Staff Reports                                  

WALNUT – Walnut Valley Water District customers are being asked to voluntarily reduce their water use while a major source of supply is taken out of service for 10 days, beginning at midnight Monday, Feb. 29 through Wednesday, March 9.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) will upgrade its F.E. Weymouth Water Treatment Plant in La Verne. This shutdown will reduce the city’s available supplies by more than 50 percent, according to water officials.

As structures at Weymouth continue to age, regular maintenance is required to maintain supply reliability. The Weymouth plant was last fully shut down in March 2013.

While some local water agencies have access to groundwater, stored reservoir supplies and other sources to meet retail demands during the shutdown, the Walnut Valley Water District is nearly 100 percent dependent on imported water supplies.

To insure there is adequate water, reservoirs will be full prior to the shutdown, and another local water treatment plant will provide additional supplies. However, officials encourage customers to conserve water whenever possible.

To help conserve water, here are some steps to take:

• No outdoor watering – turn your sprinklers “OFF,”
• No hand-washing vehicles
• No filling swimming pools or spas
• No hosing down driveways and sidewalks.

Other water-saving measures include:

• Running only full loads in washing machines and dishwashers,
• Not leaving the tap running when washing dishes,
• Not leaving the water running while brushing your teeth or shaving. Our customers should be aware that some local parks and landscape areas that are irrigated with recycled water will not be impacted by the shutdown.