Press Releases

CARSON, Calif. – On April 22, the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Board of Directors presented awards to the grand prize and honorable mention winners of the annual Water is Life Student Art Contest. The contest encourages students to create and illustrate water-smart conservation messages. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – As of April 1, the popular turf replacement rebate from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has been doubled from $1 to $2 per square foot of lawn removed. As a member agency of Metropolitan, the West Basin Municipal Water District qualifies for this program and encourages residents and businesses within its service area to apply for the increased rebate at www.bewaterwise.com where up to $50 million in applications will be accepted annually. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – On this World Water Day, the West Basin Municipal Water District introduces a renewed approach to addressing its service area’s water future. The Water for Tomorrow Program brings new emphasis to West Basin’s commitment to protecting, securing and diversifying its water supply portfolio while building upon its history of innovation and industry leadership. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – Community members joined the West Basin Municipal Water District Board of Directors at a special board meeting and reception on Feb. 13 to recognize Division II Director Gloria D. Gray as the newly elected Chairwoman of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District will offer a series of free Lunch & Learn classes, providing members of the community the chance to learn about local water issues during an informative lunch hosted by West Basin. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – At the January board meeting, the West Basin Municipal Water District board of directors elected Scott Houston to serve as its board president and Gloria D. Gray to serve as its board vice president for 2019. Directors Harold Williams and Carol W. Kwan were named board treasurer and board secretary; respectively Director Donald L. Dear was named immediate past president. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District will host a series of five distribution events to give away free rain barrels to qualified District residents. The 55-gallon rain barrels help residents collect rainwater to use for landscaping and prevent runoff to storm drains. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – America’s Water Infrastructure Act, the comprehensive infrastructure legislation passed by Congress in the fall and signed by the president on Oct. 23, will allow West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) to access an additional $35 million in federal funding for its Harbor South Bay Water Recycling project. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District hosted nearly 1,100 attendees at the 20th annual Water Harvest festival on Saturday, Oct. 20. During this time, the West Basin board of directors celebrated local businesses and individuals who have made a significant impact through their commitment to water reliability during an awards ceremony at the event. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – In a vote by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) Board of Directors, West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Director Gloria D. Gray was elected to serve as chairwoman of the MWD board. Gray is the first African-American woman in Metropolitan’s 90 -year history to hold the position. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District will host its 20th annual Water Harvest festival on Saturday, Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. outside of its Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility (ECLWRF) in El Segundo, Calif. The free, family-oriented event will be a block party this year featuring educational booths, games, giveaways and water-related activities. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – The West Basin Municipal Water District has re-opened applications for public facilities to apply for grant funding for up to $1,000 to install water bottle filling stations. The popular program provides community members with more access to safe and reliable tap water to refill their personal, eco-friendly reusable water bottles. Download Press Release

MALIBU, Calif. (July 25, 2018) – With increasing temperatures, persistent drought conditions and a prolonged fire season, it continues to be important to save water. To address these pressing environmental issues, the City of Malibu, Los Angeles County Waterworks and West Basin Municipal Water District are launching a comprehensive water conservation program. The Malibu Smart and Topanga Smart water savings programs will help both residential customers and businesses reduce water use. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District will offer free classes for District residents and business owners to learn how to take advantage of the Metropolitan Water District’s new Landscape Transformation Program.* Metropolitan’s new rebate program offers guidelines for residents as well as commercial, industrial and institutional users to qualify to receive $1 for every square foot of grass they replace with more water-efficient native plants, irrigation systems and sustainable features. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) is a wholesale water agency that provides imported drinking water to nearly one million people in 17 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County. West Basin is also an industry leader in producing and delivering recycled water for more than 300 sites with 400 connections, and has now achieved a major milestone of producing more than 200 billion gallons of recycled water. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – Public comment and input on the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the potential West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) ocean water desalination facility in El Segundo, Calif. is a critical component of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) announces that the public comment period for the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the potential ocean water desalination facility in El Segundo, Calif. has been extended through Monday, June 25, 2018. The Board of Directors took action at its May 3, 2018 special board meeting to extend the public comment period an additional 31 days. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) is hosting two public meetings for community members to attend and learn more about the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the potential ocean water desalination facility in El Segundo, Calif. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) announces that the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the potential ocean water desalination facility in El Segundo, Calif. is available for public review and comment for a 60-day period through May 25, 2018. The report is available online at www.westbasin.org/desal and the general public is encouraged to attend two public meetings scheduled on April 25 and May 12, 2018. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – The West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Board of Directors announced that Patrick Sheilds will serve as the new General Manager of the District. Bringing more than 20 years of executive experience in the water industry in both public and private sectors, Sheilds will support West Basin in achieving its water reliability goals. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) and Northrop Grumman Corp. announced the beginning of a pilot project that will enable the use of recycled water for three cooling towers located on the company’s Redondo Beach facility. By using West Basin’s locally-produced recycled water for the cooling towers, Northrop is initially projected to save up to 16 million gallons of drinking water per year. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) announces today that the public agency has signed a memorandum of agreement to partner with the City of Los Angeles to launch a pilot program at the City’s Hyperion Water Treatment Facility that will improve water quality at Hyperion and increase production of recycled water for the City and West Basin service area. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – As part of its efforts to increase water conservation in its communities, West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) announces a variety of opportunities for residents to hear about local water issues, receive free water-saving devices, as well as learn how to use these products and receive professional installation support. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – At the January board meeting, the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Board of Directors selected officers for 2018. Division V Director Donald L. Dear was named board president, with Division IV Director Scott Houston serving as vice president. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Division III Director Carol W. Kwan presented a $9,000 check to the Surfrider Foundation on January 7 in support of their Blue Water Task Force “Teach and Test Program.” Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) will give away 2,000 rain barrels to District residents in a series of five events beginning in January 2018. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) will host its 19th annual Water Harvest Festival (Water Harvest) on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at its Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility in El Segundo, Calif. The free family-oriented event will feature 28 educational booths, games, giveaways and water-related activities. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – The West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Board of Directors announced a new program to fund water bottle filling stations at public facilities. The pilot program was created to provide community members with more access to safe and reliable tap water to refill their personal, eco-friendly water bottles. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) and the City of Gardena (Gardena) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 20 that unveiled an Ocean Friendly Garden (OFG) at the Mayme Dear Library, a County of Los Angeles Public Library in Gardena. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – Members of the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Board of Directors met with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in Washington, D.C. this Spring, to provide a briefing on West Basin endeavors and present her with the District’s Legislator of the Year award. Download Press Release

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) completed its 15th annual Solar Cup™ competition on May 21, as first time competitor, Manhattan Beach’s Mira Costa High School took home the top prizes in the rookie division this year. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – On a recent trip to Sacramento, members of the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Board of Directors met with California Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) to provide a briefing on West Basin endeavors and to present him with its Legislator of the Year award. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) awarded West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) $800,625 as part of DWR’s 2016 Water-Energy Grant Program. The award will provide funding for two of West Basin’s conservation programs beginning this summer, including the Disadvantaged Community Water-Energy Savings Initiative Program (DAC), and the Cash 4 Kitchens Program (C4K). Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) and the City of Inglewood (Inglewood) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to unveil an Ocean Friendly Garden (OFG), as part of West Basin’s Ocean Friendly Landscape Program, at Inglewood City Hall (City Hall). West Basin Division II Director Gloria D. Gray joined Inglewood officials and community partners for the event. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Division IV Director Scott Houston and West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister at the unveiling of the Ocean Friendly Garden in the city of West Hollywood. The project is sponsored in part by West Basin as part of its Ocean Friendly Garden Program. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – At the January board meeting, the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Board of Directors elected new board positions for 2017. Division I Director Harold C. Williams was named board president, with Division IV Director Scott Houston serving as vice president. Division V Director Donald L. Dear and Division II Director Gloria D. Gray will serve as treasurer and secretary, respectively. Division III Director Carol W. Kwan, who previously served as board president, was named immediate past president. Download Press Release

CARSON, Calif. – The Water is Life student art contest is an education program of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan), a regional water provider whose member agencies include the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin). West Basin, the local water wholesaler for the coastal cities of Los Angeles County, implements the Water is Life contest each year. This annual education program inspires and challenges students to portray the importance of water and water efficiency using creative slogans and original artwork. Download Press Release

Water use is down 13% in West Basin's service area, which includes most of L.A.'s South Bay and surrounding areas, but more conservation is needed to overcome the challenges of the Bay Delta. Download Press Release

West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin), providing wholesale drinking water and five types of ‘designer' recycled waters to coastal L.A. County, has hired 11-year water industry veteran Shivaji Deshmukh to be its new Assistant General Manager. Download Press Release

West Basin President Gloria D. Gray has been appointed to a four year term and sworn in to California's Delta Stewardship Council (Council) to help the Council achieve the two co-equal goals of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring and enhancing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta (Bay Delta) ecosystem. President Gray joins six other members on the Council, including Phil Isenberg, Randy Fiorini, Patrick Johnston, Hank Nordhoff, Dan Nottoli, and Richard Roos- Collins. Download Press Release

West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Director and Vice President Ronald C. (Ron) Smith will represent West Basin on the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) Board of Directors. Download Press Release

In a recent Green Garden workshop, West Basin Municipal Water District Director Gloria Gray, of Inglewood, helped 60 residents of Athens, Ladera Heights and Inglewood reduce their water use outdoors by providing them with free landscape water audits and free irrigation controllers. Download Press Release

West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) recently started constructing one of the first ocean-water desalination demonstration facilities to utilize ocean protection technology at the source of intake and discharge. The facility is co-located at the Los Angeles Conservation Corps' SEA Lab education center in Redondo Beach and is part of West Basin's Water Reliability 2020 (WR2020) initiative to reduce dependence on unreliable imported water use in the South Bay from 66 percent to 33 percent by the year 2020. Download Press Release

Huell Howser recently completed a 28-minute video about the water crisis in southern California. The video explains how the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) is responding to decreasing, less reliable imported water supplies resulting from population growth, environmental restoration, and long-term impacts like climate change through its Water Reliability 2020 (WR2020) program. The WR2020 DVDs are available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis to those who live or work in the West Basin service area. Download Press Release

West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Director Ronald C. (Ron) Smith recently provided Certificates of Excellence to Palos Verdes Businesses at the Palos Verdes Chamber of Commerce's annual "Salute to Business" awards dinner. The following Palos Verdes businesses were honored: Morgan's Jewelers, Malaga Bank, Trio Mediterranean Grill, CL!X Portrait Studios, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Harbor Area's "College Bound" Program and Randy Bowers, immediate past chair of the Palos Verdes Chamber of Commerce. Download Press Release

Last week, West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) hosted 15 high school students in honor of Job Shadow Day at its water purification facility in El Segundo. High School students from Morningside High School, Inglewood High School, and Animo Leadership Charter High Schools in Inglewood visited the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility to explore a day in the life of plant operators, maintenance workers, water quality specialists, chemists, engineers, and management. Download Press Release

The West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Board of Directors has voted to support the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010 (Water Supply Act). The Water Supply Act will provide $11.14 billion in bond funding to improve California's aging infrastructure, invest in watershed planning and new water supply projects, and protect the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta (Bay Delta) environment. Download Press Release

Director Gloria D. Gray (Division II) has been elected by her peers to serve as Board President, Director Ronald C. (Ron) Smith (Division I) has been elected to serve as Vice President.  Read the press release for more... Download Press Release

West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for budget reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) and the Certificate of Excellence Award for a model investment policy from the Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada (APT US&C). Download Press Release

Helping residents to cut water use at home, West Basin Municipal Water District directors Ronald Smith, Carol Kwan and Donald Dear recently distributed 161 Smart® irrigation controllers to residents within their respective divisions with help from three community organizations... Download Press Release

West Basin Municipal Water District Director Ronald C. (Ron) Smith recently provided Certificates of Excellence to Educators of the Year at the Palos Verdes Peninsula's 29th Annual Rotary Educator of the Year Awards. Download Press Release

West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) and United Water are being awarded the Service Award for Outstanding Leadership and Projects by the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP). Download Press Release

West Basin’s 11th Annual Water Harvest festival held on Saturday, October 24, 2009, educated the community about where our water comes from, how much water we use on a daily basis... Download Press Release

Efficient and Ocean-Friendly in FREE Landscape Workshop Don’t miss your chance to participate in the next FREE Ocean-Friendly Landscape Workshop on Saturday November, 14, 2009 from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. at the Redondo Beach Library, 303 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach. The class will be taught by G3 LA, the Green Garden Group. Download Press Release

Every Drop Counts Explore the Seven Wonders of California’s Water World as West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) hosts its 11th annual Water Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Download Press Release

Water and Energy efficiency has earned Cal State University Dominguez Hills (CSU Dominguez Hills) one of West Basin’s first Water Reliability 2020 Awards. Download Press Release

Water and Energy efficiency has earned Cal State University Dominguez Hills (CSU Dominguez Hills) one of West Basin’s first Water Reliability 2020 Awards. Download Press Release