Get the Lead Out

Lead is, unfortunately, all around us. The metal can make its way into your body through exposure to old paint, contaminated soil and dust, workplace equipment and hobbies, products from overseas and even tap water.

Pasadena’s water almost never carries any detectable amount of lead. However, lead can dissolve into your tap water from your own plumbing. This can happen in any home – whether you have copper or galvanized steel pipes – and with old and new fixtures. While ingestion is dangerous for anyone, lead is particularly harmful to young children whose developing bodies and nervous systems can be severely affected.

You can protect yourself by allowing the faucet to run for about a minute before using it for drinking or cooking. (This is necessary first thing in the morning or any time water has been standing in pipes for several hours.) You can conserve the running water by catching it in a pitcher or bucket and using it to water plants or wash dishes.

You should also talk to your doctor about testing your children. The Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics have called for children to have blood tests for lead poisoning at ages 1 and 2, or any time before age 6 if they have never been tested. Tests are covered by private insurance and Medi-Cal.

For more information about lead, call Pasadena Public Health Department's Childhood
Lead Poisoning Program at 744-6171. If you have questions about your water supply, call PWP at 744-7011.

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Save Water and Money

Couple Taps into the Sun for Energy Savings

Reliable, pollution-free and more affordable than ever, a solar electric system may be just what you need to tame your monthly power bills.

Just ask Robert Nelson and Marguerite Renner, who celebrated the New Year by installing a 13-panel photovoltaic (PV) system at their 94-year-old home in Bungalow Heaven. The couple's roofer put them in touch with a solar contractor who tipped them off to PWP's solar incentive, which offers rebates of up to $3.50 per watt installed, to a maximum of $8,000, for residential customers.

"The bottom line is that PWP is helping you make an investment that will add value to your home while helping to reduce greenhouse gases," Nelson said. The couple is aiming for a zero-balance electric bill by the end of the year.

Participants in this program also qualify for "net metering," which causes their electric meters to run backwards when their solar systems generate more power than the customers need!

"My wife and I are at work during the day and there's no one home but the dog and three cats," said Nelson, a senior research scientist at JPL. "We're glad to know we're putting electricity back into the city grid at a time when PWP would have to pay a high price to import it."

Visit PWP's website or call the PWP AnswerLine (see bottom of column) for complete details, including federal tax credit information, a list of local installers and more.

Attention, Green Thumbs!

Back by popular demand, PWP is offering residential water customers a workshop covering landscape design, California Friendly and native plants, efficient irrigation systems, watering and fertilizing.
 
Don't miss this free workshop Saturday, June 23, from 8 a.m. to noon at Eaton Canyon Nature Center. All materials are provided. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Call 744-3715 today!

Summer is the Season for Saving Water.

Summer is coming, which means it’s time to conserve water! Follow these household tips from PWP:

  • Check your water meter to see if there are any leaks. If it's spinning and there's no water being used, there is probably an undetected leak somewhere.

  • Have a plumber check your household water pressure. If it is over 80 psi, have a pressure regulator installed outside.

  • While waiting for the shower to warm up, catch the cold water in a container to use on outside plants.

  • Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or while shaving.

  • When washing dishes by hand, use the least amount of detergent possible. If you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water.

  • If you only have one sink, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run.

  • Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator to avoid running the faucet to cool the water.

  • Defrost frozen foods without running water. Either plan ahead by placing frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave.

  • Clean vegetables by rinsing them in a filled sink or pan.

  • Use the garbage disposal less and garbage can more.

  • Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. If you only have a few dishes, it's better to wash them in the sink.