Congressman Waxman Kicks-off South Bay Visit with West Basin Tour

Congressman Makes Concerted Effort to Visit Organizations in Newly-Drawn District Boundaries

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Congressman Henry Waxman (D - Calif.) visited the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility, owned by West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin), for a Water Reliability 2020 briefing on Tuesday, August 7, 2012. The facility, the only one of its kind in the world, produces 30 million gallons a day of five different types of recycled waters for industrial, commercial and irrigation customers throughout the South Bay. The ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee was briefed on state and local water supply issues impacting his District.

The Congressman has taken interest in water supply challenges such as growing risks to imported water supplies, population growth and climate change. He was briefed on West Basin’s program to make water supplies more reliable and reduce the area’s dependence on imported water through the development of new, local water supplies. Additionally, West Basin Director Gloria Gray, who is also a member of the Delta Stewardship Council, explained the next steps toward achieving the co-equal goals of protecting the environment and maintaining water reliability in California’s water hub – the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta.

“I saw an impressive display of innovation and commitment to customer service at West Basin. They make specialty waters for everything from irrigation water for soccer fields to ultra-pure water for refineries, which saves valuable drinking water supplies and reduces costs,” said Congressman Waxman.

The Congressman also visited West Basin’s Ocean-Water Desalination Demonstration Facility where West Basin is testing environmentally protective technologies to create drinking water supplies from the ocean. “It was an honor to host Congressman Waxman today. His environmental credentials precede him and I applaud his commitment to sustainable water supplies for his constituents,” said Carol W. Kwan, West Basin Board Vice President.

On the tours, the Congressman tasted both desalinated ocean-water and recycled wastewater. He was escorted by Jacki Bacharach, Executive Director of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, and followed the West Basin tour with a luncheon briefing at the South Bay Environmental Services Center in Torrance.

West Basin’s Water Reliability 2020 program is working to reduce the area’s dependence on imported water by doubling its recycled water program, doubling conservation, and developing ocean-water desalination. The combination of these efforts will increase local control of water supplies from 33 percent today to 66 percent in 2020. To learn more about Water Reliability 2020 and for information on free tours and classes, visit www.westbasin.org.