West Basin Receives $2 Million in Grant Funds to Expand its Recycled Water System to Palos Verdes Peninsula Area

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 5, 2016

Contact: Medha Paliwal, Public Information Specialist

310-660-6236 | MedhaP@westbasin.org

CARSON, Calif. — West Basin Municipal Water District, in partnership with the City of Palos Verdes Estates and Palos Verdes Golf Club, was awarded $2 million by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to provide recycled water to the Palos Verdes (PV) Golf Club, Los Arboles Park and Riviera Elementary School. An established leader in water conservation, the PV Golf Club plans to use recycled water for irrigation to help conserve even more drinking water during this time of severe drought.

“I’m proud of everyone involved in helping to bring recycled water to the Palos Verdes Golf Club and other sites,” said Board Vice President Harold C. Williams, who represents the Palos Verdes Peninsula region. “Even with our El Niño weather pattern, the water industry is facing significant challenges that can be positively addressed by expanding our recycling program. Growing population, higher temperatures, water shortages on the California and Colorado water systems and the current drought require that we expand our recycling to free up more drinking water for other uses.”

The project includes construction of a new recycled water pipeline, pump station and onsite storage to serve approximately 65 million gallons of recycled water per year. It also includes the extension of an existing recycled water pipeline in Torrance to connect to two additional sites – Los Arboles “Rocketship” Park and Riviera Elementary School – which will provide an additional 3 million gallons-a-year of recycled water for irrigation use.

The PV Golf Club continues to be an outstanding leader in water conservation having already implemented water-saving techniques such as removing turf, planting drought-tolerant grass and installing several water-efficient irrigation devices. Now they’re taking water efficiency to the next level by adding recycled water into their daily operations. The PV Golf Club will also enhance the native habitat surrounding the location of these new facilities as part of this project.

“We are extremely excited to begin using recycled water,” stated Pat Gradoville, superintendent for PV Golf Club. “Water conservation is a top priority for Palos Verdes Golf Club and this is another way to help us obtain that goal.”

The $2 million comes from the final round of DWR’s Proposition 84 Integrated Regional Water Management Implementation Grant Program, which helps fund local water supply projects. The grant helps West Basin pursue its Water Reliability Program to provide locally-controlled, drought-proof water supplies to the communities it serves.

Construction is expected to begin in April 2018 with an anticipated completion date of summer 2019. In addition to DWR, other funding partners that helped make this grant possible were: California Water Service, Palos Verdes Golf Club, City of Palos Verdes Estates and the West Basin Municipal Water District.

For more information about West Basin and its water recycling program, please visit www.westbasin.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram via @WestBasin to join the conversation.

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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 an industry leader in water recycling, conservation, and water education. West Basin is currently implementing a Water Reliability program to reduce the agency’s dependence on imported water and develop drought-proof local water supplies. The program includes water recycling, water conservation, groundwater desalting and ocean water desalination. Visit www.westbasin.org to learn more.