Celebrating 100 Years With a Message to the Future

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New Meters Make Conservation Simple

Pasadena Water and Power is making it easier for you to track your monthly water and energy bills. Our crews are traveling gradually to every corner of the city, swapping out old meters with new, easy-to-read Automatic Meter Read (AMR) models.

The digital readouts make it simple to see how much water and energy you use, compare usage from month to month and see how your conservation efforts are paying off. The meters send data via a radio signal to hand-held devices carried by our meter readers, who no longer will need to enter your property in most cases.

With more than 16,000 electric AMR meters installed to date, the devices are the new standard for homes, apartments, condo complexes and other installations. AMR water meters will also be introduced this year, with the eventual goal of covering every home in the city.

To accommodate the improvements in your neighborhood, remember that the city’s Light and Power Ordinance allows PWP crews to enter private property to inspect or replace equipment. You can help us work quickly and keep our equipment in top shape by providing easy access and offering any keys or security-gate codes. Our crew members will always wear PWP ID badges and arrive in officially marked vehicles.

If you have any questions about the meter change-out program, call 744-4469

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Water Cleanup Deal Signed With NASA

Working closely with NASA, Pasadena Water and Power engineers are zeroing in on a proposed site for a new water treatment plant in Northwest Pasadena, continuing efforts to clean up decades-old pollution near the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

NASA, which owns the JPL site, has pledged $3.5 million annually for the construction and operation of a plant that will treat four city-owned wells and $2 million to refurbish the wells. Construction will begin in 2007.

The agreement is part of an ongoing effort to clean up soil and water contamination left over from U.S. Army testing. The area has tested positive for perchlorate, a common component of solid rocket fuel, and a list of other volatile organic compounds, making it the focus of an ongoing EPA Superfund cleanup. The pollution took eight city wells out of service, of which four will be treated by the new plant.

Over the past few years, NASA has taken on greater responsibility for cleaning up the contamination at JPL. One treatment plant has removed more than 250 pounds of chemical from JPL’s soil since 2002; another treatment plant began operating early last year to remove contaminants from groundwater directly below JPL. Plans are being developed for a new perchlorate removal system that will bring PWP’s Sunset Reservoir wells, east of JPL, back in service.

The newest treatment plant will begin operating soon near the Monk Hill aquifer.
Once it is up and running, PWP expects that water from these wells will meet all
state and federal standards for drinking water quality and that they will be brought
back into operation.

The investment and efforts will certainly pay off, bringing back a reliable supply of
lower-cost water to our customers.e posted in the Pasadena Star-News, the
Pasadena Weekly, and on our website.

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Create a “Smart” Sprinkler System

Pasadena Water and Power is offering residential water customers a free, four-hour landscaping class covering landscape design, California Friendly™ and native plants, efficient irrigation, watering and fertilizing. The class is set for Saturday, June 3, from 8 a.m. to noon at Eaton Canyon Nature Center.

Sign up and you’ll also receive a “smart” weather-based sprinkler controller that can tell if it’s sunny or rainy and then water your yard accordingly. To receive the new controller, you must have an existing in-ground irrigation system and bring in your existing controller.

Seating is limited. Call 744-3715 today for more information and to reserve your seat. 

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Save Water and Money

Pasadena Water and Power is celebrating Water Awareness Month in style by offering new, bigger rebates for high efficiency (HE) washing machines and dual flush toilets.

During the month of May only, each residential water customer can receive up to a $400 rebate for a high efficiency washing machine with a water factor of 5.5 gallons per cycle or less and up to a $300 rebate for a dual flush toilet. The washers use up to 50% less water and 40% less energy; dual flush toilets can save an average of 2,250 gallons of water each year.
 
You can qualify for a rebate by buying and installing these water saving devices during the month of May and submitting a rebate application to PWP no later than June 15, 2006. For a rebate application, information on qualifying products and more water saving ideas, go to the website or call the number listed below.