and water is therefore brought in from Sacramento as well as the Colorado River. The statistics show that we need about 3 feet of rainfall to be able to come out of the extreme drought that California is facing. However, there are many ways that you as an individual whether you’re a homeowner or not, can help conserve more water. In fact the average daily water use by a Californian is 196 gallons! We therefore wanted to share some great water saving tips provided by saveourH2O.org, California Urban Forests Council and San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District:
- Install aerators on bathroom faucets – Saves 1.2 Gallons per person/day
- Turn off water when brushing teeth or shaving – Saves 10 Gallons per person/day
- Install a high-efficiency toilet (1.28 Gallons/flush) – Saves 19 Gallons per person/day
- Take five minute showers instead of 10 minute showers – Saves 12.5 Gallons per person/day
- Plant native or drought resistant tree and plant species – Non-native plants need 7 times more water than native plants.
- Place buckets in the shower to collect water while waiting for it to warm up.
- Water early in the morning or after the sun has set – Less water is lost to evaporation.
- Use a shut off nozzle and water bucket to wash your car – Save 25-50 gallons per day.
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean patios, driveways and sidewalks – Save up to 25 Gallons per day.
- Replace grass lawn with landscaping that requires less water.
Make sure to visit your city’s website o find out more about the current water conservation programs and rebates that help local residents implement water saving measures in their own homes. For Pasadena residents and homeowners go to http://www.cityofpasadena.net/waterandpower/savewater/
If you are interested in selling your home, call Irina Netchaev at 626-627-7107 for a private consultation.
