Pasadena Plans to Enforce Total ‘No Outdoor Watering’ Plan

Pasadena residents are being advised to prepare for a Level 4 Water Supply Shortage Plan which will prohibit all outdoor watering, including the use of hand watering, from February 25 to March 10, 2016, when the Metropolitan Water District shuts down their Weymouth Treatment Plant in La Verne for planned facility upgrading.

Pasadena Water and Power Interim General Manager Erik Klinkner said PWP will be recommending this water-conservation measure to the City Council at its meeting on Monday, January 25. The Council is expected to approve it as a temporary adoption.

Pasadena gets 60 percent of its water supply from MWD.

During the shutdown, the city will rely solely on local groundwater from its wells and water stored in the city reservoirs. PWP says without a strong conservation effort during the period, Pasadena will not have sufficient water supply.

“The implementation of the Level 4 Shortage Plan status prohibits the use of all outdoor watering, including the use of hand watering,” a notice on PWP’s website says. “The City will continue to do its part to conserve water and during this time period will not conduct any scheduled water quality flushing, new service connections, and fire flow testing. During the last MWD Shutdown in 2013, a Level 4 Shortage Plan was implemented and the City received tremendous compliance from the community. We are asking for the same support this year.”

PWP also listed the following additional steps that residents can do to conserve water:

• Take 5 minute showers or less.
• Place a bucket in the shower to collect the water before the shower warms up; use this water for plants.
• Use collected water in trash bins or bathtubs to hand-water household plans and sensitive plants as well as areas of the lawn that may show excessive stress (hot spots).
• Do not leave the water running when washing dishes.
• Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.
• Do not leave water running when brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Do not wash your car(s).

To learn more about the planned MWD shutdown, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/waterandpower/mwdshutdown.