What's the Future of Water in Pasadena?

In celebration of 100 years of water provided by the City of Pasadena, and in partnership with the Arroyo Seco Foundation, Pasadena Water and Power will host a very important panel discussion tomorrow evening:

A Future for Water in Pasadena and California
Tuesday, Nov. 13
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Armory Center for the Arts

I'll be moderator. The panelists will include the following:

• Phyllis Currie, general manager of Pasadena Water and Power -- PWP's Water Integrated Resource Plan and Pasadena's policy perspective 
• Rich Atwater, president of Southern California Water Committee -- Integrated water planning, stormwater, water recycling, new technology
• Roger Patterson, assistant general manager of Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California -- The future of the California Delta and the Colorado River
• Sherry Simpson Dean representing the United Nations Environmental Program -- Water as a global challenge and how Pasadena fits in

This is a photograph shot inside Pasadena's Windsor Reservoir near JPL. Windsor is one of several underground facilities that store our natural water supply (that's PWP Water Engineering Manager Brad Boman leading a tour):

And pump operations at Jones Reservoir under Hamilton Park:



PWP provides about 10 billion gallons of water to 161,300 customers in Pasadena and some surrounding areas.

More than 40 percent is pumped from our local groundwater supply, made up of surface water from streams, rivers, lakes and rain that enters through the ground and into the Raymond Basin, a natural water-bearing zone. 

Most of our other water comes from MWD via the Colorado River and from the vast delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in Northern California, treated at the Weymouth filtration plant in La Verne and piped into Pasadena.

With so much concern about current shortfalls in supply and predictions of more long-term drought, PWP's Water Integrated Resources Plan is a blueprint for the continuation of reliable, cost-effective and environmentally responsible water supply for the next 25 years, taking into consideration available and alternative supplies, demand forecasts, conservation and more. Is the WIRP enough?

Aerial shot of the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta:

Chronic environmental ills have befallen the delta and there are ongoing debates about related State of California water policies.

And water remains a huge issue globally.

So come over to the Armory Center for the Arts tomorrow evening and let's talk about the future of water!

Park next door in the city-owned parking structure where the first 90 minutes are free.