Water Conservation

Reporter Jake Armstrong did a fine job in boiling down the complex subject of water rates ("Wholesale Water Rate Change to be Considered") in the Sun two weeks ago.

In reporting the rate Foothill Municipal Water District (FMWD) pays to Metropolitan Water District (MWD), however, I provided him with the rates for both treated and untreated water.

Since FMWD purchases only treated water from MWD, the rate we pay is the $326 reported PLUS a $92 treatment surcharge for a total of $418 an acre-foot. In my attempt to simplify the matter I only confused it.

While I have your attention, congratulations are due to Crescenta Valley citizens as a whole for helping FMWD and local water retail agencies meet water demands during the very warm weather during the middle of July. The green, yellow, red water conservation alert system "invented" by Crescenta Valley Water District and implemented by that agency plus La Cañada Irrigation District, Valley Water and Mesa Crest Water, as well as FMWD, seems to be having an impact.

It should be no secret in the valley that even if water supplies were infinite at the bottom of the hill, the system that moves water up to the valley is severely confined and in need of major renovations to improve both its capacity and overall reliability.

That said, remember that water conservation is a way of life and not an occasional drought-induced requirement.

Jay Malinowski

interim general manager

FMWD